MAY CONTAIN SPOILERS FOR PHOENIX WRIGHT 1 AND 2 IN LATER CHAPTERS AND REFERENCE TO GS4.

Hey everyone...I know I'm new on the forums but I'm no stranger to writing fanfiction. I know throwing characters into Wonderland isn't the most original of ideas, but I haven't seen this done for Phoenix Wright before, and there WILL be twists, including an original court case!

I've only played up to the end of Turnabout Bigtop in Phoenix Wright 2, but you can have fun guessing who's going to be "playing" who. Some are probably more obvious than others, I hope! I might start a character list in here once they start appearing.

Anyway, hope you all enjoy! I'm uploading the Prologue and Chapter 1 this time, but expect more as I write it!

Oh, and just to clarify:
"Blah blah blah" = Talking (duh)
"Words Words Words" = Something written down
[...] = Thinking

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Prologue

The sky was clear, and the sun was beating down into the courtyard. Splitting the yellow gravel was an arrangement of hedges, woven and interwoven into a complex web. Normally, mazes would be a source of amusement – the laughter of running children, scraped knees from scrabbling under and through as they race to the centre.

However, whoever had designed this fiendish, living trap had something else on their mind other than the amusement of others. Impenetrable thorns made cheating just about impossible. The white roses stared down from the 8 foot walls like watching hawks. Creeping stems, desperate to escape the shadows, set about to trip the unwary. And each dead end looked just like the last.

Amidst the suffocating heat and silence, someone wiped their brow, shielding their eyes from the sun’s relentless glare. He headed carefully back down his stepladder, content in a job well done…if only it would supplement his meagre pay packet.

Then…he hesitated. Someone was approaching quite quickly.

He strained a greeting, the sun’s heat stealing his voice. “Good afternoon, your ladyship, I-“

His throat was too parched to cry out as the scene unfolded. He saw blood, and her body fall to the ground. He didn’t even realise he was running until he’d made his way out of the maze, driven by some primal urge – run, just run, get away. He longed to run away from what was just cut deep into his memory, the thoughts themselves aching like a fresh knife wound.

The Duchess…she was…and he…and he…!

He looked up to see two imposing figures standing over him, weapons drawn and faces masked by shadow. “Don’t move! Don’t you dare move!!”

Collapsing to his knees, he held up his hands in defeat – caught not only literally red handed, but completely covered. The man visibly shook as he was half-led, half-dragged away.

“I didn’t do it…I swear, it wasn’t me…I…” either fell on deaf ears or just wasn’t heard at all, the heat and the shock stealing his voice.

“…I…need a lawyer…”

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Chapter 1 – Ramen Craving Rabbits

Phoenix Wright leant back in his chair, taking aim at a random spot on the wall, his small Steel Samurai rubber ball faithfully returning to his hand as it bounced back. Even with the fame his successes had brought him, there were still days like this where he had no choice but to sit around and play the waiting game.

Thud…bounce…catch…thud…bounce…catch…the attorney finally gave way to a sigh which had spent the last few minutes gaining momentum.

“Hey, cheer up, Nick!”

He looked up to see his mystic assistant, Maya Fey, smiling at him. On one hand he was glad the silence was finally broken – on the other hand, that look always seemed to be the precursor of bad things. Bad things for wallets, especially.

“I made us lunch! See, it’s Ramen! Your favourite!” she smiled, grinning from ear-to-ear.

Looking at the bowl of cheap, instant noodles in an oily “soup”, Nick strained a smile and tried to push thoughts of trans-fats out of his mind.

“Gee, thanks Maya…it sure looks…appetising…”

Maya’s attention was quickly drawn back to her storybook and her own noodles, which she devoured with superhuman speed.

Nick, meanwhile, pulled a face normally reserved for a bad day in court, prodding the noodles experimentally with his fork.

[Oh well…at least I won’t be eating into this month’s rent.]

Finally, he took a bite.

[…Shrimp flavour. Why did it have to be shrimp flavour…?]

Swallowing hard, his appetite having run for the hills, he got back to more important things.

Thud…bounce…catch…thud…bounce…

As he bent to pick up the wayward sphere, the title of Maya’s book suddenly caught Nick’s eye.

“Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland…?”

“Yeah…” Maya said, a thoughtful look crossing her face. “…I’ll admit it’s no Pink Princess: The Manga, there’s not enough ninjariffic fight scenes.”

[Ninjariffic..?] The clueless attourney thought to himself. [Another blow to the English language from the people that brought you “Neo Olde Tokyo”.]

“But it’s still really cool!” The mystic said earnestly, that familiar obsessive twinkle in her eyes. “There’s this girl called Alice…and she chases a rabbit down a hole…”

“Yeah, that sounds great, Maya, I’ll read it when I have time…”

“Niiiiiick!!!” she pouted. “You said the same about the Steel Samurai Manga, and you’re not even halfway through yet!”

A few choice words about so many Samurai Spear Spins danced on his tongue, but self-control kept them firmly inside the boundaries of Phoenix’s own head.

“Hmph. Anyway, since I’ve read this a few times already, you can borrow my copy.” She said as she handed it over. “And…are you going to eat that?” she added with a cheeky smile.

“Go ahead…” he replied, to Maya’s glee as she set about devouring another bowl of 4-for-a-dollar noodles.

Meanwhile, Nick opened the book and started to read. It didn’t seem like the kind of thing Maya would normally read, but he could see it’s appeal through the quaint Victorian English. A girl follows a white rabbit down a hole, to a strange world…he could see faint parallels with the time they’d been working together, though he wondered which one of them was the rabbit.

A combination of boredom and tightly-packed blocks of text seemed to be making Nick’s eyelids heavy. Maybe something lighter might wake him up…he turned to the poem at the front of the book.

“Alice! A childish story take, and with a gentle hand…”

It wasn’t doing much good…his desk was starting to look like an awfully inviting place to rest his head…

“…Lay it where childhood’s dreams are twined, in memory’s mystic band…”

...His arm did make a very comfortable pillow…

“…Like pilgrim’s wither’d wreath of flowers…”

………

“…Pluck’d in a far off land.”

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Last edited by ExImplode07 on Thu Nov 29, 2007 8:38 pm, edited 14 times in total.

This looks like it'll be good

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cool

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Here's Chapter 2, fresh off the presses. I know my chapters aren't too long, but this one should be longer than Chapter 1, at least. Enjoy the insanity!

Oh, and bonus points for you if you can tell me where my chapter titles are from.

Edit: Upgraded to version 2.0!

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Chapter 2 – Go ask Maya!

There was darkness. Darkness, and one hell of a headache.

The cogs and gears of Nick’s mind were turning before he’d even opened his eyes. He grabbed for a memory of a dream, dissipating like smoke. Had be been falling? Floating? He grabbed a recent event before it could get away from him. He’d fallen asleep at his desk. That was simple enough.

But why did he suddenly have such a headache? Had the shelf above his desk, held up with tape and infinite excuses of “I’ll get around to it sometime”, finally given out?

And more importantly, why hadn’t he opened his eyes yet? Was he afraid they might meet the cold, sterile walls of a hospital room? Or worse?

Hesitantly, he lifted an eyelid. Then, he lifted his head, both eyes wide, taking in the garish colour scheme that surrounded him.

[What the…?] Nick started, dumbstruck even in his thoughts. [If this is a hospital, my insurance must be worth a lot more than I thought…]

Slowly, his memory picked up on some strikingly familiar details amidst the eye-stinging décor. He actually laughed a little.

[…No. There’s no way. I’m still dreaming. It’s either that or Maya’s somewhere in here, giggling at her very elaborate prank…]

It was his office. Everything was in the same place. It even had the same smell. Fresh paper, stale air, very stale fast food…he’d been meaning to empty that trash can.

But…purple walls? A couch with bunny head-shaped back rests...the high-backed wooden chair he was sitting in, with a plush heart-shaped seat…

The whole room looked like an accident scene, involving a hyperactive interior designer and a rather sick rainbow. Such an event seemed unlikely, but stranger things had happened...his legal career could speak for itself.

And, right on cue, something even stranger happened.

“NICK! You’re awake!”

“GAAAAAHHH!!!”

“AAAAAHHHH!!!”

An awkward pause as the two looked at each other, and looked over each other. The man in the blue suit, and the girl with the white rabbit ears, pink nose, and whiskers that seemed to twitch all-to-realistically. And they both looked like they’d seen a ghost, if that wasn’t an everyday event for them both.

“…Maya?!”

If this was a prank, Phoenix was struggling to see where it was leading. Maya had swapped her normal robe for a waistcoat of the same purple colour, and the white Magatama around her neck had been pawned (he assumed) for a gold watch pendant.

This kind of cosplay wasn’t a Kurain Village tradition…as far as he knew.

Finally remembering breathing out is a good thing, Phoenix put a hand to his chest, feeling his heartbeat slow beneath his palm.

“Sorry, Maya, you scared me…but isn’t it a little early for Halloween..?”

It was an innocent enough question inside his head. But it was enough to switch his psychic assistant’s look from quiet curiosity to raw outrage.

“And what’s THAT supposed to mean??”

The whiskers stood on end like spines, making Maya’s angry blowfish impression all the more convincing. Nick’s look completed the illusion, hands held up and a nervous smile as he dealt with this suddenly dangerous creature.

“Um…you have something on your face…”

“Oh NO!!!”

Phoenix ducked reflexively, but Maya’s undivided attention was already drawn to the watch around her neck.

“We’re late for a very important date, Nick!! We’re supposed to be meeting our next client! Come on, hurry!!”

“Maya, wait-!”

SLAM. Cut off mid-sentence by the door. Was he dreaming or stuck in some horrible cliché?

Phoenix pondered, alone in the strange office. Maybe if Maya had actually used the watch, they’d be on time…but no clients had come into the office. And if the phone rang, why didn’t it wake him up? And more importantly…

[…Was that a tail…?]

He shook his head quickly. Where Maya got her ideas from was no matter right now. By now, Phoenix was convinced he was dreaming, but couldn’t deny a client his help. Even if they were a product of overwork-and-food-additive-induced sleep.

The floor felt the same as always beneath his feet as he boldly stepped forward, and his hand found the door handle. If he was sleepwalking, hopefully the real Maya’s cracks about zombie lawyers would wake him up.

“…And now I know I’m dreaming.” He said out loud.

The forbidding walls, covered with wooden panels like a huge chessboard, loomed. And he almost missed the mosquito buzz of fluorescent lights in his ear…the silence would have been deafening if not for his own echoing footsteps.

“I don't think we're in California any more..." he muttered to himself.

The black and white floor tiles continued the chessboard motif. Phoenix was reminded suddenly of the set in Edgeworth’s office…a spiky headed pawn, surrounded by Knights, the sharp edges of their swords drawing in.

He shuddered. Whether the room’s high ceiling was leeching away the heat, or if it was just the old metaphor, he didn’t know. What he did know was something was on the wall in front of him. Phoenix had to crouch down on his hands and knees to get a better look, but it was, as he suspected, a door – a tiny one, the size of a mouse hole.

[There’s no way a girl Maya’s size could’ve got through here, especially with all that junk food she eats.]

Getting up carefully, he turned around, and stopped. There, where his only exit once stood, a lonely sign hung from a bent nail in the checkerboard wall.

“Out of Order. Please use alternate exit. Have a nice day! ”

Nick scratched his head – he had no idea his subconscious had such a twisted sense of humour.

Seeing no other options, he started tapping and pressing on the wall panels, hoping to stumble upon some sort of hidden switch.

[This is my dream…a secret exit should be easier to find than this…]

Phoenix assured himself that when he got out, he’d wake up in his normal, boring office, minus décor so outrageous even Edgeworth would poke fun. Playing ‘solitary confinement tennis’ with Pearl’s spare ball never seemed so appealing.

“This always seems to work in the movies…” he muttered to himself after a few more fruitless attempts.

“Though it’d be easier if it was something obvious, like a bookcase with a loose book, or a candlestick at a weird angle, or a soda can…soda can?”

His train of thought ground to a halt as he did a speedy double-take. There was a soda can, sitting on its glass table like a cat on someone’s chair – wordlessly saying ‘I’ve always been here’.

[…I’m not even going to bother asking where that came from.]

The can was invitingly ice-cold as he picked it up to take a closer look.“Drink Me Soda – a sensation like no other!” the label claimed excitedly.

After a certain court case involving poisoning, Phoenix wasn’t prone to drinking anything that was just lying around.

But…investigation is thirsty work. And it was a little late for second thoughts now half of it was gone.

“Ahh…refreshing.” Nick said, purely out of habit. It was fruity and sweet, but, and maybe it was because he was dreaming, he couldn’t quite place the exact flavour.

Ever the workaholic, he shrugged, put the can down on the table, and continued looking for the secret panel he knew had to be somewhere.

Or at least until he was suddenly struck by a horrible sinking feeling, like his case was just shot down with a single “Objection!”, or another small black hole was forming in his wallet.

Phoenix placed both palms on the panel in front of him for support. He was so caught up in the feeling, that for a few moments he didn’t even notice his hands gradually sliding down the panel he was leaning against.

Did that table always reach up to his shoulder, or…?

……

…

Realization and panic hit like the crash of the Judge’s gavel.

“What’s happening to me?!” he asked no-one, looking at himself at then at his surroundings.

Phoenix suddenly understood why he felt so odd, and why the ceiling seemed much further away than before, and why the floor had increased by a few square feet-!

“…I’m shrinking!!!”

Desperate and already shorter than the table, Nick tried to grab onto something – anything! - in the vague hope it might stop him from growing any smaller. But the smooth, unforgiving walls offered no such thing.

Shaking and wide-eyed, a frightened mouse before his expanding surroundings, he found himself tripping over his own rapidly shrinking feet as he ran. Trying to get up, he lost his balance and more precious centimetres, his hands and feet pulled inwards as he got even smaller.

To an outside observer, it would be comical – to Phoenix, it was all the more terrifying.

Still sprawled belly-down on the floor, he looked up at his relatively gigantic surroundings in a mixture of fear and awe. Cautiously, he got to his feet. If it brought on another shrinking spurt…he didn’t even want to think about disappearing entirely.

The “sensation like no other” had finally worn off. But now pocket-size Phoenix was the World’s Smallest Ace Attorney – little more than two inches tall.

[...Which way will this nightmare turn next…? Am I going to get squished like a bug by the Judge? Kept as a pet by Maya!?]

Hundreds of horrible possibilities ran through his mind, but one immediate thing stood out. He felt he shouldn’t question a good thing, but how did his clothes shrink along with the rest of him?

“I wonder if I really got this small, or if everything else just got bigger…?”

“Naw, it’s definitely you that got smaller! I dunno how you did that, but dude! You could be a one-man freak show! I mean, In a good way…”

Phoenix froze as he got up, and turned his head slowly. He had a good idea of what he might find, but the thought still scared him.

“How’s it goin’, tiny Nick??”

[Even in my dreams, even in my nightmares…]

There, looking like a brown, animated line drawing in the grain of the wooden door, was the face and torso of his best friend. Giving, of course, his trademarked other-hand-in-the-cookie-jar thumbs-up.

[… “if something smells, it’s usually the Butz.”]

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Last edited by ExImplode07 on Fri Nov 16, 2007 2:23 am, edited 4 times in total.

"Go ask Maya"--a reference to the song "White Rabbit" perhaps?

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Indeed it is! Maybe it was a little more obvious than the last one. You get...well, I guess I could make you a picture or avatar like mine? PM me if you have any ideas.

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Last edited by ExImplode07 on Fri Oct 19, 2007 12:29 am, edited 1 time in total.

If you have any trouble getting what's going on in this chapter, I'm sorry. I confused myself a few times writing this...you'll soon see why. Can't wait for other characters to come in, for once...

ANY comments are appreciated. Doesn't have to be long, something simple "it's cool" or "Take the emoticons out, they're annoying" will suffice. I'm not attention-whoring, I just like seeing people's opinions of my work rather than just a number on the view counter.

Edit: Version 2.0 upgrade! OMG HAX!

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Chapter 3 – Through the Looking Glass and What Phoenix found there

“Yeah, I know, you’re surprised.” For being trapped in a block of tastefully varnished pine, Larry seemed awfully cheerful, waving his wood-grain sleeve back and forth, face flushed with pride.

“It’s it great I got this doorman job? I mean, my neck’s a little stiff from standing around all day, but…”

“Uh, yeah. Congratulations.” Phoenix answered unsurely, approaching the once inanimate door. Was this a nightmare, or still a dream? He stuck his hand out and touched the wooden surface, hoping something wouldn’t open the door and bite it off.

It felt convincingly real, but that really didn’t help.

[I just shrank to a few inches tall, and my best friend is a door…if the inside of my head is this messed up, maybe I’d be better sleeping in a padded room than on my desk…]

That is, if he wasn’t already in one, wearing a straightjacket and babbling about rabbits.

