My first Phoenix Wright fic!! :) I got this idea, when I learned that Edgeworth had a HUGE fear of earthquakes. Originally I wanted to make fun of him for it...but I decided to go a little more serious. Not sure if I really accomplished that. Anyways--it's slight FeeniexEdgey...but not as much as I would've liked. XP Sooo, read on and enjoy! :)

Phoenix, Edgey, Maya, von Karma, Gregory, Yogi, Pesu, and all the characters of Ace Attorney belong to Capcom. The nurse in here is the only thing that belongs to me. XDD

Voice in the Darkness

Edgeworth let out a heavy sigh, as he plopped down into his couch. For once, he was able to relax and not worry about any cases at the moment. When he was finally able to go home for the first time in days, the first thing he did—was change into something much more comfortable. Instead of donning his usual magenta (yes, magenta) suit and cravat, he was wearing a plain white long-sleeved shirt, and a pair of jeans.

"It feels odd not to be doing anything..." he muttered, as he swung he legs up onto the couch and laid down, folding his arms behind him. He frowned, staring down at his blue-socked feet. Now that he was home, he couldn't figure out what to do. He wasn't tired, so he didn't want to take a nap. He wasn't hungry either, which also left out cooking. I never thought that coming home would be so...boring.

Just as he closed his eyes, the sound of hurried footsteps were heard in the distance. Before he knew it, something large (and rather furry) jumped on top of his stomach, causing him to sit up straight with a soft yelp. Blinking once, Edgeworth saw the wagging tail...and knew exactly who it was.

"I'm home, Pesu!" he said, smiling down at his dog. The golden retriever panted happily, as she looked over at her Master. Edgeworth patted her on the head, before pulling the dog into a friendly hug. Though he had someone thankfully take care of her while he was working on long cases, there were no words to describe how happy he felt when his blue-gray eyes met with her bright brown ones. She was adorable in every regard...and Edgeworth loved her.

"Oh, you just reminded me of something, Pesu." said Edgeworth, sitting up a bit and letting the dog jump up onto the couch. As much as people hated animals on their furniture, Edgeworth could care less when it came to his beloved Pesu, "Wright's supposed to be coming over for awhile."

Pesu whimpered softly and laid her head on Edgeworth's shoulder, giving him the (literally) puppy dog eyes. He resisted...but only for a few seconds, before whimpering himself and pulling her into a hug once more.

After hearing that his most recent case was done, Phoenix Wright gave Edgeworth a call, saying that he wanted to come over for awhile and talk. Edgeworth had no idea what he wanted to talk about, but agreed to let him come over. After giving him the time and directions, the conversation ended. Now that he was able to think about it, he really wondered what the spiky haired defense attorney wanted to talk about.

"Don't worry, Pesu. Your Edgey isn't going anywhere." cooed Edgeworth, snuggling his dog for a few more minutes, before pulling back. This was rewarded with happy licks to the face. Edgeworth laughed, as Pesu continued to give him sloppy kisses. She then stopped, jumping off of the couch and trotting off to a different room, more than likely looking for something to play with.

I wonder how she'll handle Wright being here...thought Edgeworth, as he wiped his face free of Pesu slobber. He rarely brought anyone over to his house, since he was busy on cases most of the time. And when he wasn't, he was usually at home, resting. Not even Gumshoe knew where his place was! Edgeworth had a feeling that, if the detective did know, he wouldn't hesitate to run there every time something cropped up. That would be just like him...

Edgeworth came back to the present, as Pesu came back, this time, with a tennis ball in her mouth. She sat at Edgeworth's feet, tail wagging madly. Now that her Master was home, she was going to waste no time playing with him. After all, it had been a full two days since she had seen him!

"Fetch it is, then." he said, taking the ball out of her mouth. He looked around for a place to throw it at. Grinning, he lobbed the ball in the general direction of the kitchen. However, his aim was off and, instead of going down the hall, the ball bounced and somehow went into the hall closet, which was only partly open. Pesu came to a skidding halt, staring at the door. After pawing at it, she turned to Edgeworth, whimpering loudly.

