A Turnabout Tale {Ace Attorney Wattys 2016}

The Ghost of Turnabout Present

They watched as Wright hung up with his mother on the phone, and a crack of light entered the room as Maya, Wright's friend and assistant, sauntered in.

"Do you have anybody else you need to call tonight?" Wright asked as she came and leaned against the cabinet with their case files.

Maya shook her head and said, "No, what's got you down right now?"

"I called Edgeworth," Wright said and his head hung low towards his desk.

Maya stood up in shock, "You did what?!"

"I called Edgeworth," Wright repeated himself, "to wish him a Merry Christmas and try to get him out of his office. I knew he would be sulking there."

"Nick," Maya consoled, "you know there's no point in doing that, especially after what he said after court. I assume he screamed at you when you called earlier, right?"

"Yeah, he did," Wright sighed, and Edgeworth felt guilty.

"What can I do?" Maya asked reaching out to touch Wright.

"Nothing," Wright responded, "don't pay him any mind. He's just miserable and doesn't want to be around people, that's all. It's not even worth getting upset over, Maya. I heard they're playing A Christmas Carol on the TV, want to boot it up so I can join you in the other room?"

She responded with a hefty "sure" before leaving the room and Wright alone. Wright scribbled something on a piece of paper before looking at the phone sitting on his desk again. Leaving the pen open he lingered and then abruptly closed it, tossing it on to the heap of a mess present. He then walked over to the trash can and threw something away before leaving the room indefinitely.

There was a slight pause until Edgeworth's father said, "Well, aren't you going to look at it? After all, it is indeed addressed to you."

Edgeworth walked over and squatted at the trash can. Picking up the paper inside, he immediately recognized it as a Christmas card. "Miles Edgeworth" was written on the face on a square adorned with holiday folly. He flipped to the inside and read what stood on the card stock.

"Dear Miles,

I know it's been a difficult year and I know you told me to leave you alone, but I'm here for you. You've changed a lot since when we were in elementary school together, but that's okay. I know you're a good person at heart and I'm glad I can spend my holidays with you. Keep on being a great rival. I appreciate having you around, and you're always welcome.

Merry Christmas,

Phoenix Wright"

Edgeworth dropped the card after reading it. His father came up and tapped him on the shoulder. He left the card and walked away, not wanting to take another look at it for the sake of the crushing blows he felt in his heart.

"Come on," Edgeworth's father commanded, "the night is still young and we still have places to go. It's time for you to see exactly what the consequences of your actions are: right here, right now."

He said nothing as they went on, and the brown back of his father's coat felt like the world turning its back on him. When they arrived back at the car Edgeworth kept driving, focusing hard on the road due to the thick fog.

"There's a law of physics that you should know. Every action has an equal and opposite reaction. The same is with people to a point, I suppose, yet like rubber bands every person has a limit to their elasticity. If you push a person too far and too long, they will snap permanently and never forgive you. You of all people should know better than to assume a person is everything they seem. I think it's time we have a stop back at the prosecutors' offices. There's something there that you need see there," his father said.