“…Something up, Nick?”

Said best friend’s confused, uncomfortable look also seemed to be questioning his sanity. Nick withdrew quickly, suddenly remembering he was facing a door with the concept of ‘personal space’.

“Heh…actually, I’m chasing after Maya. I’m pretty sure she came through here.”

“So…?”

Phoenix’s eyes narrowed in exasperation. This was Larry, alright.

“So…how about letting your best friend through?”

When they’d been kids, ‘the Butz’ was known for getting into trouble, but also for getting away with a lot of things. The ol’ waterworks switch had been flicked, and lines that looked a lot like tears started to wobble.

“I’m sorry, Nick! I’m locked!”

Another switch flicked, this one marked “angry”. Larry bunched up his fists, trying to make himself look as big as possible, like a cornered animal.

“But it’s not my fault, I swear!! I’m normally open 24-7! Your local convenience door!”

Nick backed up a little – there was no stopping Larry’s almost cartoon-like rages once he got started.

But now, he was stuck. If it was the soda which made him small, another sip might let him crawl under the door…but the glass tabletop seemed miles away as he craned his neck to see. Not exactly an option. Maybe there was a key somewhere?

Key…lock...locks...an idea hit, Nick's hand instinctively reaching into his pocket.

[Finally, something predictable in this crazy place…]

It was satisfying, holding Maya’s Magatama in his palm again. It had been perfectly miniaturised along with everything else, and was fully charged with an eerie green glow.



The irate door fell silent. He couldn’t see the scene darken, or hear the ethereal music of the spirit plane, but he could probably sense something was different. A change in the air. Phoenix’s second sight told him his best-friend-turned-door was heavy with chains, held in place with a single Psyche-lock…not a big secret. But he’d have to break it to continue his dream, if only to finally wake up and forget all about it.

“Larry, listen to me. I know you’re not actually locked.”

“Wh-what do you mean, Nick? Of course I’m locked, didn’t I just say that?”

Larry’s tight-lipped expression defied his words. Nick’s eyes seemed to be burning right into his soul…a scary thought, especially if you’re naturally flammable.

“This is something to do with what’s in the next room, isn’t it?”

There was an audible gulp from the door, and the sound of gears turning inside the Psyche-lock over his heart. The lawyer did what he did best, and pointed his finger accusingly.

“There’s something in there you don’t think I should see, Larry. You’re my best friend…you’d try to protect me, wouldn’t you? Even if it meant stopping me from seeing my own client!”

There was a soft click, then a crash like breaking glass. The Psyche-lock shattered, the shards dissolving into the strange half-light, and the chains withdrew, taking the oppressive atmosphere with them.



“…I’m sorry, Nick. You go ahead. But you won’t like what you’re gonna see in there.”

“It's my job, Larry.” Phoenix replied seriously, turning the handle. “A defence attorney has to seek the truth, no matter how ugly it is.”

He opened the door, and stepped inside, into a bright, artificial white light…familiar light. His ears picked up a constant, unchanging hum…the taste of sweet, sweet boredom was already on his lips...was he awake? Back in his office?

Nick’s heart sank. No, it was the Detention Center…but if he was still dreaming, why did it look so normal? Was this all tiny, or had stepping through the door somehow restored his height?

BONK.

“OWW! That hurt!” Phoenix’s hands immediately went to his head, more from the shock than actual pain. Then, he blinked, confused.

“…Wait, that actually hurt?”

“Of COURSE it did! It was supposed to hurt!!” It was Maya, fists clenched, looking like she was going to see if it hurt more the second time. But it wasn’t his Maya…it was the dream Maya, with the rabbit ears, and…

[If that hurt…]

Nick’s heart was pounding as much as his head. He kept trying to tell himself that it wasn’t possible. He’d spoken with the dead, he’d seen pieces of plywood jiggle disturbingly, he’d dealt with accidental homicides involving plungers…but this was impossible!

“Then I’m not dreaming??”

Before Nick could pull his own hair spikes out with his bare hands, a voice came from inside the holding cell. It sounded really familiar, maybe too familiar, but he couldn’t put his finger on its owner.

“You mean you didn’t tell him? No wonder he’s so confused! Or…I’m confused…great, now I am confused…”

The last part of the sentence was muttered under his breath…Phoenix didn’t know anyone who did that, but it was still so familiar. Like he’d heard that voice every day of his life, and just never noticed.

He turned to Bunny-Maya for help, and met ‘that’ grin, the grin that foretold only bad things, especially for wallets.

“…Nick…I’d like you to meet our client, Nick.”

“Whaa…?” Phoenix found himself trailing off right there as his brain suddenly went on strike. This was too much to take…

THUD.

“Nick?? NICK!!!”

Their client was resting his head on an equally paper-thin hand, the hair spikes on either side of his head flopping down in exasperation.

“He fainted, didn’t he? I guess I’d do the same thing if it was me…which I guess it is…”

After a much-needed (though somewhat overzealous) slap or two from Bunny-Maya, Phoenix was back on his feet. Feeling weak at the knees, he took a chair and imitated his client’s gesture from a minute ago.

“Please, tell me…what, exactly, is going on here..?”

The Phoenix Wright on the other side of the plexiglass smiled nervously, his arm twisting unnaturally as he scratched the back of his head. There was nothing really ‘natural’, human Phoenix decided, about a living playing card, the Ace of Hearts to be exact, who looked exactly like him.

Phoenix found his eyes drawn to his doppelganger’s chest, bearing a heart with a large yellow “P” in the centre. He’d long thrown out that old sweater, and he’d never felt more glad that he did. His friends were right when they said it looked silly.

The playing card Nick just smiled back, sadly.

“I’m really sorry about this. For convenience’s sake you can call me Ace. It’s a little formal but better than having two Phoenixes.”

The human Nick felt a migraine coming on, and not just from being pummelled by Maya. He looked up, his gaze meeting brown eyes he’d seen every time he looked in the mirror.

“I really don’t get any of this. But since weirder things have happened today, I’m guessing you’re me. Another me.”

He glanced towards Maya, who was sitting next to him, her rabbit ears drooping. She looked upset enough to be behind the screen herself. “And you’re…”

She looked up at him, on the verge of tears. ‘His’ or not, this Maya undoubtedly had the same emotions, the same heart as the mystic he knew. She was a strong girl, but even she had her limits.

“When…when Nick #1 told me to get him the best defence attorney possible, I knew there was nobody who’s better than him…so I got you.”

[Nick #1..? When was I demoted to Nick #2?] Phoenix thought to himself, quickly shaking his head.

Questions like that, and how he got here, would have to wait. As much as he wanted to deny it, as much as he’d tried to deny it, this place was real…and if he’d been called here to help...

His eyes were drawn to Ace’s heart design again. He froze. Something was ‘off’ about it. Spilling over from the red heart onto the white background, slightly faded from washing, but still there. He felt like he’d just taken another sip of ‘Drink Me’ Soda.

“…Then that stain is…”

“I know Nick didn’t kill the duchess!!!”

If it hadn’t have been Maya who kept interrupting, he’d have thought maybe etiquette didn’t exist in this bizarro-world.

“He loved her!! Everyone did! She was nice, unlike-”

“Maya!” Ace interrupted sharply, giving her an intense look which combined annoyance and fear. It was like a kid trying to save a friend from the wrath of the teacher, only multiplied tenfold…but why?

“Be careful what you say! You don’t want to get thrown in here as well!”

His attention turned back to Phoenix, who was taken aback slightly by the fire in his counterpart’s eyes. His inner sense of justice…was this what it looked like?

“Phoenix Wright doesn’t turn down a case if he knows his client is innocent.”

“...And Phoenix Wright is not a murderer.” Nick finished, without even thinking about it.

Different looks, different memories, probably…but he could see in Ace’s eyes that he’d been in a similar situation before. The wrong place at the wrong time. And he’d need a good lawyer, one he could trust, to escape a deadly verdict.

The one with the yodelling cowboy and the accordion still came close, but this took the number one spot for the strangest case he’d ever taken.

It wasn’t just for that honour that he couldn’t say ‘no’. This was an alternate Phoenix Wright, and if they shared the same heart, there was no way he could have done it. He’d seen too many lives taken needlessly as it was.

This was going to be difficult.

But without evidence, it was going to be impossible.

“You need to talk to the March Hare. He’ll be down at the Rose Maze, investigating the crime scene.” Ace spoke up, right on cue.

“Well, how am I supposed to get there?” Phoenix tried not to think about the implications of him reading his own mind.

“Just follow the White Rabbit.”

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Last edited by ExImplode07 on Tue Nov 06, 2007 7:23 pm, edited 2 times in total.

I am eagerly awaiting the next update!

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And me

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Await no longer! Chapter 4 is DONE. This one is more serious than the last chapters (GASP), and more "talky", but I swear that many more weird and wonderful things will happen to poor Nick later. This is mainly to explain a few things that needed explaining...but not EVERYTHING. That'll come later. But I'll try not to keep you waiting too long, mm, yes.

Edit: 2.0 UPDATE! One of the shortest chapters is now the longest, who'da thunk it?

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Chapter 4 - Daydream in Magenta

‘Followed’ wasn’t really the word Phoenix was looking for when it came to the White Rabbit, also known as Maya Fey. ‘Kidnapped by’ seemed more appropriate for being dragged out of the detention centre by the arm.

And the part where he was flung down the deep hole that suddenly materialised in the ground – had she called him there just to kill him??

“WHEEEEEEEEE~!”

Maya’s happy shriek bounced off the walls of the rabbit hole, drowning out the lawyer’s terrified shout. Phoenix kept his eyes covered…they’d been falling for so long, he was mentally preparing himself for the bone-shattering impact that was sure to follow.

“OWF!”

…And was surprised when they were dropped, messily but relatively gently, onto some plants. The White Rabbit was completely unharmed, even giggling at her new companion’s shellshocked expression.

“You’re just as bad as our Nick.” Maya said, smirking at him from where she sat on the neatly cut grass, flipping an ear out of her face. Perhaps that fluffy tail had cushioned her fall.

“He never got used to it.”

“With these landings, I’m not surprised…” Phoenix replied painfully, nursing his bruised tailbone and pulling the rest of the rose thorns from his favourite blue pants. He still preferred the bus.

Shielding his eyes from the bright sunlight, he looked dead ahead at what he assumed was the Rose Maze. The air smelled like crushed grass and rose petals…the familiar two-tone call of some common bird, and the sound of the breeze chased away any silence.

It was hard to believe this place, which seemed like a good spot for a picnic, had only yesterday been the scene of a brutal murder. But as he’d learned within his first few minutes of arrival, appearances could be very deceiving.

“Why couldn’t you just transport us to the crime scene, though?”

“Well, if I don’t know where it is, I can’t take us there, can I?” Maya replied irately, folding her arms.

“I know you’re tight-fisted, Nick, but you should remember that if I haven’t been there, we have to get a cab…or…” she stopped, trailing off. A sorrowful look crossed her face.

Though he wanted to be angry at being called 'tight-fisted', the sympathy Phoenix felt greatly outweighed it. Ace was to the White Rabbit as he was to his world’s Maya. Working with someone who looked and acted like him…given the chance to act like everything’s fine while he was awaiting trial for murder…

“…I’m sorry, Maya. I know there’s still a lot I don’t understand about this crazy place.”

He sighed.

[And yet I may need to take things like this into consideration with this case…]

But there’s not much time for consideration when there’s a six-foot-plus, solidly built wall of annoyed police officer charging at you.

“HEY!!! Hold it right there, pal!”

“GYAH-!” Phoenix barely had time to react as he was grabbed forcefully, a rough pair of hands holding his arms behind his back.

Although his captor was now sporting a pair of brown rabbit ears, he’d recognise him anywhere. That face, that accent, that tendency to get out of breath after running a short distance…

“D-Detective Gumshoe-!” he started to protest as cold steel bit into his wrists.

“I…I’ve got you now! I don’t care if you are made of paper and can probably slip under the door! You’ve got some nerve escaping from jail like that, pal!!”

“Detective, it’s okay! It’s not the same Nick!” The other rabbit spoke up at last…had she been enjoying this…?

“Nick #1…our Nick…he’s still at the Detention Centre. Nick #2 here is his lawyer!”

“Oh?” The March Hare looked at the lawyer quizzically…Phoenix returned it with a worried look and a quick nod.

“Well, you could’ve said something before! Got my cuffs out and everything…” he said, unlocking them.

‘Nick #2’ flexed his fingers and wrists, thankful for their freedom, and muttered to himself, annoyed. “The fact I’m not made of paper should be enough proof…”

“Sorry, pal…” The Detective gave him a look like a kicked puppy, his brown ears flopping down completely flat. He blew one of them out of his face like it was a stray hair.

“I thought maybe you’d just gained a little weight. That greasy Detention Centre food…it’s criminal in itself…” He visibly shuddered, scratching the back of his neck.

Phoenix, meanwhile, felt a whole new sympathy for Ace’s plight. If this Gumshoe was anything like the one he knew, this was coming from someone who survived on instant noodles.

By the time he realised he’d just been insulted, it was too late for a retort. He shook it off, and started to inch his way past the bunny blockade, towards where the maze hedges parted.

“So…it’s been nice talking with you, Detective Gumshoe, but me and Maya were going to do a little exploring…”

“No way, pal!!”

[Damn…I thought that actually might work…] Phoenix thought to himself, the larger man hunching his shoulders and baring his teeth, like a dog protecting a favourite bone.

Wisely, the lawyer backed off. If he didn’t, that glare in the Detective’s eyes suggested he’d be getting acquainted with Ace again. On the same side of the bulletproof glass.

“This whole place is off-limits to everyone! Nobody’s allowed in here ‘til we’re done investigating! …And the other officers find their way out…”

Phoenix felt like he was backed into another corner. Judging from his scruffier-than-usual look and his unusual assertiveness, Gumshoe had obviously had a stressful morning with the crime scene. It was going to take a lot more than a Steak Lunch…or maybe a Carrot Lunch…to gain access.

“But…but…” Maya started. She looked cornered, too, her option of winding the Detective around her little finger, as she so often did, all but gone.

“…what about him!?”

Nick’s eyes followed her finger towards the entrance, which was criss-crossed with yellow “Police” tape. Someone was emerging from the maze, far too well-dressed to be an investigator, lifting the tape over his head.

He could’ve seen it coming a mile away. Where there was Gumshoe, there was always a prosecutor behind the scenes, pulling his strings.

“…”

Phoenix Wright looked back into the storm-grey eyes of Miles Edgeworth as he approached, his usual sour expression etched on his face. As far as he could tell, this Edgeworth was 100% human…the first he’d seen since arriving.

“Detective Gumshoe. The officers at the crime scene are requesting your presence.”

The voice, the condescending tone…it was all the same. The only obvious difference was that he was sporting a magenta top hat, with a white band and a single peacock feather.

He actually pulled off the look quite well…Phoenix debated in his head whether to mention it to ‘his’ Edgeworth once all this was over.

“Oh...Mr. Edgeworth, sir…I…I’ll go right now!” Gumshoe left so quickly, it was like someone had lit a fire under his fluffy tail.

The prosecutor, meanwhile, focused on the lawyer in front of him again, looking him over. He then tilted his head with a smug look.

“…You’re not Wright, are you?”

He tilted his head the other way.

“Or at least not the Wright I know.”

Phoenix blinked dumbly in return. He wasn’t sure what else to say...it had only been a few seconds and the alternate Edgeworth already had him figured out.

The prosecutor’s eyes narrowed, as if irritated by the lack of response. “You may be able to fool the March Hare, but you can’t fool the Mad Hatter.”

His hands emerged from behind his back a moment later, bringing with them a teapot, which he poured into a matching teacup.

Phoenix wasn’t sure what was more off-putting. The way Edgeworth’s icy glare remained unbroken, even with his hands full, or how he seemed to have pulled a steaming pot of tea out his-

“Is something bothering you, fake Wright? I’ll have you know that even when I’m investigating a murder, there’s always time for tea.”

-back pocket. Phoenix opened his mouth for a retort, but Maya beat him to it.

“He’s not a fake!! He looks a little different from our Nick, but…he came all the way from the Waking World just to defend him!” The way Maya put it, it was almost like he’d come willingly.

“The Waking World..?” Something else to confuse him…Phoenix could feel his migraine from before coming back with a vengeance.

“It appears you require an explanation, Wright.”

The Mad Hatter had that smug, knowing look again as he sipped his tea. He gestured with his hand, and brought him aside, leaving Maya to eavesdrop as best she could.

“This world we’re in, where you’ve been called to, is Wonderland. It exists in the space between your world, the Waking World, and dreams.”

The prosecutor tilted his arm, and a spoon slid out from the depths of his sleeve, which he caught effortlessly between thumb and forefinger. He used it to stir his tea, watching the leaves swirl as he spoke.