"I'm coming, I'm coming." said Edgeworth, getting off of the couch and walking towards the closet. He had no idea that his aim was so bad. Does that mean I really do need to start exercising more? he thought, with a sweatdrop. Reaching the closet, he opened the door more, allowing Pesu to dive in and search for her ball amongst the many pairs of shoes and boxes. Coats and jackets were on the rack above and, even further up, were even more boxes.

"I need to clean this out..." muttered Edgeworth, as he was about to close the door. However, before he could, something caught his eye. Blinking, he stooped down and, after moving aside a few boxes and shoes (along with an umbrella), he found what had caught his attention.

On the wall of the closet, was what looked like a small door. A rather old, small door at that. Edgeworth wondered why it was there...and how long it was there to begin with. I don't remember seeing this when I bought the place...he thought, gently running his hand over the old wood. Letting curiosity take over, he tried to open it...but to no avail. Wondering how it opened, he grabbed the bottom of it and pulled up, nearly falling over when it slid open.

"Huh...there's an empty space." he muttered, peeking in. Even though he knew he shouldn't, Edgeworth started to crawl into the dark, small space. I had no idea I had a crawl-space here...he thought, as he squeezed in through the entrance. Which he was surprised he even fit at all, as it looked small enough for a kid to go through. Have I lost that much weight--?

Though he wasn't fully inside, his foot caught on something that he couldn't see. Unable to keep his balance in near darkness, Edgeworth fell flat on the floor with a 'thud' and, unable to do anything about it, let the door slam shut behind him—leaving him in complete darkness.

"Ow..." he muttered, sitting up. From what he could feel, the floor was just plain wood—not sanded nor carpeted. He tried to stand up, but found that the ceiling was rather low...actually it was really low. Even sitting on the ground, he had to bow his head. He looked in the direction of the door, but found that there was no way he could open it up from inside. Great... From outside, he could hear Pesu whimpering and barking loudly. Obviously she was upset that her Master was in the crawl-space...and couldn't get out.

"P-Pesu, Pesu!" he called out, trying to calm the dog down, "Your Edgey's fine! I just...can't get out."

Edgeworth sighed, as he pulled his knees up to his chest. Now that he was able to look around the crawl-space, it was rather small...in both regards. Not only was it pitch-black, it was also rather stuffy. There was hardly any fresh air in the place, which was quite difficult to breathe in. Edgeworth felt a cold chill go down his back, as the current situation reminded him of something that happened 15 years ago...

"D-Dammit..." he muttered, finding himself shaking. He didn't like this...not at all. He looked back towards the door, as Pesu was now scratching at it. He knew that Phoenix still had at least 3 hours, until he was to arrive at Edgeworth's place. Until that time, no one would pass by, much less than enter the place. Knowing he wouldn't last that long, Edgeworth took a shaking hand and reached into his pants pocket for his cell phone. Not only would he call Phoenix, he could also provide himself with some light.

"He better come ASAP, too..." he muttered, as he finally grabbed his phone (with some difficulty). Knowing he wouldn't be able to dial Phoenix's number with shaking hands, Edgeworth took a deep breath to calm himself...though all that did was make him fully aware of the stuffiness of the small crawlspace. Cursing himself at letting his mind wander, Edgeworth flipped open his phone—

Then it happened.

At first, it was a small shake...then it escalated into a full-blown earthquake. Edgeworth was barely aware of Pesu yelping outside of the crawlspace, as he immediately dropped his phone and covered up his head, placing his forehead on his knees. He felt himself start to shake, along with everything around him. His mind went blank, as he realized how similar the situation was to 15 years prior. Complete darkness, little air, small space...and a large earthquake. It was all too similar...and that fact scared him even more than the earthquake. Edgeworth screwed his eyes shut, letting an unconscious whimper pass his lips. Before he could even feel the end of the earthquake, a loud 'bang!' sounded outside of the crawlspace.

