A couple of precisions:

The story happens six years after the end of FMA: Brotherhood, so around 1919-1920 in the FMA timeline.

For the Ace Attorney universe, it happens shortly after Trials and Tribulations, so 2019 in the AA timeline.

(I swear this 1-century thing was a lucky coincidence when I was planning this fic)

Chapter 1: Journeys on the Tracks

"Talk about a holiday!" Phoenix Wright moaned, as his assistant Maya Fey and him trotted along the unfamiliar cobblestone paths. "We've been walking around for hours, and we still haven't found the place. Are you sure you know where we're going?"

The spirit medium stopped to check her map one more time. "Hey, don't mope like that, Nick! I'm trying my best here!" She turned around to face the panting attorney. "Don't tell me you're tired already! What an old man you're becoming!"

"Hey, I was the one who kindly volunteered to accompany you during this trip, remember!" Phoenix groaned. "I'm going home."

"Ok, go ahead if you want, but good luck finding your way back to the station", Maya said with a wave of hands.

"Oh no! Not that train ride again!" A sensation of nausea went through Phoenix as he recalled their journey on the tracks. "How can they allow such old rickety things to be still in use?"

The lawyer suddenly caught sight of a little bench near the sidewalk. He advanced towards it, staggering. Maya absentmindedly followed him, her eyes still fixed on the map she was trying to decipher.

As Phoenix sat down, he let out a sigh of relief. "Aah, thank heavens!" He stretched out his arms and legs. "My back still hurts from last night. I really can't stand trains. Haven't these people heard of airports?"

Maya looked up from her map. She caught his gaze. "Gee, Nick, you have to learn how to live without technology for a week. I told you before we left, didn't I? Amestris still has to catch up when it comes to technological progress. They're late compared to us. Even their calendar system is a century behind ours."

"Late compared to us, no kidding…can't even set up some proper toilets on a train carriage," muttered Phoenix to himself.

He then added in a louder voice: "Why is that again? Some crazy dictatorship that made this country an autarky up until a few years ago?"

"Up until King Bradley, the previous Führer (that's the Head of State), died during the Coup d'Etat", beamed Maya, proud of being the expert for once. "And some other weird stuff happened at the time as well, but I didn't quite get that. Something to do with alchemy…in any case, my book wasn't very clear."

"Not very clear, huh? Let me guess", Phoenix raised an eyebrow. "You fell asleep halfway through it."

He recalled the days before their departure, when Maya had stayed over at his place. The spirit medium had decided she would learn more about Amestris' history and geography. It had not been the most productive of studies though. She read her travel book at night, and generally dozed off on the couch after only a few pages.

"Hey, it's the effort that counts!" Maya exclaimed loudly, jumping on the bench.

A few locals passing by turned their heads towards them. Phoenix felt his face redden. He recognized that mixed look of curiosity and amusement in their eyes. It wasn't the first time they had been stared at in that way. Maya and he clearly couldn't hide the fact that they were tourists. Even better: lost tourists.

The girl continued: "In any case, I can't go in there tomorrow without some basic knowledge. I do need to stand up to the reputation of the Fey clan, after all."

The sunrays were strong. Phoenix could already feel the sweat dripping down his back. He took off his blazer.

"Well, wherever this meeting of yours is, it better have aircon", he grunted, reaching for a handkerchief in the pocket of his jacket.

"Oh, Nick! If only I could be bothered about things like that. I'm sooo nervous about this week."

Phoenix looked back at her. A worried expression had suddenly appeared on her face.

He patted her on the shoulder. "Come on, Maya. You know you'll be fine! They invited you as Kurain's representative. That must mean something."

"That's because I'm the one with the title of Master. It's not because of my abilities. It's a formality. I have so little experience though. All the other women are probably much older than I am. They've been coming here every six years. This is just my first time."

"Alright, well, I'm sure they'll acknowledge the fact that you're a rookie. Hey, and maybe these women are so old and senile, you'll end up doing a better job than them."