“As such, this world has attributes of both…hence why the White Rabbit was able to drag a defence attorney from his home dimension by sheer willpower. Though that is no easy feat, even here.”

Out of the corner of his eye, Phoenix could see the eavesdropping rabbit looked pleased with herself. Compliments from Edgeworth were like gold dust…precious, rare, and fleeting.

“I guess that also explains the doors and rabbit holes than can lead to anywhere…” he pondered.

Edgeworth sipped his tea in a sophisticated manner, and gave a quiet sigh. “Oolong-Chai blend. Exquisite.”

He then turned to the lawyer like he’s just crawled out of the primordial ooze. “Yes, Wright, but anyone with half a brain can summon a door.”

Nick’s confidence took a heavy blow as he thought back to his encounter with Larry, and how small his only exit had turned out. It figured that he’d screw that up.

“But my point is, Wright…” The Hatter continued, pointing at the other man with his spoon.

His expression flickered for a moment as he hesitated, then turned away…he was gripping his own right arm tightly, his one and only nervous habit.

“Though it is somewhat contrary to my personal opinion…I will be the prosecution in the Ace Wright trial…and therefore facing you in court tomorrow.”

It was painfully obvious the thought was troubling him. No doubt, in a mirror image of Phoenix’s own experience, Ace had saved his friend and rival from a guilty verdict some time ago.

Edgeworth continued, finally making eye contact again. “Tomorrow…unless you can pull off a miracle equal to the one that brought you here, Wright, both you and your client could be thrown to the Jabberwocky.”

The eye contact was lost before Phoenix could start asking exactly what a Jabberwocky was.

“And, as a defence attorney…the odds will be greatly stacked against you. The person in charge does not…approve of lawyers. At all.”

Odds stacked in the prosecution’s favour…there was nothing unusual about that. But this ‘person in charge’..? Although already feeling indebted to Edgeworth for his warning, Phoenix was tempted to ask.

“Edgeworth, I…”

But that paranoid look in his eyes…the way he gripped his arm so nervously…had he already said too much? Was the man formerly known as the ‘Demon Prosecutor’ putting himself in danger, for Ace’s sake? For his sake?

The other man’s expression flickered to a sad smile, just for a split-second, before he corrected it to a frown. “Just be careful. In Wonderland, nothing is as it seems.”

Nick sighed. He knew only too well. Inside his head, he was still unable to connect the day’s events in any logical way. He couldn’t even figure out if he was back to normal size, or if everything he was seeing was just to his tiny scale.

It was all very confusing, and confusion over details is the worst kind of enemy in a courtroom.

“…But I couldn’t call myself a gentleman if I didn’t offer my worthy opponent a cup of tea.”

Phoenix looked up – he hadn’t even realised Edgeworth was speaking. Another pot, and two steaming cups from nowhere…he didn’t even see the prosecutor’s hands move that time.

“…Thanks.” He said, smiling a little.

The tea carried the spicy scent of cinnamon, and the bitter tang of ginseng. A stimulating blend. Maybe it would help him think more clearly about the situation…there was no obvious way he could sneak into the maze without being caught and cuffed…

Then, he remembered...something about willpower. The fabric of reality was thinly spread over Wonderland…anyone could manipulate it if they knew how. Hence Edgeworth’s tea-themed talents, and Maya’s rabbit holes.

He looked at the dark amber liquid. Maybe…just maybe…his reflection smirked back at him.

“Hey, Edgeworth? I hope you don’t mind, but I’ll be looking around that maze now.”

The Mad Hatter looked like he was about to do a comedy spit-take, but instead he almost choked.

“Don’t think I’m that generous, Wright! The crime scene is off-limits to everyone except prosecutors and the Police.”

Phoenix had already taken a pre-emptive gulp of his tea. He already felt more confident, more in control...and judging from the look slowly dawning on Edgeworth’s face, that wasn’t the only effect.

“I thought you might say that.”

---

Last edited by ExImplode07 on Thu Nov 08, 2007 1:18 am, edited 3 times in total.

I always enjoy reading this!

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This is really good, am lloking forward to the next chapter xD

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Just a quick update here to explain what's keeping me. I think to save double-posting I might replace this with the next chapter, so watch this space.

I have a good idea of what I'm about to do next, but I think I've learned my lesson about starting an original court case without a clear idea of where I'm going. I think my head came close to asploding, trying to close all the various plotholes...heck, I can see why the games have holes in places.

EDIT: Chapter 5 is complete! It actually turned out longer than I thought, so no court case as of yet...but I'll get to it, probably in the next chapter. There'll be a new title art thing on the first post once I'm done/just before I'm done with Chapter 6, so not to spoil the ending of this chapter. You'll see what I mean.

EDIT AGAIN: Version 2.0! Works frikken better!

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Chapter 5 – Das Rosenbett

Unlike the paths of yellow gravel elsewhere, here in the centre there was a huge rose design in white marble, inlaid on a background of pink granite. Whoever had commissioned the maze obviously had money to burn, and from the strange writing carved around the edge of the huge stone circle, an interest in ancient languages.

The air still smelled of flowers. But what bothered Phoenix was that the usual birds and insects were deathly silent. It was as if they were in mourning, or too intimidated by the towering, thorny hedges to take shelter there.

“WOW, Nick!! That was incredible!! Let’s do it again!”

Or they were scared off by one over-enthusiastic White Rabbit.

“Heh…yeah…let’s not…” Phoenix scratched the back of his head, smiling shyly.

One part of him agreed with Maya. The look of disbelief on the prosecutor’s face as he’d shot up to giant size was unforgettable, even if it wasn’t ‘his’ Edgeworth. Maybe he’d had a similar nightmare to the ones Phoenix had, but involving a giant lawyer.

Another part of him was just embarrassed at being so…visible. It was hard for people not to stare, before running away screaming, when you’re big enough to pick up your assistant in one hand.

It had been even harder to get to the centre of the heart-shaped maze without doing any damage. Investigators and police scattered like cockroaches in his wake, and he’d needed almost surgical precision to avoid crushing the rose hedges. He wasn’t sure how – a familiar feeling at this point – but he’d managed it.

And it was yet another part of him that made Phoenix glance upwards, sighing a little. He only seemed able to change size when he ate or drank something, and the candy bar in his pocket had been a stale-tasting yet convenient antidote. But, that part of him couldn’t help but wish he’d stopped shrinking a little sooner. If he were a few inches taller, maybe people would take him more seriously-

“-as he rampages through downtown! What do you think, Nick?”

The White Rabbit looked at her companion expectantly, like a cat waiting for its next meal.

“Uh…”

Maya had a tendency to go off on a tangent, and this time he’d missed most of it while off on his own tangent. She tilted her head in thought.

“I think we should call the movie ‘Attack of the 50-foot Laywer’. Or does ‘Nickzilla’ sound better to you?”

“Nick…zilla?”

“Yeah!” By now, Maya was practically bouncing with excitement. “Nickzilla – he’s here to defend, and DESTROY!”

She made a sweeping motion with her hand, her eyes glittering as she imagined her words up in lights.

“Well, hopefully I didn’t destroy anything this time…this is a crime scene…”

Growing and shrinking again in quick succession had disorientated Phoenix, so it was only now he noticed the area on the other side of the clearing. Even before he approached he could see a tarp had been set up as a makeshift roof, presumably to prevent rain from washing away any…

The lawyer covered his mouth, dangerously close to tasting that old candy bar a second time. He’d never seen a crime scene quite like this one…the pink granite was ruined by a huge red stain, which began with the outline of a body in white tape.

Feeling sick to his stomach, he had to turn away…whoever killed the Duchess…she must have suffered horribly. If word of this had reached the media, it wasn’t going to help his case at all…people would be baying for Ace’s blood...

His mind and body wandering again, Phoenix felt something collide with his foot. Looking down, he picking up a brown envelope - one of the investigators must have left it behind.

Breaking the seal, he found Lady Luck was on his side.

[An autopsy report…]

Victim: The Duchess of Wonderland
Cause of death: Stunned by blunt trauma to the head, a single blow. The victim remained alive for a few more minutes before being stabbed once, in the back, with a sword.
Estimated time of death: 12:10PM

[No name or age, just “the Duchess”…maybe royalty get special treatment even in these situations.]

A photograph of the crime scene, and a smaller photograph of the woman’s face, from before she died, were both paperclipped to the report. She was quite pretty, but otherwise unremarkable.

Phoenix felt a certain sense of relief. Though it was still a tragedy when any life was lost, he was glad it hadn’t been an alternate of someone close to him. He didn’t think he could live through that again.

“Maya…”

The White Rabbit was silent, crouched down, her back turned to the scene. Maybe she was thinking of the same thing. After what she’d been through in the past, it made sense that she couldn’t bear to look.

Worried, he crouched down as well, putting a hand on her shoulder, fully expecting her to be shaking, sobbing.

“I’m sorry, Maya, I…what’s that you’re holding?”

Luckily his assistant was easily distracted…she probably hadn’t even laid eyes on the crime scene.

“You mean this?”

She held up the card she was turning over and over in her hands…it was a normal playing card. Not a sentient one like his doppelganger, but still an Ace all the same - the Ace of Spades. The Police must have missed it in their search.

“I found it just lying here. But…I don’t think I should’ve picked it up…” she looked down, hands clasped and ears dropping to the sides of her head.

Phoenix took a plastic evidence bag out of his pocket and held it open. “I don’t think your fingerprints matter, Maya...we’ll just explain, and-”

“No, Nick! Not THAT!” she frowned, suddenly clutching the card like it was a precious treasure.

“They say that if you carry a Spade Card, you’ll get REALLY bad luck!”

Phoenix sighed. [I guess when you’re dealing with spirits, maybe it pays to be superstitious, but...]

“It could be evidence. Hopefully the bag might stop any bad luck from rubbing off on me.”

The spirit medium looked unsure, but she dropped it in anyway. [Not that it’ll make much difference if it does…if court is going to be as bad as I think it is, I may as well be playing baseball in a mirror factory.]

Whether it was the card’s bad luck, or just his usual bad luck, the crime scene didn’t seem to yield many valuable clues when Nick went back to it. Amidst all the…mess...he could just about make out a scar on the stone, where the tip of a blade had collided with it.

There was also a stepladder – he was glad he’d told Maya to stay put, he didn’t want to start that argument again – standing proudly over the stain like a grave marker. Lying on the ground next to it was an empty, dented paint can, which must have been the source of the ‘blunt trauma’ mentioned in the report.

But what was there to paint, in the middle of all the stone and hedges? Things just got curiouser and curiouser…

And then, he noticed the roses. At a glance, he’d assumed they were a mixture of red and white, but no – the hedge in front of him was covered in red roses, a hundred or more, while all the rest were white. Had someone been painting them? And if so, what for?

Another unusual thing was the pair of brown gloves, laid neatly on top of the ladder…did they belong to Ace? Phoenix never wore gloves, even in the winter…too many times, they’d been used in court to try and prove his client’s apparent crime was premeditated. Too many stressful memories.

He made a mental note to add these things to his Court Record. Edgeworth was prosecuting, so he’d give it his all as usual, if just to make Phoenix work harder towards discovering the truth. Every piece of evidence was potential ammunition for either side, and every last piece helped.

[Edgeworth…]

The prosecutor’s name set his train of thought rolling again. The Mad Hatter was just like the Edgeworth he knew…but that look in his eyes, that way he glanced over his shoulder, he’d never seen before.

Paranoia. That’s what Phoenix had sensed in the atmosphere…a constant background noise, like the fluorescent lights he knew so well. A hum of fear and suspicion, which must revolve around the ‘person in charge’.

He made his way back to the other side of the circle, where Maya was waiting for him, plucking petals from a fallen rose.

“Maya, I’ve been thinking about what Edgeworth said…”

Her ears pricked, and she turned to look at him. “Mr. Edgeworth?”

The cheeky smile re-appeared. “You mean when he ran away with that silly hat over his eyes, right? I think it was something like ‘EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEK!’”

The White Rabbit had a look of pure, undiluted glee as she imitated the terrified prosecutor. The Ace Attorney looked like he needed something pure, undiluted and served in a shot glass.

“No…I mean about this so-called ‘person in charge’.”

Maya’s wide-eyed look said it all.

Phoenix looked back worriedly. “Listen… whatever’s going on, we’re in the middle of a huge maze. I don’t think anyone can hear us.”

“I guess…” she looked at her feet. “…I guess it is about time someone told you about the King.”

“The King…? Since when was our country a-oh wait, yeah…Wonderland…”

Phoenix’s palm found his face. [I can’t believe I actually forgot…this place is already driving me insane…]

“It all started like this…”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Maya’s memory was still clear as day even after several years…but still in black and white. It was funny, how old memories were always like old photos, washed-out and devoid of true colour.

A picture came to her mind. A man wearing a top hat and a cape was standing at a stone balcony, stepping forward to address the myriad of humans and non-humans below him. There’s a cheer from the crowd as he draws a sceptre, the end an intricately carved heart-shaped hook, with a large gem at the base. His spreads his arms and doves fly from his billowing cape, to thunderous applause.

“Our king…he was a great man. Maximillian the First, the King of Hearts.”

Maximillian Galactica posed and smiled for a camera that was hovering on small, delicate wings, showing off what was either a tattoo or makeup of stars on the side of his face. His clothes are similar to his Waking World counterpart, but King Max has covered his bare chest with a white shirt, complete with a frilly cravat that would make Edgeworth jealous.

“He was a great king…but…he was more than a little naïve…”

Behind the king, two shadowy figured appear. They are both female, though we can see neither of their faces. One is clutching a book with her arms crossed, the other, a quill pen.

The next memory hit like a bolt of lightning. A newspaper front page, the headline proclaiming “KING MAX DIES OF MYSTERIOUS ILLNESS”.

“…After that…with no heir to ascend the throne, King Max’s former advisors did what the law dictated, and appointed a new ruler of their choice.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Maya was in tears by the time she finished. They were powerful tears, that no-one in Wonderland had dared to shed since the throne changed hands.

“I’m sorry I didn’t tell you before, Nick…but we’re all scared of her. Poor Larry got cursed into a door just for playing the trumpet badly at her coronation…”

“I can’t blame you for not telling me, Maya…”

Phoenix’s head was reeling. After all the shocks he’d had that day, this one was by far the worst. It somehow made sense, but he just couldn’t bring himself to believe it…

………

……

…

“…So…do I have to call her ‘Her Radiant Majesty Queen Franziska von Karma the 1st’ ?”

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Last edited by ExImplode07 on Wed Nov 07, 2007 11:52 pm, edited 2 times in total.

Yay! An update! And Max was the last person I expected!

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Wow. I am absolutely LOVING this so far... Nice use of the PW characters. Their Wonderland counterparts are definitely reflective of them... I can't wait for the next update! (If court in Wonderland is as screwed up as everything else in Wonderland, then Mr. Phoenix Wright is going to have quite a battle on his hands...)

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Very nice

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I figured Franziska would be Queen of Hearts...But wasn't expecting Max...[ponders who the 'shadowy' figures were] Hm. Actually, that flashback was done very well. You wrote it in a way that captured the mood of such flashbacks in game. Wonderland is such a fun thing to play with...My drama club did looking glass land last year, actually. Such fun nonsense. And this keeps getting funnier as it goes along. ^^

Hope you update soon! [wanders off to draw all characters in their roles thus far...]

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Wow, thanks for all the comments! Now I HAVE to finish it. (I would've done even if nobody liked it, though...once I get a story in my head I just have to write it down.)



NOBODY expects The Spanish Inquisition Max Galactica! I did choose him for a reason...but you'll have to wait for that.

Are you serious?? Post them then they're done, please! I can't draw, so I'd love to see them 'brought to life'! Thanks for your kind comments, as well.

Oh...and since I guess it was pretty obvious that Franziska is the Queen...I made a title thingie up at the top. I like Edgey's hat, he's all pimpin'.

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Sure, I'll post them. ^^ The computer my tablet is hooked up to has crashed for the meantime though, so it might take a while, because we either have to get it fixed or reinstall everything, and I mean everything, like the Windows system itself.
I'll practice in the meantime. ^^
I really like the picture you made though, you're really good at spriting. [anyones good compared to me... XD] Edgeworth's hat is awesome, skee.

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Any one that can take Alice in Wonderland and twist it to fit into the world of Phoenix Wright must have some mad writing skills and I'm enjoying every minute of it. Though it seems that your Wonderland is a little more sane then Alice's version where it was filled with raving insane people and riddles instead of normal speech maybe the land is twisted to fit the perceptions of those who travel through it. I love to hear psychology behind the images chosen for the PW characters in wonderland with Nick as a card and a heart on his chest etc.

I'm looking forward to reading more and seeing just how deep this rabbit hole goes!