That was all it took, for Edgeworth to lose contact with the world completely.

*********

Nine-year old Edgeworth felt himself shaking slightly, as he sat up against the wall of the broken down elevator. Just after a large earthquake struck, the power went out and left his father, the bailiff Yanni Yogi, and himself in the dark, trapped in the elevator. Though the earthquake had long since passed, Edgeworth still found himself a little scared. Not only were all three of them trapped, but the air around them was getting harder to breath. He knew that it was because of the lack of oxygen in the small compartment. I just hope everything turns out alright...he thought, pulling his knees up to his chest.

He felt sleepy...really sleepy. Like he could close his eyes right then and there, and fall asleep instantly. However, Edgeworth had a feeling that if he did that, he wouldn't be able to open his eyes again. Worried about his father, he looked over in his general direction on the other side of the elevator. His eyes had already gotten used to the darkness, so he could see his father's faint outline...along with Yogi's. Gregory Edgeworth was calm, as far as his son could tell. Yogi, however, was a different story.

Edgeworth studied him for a minute, noticing how the bailiff was taking in large amounts of air, by gasping helplessly. He frowned at this—if he continued this, then the air in the elevator would run out quickly. He wanted to open his mouth to say something, but was too tired to do so. Someone...help us...he thought, shaking slightly once again.

"A-Air...!!"

Hm?

Edgeworth glanced back towards Yogi, noticing that he was now clawing at his throat in his panic. Hearing the tone in his voice made Edgeworth slightly nervous, but still focused on him nonetheless. He didn't want the true blackness to wash over him...not yet. He couldn't close his eyes just yet...

"I n-need air...!!" Yogi shrieked, causing Edgeworth to flinch. The bailiff, who was calm before the earthquake, was now starting to scare him a little. But he relaxed almost instantly, upon hearing his father speak up.

"Calm down, Yogi. If you keep going on like that, then you're just wasting time and air." said Gregory, calmly. Edgeworth smiled softly at his father, even know he couldn't see it. It was just like his dad to be calm, even in situations like this.

"What was that?!" roared Yogi, leaping to his feet, causing Edgeworth to back up even further against the wall of the elevator. Now he was starting to become a little scared. The tone in Yogi's voice, along with his actions clearly stated that he wasn't in the right state of mind. He glanced over towards his father, seeing that he too had changed his positions and was now staring up at the crazed bailiff. When he spoke, however, it was still calm.

"Stop it. You're wasting enough air as is." said Gregory, his tone firm, but still calm. Edgeworth let out a soft sigh, as he thought he saw Yogi back down. However, he wasn't able to relax completely, as the next thing he knew, Yogi had bent down and lifted Gregory off of the ground by the collar of his suit.

"You're the one wasting my air!!" yelled Yogi, reaching to his side and pulling out something. Edgeworth felt his entire body turn numb, as he knew what it was. After all, nearly all bailiffs were allowed to carry guns. But, instead of shooting it off, Yogi used it as a club and struck Gregory across the face with it, making him collapse to the floor once more.

"Father...!" gasped out Edgeworth, surprised at how soft his own voice sounded. For a moment, he forgot their current situation—how all three of them were trapped in a low-oxygen broken down elevator...in the dark. The only thing the 9 year-old could focus on, was his father. Yogi had just hit his father! And with the gun in his hand, it was clearly obvious what the crazed man was going to do next. He's going to shoot him...!!

Edgeworth tried to get to his feet to help out his father, however he couldn't find the strength to lift himself off of the ground. Gritting his teeth, he glanced back over towards the two, noting that they were now struggling. From what he could see, Gregory was trying to get Yogi to release the gun. However, Yogi wouldn't have it and, when he got the chance, kept hitting the defense attorney. I need to help him!! B-But how...? Before Edgeworth could let his uselessness sink it, something heavy landed at his feet, causing him to jump. Blinking, he stared down at his feet, trying to make out the shape of the object. Reaching out, his hand touched cool metal.