Maya didn't laugh at his joke. Seeing he wasn't helping, Phoenix got up: "Shouldn't we find some place to eat? It's getting kind of hot outside."

Maya's worries seemed to wash away at the mention of food. She leaped out of the bench: "Okay!"

Phoenix wondered where his assistant found all that energy under such weather conditions. Then again, this is the girl with the infinitely large stomach, he thought.

They wandered a few blocks more, before reaching a long street that was filled with people. There was a distinct stench of fish and beer in the air. Phoenix realized they had come upon the shopping district.

"Do you think they sell burgers here?" asked Maya, all of a sudden excited.

Phoenix looked around him. The several bars he noticed seemed dimly lit, and their employees unwelcoming. None of the places resembled the diner at the corner of the Wright & Co Law Offices.

"Somehow, I don't think it's the local specialty", he answered.

After having chosen a little tavern that was not as crowded as the others, the two foreigners were sitting down and enjoying their lunch. Maya happily ate something that looked like a meat stew. The lawyer cooled off with a fresh jug of grape juice. Surprisingly, the drink tasted better than what its appearance had suggested.

At one point, Phoenix asked: "So, why does this meeting happen every six years in Amestris anyway?"

The medium's eyes gleamed. She put her spoon down, and straightened herself up in her seat. "Aha, I remember this! The tradition of spirit channeling actually originates from Xing, a country that's in the East from Amestris."

She cleared her throat: "Many centuries ago, there was a very bloody war between the different clans of that region. They were fighting for the position of Emperor. One of Xing's clans was the Spirit Medium Clan. Though it wasn't intending to take over the monarchy, others felt threatened by its powers. Many mediums and their families were killed because of this."

"The Clan thus decided to leave Xing. Some mediums travelled as nomads. Others stayed in the countries that welcomed their tradition and wisdom. The largest concentration of migrants established themselves here, in Amestris."

"Even with all these migrations, the networks between the various sub-clans remained strong. After their departure from Xing, they decided they would meet every six years in the capital of Amestris. That way, they could share the different channeling techniques they had developed with each new generation."

When she was done talking, Maya caught her breath. Eager to impress, her explanation had been quite rapid.

Phoenix nodded, even though he had not grasped every single detail. "Alright, I see. So the Feys actually descend from this big Medium Clan?"

"Yup. The Xingese are our ancestors. During the meeting, the Master of each sub-clan has to meet with the other descendants and present the Channeling Technique from their respective school."

"Okay. So from now on, you need to come to Central every six years?"

"That's right. Mia went last time, even though she had already turned down the title of Master. I wasn't old enough to go, and my powers weren't fully developed yet."

At the mention of her sister, there was a hint of sadness in Maya's eyes.

Phoenix quickly changed the subject: "Boy, what a hot day it is! I hope the hotel room isn't too stuffy for Pearls."

Maya's cousin, Pearl Fey, had accompanied them. At first, Phoenix had been reluctant to take her with them. After much insistence from Maya, who believed the trip essential for the young spirit medium's education, he gave in.

The lawyer now felt guilty. They had left the little girl alone at the inn they were to stay at for the week. He remembered the scary look of the tall bald man that had "greeted" them the night of their arrival. To Phoenix, he looked more like an evil butcher out of a horror movie than like a hotel manager.

"I think she'll be fine. She's probably resting from yesterday", Maya said, gulping down the rest of her meal. "This is really good, by the way. You should try some, Nick!"

"Aha, so little Missy likes what little Missy eats?"

"Waah!" Phoenix practically jumped out of his chair as he heard someone creep behind him.

The attorney swung round. It was the owner of the café who had spoken. He was a small man with a big moustache and a large grin on his face.

"If you want anything else, just tell ol' Yurgos over here, and he'll get it for you!" The man rubbed his hands together.

Phoenix vehemently shook his head: "T-t-that's fine! We'll call you if we need you!"

"Yes, yes, of course, good gentleman, of course!" The owner bowed to them, before returning to his counter with an eerie laugh.