I'm immensely enjoying this. I love seeing the characters in the Alice in Wonderland world. Great take on it. You made it work really well and each character fits their roles. I don't know why but I had a feeling Edgey was going to be the Mad Hatter. Keep it up, I can't wait to read more.

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Chapter 6! And...I'm sorry about where this ends, seriously. It just turned out a lot longer then I was expecting (again ). This is one of the parts I've been thinking about since the very start, and since it's going to be between more serious chapters, I made it a crack sandwich of sorts. Look out for a surprise cameo, too - I'm pretty sure it isn't a spoiler because I don't actually say WHO it is.

(And no, it's not Godot...)

EDIT: I'm in ur chapterz, re-writing to make them better

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Chapter 6 – The Erroneous Trial

"Hey, can I just...thanks. Sorry! Excuse me…excuse me! Ow! Yeah, same to you, buddy…”

Phoenix had quickly discovered that the courthouse here was just as busy as in his world. People were still rushing about, carrying stacks of papers and files, or just with some place to be and some appointment to keep.

The only real difference was Wonderland’s much broader definition of “people”. The number of Cards he’d seen – a capital 'C' was for the living kind, Maya had told him - probably added up to several decks. There were more part-animals, and the occasional human, too, but no more familiar faces.

That young police officer with a Red Cardinal’s wings and tailfeathers rang a bell, though. Maggie Pye, wasn't it? For once his memory failure didn’t matter - she was already gone before he could say ‘hello’.

Feeling the file slipping from under his arm, the attorney stopped, leaning against a wall. He took the chance to look around for a topknot hairstyle and a pair of bunny ears...Maya hadn't said where she wanted to meet him. Apparently 'a human in a cheap suit' would be easy enough to pick out.

But Nick had more important things to focus on than fashion advice. He held a page of notes in his hand, eyes scanning over it. A visit to Ace's office had yielded some useful information, and a horror story from the White Rabbit about a coin toss deciding whether to change the décor or not.

[There but for the grace of god…] he thought. Looking back, he was pretty sure his Maya suggested the same thing at some point. But then, would she really change things from when Mia had worked there..?

Phoenix couldn't help but smile at the thought. Maya...she'd probably keep him waiting, just to give him nightmares of a Steel Samurai-ified office, while intending to do nothing at all. Perhaps this world's Mia just had different tastes, and that was exactly the trick Maya was pulling on Ace.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

He'd found out last night that Ace and Maya's apartment seemed to have escaped the dreaded woman's touch. But that was after they'd managed to get in..facing the unassuming white door, Phoenix couldn't help but think he was doing something wrong. Morally, that is – putting the key in the lock was the easy part.

"Just do it, Nick! That is, unless you want to pay for a hotel..." That sing-song tone of voice and sideways look Maya was giving him made it sound more like a 'pleeeease Nick' than a threat.

He frowned at her. Visiting hours at the Detention Centre were long over, so getting Ace's permission had been impossible. Maya was here, but...

"I still don't see why we have to try my key...it's your apartment as well as Ace's, don't you have one?"

The White Rabbit acquired a thoughtful look. "I did...but I lost it. There's a spare though, under the-oh wait, I lost that too..."

[I knew there was a reason I don't let my Maya anywhere near any keys...]

Begrudgingly, he slipped his key into the lock and turned. There was a click, and the door swung open with a big push from an impatient rabbit, who threw herself onto the already abused-looking couch.

"Ah...it's good to relax after a hard day's investigation..."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The lawyer's mind snapped back to the present. He rubbed his eyes, and suppressed a yawn, replacing the page he'd already read too many times with a fresh one. The hard day's investigation had been his. Raiding Ace's office had turned up no obvious connections to the Duchess, which left him without a motive...a deadly weapon for either side of the case.

But Maya had no idea why he would be at the maze that day, which left him with no alibi, either. And looking through all those disorganised legal notes had served as a reminder to organise his own. No rest for the wicked, indeed. It was the good that seemed to have their work cut out for them.

There was a rotten cherry atop his layer cake of stress, pre-court anxiety, and hunger (he hadn't eaten anything since that candy bar at the maze, and he didn't need to leave Ace with a bill for a broken ceiling), and it had been sleeping. Despite their obvious weight difference, Ace's bed felt like he, Phoenix, had been sleeping in it just hours before. It was comfortable and familiar, but...

...No. He shook his head. Thinking about last night wasn't going to make him feel any better. What his assistant had told him after that bowl of Carrot-flavour Ramen was bad enough.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“Whatever you do, Nick…" Maya glanced quickly over her shoulder, with a worried look. The sense of paranoia even penetrated a safe haven like Ace's apartment.

“…don’t talk back to the Queen. The last time someone did…she cursed him into ten thousand pieces with the King’s Heart Sceptre.”

Phoenix swallowed hard…such powerful and dangerous magic, in the hands of a von Karma…

The medium’s ears flopped as she looked away...she'd only really known him for a few hours, but it seemed she could already tell what he was thinking.

“Yeah…it wasn’t a pretty picture. Took them a long time to put him back together.”

By now, the lawyer felt sick to his stomach. How was he going to deal with the possibility of this, in court no less? Part of him wanted to down a big bowl of Maya's carrot noodles right then and there, but he knew he could never shrink small enough to escape such a big problem.

“…I helped, too. It was actually kinda fun.”

“Wait, WHAT?” Phoenix did a double-take so fast, it was practically a single-take.

Maya just blinked back. “…She cursed him into a jigsaw puzzle. A 10-thousand-piece one, and not a good likeness of him. It was fun ‘til someone finished his mouth, then he kept yelling at everyone to find his nose ‘cause he needed to sneeze.”

Either Maximillian Galactica's magic was still as outrageous as ever, even after his passing, or Queen Franziska had a sense of humour...a sadistic one. The latter seemed pretty likely, and it didn't bode well for their court case. He'd have to tread extra-carefully this time...

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

[Focus, Wright…focus, damn it!]

Back in the present again, he shook his head. He needed to stop reminiscing and start thinking about now. There were already too many distractions around him...he didn't need to create more for himself.

Phoenix frowned...speak of the devil. He could feel someone's eyes on him, staring...he glared up from his paperwork, getting ready to snap at the source. Then, he froze – his expression softened, tinged with anger at himself for nearly losing his temper.

A little Card boy with big brown eyes was hiding behind an adult, who Nick could assume was his mother. The watcher peeked out shyly...humans did seem to be fairly uncommon in Wonderland...

Nick smiled, and gave a small wave, mouthing ‘hello’ across the crowded space. The kid was as cute as a button. [And if I'm his first human, I should give a good impression...]

The young Two of Hearts smiled widely, now out of hiding, a pair of brown bangs in the middle of his forehead sticking up like miniature rabbit ears. He waved back until his mother took his hand, gently leading him through the door and into the courtroom viewing gallery.

Meanwhile, the lawyer turned back to his paperwork, his heart's cockles warmed. The little Card had spunk, but seemed well-behaved…maybe he had a promising career in law ahead of him.

…And then, he realised he’d lost his place in his notes.

“DAMN IT!” he shouted, smashing his forehead into his palm in a rare outburst.

“It’s nice to see you too, ‘Nick number two’…”

The notes he’d been trying so hard to read ended up all over the floor, Phoenix struggling for words as he scrabbled to pick them up.

“M-M-M-Mia!!!”

“Surprised?” Mia Fey’s concerned look changed to her almost ever-present smile.

Realisation slowly dawned. The black and grey striped cat ears and tail were different, but…

“…Maya’s channelling you for me, isn’t she?” She nodded back, sagely. Despite the obvious additions, it was still Maya’s body. Just for a fleeting moment, he’d dared to think otherwise.

“Back in the waking world…is the other me…?”

Phoenix wouldn’t have wished what he went through on anyone, but…similar triumphs, similar tragedies.

“…Yes…she is. I’m sorry.” Gripping the disorganised folder under his other arm, he ran his fingers through his hair spikes, grinning sheepishly. “And you made me jump, that’s all.”

That smile again. Her tail moved with a wave motion that was almost hypnotic.

“Just part of being the Cheshire Cat. It’s my job to appear out of nowhere.” She tilted her head to one side, raising an eyebrow. “And from what Maya told me about this case, both you and our Nick are going to need all the help you can get.”

[Yeah, thanks chief...that really fills me with confidence…]

And right then, it was time. The bailiff had opened the doors. Phoenix gathered his composure and held his head up high, entering the room as Ace Wright’s defence attorney.

There was the usual pre-court loud talking from the galleries, and Edgeworth was fashionably early as always, wearing a smug look and the same stylish top hat. Yesterday’s incident at the maze didn’t seem to have shaken him in the slightest.

Phoenix set his file down on the bench in front of him. Prosecution and defence faced each other on different sides. They each had their role to play, but he had to remember; in the end, they both wanted the same thing. Not just a Guilty or Not Guilty verdict - the truth.

It took three loud cracks of the Judge’s gavel to quiet the gathered crowds to murmuring. The few snippets of hushed conversation he overheard were nothing positive...he even heard mention of a paper shredder. It was no wonder that, over in the Defendant’s Chair, Ace was sweating so much his ink had started to run.

“Court is now in session for the trial of...Phoenix Wright?" the Judge blinked confusedly, looking at the defendant, then back to his attorney, then shaking his head. "...I'm sorry, I think I'm seeing double. It must be these new contact lenses."

The Waking World's Phoenix Wright was starting to feel sweat gathering on his own brow. [How am I going to explain this to the Judge..? Sometimes I think he can barely understand one reality...]

It was then that Edgeworth cleared his throat, and did that 'you've got to be kidding me' shrug. "Your honour, as the defence appears to be tongue-tied at the moment, I will take the liberty of explaining. The defendant is his once-estranged twin brother."

[...Twins?] The Wright 'brothers' both seemed to be thinking the same thing as their eyes met, then both turned to the prosecution's bench. [...Has he gone mad for real? Surely the Judge isn't buying this...]

"Oho! Is that so? I'm happy you two made up, there 's nothing quite like strong family ties."

[...Or he's just as senile as ever.] his shoulders slumped in exasperation. Could things possibly get any worse?

"Now, if the prosecution would care to make its-OUCH!"

There was a loud CRACK, and an audible gasp from the galleries. Phoenix remembered what Maya said now...but still felt he'd jinxed his own trial by even thinking that things couldn't get worse.

"You will bang that little gavel of yours when I tell you to." A voice said, from the only addition to the usual courtroom; a balcony high above the prosecution's side. The rhythmic tap-tap-tap of high-heeled boots echoed, the people of Wonderland in a fearful silence as their Queen approached.

A pair of red curtains parted, and Franziska von Karma stepped out. She seemed to be wearing her usual court outfit, but in a black and gold motif, and red hearts in place of blue diamonds. Her trusty whip was held taught in both hands as she glared down like a hawk, ready to strike at a moment's notice.

"Do not forget your place, Judge!"

Looking up at the royal balcony, Phoenix could see she was wearing a delicate gold coronet, and could have sworn she was wearing a cape...

"YOU THERE!"

WA-CRACK.

"YEEOW!"

No, the jacket she wore was just longer, reaching about mid-calf height...the lawyer could tell by the way it moved when she'd whipped him. And, looking around, he realised something else...everyone, including the Judge, was bent over in a bow or curtsey. The Mad Hatter had even removed his namesake hat.

"S-sorry...your hon-I mean your majesty!!"

BONK.

"Owwwww..." Phoenix moaned, clutching his head. He'd been so quick to correct his mistake, he'd forgotten about the desk in his way...and 'his' Edgeworth made it look so easy. But now all eyes were on him, quiet murmurs trickling through to his ears.

"...Is he insane!? Everyone knows you have to bow before the Queen..!"

"...He must be suicidal or just stupid..."

"Mommy, is that man in the blue suit a clown?"

CRACK! The Queen's whip hit the side of the balcony, and a few people actually yelped in fright. She held the whip over her head, holding a threat over the heads gathered below her.

"Silence in my courtroom! And as for you, Mr. Lawyer..."

Franziska dropped the end of her whip, and pointed at Phoenix. His blood ran cold as something materialised in her gloved hand. "You will serve as an example, to those who don't show proper respect for their Queen!"

"AAAAGH!!!" He saw the flash of the Heart Sceptre's red crystal, magical energy gathering and streaking towards him like a bolt of lightning. No doubt it carried some terrible curse..! The lawyer threw up his arms, though he knew it wouldn't make any difference, screwing his eyes shut.

WHAM. The impact was forceful enough to send him reeling, and yet wasn't entirely solid – like being hit by a ball of air. Whatever was going to happen, Phoenix just hoped he'd be able to continue the trial, or he might never be able to go home...

The wind stopped whipping through his hair spikes, and the attorney opened his eyes to see clearing smoke. He still had eyes to see...that was a good sign...but the sound of barely restrained laughter in his ears told him nothing but bad things

"GAAAAH!!!" Nick yelled, pushing down the puffy skirt of the blue dress he was suddenly wearing. His face flushed bright crimson...white petticoat, apron, knee-high socks...and was that a red ribbon in his hair?

The crowd erupted into gales of laughter as the cross-dressed attorney tried to duck under his desk. [This is so humiliating...wake up, Nick! Wake UP! You've had this nightmare before, I'm sure of it-!]

Mia looked embarassed, covering her face with her palm. Edgeworth was facing the other way, but from the way his shoulders were shaking, it looked like even he was struggling to maintain his usual coolness.

"This...this accursed toy!" The Queen of Hearts raged, high above the prosecution's side. "Why won't you turn this foolishly foolish fool into a smouldering pile of ashes?!"

"Order! ORDER! OOOORDEEEERRR!!!" The Judge shouted, banging his gavel. Finally achieving silence except for a few nervous giggles, he looked up at Franziska. "Your majesty, if I may make a humble request...the trial cannot continue if the defence is in...such a state..."

Phoenix cringed under his desk, struggling to maintain his last shred of dignity. The Judge was audibly struggling not to laugh...it was going to be near impossible for anyone to take him seriously after this.

"...Very well. It is written in the laws that all should receive a fair trial..." The Queen said, a playful smile crossing her face, like a cat teasing a caught mouse.

The lawyer coughed, smoke enveloping him with a theatrical 'poof' - he felt much less exposed as his regular blue suit re-materialised. Standing up, he pulled the red ribbon out of his hair, his embarrassment replaced with sudden determination. The trial hadn't even started and he'd already lost so much ground...he needed to start gaining it back, right from the word 'go'.

And nobody, not even the Queen of Hearts, messed with the spikes. Phoenix slammed the offending ribbon onto the desk along with his palm.

"The Defence is ready, your honour."

"...and a fair guilty verdict." von Karma added, glaring down at him.

---

Last edited by ExImplode07 on Sun Nov 11, 2007 12:14 pm, edited 2 times in total.

OK, an update. Yay! I love this story!

---

See, I told you lot I'd get to the court case eventually. This chapter is VERY 'talky', but you can't really help it when your witness has a habit of rambling, and your attorneys like to argue. It's also a lot longer than anything I've done so far...I've had to split it in two.

Chapter 8 is in the works, and I'll try to get it done ASAP, though I'm currently like this: Wish me luck on a speedy recovery...right now I'm tempted to crawl back into bed.

EDIT: Version 2.0! Now with even more whipping!

-----------------------------------------

Chapter 7 – The Pawn's First Move

"As is the prosecution, your honour." Edgeworth replied, bowing and removing his hat in another theatrical gesture of respect. Phoenix had to swallow his pride...they were both on the same side this time. Miles wouldn't condemn his childhood friend to jail, or worse...

"The prosecution may make its opening statement."

But...this wasn't his Miles Edgeworth...this man in front of him hadn't been the boy he'd known in grade school. He'd been to another school, made friends with another Phoenix Wright...

"At once, your honour." There was a barely a sound as he plucked a sheet of paper from atop one of the neatly arranged piles.

...And if this Edgeworth was here on the prosecution's side, another DL-6 incident had occurred. But how much was really the same? Wonderland was like holding up a funfair mirror to the Waking World...details were distorted and changed.

"According to the autopsy report released yesterday, the victim in this case, The Duchess of Wonderland, was first stunned with a blunt object..."

The Mad Hatter was even holding the report the same way, two fingers forming a 'V'. Phoenix gripped the edge of his desk, trying to find an answer in the prosecutor's grey eyes, even if they didn't look back.

[...Can I really trust you..?]

"...the 'job', shall we say, was then finished with a sword. Therefore, the prosecution presents an empty paint can and a ceremonial Vorpal Blade, both found at the crime scene."

Phoenix took a good look at the picture. A sword was an unusual murder weapon on its own, let alone one so elaborate...the blade was smooth and finely polished, and the golden hilt was encrusted with semi-precious stones.

"Dear me..." The Judge looked shocked. It was obvious the long and heavy-looking sword was never intended to see battle. But here it was, the polished metal stained with what could only the victim's blood.