The gun!!

Edgeworth's heart nearly jumped out of his chest, as he grabbed the gun and pulled it towards him. He looked back at his father and Yogi struggling against each other. If they kept it up, then things could turn for the worst. Suddenly finding strength somewhere in his slowly weakening body, Edgeworth got to his feet, a little unsteady. Once he was standing up, he looked at the gun in his hand, before looking over at his father. Having nothing else in mind, other than helping out his father, he tightened his grip on the gun, before screwing his eyes shut and tossing it in his father's direction.

"Get away from my father!!" Edgeworth shouted, as he felt the gun leave his hand. That used up the last of his strength.

Edgeworth felt the strength give out in his legs, causing him to fall to the ground once more. The mere effort of keeping conscious was too much for him. He heard the gun go off...then following that was a terrible, demonic scream. After that, true darkness settled in and everything was silent.

XxXxXxXxX

Edgeworth slowly felt himself come to, but he didn't open his eyes. His entire body felt extremely heavy and weak, and part of him wanted to go back to sleep. However, there was a nagging sensation in the back of his mind that ordered him to get up. With a soft groan, Edgeworth slowly opened his eyes.

For a moment, he was blinded by white. He waited a moment for his eyes to focus, when he realized that something really wasn't right. Bleach-white walls, the stench of antiseptic...this wasn't home. It took him a moment to realize that he was actually in a hospital. But...why am I here? And moreover, where's Father?

With some difficulty, he sat up, taking a better look at his surroundings. The light-blue curtains on the window were drawn shut, but he could easily see that it was dreary outside. Possibly raining, but he couldn't tell. There were several machines around him, along with an IV drip. His eyes traveled to the IV inserted into his arm. Frowning, he scratched at it, finding it annoying for a couple of seconds, before giving it up and looking around. He stared at the blank TV screen for a minute, before looking to the table next to him.

There was a small cluster of flowers sitting on the table, with a tag on them. However, they were too far out of reach for him to grab. Finally, his mind fully awoke and he realized with a jolt why he was there in the first place. The elevator...Yogi and father...were fighting. And then...I...Edgeworth frowned, as he tried to remember more. But all that was coming up, was a big fat blank. He could remember the events prior to the elevator incident...but after that, he could only remember waking up just moments ago. But where's Father?

"Oh! Look who's finally awake!"

Edgeworth turned towards the door, to see a young nurse walk in, a chart under her arm. She was the classic nurse, with shoulder-length blonde hair, bright blue eyes, pink lipstick (not too much), and a bubbly attitude. For a second, Edgeworth didn't know how to react to this and stared at her dumbly.

"You're...Miles Edgeworth, correct hun?" she asked, looking down at her chart, before looking back up at him. Edgeworth nodded automatically, but didn't say anything else. Why was only the nurse visiting him? Where was his father?? Why wasn't he here? His mind whirled around the questions, as he let the nurse do her daily routine, checking his condition and the IV. If she asked a yes or no question, he responded with a nod or a shake of the head, respectively. Where's father...?

"Alright, hun. I'll be back in a few moments." said the nurse, giving him a friendly wink, before turning around to leave. For some reason, Edgeworth was suddenly filled with dread. Panicking slightly, he finally came to life and tried to reach out towards the nurse.

"W-Wait!" he called out, causing her to stop immediately and turn around. She closed the door that she just opened and went to his bedside, gently grabbing his outstretched hand. The worried expression on her face made Edgeworth think that his slight panic was too evident. But still...what's this awful feeling...?

"What is it, hun?" she asked, gently rubbing the back of his hand with her thumb. He had no idea why, but it was extremely comforting. Edgeworth hesitated for a moment, trying to find the right words. Finally, he looked back at her, trying not to let his voice quiver too much.

"I...er....Where's my father?" he asked, his voice soft. Edgeworth avoided her eyes for a moment, hoping she had a quick answer that would soothe all of his fears. But when she didn't respond right away, a ball of ice formed in the pit of his stomach. Slowly, he turned to face towards her again...to see that her face was downcast.