"I didn't even hear that guy come up", muttered the lawyer in a hushed voice to his assistant. "What a weirdo."

"Nick. You've been calling everyone we've met so far a weirdo…" Maya rolled her eyes.

They suddenly heard a screeching noise. They both turned round. Yurgos had put on the radio that was sitting on the edge of his counter. In Phoenix's eyes, the device looked like an ancient relic that belonged more in a museum than in a bar.

The radio refused to work properly. The owner started hitting it, and swearing in some foreign language.

Finally, the machine managed to blurt out: "… and rumors in Command are flying as to possible motives. It is still unknown whether the General will comment on these matters. Führer Grumman, on the other hand, has already stated that he will decline any interview with the press. The only official announcement he has made so far is that the affair will be settled in front of the Criminal Tribunal."

Yurgos sighed loudly. A few more heads in the bar turned round.

The owner shook his head: "Aaah! Sad business with the Military, these days." He then muttered something to himself in his mother tongue.

The clients started whispering. They mentioned names of people Maya and Phoenix had never heard of before.

"It looks like something big just happened", Maya remarked.

"Yeah. Criminal Tribunal, huh? I'm guessing that's the way they call their Court." Phoenix took another sip from his drink. "Wonder what it's all about."

He shrugged his shoulders, before taking the map Maya had put next to her plate.

"Hey, you realize you've been holding this upside down the whole time?"

"Really?! Oops, sorry…At least we had fun running around in circles, didn't we?"

The spirit medium didn't need a verbal response from the attorney to understand that he didn't quite agree with her definition of 'fun'.

As he entered the Rockbell house, Edward Elric exclaimed: "Aaah! It sure is nice to be home!"

He put down his suitcase. "That train was cramped with people. You could barely breathe in there."

He looked back at his wife. At the station, they had embraced, as they always did when she came to pick him up from his trips. But on the way over, Winry had not pronounced another word.

"Honey? Is everything okay? You're being really quiet, for once."

Usually, she would have said something along the lines of: "For once? Ed, are you implying that I'm a chatterbox?"

Instead, she turned her head round, with a grave expression in her eyes: "Not right now. Let's sit down first."

Ed felt worried: "What do you mean, 'not right now'?"

Winry took his suitcase. "Let's sit down first. You've just come back and you're tired. I'll give you something warm to drink."

She went upstairs to take his belongings to his room. He hung up his coat on the rack at the entrance. Upon hearing footsteps, Den woke up. She noticed Ed, and rubbed herself against his leg.

The alchemist turned around. "Hey old girl! Been enjoying the sun these last few days?" He crouched to stroke her fur. "You've been taking good care of Winry like I've told you to? Then again, you always do when Al and I aren't here."

The dog whimpered.

"What is it, girl?" enquired Ed. "You in the dumps as well? Is everyone this gloomy today?"

He heard Winry come down the stairs. She didn't notice her husband in the hallway, and went straight into the kitchen. Den ran up to her. Ed slowly followed them.

After the tea was made, they were at the table. Ed was anxiously observing his wife, seated in a chair on his left side. Mechanically, she was stirring her drink with her spoon.

"So? What's the bad news, Win?"

Winry stirred. Then, abruptly, she stopped all movement.

She took a deep breath, and lifted her head up. Her lips were parted. He waited, but she didn't speak.

"Win? What's going on?"

As she remained silent, her husband gently pressed her: "Is it really that serious?"

"Ed. She's been arrested."

The alchemist's golden eyes widened. "What? Who has?"

Winry took another glance at her tea. She inhaled again, and looked back at him.

"The Captain."

"The Captain?! You don't mean…?"

Winry nodded. "Yes. Captain Hawkeye."

She reached for Ed's hand. It was trembling. She leaned towards him, as if to warn him that she hadn't told him everything yet.

"Riza Hawkeye has been arrested on suspicion of murder."

Thank you for reading, and please don't hesitate to review! Like I said in the prologue, I have no idea when I'll be uploading the next time around. Hopefully see you soon!