Edgeworth had set his papers down, and was standing to attention like a well-trained soldier. "The police were unable to find a witness to the exact moment of the crime. However, the prosecution calls Detective Gumshoe, who was on guard duty outside the maze, to the stand."

The prosecutor shrugged and shook his head, like a scene from a shampoo commercial. "It is believed he took the shift to...supplement his wages."

[Poor Gumshoe...victim to salary cuts no matter what world he's in...] the lawyer thought, feeling a twinge of sympathy as the March Hare took his place, looking as downtrodden as ever.

"Your name and occupation, please, witness." The Hatter asked, bluntly, always one to follow protocol.

"But...Mr. Edgeworth, sir...didn't you just-YEOWCH!!" he yelped as the whip caught the side of his face.

"Name and occupation NOW, scruffy!" From the look in the Queen's eyes, the Detective got off lucky.

"Y-yes, your majesty...Dick Gumshoe...Detective and...Security Guard..." his ears drooped sheepishly as he looked at his feet. Who exactly was the one on trial here..?

"Thankyou, your majesty. Now, Detective...if you would please testify about what you witnessed around the time of the murder."

['Thankyou your majesty'..? Is he sucking up to Franziska?] Phoenix shook his head...he couldn't jump to conclusions just yet.

[...Remember what he said...things are never what they seem...but in what way did he mean that..?]



Phoenix leaned forward, assuming a pose like a stalking cat. He'd need to leap forward and sink his teeth into any contradictions if he was going to get anywhere.

"Well...like Mr.Edgeworth said, I was guarding the entrance to the Rose Maze. I'd been standing there since about 9 in the morning..."

"Hold it!" ...And then nothing. Phoenix's mouth formed a thin line...with his trigger finger itching to win back the case, he'd accidentally shot himself in the foot. He grinned sheepishly. "Um...why were you guarding the entrance to the maze? I mean, what is there to guard in there..?"

"Objection!" Edgeworth was giving him a 'what in hell's name are you doing!?' look.

"Need the prosecution remind the defence about a security guard's job? A local attraction such as the Rose Maze needs to be protected from petty vandalism, especially while essential maintenance is going on."

He slammed his desk. "Keep your questions relevant, Wright! You've already wasted enough of the court's time with your costume change act. Witness, please continue."

[I wasn't wearing that dress because the colour complimented my skin tone...] he thought, sweating away behind the defence’s bench.

“So, I was pretty exhausted from standing in the same place all morning, pal.”

Phoenix made a mental note of the testimony, but bit his tongue this time. He didn’t want the hatter to get any more mad at him…and the Queen was still watching, waiting for an excuse to try a ‘smouldering ashes’ curse again…

“Nothing happened ‘til…maybe around noon, ‘cause I was hungry for a tasty Carrot Lunch. That was when I heard the noise!”

“Hold it! What type of noise did you hear?”

“Huh?” The Detective raised and lowered an ear, then the other one, doing the same with his eyebrows. The rusty gears in his head were turning. “Yeah, it was a real loud noise, pal. I could even hear it over my stomach growling…it was like a CRASH!”

“A crash..?” Phoenix consulted the autopsy report with a thoughtful look…something didn’t seem to fit. And glancing at the evidence photos to refresh his memory…there was another crash as he slammed his desk.

“Yeah, just like that, pal! You got it!”

The lawyer had his hands on his hips...finally, after two days in this crazy place, something he could be sure of. “I’ve ‘got it’ alright, detective…a ‘crash’ is fine when you’re striking a blunt object…”

He tapped the relevant area of the autopsy report as he held it, hammering his point in. “…but being struck with one is another thing entirely.”

“The defence makes a very good point…” The Judge said, nodding. “…I hit my head getting out of my car this morning, and it did make more of a ‘THUD’ sound…”

“Objection!” Edgeworth was wagging his finger, like at a misbehaving child. Phoenix felt the sweat start to pour again, waiting for the inevitable ‘you’re a naughty boy because…’

“Your Honour, if I may direct the court’s attention to the blunt object, we can see it is an empty paint can. The dent from the impact means the lid no longer fits, so one can assume that it flew off when the victim was struck…”

The Mad hatter dealt the desk a blow of his own. “…which could have easily made the ‘crash’ the witness heard!”

“ACK!” Phoenix yelped, the prosecution’s response like a punch to his empty stomach. He really thought he had a lead there…but he couldn’t prove someone or something else had made the ‘crash’…

“Phoenix…” Mia was glaring at the side of Gumshoe’s head, wagging her tail back and forth…not a sign of contentment in a Cat. “Don’t give up just yet. There’s still something that doesn’t fit.”

“Something else…?” he tried, but just drew one huge blank. Why did Mia always have to talk in riddles?

“Mr Wright. Are you quite finished with this line of questioning?” The Judge didn’t look too happy about his hesitation. The Queen, too, was holding her whip taught, readying it for another well-aimed strike.

“Well…uh…” Phoenix grinned nervously…it was the last thing he wanted in a situation like this, but he had no choice…he had to bluff. “No, your honour! I can prove the flaw in the prosecution’s argument!”

“Very well. You may present a relevant piece of evidence, Mr. Wright, or you will be penalised.”

Evidence…? The lawyer immediately regretted his decision…maybe he shouldn’t have put that extra emphasis on the word ‘prove’. [What have I gotten myself into..!?]

He fumbled with the documents and photographs crowding his desk…one of them fell to the floor, and he felt his empty stomach turn as he picked it up. Dealing with that bloodbath…he had to hand it to the investigators. But there had to be something…a contradiction that stood out like red ink on a white page…

Red ink..? He looked at one of the evidence photos again. [...I’ve got it!]



“The…Crime Scene photograph?” The Judge suddenly looked a little off-colour. “…Oh my…there so much…I wish I hadn’t eaten a big breakfast this morning…” He turned the photograph upside down and pushed it away.

“…Is there some reason for making me feel ill, Mr. Wright, or are you just desperate for a penalty!?”

“Ack! I mean n-no, your honour…my point is, there’s a lot of blood at this crime scene…more than any other I’ve seen before.” He pointed accusingly. “So much blood, in fact, that it can’t possibly be the victim’s blood!”

Edgeworth shook his head disbelievingly. “How are you so sure, Wright? If the blood at the crime scene isn’t the victim’s, then who’s is it?”

Time seemed to slow down for Phoenix as he considered his options…he’d bluffed his way in, but he’d have to think his way out…there was far too much blood for a single stab wound, but why..?

“It’s simple, your honour! The extra blood at the crime scene belongs to my client, Ace Wright!”

There were not three, but four cries of “WHAT!?” in response – the last one being Ace himself. And now everyone was looking at him, he was suddenly tongue-tied, scratching the back of his head nervously.

“Uh…sorry, ‘twin bro’, but…I’m a Card, remember? We don’t bleed…we don’t even have blood…”

“…You don’t? OUCH!” after feeling the sting of Franziska’s whip, he was surprised he wasn’t bleeding.

“Foolish lawyer! Such lack of basic knowledge…you are lucky I pity you, or I would curse you back to grade school!” her whip struck the side of the royal balcony again, leaving another scar in the wood.

“I am sorry, Mr. Wright…your own twin brother, not knowing that! Mr. Wright #2, I’m surprised at you!”

“But…we’re not…” Phoenix couldn’t bring himself to explain. That didn’t win him any points with the Judge or the Queen...but he had to pick himself up and try again. He couldn’t back down…

“Your honour, what I meant to say...is the blood isn’t blood at all!”

“Objection!” Edgeworth spoke up, clenching his fist as he started to lose his patience. “Wright, what does any of this have to do with what the witness heard!? The victim was struck with an empty paint can, end of story!”

The lawyer smirked in return. “Need the defence remind the prosecution what colour the paint inside the can was?”

The prosecutor looked suddenly ill. “It…it was red paint…”

“Exactly! And if there was red paint inside the can, and too much red ‘blood’ around, that means the can was full when the victim was struck! It couldn’t possibly have made the ‘crash’ the Detective heard!”

“AARGH!” The Mad Hatter actually recoiled from the statement, looking like he'd been punched as he leaned on his bench for support. “Detective Gumshoe…did you not check to see if the stain was blood or not!?”

The March Hare looked shaken. "I...we...we thought it was obvious, Mr Edgeworth, sir! The sword went right through the Duchess's back and...YEOWCH!!"

The Queen's whip returned to her hand in the blink of an eye. "Detective Scruffy, you are a fool among fools, and I will deal an appropriate punishment myself when this court session is over! Now, Amend. Your. Testimony!"

"Y-yes your majesty..." he replied, looking sadder than ever.

Phoenix couldn't help but feel a twinge of guilt...he was slowly chipping away the lies and inconstancies to reveal precious truth. But, in doing so, had he condemned Gumshoe to some horrible fate at the Queen’s hands..? Or had he doomed himself by not doing his job properly?

"...So, yeah, I heard this loud 'crash'...I was right at the entrance to the maze on guard duty, so I don't know if it was the murder taking place or not."

Now the Hare seemed really sure, practically shouting by the end of his statement. "But, point is, pal, it was all real suspicious! Nobody was supposed to be in the maze that weekend, so I called for backup right away!"

"Hold it! If you heard a ‘crash’, how did someone get into the maze if you were guarding it?"

"I...I dunno pal, I..." the witness hesitated, a finger pointing at him accusingly.

"Objection!"

The Mad Hatter was still upholding his side of the truth...did he really want to keep Ace out of jail?

"How the defendant entered the maze is not relevant! He managed to enter regardless, and after doing so, killed the Duchess!”

"OBJECTION!”

Phoenix glared at his opponent…how could he trust him, when he seemed so determined to get a guilty verdict?

“If my client and the Duchess were both able to enter the maze undetected, who knows who else could have entered? They could be the source of the ‘crash’ the Detective heard!"

"OBJECTION!”

This was starting to look like a tennis match, the crowd’s heads moving from one side to the other.

“The police performed a thorough search of the maze. They concluded nobody could have left between the time of the murder and the search!"

"OBJECTI-OW!"

"Your foolish 'Objections' stop here, Mr. foolish Lawyer Man. It is perfectly clear that the police found nobody else inside the maze!”

Phoenix rubbed the side of his face painfully…Franziska seemed to be using her whip a lot, rather than the sceptre. Though whether that was a good thing…

“YOU! Judge! Let the witness continue so we can end this foolish charade!"

"O-of course, your majesty...witness, please continue."

"A few minutes later, my backup arrived...they arrested the suspect when he was running out the maze. He had blood on his hands and chest...a real distinctive smell, 'specially to a March Hare. We've got sensitive noses, pal."

[Then why couldn’t you smell the paint at the crime scene..?] He let it slide for the time being. Maybe he was exaggerating, or maybe his heritage wasn’t entirely March Hare…with Mia as a Cat and Maya as a Rabbit, it was possible.

"While my backup was dealing with that, I went into the maze...I got lost for a while, but eventually I found the centre, and the crime scene."

Then, silence. [So...that's it...?]

"Well, the witness's testimony seems fairly clear. Mr.Wright, do you have any further questions?"

"Come on, Phoenix. If you’re even half the lawyer Ace is, I know you're better than this." Mia said, wearing that cryptic Mona Lisa smile and twirling her striped tail. "Just have some self-confidence."

[Thanks for the support, chief...but what do I press him on now?] Nick felt like he was tiny-size all over again, trapped in a spider’s web…the more he tried to untangle the various threads, the more he ended up trapped. And here in the courtroom, the spider’s den…hungry predators waited to pounce at any sign of weakness, but first, they’d watch him squirm…

Whatever choice Phoenix Wright would make, it was going to take some thought.

One false move, one too many penalties…and he could find out what a Jabberwocky looked like. From the inside.

---

Last edited by ExImplode07 on Mon Nov 12, 2007 3:08 pm, edited 1 time in total.

I'm feeling better, and you got lucky tonight, folks. I was going to post this tomorrow, but I have anime club, so...here's Chapter 8. This one is about twice as long as my shortest chapter, but I wanted to get Day 1 of court over in one chapter. Once again, lots and lots of talking (this IS Phoenix Wright)...but at least something rather random happens at the end. 'Bout time, mmyes.

I was a little worried today at the lack of reviews, but I guess I can give everyone a day off since it's Sunday. If it's because there was a problem with the last chapter, though, say something. I'm not out to write an epic tale, but I want "Turnabout in Wonderland" to be interesting at least, and funny at best.

And some other things as well...but you'll see what they are in Chapter NEIN.

EDIT: Version 2.0! With fricken lasers!

-----------------------------------------

Chapter 8 – Black Diamonds

"Hold it!" Phoenix’s voice rang clear through the courtroom.

Finally, events were linking together inside his head, for the first time since he’d arrived in Wonderland. There had to be someone else at the scene…but only if he could find a contradiction between the prosecution’s claim and Gumshoe’s testimony, could he play the ace up his sleeve.

"Witness, please tell the court about what you saw when you discovered the Duchess’s body.”

"Objection!" Edgeworth wagged his finger irritatingly at Phoenix. "Wright, have you forgotten? A photograph was taken of the crime scene, exactly as it was found, and the victim’s body is-"

"HOLD IT!”

Everyone in the courtroom suddenly froze…the shout had come from neither prosecution nor defence - but the witness stand. The witness was looking proud of himself, but someone wasn’t too happy that her perfect court protocol had been shaken up.

“You, scruffy! What is the meaning of this insolence!?”

“I…I just remembered, pal! I mean, sir! Ma’am!” Gumshoe’s smile immediately disappeared. “The first thing I noticed at the murder scene was the murder weapon…I'd seen it before!"

A loud "WHAT!?" came in stereo from the prosecution's side, both the Queen and Edgeworth taken aback. Phoenix felt like he was towering over them both, but he couldn’t let it go to his head just yet.

"This is very important information, witness!" The Judge said wide-eyed, Gumshoe looking like a puppy that just missed the papers as he glowered at him.

"You really should try harder to remember these things! …Now, where was I...?”

Phoenix felt the temptation to say ‘You were announcing an innocent verdict for my client’, but that probably wouldn’t work even in Wonderland.

“…Oh yes, please testify to the court about the murder weapon."



"When I got to the crime scene, the first thing I noticed was the murder weapon, pal. I'd seen it before, in the Police Department!"

"Hold it! So, you're saying this weapon was stolen from the police department?"

"Objection!” Edgeworth shook his head again, and the lawyer felt his anger rise...he’d risked his own safety to warn him about the Queen, but the trust still wasn’t there…were Ace and him really that different?

“Wright, do you really think the Police Department is so incompetent that they’d let such a theft occur under their own noses?”

[Well, if they didn’t realise the blood was paint, who knows what other mistakes they’ve made..?]

“Um...no, pal. It wasn't THE sword from the department…” the Detective finally said, still looking like he was the one on trial.

“The Chief has this...shield thing up on his wall, see. With pictures of the different Card suits, and two crossed swords."

“Hold it!” Phoenix pondered for a minute…he’d seen that design before, but…he glanced upwards, and saw it was on the front of the royal balcony, carved into the wood. "You mean a coat of arms? Like…a family crest?"

And at the same time, he noticed something was going on up there…Franziska had her back turned, probably why he hadn’t been whipped for interrupting again. She seemed to be talking to someone, but he couldn’t see who…there was just a hand and a rapidly-moving quill pen.

Phoenix was positive the Queen suspected something…the day a von Karma would accept their ‘long-lost twin’ cover story, satan would be ice-skating to work. Hopefully those notes weren’t about him…

"Yeah, that's it, pal! The one in the Chief's office is made of wood, though. Those swords couldn't cut butter. And I haven't seen a thing like that anywhere else."

This could be a blow to his case…the swords at the department were just imitations...but wouldn’t that mean there was an original somewhere to be imitated?

"Hold it! Have any swords like the one used in the murder been reported stolen recently?"

Gumshoe looked at his feet, saying nothing…he was probably afraid of what might happen, but her majesty still seemed to be preoccupied with her note taker.

Phoenix slammed his desk. "Witness! Was there a sword reported stolen or not?"

"...There was, pal…from the Duchess’s room in the Palace. But she never reported it missing, and her majesty's advisor noticed it was gone at 11:50."

11:50...he double-checked the autopsy report, and that confirmed it. “Then in that case, it’s impossible my client committed murder with that sword! The Duchess died at 12:10…it would take a lot longer than 20 minutes to reach the centre of the maze!”

The noise from the crowd prompted the Judge to bang his gavel before the Queen got her whip involved.

"Order! ORDER! Mr. Edgeworth, does the prosecution have a response?"

Edgeworth shook his head derisively. "Wright, wright, wright...did you forget your little slip of the tongue earlier? Your…ahem, twin brother is a Card, and as a rule, Cards tends to be paper-thin…thin enough to, say…slip under a rose hedge?”

"GAK!" A crushing blow...Phoenix's case was falling apart like soggy paper, and the Mad Hatter was tearing it apart.

"The Duchess may not have reported the Vorpal Blade missing because, as a mere decoration, she didn't notice it was gone. The defendant could have stolen and hidden the sword days before the advisor realised.”

The defenceless defence was sweating bullets again...how could he stand up against something like this...? Even Mia looked worried...her tail fur was standing on end.

"The defendant’s exact motive is unknown, but what other reason would he have for trespassing into the maze while it was closed?"

It was then that something clicked. Whether the prosecution himself had slipped up, or if it was all part of some elaborate act to get Ace off the hook…there was a chance. Like his time in that bizarre room which appeared outside the office, he could only go forward…and once he took that risk, there’d be no stopping what happened next.

He could feel Mia's eyes on him…she was smiling again. “Go for it, Phoenix.”

"That's just what I intend to prove, Edgeworth!" Phoenix said, sending an accusatory point across the courtroom. “Your honour, I motion that my…brother, Ace Wright, be called to the stand. His testimony may clear up why he was in the maze.”

The Judge blinked. “This is…quite unusual. The defendant did take his right to remain silent when he was arrested...but, if he is willing to testify, I shall allow it.”

[No wonder nobody knows why Ace was in the maze…] he thought, glancing across at his ‘twin’. […I can’t believe he’d hide something from me…maybe I’m just really good at kidding myself…]

“My name is Phoenix Wright, but to keep things simple, call me Ace. I’m a defence attorney, and volunteer at the Wonderland Rose maze.”



Ace looked down, his hair spikes flopping like ears. “I’ve been volunteering in the Rose Maze for a while now. After the King died…well, White Roses just weren’t going to cut it.”

“Hold it! So that’s why you were in the maze? Because you were volunteering?”

That strained smile again. Phoenix had never seen his own face flicker between so many emotions. When he looked into the mirror, he was used to seeing sunken eyes and a blank, zombie-like stare, either from not waking up or from a hard day’s work.

“Yes, but I-”

“Objection!” it was Franziska, no longer distracted, and not using her whip for once. It was easy to forget she was only human, and she could get tired…maybe from the magic she was repeatedly using to extend her whip to the defence’s bench.

“We are here to determine why the defendant was there when the maze was closed. Continue to demonstrate your lack of school smarts, Mr. Wright, and I might curse you into a form fitting your kindergarten-level brain.”

[…Kindergarten...? No wonder I think I want my mommy…]

“So, of course, our new Queen…uh, persuaded some of her loyal servants to paint the Roses red.”

With her majesty’s sceptre hanging over his head…what the ‘persuasion’ might have been was a terrifying thought, especially to make him perform a never-ending task like painting roses.

“But…I’d been getting behind with my volunteer work. I slipped under the hedges with my stuff to try and finish up…I think I started painting around 10am.”

10am…if Ace originally took art in college like he did, it would make sense if he stopped to paint each rose completely. And he’d seen about a hundred of them, so two hours seemed about right…so far, nothing he could use…

“I…didn’t see anyone else until the Duchess came along…” Ace’s ink was running again…here came the reason he’d stayed silent…but, still, ew…did he really sweat that much himself?

“And…next thing I know, my ladder falls down, and she’s on the floor…and there’s paint everywhere…”

Immediately, there was loud talking from the galleries – one person even went so far as to yell “Murderer!”. The Card leaned forward, eyes wide and paper edges bent from stress as he shouted over the noise.

“But I ran out to get help! That’s why I left the maze! I didn’t kill the Duchess!!”

The Judge banged his gavel. “ORDER! That will be quite enough! Mr.Edgeworth, what do you have to say to the defendant’s version of events?”

Edgeworth had that smug smirk on his face, like the cat that got the cream…the smile of the Demon Prosecutor. “Your honour…the defendant is lying.”

Another “WHAAAAAT!?” in stereo, this time from the Wright ‘twins’.

Poor Ace looked like he’d been caught in a sudden gale – his hair spikes even flew off in the imaginary breeze, falling around him like confetti.

“Your honour…the defendant claims that, while he was painting the roses, his ladder fell over…this would have caused the Duchess to be struck by the paint can, which we can assume was balanced on top. However.” He tapped the papers he was holding to emphasize his point.

“If you re-examine the photograph of the crime scene, the ladder is still standing upright!”

"OBJECTION!"

A countering finger point from the blue corner. “There’s no way to prove the ladder didn’t fall over!”

“What are you blabbering about, Wright?” And the red retaliates with a right hook to the self-esteem.

“What I’m saying, Edgeworth, is that someone else could have been in the maze! They could have set up the ladder again, so it wouldn’t look like an accident…the purpose of this…”

He slammed his bench with both hands, his inner sense of justice burning in his eyes as he reached the moment he’d been waiting for.

“…being to frame the defendant, Ace Wright!”

Ace glanced up at the mention of his name, and scratched the back of his head shyly, staying quiet. There wasn’t much he could say…he just had to wait, and hope his doppelganger’s strategy would play out.

The Judge shook his head. “Mr. Wright…the prosecution did mention that the police had searched the maze thoroughly for witnesses. Unless you have definitive proof there was another person in the maze…”

“Yes, your honour, I do.” Time for the ace up his sleeve…or rather, in his pocket.



“This is…the Ace of Spades?”

CRACK. Franziska’s whip suddenly shot across the courtroom – she’d been watching the Card’s testimony with a kind of playful, sadistic fascination, but now the look in her eyes had changed. It no longer observed, but commanded.

“JUDGE! Give that card to me!”

“I…I’m sorry, your majesty, but the law is very clear on who is allowed to handle-OW!”

“Fool!” von Karma spat, as if the word left a bad taste in her mouth. “Do you have ANY idea what that card means!?”

[Phoenix felt his blood run cold…the thought hadn’t even crossed his mind that the card might mean something other than someone else was there. But now he felt eyes on him… Mia’s…Ace’s…even Edgeworth’s. He didn’t need to look to tell what their faces said. […What have I done…?]

“That’s the mark of Red Spade! A foolish militant organisation, who wish to eliminate Wonderland’s royalty!”

She straightened her whip above her head. “Even a fool can tell that card must belong to the defendant! That is why he killed the Duchess – he left that spade card to show their group was responsible!”

Phoenix held his head in his hands. [What have I done!? I…I shouldn’t have…I should have thought…he’ll be found guilty for sure, unless…]

A pause. […Oh no…]

The lawyer was so lost to his thoughts, that he suddenly found himself with the rest of that old candy bar in his mouth. He’d been subconsciously rummaging around in his pocket, for a sneaky something to calm his nerves and his growling stomach.

[…This is not good…this is really NOT good…] Phoenix thought, frozen in place, in case some sudden movement caused him to swallow. Just when things couldn’t logically get worse, logic sprouted pink butterfly wings and flew merrily out the window.

“Mr. Wright? Do you have anything to say to this?” He felt the Judge’s gaze land on him.

“Gmmph~!” his hand went to his mouth…that was close. [If the judge catches me snacking in court, he won’t let me argue my case…but if I swallow it...that could make things even worse..!]

He reached into his pocket, hoping to find a tissue. [Maybe…maybe I can spit it out while no-one’s looking…]

“Phoenix? Are you alright?” There went his chance…now Mia was looking at him funny. “You look…sick.”

Nick felt sick…everyone’s eyes were on him now, whether they expecting him to say something really intelligent, or just waiting for him to throw up. It was a lot like that time Larry was caught chewing gum in class…but at least the Butz had the option of swallowing it, with a tummyache as the only consequence.

“Cheshire Cat got your tongue, Lawyer man? TALK!”

The snap of the Queen’s whip quickly made his decision for him.

GULP.

[…Oh NO…] Phoenix’s whole body tensed. Something was sure to happen, but which way was it going to go…!? He could already feel a sensation like hyperactive butterflies in his stomach…but, that time in the maze…if he used his willpower, could he at least delay the effect?

By now the Judge was looking very impatient. “Mr. Wright, I’ll ask you again…do you, or do you not have anything to say to these claims?”

“U-um…I…I do, your honour…that is…” he started, trying to think of something, but it’s hard to get words out when you feel like a shaken soda bottle. The bubbles in his stomach were getting worse with each passing second…and with all that fizz, all that energy inside…

Phoenix could already feel a sensation that was more weird than painful. [Oh no…not this, not now!!]

Like invisible hands were pulling on every part of his body, stretching him like taffy, he was growing taller – fast – and it was hard to keep his dignity as things got more and more claustrophobic.

“…I’m sorry!!”

But apologies don’t really matter when all hell is breaking loose. The people in the gallery screamed, shrieked and wailed, scrabbling over each other towards the exit. And a certain little Two of Hearts yelled “AWESOME!”, before being quickly pulled away by his mother.

Mia managed an agile, cat-like leap as Nick’s rapidly growing foot knocked over the defence’s bench, and sat on the floor, staring in disbelief as her protégé shot up higher with each passing second. Before the witness stand could suffer the same fate, Ace had already hidden behind Edgeworth - who was ducking behind his own bench, his namesake hat over his eyes.

"Is this normal in the Waking World!? I mean, I almost got flattened!! Uh...more flattened..."

"This isn't happening, Miles. Just wake up...just wake up and-AGH! Damn you, Wright, I didn't tell you to pinch me!!"

“OW!” Nick rubbed the back of his head where it hit the ceiling. Thankfully, his growth spurt seemed to have stopped before bits of roof started raining down, but the courtroom below him still looked abandoned. There was only person who wasn’t cowering somewhere or had already made a hasty exit…the one he was finally eye–to-eye with; Franziska von Karma.

And, confronted by a giant defence attorney, even she seemed nervous as she spoke up.

“R-rule 52, paragraph four, s…section B of the Wonderland Court Code…clearly states that all persons over a mile high must leave court immediately!”

“I…don’t think I’m a mile high…” Phoenix replied. Though from how tiny everything looked from his huge height…and the way looking down alone gave him vertigo…he could be wrong.

“But I can’t leave…the door’s too small, your majesty.” He tried scratching the back of his head, but he just didn’t have the space any more.

“Then...in that case…!” The Queen looked even more worried.

“C-Court is adjourned by default!” came a trembling voice from the Judge’s stand, a lone hand emerging to bang a gavel.

“More investigation into any possible connections between the defendant and Red Spade is needed…and…I’m getting out of here!”

The sound of fast, retreating footsteps came as a comfort to the oversized attorney, despite his predicament. The first trial day was over...he’d be able to re-think his case and then come back fighting.

The way the Queen was glaring into his huge brown eyes wasn’t promising…though it did tempt him to reach up and flick her away like a bug. “Tomorrow, Waking World fool, this trial is over!”

She stormed out, the sound of more retreating footsteps. If Edgeworth had been able to work out his origins with a single glance, it figured Franziska would too...whether that was a bad thing or not, though, he couldn't tell. What was she saying to that scribe from before..?

But, looking around, there was no sign of the person in the shadows. In fact, everyone seemed to have left, and his pockets were empty…what was he going to do now?

“PHOENIX! Down here!”

A voice…he looked down to the viewing gallery on the prosecution’s side, which was empty except for one lone part-Cat. Mia was looking up at him, her hands on her hips…and despite their huge difference in size, Nick still felt sheepish.

“H-hey there chief…”

She smiled in return…not what he was expecting. “I don’t know what that was, Phoenix, but it was just the distraction we needed…you’ve at least bought us some more time.”

She tilted her head at him. “But how are we supposed to get you back to normal for tomorrow’s trial?”

“Well…you got any snacks, chief…?”

---

Last edited by ExImplode07 on Thu Nov 15, 2007 3:43 pm, edited 3 times in total.

You know I like this story!

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Sorry I missed the last update... So let's see... I like the lines about getting responses in stereo. I also like the lines: 'A countering point from the blue corner', and 'And the red retaliates with a right hook to the self-esteem.' Also the one about Mia being nervous and her fur standing up, which I can't quite find. Anywho. Nice nice. But why's the chapter called Black Diamonds if the terrorist organization is the Red Spades? Is Spade de Killer the real murderer?! ...Okay, I'm just being goofy now. My computer is uncrashed so once I stop procrastinating my homework and do it I'll work on drawing the characters. [scuttles off] ^^

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Thanks Sakuro! I like it when people say exactly what they liked in my stories. The "countering point" and "right hook" lines actually popped into my head while I was distracted and started thinking about a really great boxing match with Amir Khan. It's amazing when random inspiration can strike.

Also...I was going to explain this in the next chapter, but since you asked, Black Diamonds is what Red Spades could have been called. Black Diamonds sounded more fearsome, but they had a coin toss...it lost, but still lives on as a cool title!

Seriously, though - I thought Black Diamonds sounded quite sinister but Red Spades has a lot more connotations to it. A spade is an inverted heart (same connotation as an inverted cross) which looks like it's been stabbed. The red colour could represent blood, or revolution. And the black card suit with the opposite (red) colour can represent overcoming differences and uniting for one cause.

Yeah, I put a LOT more thought into this than I need to. But I like depth. And as for the real killer...I'm not saying whether you're right or wrong, just that you'll have to wait and see! Good luck with the drawings, too - I'm looking forward to seeing them!

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Black diamonds... red spades... Turnabout Wonderland is lookin' as craaaaaazy as always! Keep it up! Can't wait for the next chapter to see how the investigation goes... I don't know whether growing really large like that will prove to be a lucky or unlucky move, but it was definitely... unexpected.

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Thanks Slezak. I just had to include something like that at the end of a serious court case...it was too good NOT to happen. Any opportunity to mess with poor Phoenix!

But yeah, here's Chapter 9. I keep surprising myself - my ideas seem simple inside my head, but when I'm writing them, I just get the urge to add more and more depth. Several things were meant to happen this chapter, but it would have been three or four times as long...ah well. Gives me more time to think about things.

Also, who would you like to see make an appearance? That's right, I'm looking at YOU, lurkers. Heheh. I'm not guaranteeing they'll appear (I already have a few lined up), but I'm interested to see who you want to see.

Oh...and I'd like to give credit to the amazing Zarla, creator of Mambolawyer, and the amusing little scene that I just couldn't resist paying tribute to. You'll see what I mean.

EDIT: Version 2.0! ONE MOAR AFTER THIS GUYZ, I SWEAR

Oh and just to clarify, the part further down the page where there's sentences in italics...these are spoken, they're just putting a lot of emphasis on each word. XD;; You'll see why.

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Chapter 9 - Conspiracies and...Crumpets?

“You are cordially invited…afternoon Tea Party…RSVP…” Phoenix read out loud, cocking an eyebrow at the small card, slipped under the office door sometime before they got back.

The ‘Red Spade’ revelation had been a mixed blessing…it gave everyone a whole new reason to suspect Ace, but if he could prove there was no connection between the two, that meant there was someone else in the maze.

Wonderland seemed reluctant to give him a break, though, even after everything that had happened. Except for circumstances, there was still very little to prove the unlucky Card was the murderer, but also nothing to prove he wasn’t.

He sighed. Even their visit to the Detention Centre just a few minutes ago hadn’t made things any clearer.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“What do you mean, you don’t have fingerprints!?”

…Phoenix sat down, and took a deep breath. His sudden leap from the chair had made both the White Rabbit and Ace jump in fright. There was no doubt this world was toying with him, but he had to keep his cool.

His doppelganger seemed to be checking his hair spikes were still attached, though they’d regenerated almost instantly last time. A cartoon-like resilience was probably a matter of life and death when you’re made of paper.

“I mean I don’t…we don’t. Cards are magic-based...we don’t have blood, fingerprints, or even DNA…”

The lawyer’s palm found his face. Apart from when Maya picked it up, the police had found no other fingerprints on the Spade card. Ace could have handled it, leaving no prints, or the person who did drop it was wearing gloves. Back to square one again.

He was looking away now, but Phoenix could just catch the bitterness in his eyes. “…Redd White, the 10 of Diamonds…Richard Wellington, Jack of Clubs…heh. No wonder some people don’t trust Cards…”

With three distinctly different races in Wonderland…it figured there might be problems understanding each other. And there’d always be people making judgements based on assumptions, even when the world moved on without them.

“Nick, don’t say that!” Maya finally spoke up. She’d been unnaturally quiet…maybe too many painful memories. “We trust you! And we’re going to get you out of there if it’s the last thing we do!”

BONK.

“OW! Ow-ow-ow…” apparently bullet-proof glass was also Maya-punch-proof.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“What is it, Nick!? Who’s it from??” the White Rabbit asked excitedly, snapping Phoenix back to the present. Her sister’s spirit had left her soon after court ended, and she was back to her old self, practically bouncing up and down.

“Guess who.” He replied, rolling his eyes and handing the invitation to his assistant.

“PS – Do not expect tea this time, Wright.” The neat, handwritten cursive at the bottom of the printed invitation stated.

“Oh…it’s from Mr. Edgeworth. I guess he finally figured out what makes you do that, huh?” she smirked knowingly.

Phoenix sighed in return. Doing ‘that’ had been the bane of his existence since arriving in Wonderland. He couldn’t eat or drink anything without getting bigger or smaller…

“You never know, though, Nick…maybe if you ask nicely Mr. Edgeworth might have some Ramen.”

…Or almost everything. He’d found out when his mind had wandered while he was making lunch. It just had to be instant noodles…the other bane of his existence. It was like Wonderland itself had a mind of its own, and it was going out of its way to drive him insane.

“Thanks, Maya, but I’m still full from before…” At least it was Carrot Ramen…he’d never even seen that flavour during his college years, let alone eaten it until he couldn’t even look at another bowl.

Phoenix looked at the notes he was holding again. Almost everyone in Wonderland knew Red Spades used playing cards to identify each other. They also believed that King Max was still alive somewhere, and that their new Queen had been appointed as part of an internal conspiracy.

“Not that I believe that for a second!” Ace had insisted.

In a way, it made sense…talking with Maya, in the office broom cupboard (the only place she thought ‘they’ wouldn’t hear them), he’d found out that Franziska was one of Max’s former advisors. It was their job to appoint the next ruler if there was no true heir to the throne…but he wasn’t sure what to believe.

Thinking about it…despite her cruelty, he still felt a certain amount of sympathy…it was in his nature, to defend people. If this Franziska was anything like her Waking World self, she would have tried to force her ideals of logic and perfection on a world that did everything to defy her.

And in a position of such responsibility, her sanity must have suffered…but why did she take the position in the first place? Did she never escape her father’s spectre, or was she following in his footsteps? The thought of a King Manfred was chilling enough, but after catching a glimpse of some legal records...

A Guilty verdict, a resignation…a Guilty verdict, a resignation…over and over. Manfred von Karma’s perfect record was being played out all over again, through his daughter and the courts she manipulated. And if lawyers were interfering with the Queen’s idea of a perfect world, and she was already losing her grip on what Wonderland called reality…

‘Resigned’ probably meant something a lot worse than the ‘persuasion’ in Ace’s testimony.

And it was only when Maya spoke up that his train of thought finally ground to a halt.

“So, Nick, are we gonna go or what? Maybe there’ll be cake…or cookies…but there has to be something, right?”

Nick smiled knowingly. “There’s no getting between you and potential food, is there? I take it you know the way to…” he checked the invite again. “…Tulgy Wood…?”

“Of course!” Maya clapped her hands together happily. “In fact, I know a shortcut!”

“A shortcut…?” That sinking feeling again…somehow, he knew how this was going to end…

“GYAAAAAAAH!!!”

“WHEEEEEEEEE~!”

THUD. Another slide down the Rabbit Hole, and the pair re-emerged rather messily in the middle of a clearing. Phoenix got up slowly, wincing again…his tailbone had taken so much abuse lately, it was a wonder he could still sit down.

[Never mind the cost…next time, I’m insisting we take a cab…]

“Well, Wright, it’s about time.”

As he’s expected, Edgeworth was impatiently waiting for them…the words ‘fashionably late’ meant nothing to a man of schedules and routines.

And somehow, he’d managed to get a table, complete with white tablecloth and several plush chairs, into the middle of what could only be Tulgy Wood. There was even a steaming teapot and a plate of delicate cookies, and, as promised, one less teacup and saucer than there were seats.

But what was odd was that there were four seats…and the seat next to Edgeworth had a plant pot sitting on it. Containing just a single flower, its white petals folded shut…maybe it was a gift from the ‘foaming female masses’.

“Please, take a seat.” His tone was insistent, and his look, icy. The court session had cast a great deal of doubt on Phoenix’s trust in him. And after the Ace of Spades, a piece of evidence he didn’t know about, was presented…maybe he felt the same way.

The Hatter called another teaspoon from the depths of his sleeve, stirring his tea as the two sat down.

Maya immediately started digging into the sugar cookies. And after a pregnant pause, someone finally spoke.

“So what’s all this about, Edgeworth? I know this isn’t just any tea party.”

“I didn’t expect you would appreciate the traditional unbirthday tea party, Wright. So I’m taking you’re getting straight to the point…about the trial earlier today.”

[Un-birthday…? Maybe the ‘Mad Hatter’ nickname does have some reasoning to it...] he thought, then shook his head…he had questions that needed to be asked.

“I know you don’t trust me.”

Phoenix tried to say something, but what was there to say? The Hatter had him figured out…not for the first time, something in his face gave away what he was thinking.

“I don’t know if this has anything to do with your world’s version of me, or not.” He sipped his tea, a deadly serious look on his face. “But frankly, I don’t care. I don’t trust you, either. Especially after you presented that in court...”

The lawyer glared back. “How was I supposed to know what that card meant?”

“I would have thought you’d have done your research before taking this case, Wright…”

By now Nick’s normally cool temper was rising dangerously close to boiling point. The Hatter’s look was almost accusing…did he think he was trying to…!?

“Well you’re the one making accusations! Here and in court!”

He slammed the tea table with both hands, the White Rabbit looking up, crumbs all over her face.

Now the prosecutor was on his feet, too. “I have my role to play, Wright…maybe you should start taking yours more seriously, and try to keep your client out of jail!”

“Well if you know so much, why don’t you just tell me the truth!?”

“Because I’m just as BLOODY CLUELESS about it as you are!!”

The air between them died instantly. In another time and place, a tumbleweed might have blown past.

Both sat down quietly, and looked any way but at each other. Maya looked at them both, back and forth, her cheeks still stuffed.

Phoenix was the first to glance up, ‘sorry’ written all over his face.

Edgeworth was silently gripping his arm, like an old wound had been opened. Raised in the house of von Karma, where perfection was a way of life…it was painful to admit such utter defeat.

“…That’s right, Wright. I don’t know.” He closed his eyes, a bitter smirk on his lips. “Go ahead. I know you want to laugh…I’m even more useless than you are.”

“...Last time you said that…did I laugh at you?”

Suddenly, there was eye contact again.

The Hatter still disliked unnecessary emotions…another consequence of his upbringing. But the man in front of him, and his kind smile, like he was offering a helping hand…snapping at him would be like kicking a puppy.

He smirked. “Now I can see where that insane ‘twin’ idea came from…your stupidity is twice as infectious right now, Wright.”

Phoenix actually laughed. Once again, bonds of trust had bridged two very different worlds. “Or maybe that hat of yours is a on a little too tight.”

The storm had passed, the tension gone from the atmosphere. “…You do realise, though, Wright…” Edgeworth poured himself another cup of tea. “…that even if I knew ‘the truth’ I would be unable to disclose it. We still have our roles to play, and if I do anything less than push for a guilty verdict…”

The prosecutor’s fingers shook as he gripped his arm, more firmly than ever…more painful memories and paranoia. The lawyer’s mind immediately went to the list he’d found in Ace’s office…could both of them stand to face the same, unknown fate if they failed?

“…I didn’t know you liked gardening, Mr. Edgeworth.”

Phoenix did a double take, looking to his left…the plate of cookies had been massacred, not even a crumb remaining. Was she so hungry, even after lunch, that she hadn’t been listening at all…?

“Hm?” Edgeworth glanced over to his left, where the unnoticed plant pot still sat patiently. “Oh…right. I nearly forgot about him.”

[‘Him’…? Well, I guess we have Charley back at the office…]

Taking a saucer from his hat, Edgeworth laid it on the table, and placed the plant pot on top of it. He tapped the flower’s head with his teaspoon, looking slightly annoyed.

“Wake up! Our guests are here!”

As if the faint yawn in response wasn’t already unexpected, what they saw when the petals unfolded…well, Phoenix nearly fell out of his chair, and even the White Rabbit let out a horrified gasp.

“It’s not my fault, Mr. Edgeworth, sir…it’s dark down there, it makes me sleepy.”

“Detective Gumshoe!?” both guests spoke at the same time, the daisy looking away, embarrassed by the sudden attention.

“…What happened to you?” gripping the arms of his chair for support, the lawyer just had to ask, though in reality he could answer his own question.

“The Queen happened, pal…if she cut my salary any more I’d be paying to work.” The flower’s two leaves moved like a shrug. “So she turned me into this to teach me a lesson.”

“Wow…” Maya looked uneasy. “That’s pretty harsh…”

“It’s not too bad. Mr. Edgeworth promised to keep me watered. And his office window gives me all the sunlight I could need. It’s like a vacation, pal!”

[And it’s painfully obvious you’ve never had one, Detective…]

‘Mr. Edgeworth’ meanwhile was leaning his head on his left hand, and holding his teacup with the other (pinkie finger up, of course). Now watching eyes were on him, he kept his emotions entirely to himself…it was if their shouting match had never happened.

Then…a half-smile, like the prosecutor had just seen something amusing, caught Phoenix completely off guard.

“On a lighter note, Wright…have you ever considered why a raven is like a writing desk?”

“…Excuse me?”

He put his cup down and gave the attorney a sideways glance. “A raven. Why is it like a writing desk? It’s interesting, isn’t it…call it a riddle if you want. But do let me know when you think you have the answer.”

“A riddle...?” he blinked, confused…what did that have to do with anything they’d just said?

“It sounds sorta like a clue to me, pal…like you might get written on a mysterious note, in those old detective movies.” The clue-less daisy spoke up.

He chuckled. “It’s easier in real life, pal, when the clue is actual evidence! Kinda like what we got from that photographer out in the forest.”

“Detective!” Edgeworth hissed, gripping the teapot’s handle angrily. He looked like he was tempted to pour the steaming contents over the delicate plant, who had just landed them both in hot water.

“Thanks detective! Thanks Mr. Edgeworth! We’ll see you later!” Maya waved – she was already at the edge of the clearing – White Rabbits could move fast when they had somewhere to go.

“Come on, Nick!” So fast, in fact, that Phoenix was in danger of being left behind again, even though he immediately got up and ran after her.

“Maya! Hey Maya, wait~!”

Edgeworth rested his forehead on his palm, shutting his eyes as he massaged his temples. This hadn’t been the best day for him, and now the Detective Gumshoe was giving him that kicked puppy look.

“I’m sorry, sir…is there anything I can do to help make it up to you?”

He opened his mouth to speak, then stopped…a look of confusion crossed his face, his nose suddenly itching terribly.

“A…a….ACHOO! A-ACHOO! ACHOO!”

After a sneezing fit so violent that it rocked his chair, the prosecutor took out a hankie to cover his nose and mouth. His eyes red-rimmed and streaming, he gave the flower a withering glare.

“You can help by going back to sleep, Detective. I think I'm – ACHOO! – I think I’m – ACHOO! – allergic to your pollen…”

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Last edited by ExImplode07 on Thu Nov 15, 2007 8:43 pm, edited 1 time in total.

That was hilarious. And thanks for clearing up my questions...I usually do things like that too, where every name has a lot of thought behind it. XP Anywho, tea party. Bwahaha. I really liked where it was all serious and stuff and then Edgeworth's like: RIDDLEMETHIS and Phoenix is like: WHA~? Plus he was trying to be secretive and then Gumshoe just spits out that thing about the photographer, which I beleive will be Lotta...? Don't have to answer that... I want to see Pearl... but you're probably planning on bringing her in anyway, I'm just curious as to what role you gave her.
Last but not least, here's a picture of Edgeworth.

I'm not so fabulous with my tablet, but I like it, actually. ^^ I'll draw the others later, and probably a few group scences too once a few more roles are revealed, if you want me too. Those might be...interesting... [I have a scanner and a tablet, but they are seperated by an hour long car drive...so those may not turn out so nice] And his hat isn't purple because I couldn't see Edgeworth NOT matching. Although, it is Wonderland...

Nah. Still wouldn't happen.
Anywho, hope you like it, and I'll be waiting for more! You update a lot, and that's fabulous. X3

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Riddle me this, Batman! lol, I love your drawing!! Edgeworth's expression is all RIDDLEMETHIS in it, heheheh. And I finally stopped being lazy and re-coloured the title art to match your drawing! Woo, it looks better now!

Feel free to draw any other characters. I'd rather not give away who's playing who though (at least characters that haven't appeared yet) because it could be counted as spoilers. If it makes it easier, I can list the characters so far in the first post or something?

In other news, writing Chapter 10 gave me a migraine, and I'm still not happy with it. I might have it done for tomorrow...but you'll have to see...

Edit: My dreaded cold is back with a vengeance. But since I couldn't sleep last night, I stayed up a while and made this from your picture, Sakuro (haven't bothered spoilering - it's small enough, right?):



Yeah, making banners isn't my speciality, but I'm quite happy with it. What do you think?

Whee, double-post. But this is for a new chapter, so...I'm sure you all can forgive me. Mmyes. I thought I had the dreaded writer's block with this chapter for a while...Lotta is surprisingly hard to write for. I kept slipping with her accent, but then I imagined Sandy from Spongebob. It's not JUST for kids!

I'm glad I spent the extra time on it, anyway. I'm a lot happier with this than my first attempt, so hopefully it'll go over well with all you readers. And Sakuro, if you're reading this, is it okay if I use that banner I made with your art in my sig? It looks evil and I like it.

EDITS: Version 2.0 almost COMPLETE re-write. Enjoy, reader monkies! Chapter 11's up after this!

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Chapter 10 – A Shutterbug’s Life

Meanwhile, out in the woods, Phoenix was having a plant problem of his own. Fighting his way through the overgrown undergrowth, he’d managed to completely lose track of the White Rabbit, and get himself completely lost.

“Maya? MAYA!” he tried calling, but the woods just echoed back at him, and a few frightened birds flew up and above the dense canopy.

“I can’t believe she just ran away and left me like that…” he muttered, trying not to get his jacket caught on any twigs or thorns. “…she doesn’t know where that photographer is either…”

He sighed, taking a seat on a tree stump to think things over. He’d got here by rabbit hole…but he remembered his past attempt at calling a door. Even if he did have something to shrink himself small enough to fit through, if the local wildlife saw him, they might think he was a tasty snack. Or they wouldn’t see him at all and step on him…

Phoenix craned his neck to look upwards, to his other option…if he just could climb one of those trees, he might see Maya, or she’d see him. “But I can’t get my only suit dirty climbing up a tree…”

Frustrated, he jammed his hands into his pockets…if he kept waiting here, his assistant would find him, eventually…but how long would ‘eventually’ be?

…The lawyer felt something brush against his hand...he blinked confusedly, and pulled it out…weren’t his pockets empty before? But it seemed, finally, Wonderland had decided to give him a break. When he’d slammed the tea table, one of the Mad Hatter’s sugar cookies had jumped into his pocket.

Standing up, he examined the innocent-looking treat between thumb and forefinger, thinking out loud.

“I can’t believe I’m doing this to myself again…” he hated all the growing and shrinking…but it had got him out of a jam a few times before. Maybe it would do the same again.

He shrugged, and took a big bite, glancing upwards. [I just hope I don’t hit my head on a tree branch or something…]

If Phoenix were to re-write Murphy’s law of ‘What can go wrong, will go wrong’, he’d be sure to add ‘in the worst possible way, at the worst possible time’.

“MAYAAAAaaaaaaa~!”

“Nick??” somewhere close by, the White Rabbit’s ears perked up...she’d realised he wasn’t behind her just a few moments ago, and had started looking for him. The medium scratched her head thoughtfully.

“That sounded like him…but…” she stopped to giggle…his voice sounded all squeaky as it trailed off, like he’d inhaled helium.

“Nick, I know that’s you! Stop being silly, we have an investigation to finish-!”

If Nick felt silly, it was because of his own silly decision…but right now, he was in too compromising a position to feel anything but scared.

“GAAAH!!”

Typical of his luck, the cookie had the complete opposite effect. Phoenix had shrunk, so small and so fast, he’d fallen into the grass he was standing on seconds before, and was now hanging onto a leaf.

Looking down, he immediately regretted doing so. What was actually a few inches looked like tens of feet...his too-big bite of the cookie had reduced him to the size of a bug.

“Come on, come on-!!” he spurred himself on, managing to pull his weight part-way onto the leaf, when he felt the ground shake violently.

[Great, so now there’s an earthquake on top of everything else!?]

The ‘earthquake’ was actually footsteps, from someone much, much bigger than him. But the tiny attorney didn’t care where the shaking was coming from…seeing the tear spread across the leaf, Phoenix suddenly wished he was a lot smaller and lighter.

Back in normal-size land, Maya heard a sound like a raindrop falling into a pool of water, and thought nothing of it. She still couldn’t see any traces of Nick…

“GUH~!” the ‘drop’ gasped for breath as his head broke the surface, wet hair plastered against his head, fresh air dousing the cold fire in his lungs. The puddle had broken his fall, but nearly drowned him…no doubt the suit he’d been trying so hard to preserve was ruined, too.

But Phoenix was just thankful to be alive as he struggled the rest of the way to dry land, finally giving in to the coughing fit that’d been gaining momentum. He clenched his fist weakly as he started to get his breath back…the cookie, his only antidote, had slipped from his fingers when he shrank suddenly.

Sighing, he closed his eyes, embracing the darkness, trying to think of anything but large, hungry predators. He was cold, alone, feeling very small…and there seemed to be no help in sight…

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Phoenix hugged his blanket closer to himself as he stepped forward gingerly…the flat roof was ice against bare feet, and breath turned to smoke in the air. It had been a long time… the piercing lights and sculpted neon of bars and all-night diners normally out-shone the stars.

But Wonderland was still very much a kingdom…expanses of green like the Rose Maze had no place in the Waking World’s concrete jungles. Below the apartment complex, there was just the glow of street lights and the windows of a few night-owls. And above was the moon, a vast expanse of stars…and him.

The cold metal of the air vent made him shiver as he sat down…he was starting to think maybe this wasn’t a good idea. But, looking up, he’d picked a prime viewing spot…the night sky was laid out before him, a deep black tapestry strewn with glittering diamonds.

He pulled his knees up to his chest. It had been a long time. Memories flickered like dying embers…there’d been a promise, of scary stories and flashlight-‘toasted’ marshmallows. Just three friends, and a night under the stars, in Nick’s back yard…

“…And then he just transferred! Gone, without saying goodbye! What a jerk!” The youthful voice echoed in his memory. ‘The Butz’ was having another of his animated hissy fits, swatting at fireflies with a stick.

As if it had done him wrong, Larry threw his weapon away in disgust, and sat down just outside their tent. Resting his head on his knees, his back was turned as his hand moved to his face, and he sniffed. “…Stupid jerk…”

Phoenix saw himself next…calmly skewering marshmallows onto another stick. Without a word, he tapped his friends shoulder, and Larry took it reluctantly, wiping his nose on his arm.

Each held their stick over the flashlight…the fireflies, previously targets of aggression, started to regroup in the silence. “…You miss him too, huh?”

“…Yeah.” Larry admitted, looking away. He tore at the slightly melted candy with his teeth.

Nick wasn’t really hungry. He stared into the beam, imagining flames dancing in a real campfire. “I just hope Miles is happy, wherever he is. He might’ve made some new friends already.”

“…Yeah…”

For a little longer, they’d sat with their blankets, under a blanket of stars, and they’d wondered. And then they’d gone inside, for the promise of hot cocoa and a warm bed.

Phoenix held back the tears, a bitter sting in his eyes as the spark turned to ashes. Out here, he almost felt like a child again…but these weren’t his stars…there were no constellations he recognised. This wasn’t his world…he was alone, in a strange and unforgiving universe.

The endless blackness held no comfort, and the pinpoints of light gave only cold silence. But beneath distant skies…a planet circling a distant sun…were his friends thinking about him? Were they worried? Maybe even under suspicion?

Someone suddenly disappearing, especially a lawyer…it wouldn’t go unnoticed.

Phoenix buried his head, his heart in a slowly tightening vice. ‘His’ Maya…Edgeworth…and even Larry…were they wondering why he hadn’t said goodbye?

The tears burned his cold skin…he cursed each and every drop as it flowed…Mia had always told him not to cry. Seeing a falling star, he wished they’d be alright…he just had to keep smiling…always, smiling.

But he missed them. He missed everything, everything he’d ever known and loved and even hated, all so far away.

He’d never been so alone before…

His shoulders shook with uneven, gulping breaths. His body was wracked with sobs, which grew worse the more he tried to swallow them. He buried his head deeper. Under the blanket of stars, Phoenix was back on that lonely night…and he cried, like he had when Larry fell asleep.

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“Hey…HEY! You okay there?”

“Mmgh…” Phoenix stirred from unconsciousness, suddenly aware of where he was again. But if he was still tiny…how come he could hear someone talking like they were right next to him? And like so many things in Wonderland, why did it sound so frighteningly familiar..?

“Y’all better get up…or I might just decide to eat ya.”

“AHH!”

That did it – the lawyer was on his feet almost instantly, and found himself facing a large mushroom. And sitting on top, a familiar face, with an orange afro and a camera around her neck…laughing at him.

“I was kidding! Geeze, don’cha know caterpillars’re vegetarians?”

Despite the antennae and extra limbs, the bug sitting there was unmistakeably Wonderland’s answer to Lotta Hart, drinking some kind of soda from a very long bendy straw.

“Well, c’mon! Get yerself on up here and dry off, stranger…ya’ll look like a drowned rat.”

Phoenix sighed…his arms were still aching from trying to lift his weight once already…being a lawyer wasn’t supposed to be this physically demanding. But, with some difficulty, he managed to climb onto the brightly coloured mushroom…the cap was soft and springy, but thankfully able to support both of them.

“Say…don’t I know ya’ll from somewhere?” Lotta asked. Now Nick was closer, he could see her markings matched her clothes. Her back was green like her ever-present jacket, but with orange spots at the sides, and her underside was cream, like her sweater.

The caterpillar took long, noisy slurp of her soda. “Yer that auto mechanic fella, right? I’m pretty sure he stared at me pretty good last time.” She raised an eyebrow. “Looks like y’all have gained a little weight there…and lost a whole lotta height…”

“Actually, I’m an attorney…” He started. Being compared to paper-thin Ace was starting to make him very self-conscious. [Maybe I should order a salad next time Maya wants to grab a burger…]

“…and I’m not who you think I am, I’m-HEY!” he was suddenly cut off by a camera flash, which went off right in his face.

“YEE-HAW! I knew it – that Ace of Hearts feller weren’t human, but y’all sure look like him, and those crazy clothes…ya just gotta be from the Wakin’ World!”

She snapped another photo. “My name’s Lotta Hart, paranormal photographer, and y’all are gonna be the star of the next tabloid front page, Mr..?”

“…Phoenix Wright…” he replied, still seeing stars as he blinked to clear his vision.

Lotta was just as excited as ever, smiling like a kid with a new toy. “So, what brings y’all to Wonderland, Mr. Wright? It’s gotta be the sightseein’ – the Palace of Hearts is well worth a look-see!”

“Actually, I’m investigating a murder…Ace, the Card you met, is the defendant.”

The caterpillar’s hand got lost in her afro as she seemed to be thinking. “Oh yeah, that murder! The one with the Duchess, right?”

[‘That’ murder..? Do these things happen as frequently in Wonderland as they seem to back home?]

“That’s some real messy business…ya’ll sure ya wanna be pryin’ into that?”

“It’s my job. I heard from…a source that you were a witness.”

Phoenix gripped the Magatama inside his pocket…if this Lotta Hart was anything like the one he knew, she’d be a whole lotta trouble.

“Oh, so THAT’S yer little game, is it?” she snarled.

As he suspected, the atmosphere between them suddenly became thicker, more oppressive. The sound of clattering chains rang only in his ears. And connecting them were two Psyche-locks on either side of the photographer’s heart.

“I aint sayin’ nothin’.” She smirked, folding her arms. “I’ve dealt with the Wonderland attorneys before! Y’all can do yer worst, Wakin’ World greenhorn!”

[Well, she certainly kept that promise so far…about ‘not saying nothing’…]



In Phoenix’s mind, their surroundings were nothing but pitch black. Just the two souls exposed by the Magatama’s power, and the ghostly music of the spirit plane.

“Lotta, I know you were there on the day of the murder.”

“Oh yeah?” Lotta had a disbelieving look…a strong thing from someone whose career involved looking for ghosts and monsters. “How’re y’all so sure?”

“Like I said, I have a reliable source.” His hand went to the court record…luckily he’d been stashing it inside his jacket. It had shrunk along with him, and was even protected from his impromptu swim.

“Oh yeah? Well let’s see this source!”

“Take that!” Lotta looked away, as if it would make the photo he showed it to her go away. “Detective Gumshoe. He let slip a few minutes ago that a photographer witnessed the crime.”

“So? That could’a been anyone. Plenty of photographers in Wonderland ‘sides me.”

“That would be a good point…but before today the police thought there was nobody in the maze after the murder. Nobody could have run away in that short time unless they knew the maze as well as Ace did…”

He pointed accusingly. “The only way they’d miss a photographer would be if they were too small to see!”

Finally giving in to the pressure, the first Psyche-lock shattered. The caterpillar looked crestfallen.

“Y’all are good…” she bared her teeth again, her hands on her hips. “…but I aint got no reason to be in that maze! I’m a paranormal photographer – I take pictures of ghosts and monsters!”

She cocked an eyebrow with a smug smile. “That’s why I’m out here, I’m tryin’ to find the last wild Jabberwocky. What do y’all have to say ‘bout that?”

Phoenix needed to think about this…did he have anything to prove her reason? Lotta was always trying to photograph supernatural things…not that they seemed that uncommon in Wonderland…so why would she be in the maze?

“Take that!” It took a minute, but he finally remembered the newspaper article he’d taken from Ace’s office.

“KING MAX DIES OF MYSTERIOUS ILLNESS”

It was a stretch, but if Red Spade considered Max’s death suspicious, and Lotta had specified ‘that’ murder…the photographer bit her lip as she saw the piece of paper.

“The Rose Maze is right near the palace, right? It was closed for the day…and King Max’s white roses are being painted red. What better place for his vengeful spirit to haunt?”

The final lock shattered. “Okay…ya got me.”

The chains withdrew, restoring the light and colour to Phoenix’s surroundings.



“Yeah, I was tryin’ to get a shot of the King’s Ghost. People have been sayin’ he turns a hundred roses blood-red when the maze is empty, ‘til he gets his revenge on those who done him wrong.”

[Maximillian Galactica, ruin his own White Roses? Not even in Wonderland…]

“Snackin’ on all them rose leaves made me kinda sleepy, so I took a nap. Next thing I know I hear a crash, and my camera goes off.”

Phoenix blinked, confused. “Your camera went off by itself?”

“Yup! It’s a real high-tech gizmo, set to pick up sudden movements. Ghosts don’t exactly make a racket when they’re a-hauntin’. Y’all will just have to wait ‘til court tomorrow to see what I got, but I know I got somethin’.”

He scribbled a note to himself and added it to the record. A camera that picked up movements…no doubt it caught the murder on film. This could be make or break for his case…

“H-Hey, wait!” Phoenix spoke up, realising the caterpillar was leaving – even as a bug, she could still move fast!

“What is it now!? I’m all outta soda and I gotta get changed for tomorrow. A gal’s gotta look her best!”

“Um…” he hesitated. It was just like one of those times where he raised an objection, hoping he’d think of something to say afterwards.

“…is…there anything to eat around here?”

“Well, if yer really starvin’, I reckon that mushroom ya’ll are sittin’ on is edible.”

[She…reckons?] Nick thought, but before he could ask, Lotta was already gone.

He reached over and snapped a piece off the edge. The idea of eating something he’d been sitting on was already unpleasant, but something potentially poisonous?

“Do I have a choice?” he thought out loud. It was either take this risk now, or keep looking for his missing cookie, and risk being spotted by some hungry Jabberwocky or Mome-rath or a passing Slithy Tove…

So few choices recently. He felt like he was trapped in some twisted storybook. So, like a kid with a forkful of spinach, Phoenix screwed his eyes shut and took a bite…and the effect was immediate.

“GYAH-!”

Surprised, he stood up and gave himself a quick once-over…everything seemed…normal. Like a spring being held down all that time, he’d suddenly sprung back to his normal height.

“Nick, there you are!”

Phoenix had never been so happy to hear Maya’s angry voice, or see her puffed-up bunny cheeks.

“I’ve been looking all over for you!! What were you doing!? …And how did you get so dirty…?”

The lawyer smiled sheepishly…his dip in the muddy puddle had left him more than a little worse-for-wear.

“It’s…a long story. But I found Lotta Hart, the photographer we were looking for. She’ll be testifying in court tomorrow.”

“Oh…figures it’d be her...” Maya’s ears drooped, then perked up just as suddenly. “So, after we get you a new suit, what then? Any leads?”

Phoenix scratched his chin in thought…it seemed, for once, Lotta had actually helped him out.

“…Maya, we’re going sightseeing.”

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Last edited by ExImplode07 on Fri Nov 16, 2007 8:52 pm, edited 4 times in total.

Ha...!
This is getting quite good. I wonder where they're gonna go sightseein'?... Guess I'll have to wait t' find out.
Oh and nice Mad Hatter picture, although the face looks... weird. I guess I should expect that from Wonderland!

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Well, Lotta mentioned something about the Palace of Hearts being a good spot for sightseeing...so I'm guessing there. Bwaha. And of course you can use that banner~! I do like what you did with it. Only thing I would change is get rid of the tea's steam and probably get rid of the bit of feather sticking down, cause you can't tell what it is. ^^ Gah. Edgeworth looks so pale... La. I might have to fix that later. Riddle me this. That is fun to say, isn't it? Wonderland IS riddle me this. XP [that makes no sense. PERFECT!] XD But other then those, I like it~! Oh yeah, and I liked the line with the Jabberwocky and Mome raths and Slivy toves. I beleive those are all references to the Jabberwocky poem right? I had it memorized for my play last year, but now I can't remember...or did the flowers say mome rath? GAH. Too lazy to go look at my script. Good reference, nonetheless.

[also; I knew it was Lotta. HA~! Hee hee.]

So, I suppose you're feeling better right? Hope you had a fantabulous Halloween! [I'll stop being lazy and scan something in this weekend for you. Next is gonna be the girlies; Franny, Mia oh Maya, and Maya. Maybe or maybe not in that order.]

And if I'm bored Phoenix in a dress. [cause I'm evil like that. you know you want to see it though. XD]

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Thanks for that Sakuro, I was worried for a while I didn't make that obvious enough. I'll see what I can do with the banner...what I did to it, I did with MS Paint and my spriting skills. And you're right about the Jabberwocky poem, I do like to quote Lewis Carroll's original sometimes, like the poem extract at the start. Far too many Wonderland parodies focus only on Disney's version of events - I draw inspiration from both.

Thanks for your concern about me being sick. That really cheered me up, even though I am unfortunately feeling worse. I'm visiting home for the weekend so hopefully that might help, and I'll be back at college on Monday to work on the story again.

I'm looking forward to seeing more drawings, too. Feel free to be creative and play around with my descriptions, or just ignore them - I'd like to see your take on the girls very much. And YES by all means draw Phoenix in a dress! That's one of my favourite scenes to re-read...I just thought of him in Alice's clothes and it snowballed into that. I especially like the Queen's rant afterwards...all things considered, Nick got off lucky!

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is it me, or have been incountering alot of wonderland lately?
Mostly TV and the internet. Really good story by the way, keep up the good work.

Thanks, razil, I appreciate the comment. I'm just giving you all a quick update on the story's pogress here...since the start of Chapter 11 is at college, I'll be working on it from today (probably), but also on a few other things.

After reading a few pieces of really good fanfiction and doing some re-thinking, I've decided I'm going to go back and re-write certain parts. The overall plot isn't going to change, just the writing...I've been too concerned with getting chapters out fast. Plus, it's been a good few years since I've written fanfiction, so my rustyness is pretty obvious in places.

Just so you know, though, this ISN'T going to be another "Struggling against Gravity" or "Follow the Fool". I don't think Turnabout in Wonderland could ever be as epic, just due to the nature of the story. There's only so much one can do with magic, mayhem, and white rabbits. But I think I could at least present it better.

So, for those who can't be bothered reading: Chapter 11 is on hold for a while, expect Turnabout in Wonderland version 2.0 sometime soon. Hope this isn't a problem, guys.

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Not a problem for me anywho. I know how you feel. I was actually thinking about that earlier... About how quickly you were turning out chapters, that is. I actually can't think of any places where your rustyness is especially glaring... [tilts head] The begginning was a tad slow. Or maybe too fast. Geh. Anyway... Take your time. And I'm sure you'll do fine. [story wise. I'm not poking a comparison between this and Struggling Against Gravity with a ten foot pole. as you say, there is only so much one can do here, and you never intended it to be as amazing and complex as either of those stories.]

I too will be a little slower drawing...I got Trials and Tribulations this weekend, sorry. XD So, I don't mind waiting to see what you'll do with it!

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Just a quick update for everyone who's not already aware...I've re-done Chapters 2-5 (Still deciding whether to re-work 1...I think I'm okay with it, really...), and according to my lovely proof-reader Sakuro, they're a lot better for it. So, enjoy, if you're willing to re-read them. I'm about 3/4 way though doing Chapter 6, so you can look forward to a re-done court case sometime soon.

A new Chapter WILL come eventually. I'd just rather be satisfied with the whole thing rather than just my later chapters. Yay version 2.0!

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