What...?

"Oh, hun..." she sighed sadly, taking both hands and clasping them around Edgeworth's one hand. Her mouth opened and closed a few times, as she struggled for the right words. Seeing Edgeworth's blank/lost expression, she gave up and sighed heavily again.

"I don't know how to say this, hun...but...when they finally pulled you three out of the elevator, there was one that wouldn't wake up again. They got you two out...but that man had been cold for awhile. Shot right through the heart."

Cold...? Shot...?

"You and the other man were sent to the hospital right away. But...the other man..." the nurse swallowed heavily, before her blue eyes stared straight into Edgeworth's grey ones, "Gregory Edgeworth—your father, Miles—was the one found dead at the scene."

F...Fath...er...?

Edgeworth's mind and body went numb at the news. She was lying, right? His father couldn't be dead—he couldn't! It was just impossible! He tossed the gun towards him and helped him! It just wasn't true!! This was all just a big dream, and he would wake up at home to his father's kind smile.

...Sadly, the nurse's shaking hands around his own was all too real. As was the cold dread creeping across his entire being.

The nurse watched, as the realization slowly started to sink in. It was just too heart-breaking, to have to tell a nine year old—who was trapped inside of that elevator for God knows how long—that his father was dead, and wouldn't be coming by to check up on him. A single tear trailed down her cheek, as she stood up and placed a small kiss on top of Edgeworth's head.

"I'll...be back shortly to check up on you, hun." she said softly, as she set Edgeworth's hand back down on his lap, before leaving the room, closing the door behind her.

Edgeworth stared at the hand that the nurse had been holding, for the longest time. It didn't take him long to realize that his hand was shaking. Soon, the shaking spread to his entire body, as the realization hit him again, this time with full force.

His father—Gregory Edgeworth—was dead.

"F-Father..." whimpered Edgeworth, as he pulled his knees up to his chest and buried his face into them. The tears soon began to fall, as he cried hard, his shoulders shaking with each heavy sob.

It was the first time in his life that he had cried so hard.

XxXxXxXxX

A few months later, he was taken in by a man named Manfred von Karma. Unlike his father, von Karma was a prosecutor, and was going to train Edgeworth to be one. At the time, Edgeworth didn't care—after all, he had a home once more. Even though it was in Germany, and the house was huge. He managed to also befriend von Karma's daughter, Franziska. However, it wasn't like his home overseas at all.

Von Karma made it very specific from the beginning—he was not his father, and he wasn't to think that he was going to act as such. He was Edgeworth's mentor—nothing more, nothing less. The only one he was really able to bond with, was young Franziska, who ended up looking up to her 'brother.' It took awhile, but Edgeworth finally got used to the von Karma household.

One night, von Karma was giving Edgeworth a lecture in prosecution, this one dealing with different tactics. Edgeworth actually liked the lectures more than going over the books, since staring at the tiny print over a long period of time made him a little sleepy (and it didn't help that they did it in the evenings). Instead, he was taking notes, making sure he didn't miss anything. von Karma's 'tests' afterwards were really rough.

"Do anything you have to in order to get a guilty verdict." explained von Karma, watching as Edgeworth took notes about what he was saying, "Do this, and you'll have a perfect record."

"Anything...?" asked Edgeworth, looking up at von Karma, a slight question in his grey hues. Seeing no reaction from him, he continued, "By that, do you really mean anything?"

"Of course." said von Karma, with a small shrug, "In a sense, everyone is guilty in their own way. All it takes is the right evidence to push them towards that confession."

"But what if you don't have the right evidence needed?" asked Edgeworth, letting his pencil dangle limply in his fingers, "Wouldn't you lose out?"

"The right evidence can be found when needed." explained von Karma, letting a sly smile cross his lips, "Even if it needs to be tweaked a little bit..."

Tweaked...? Edgeworth looked at the smiling von Karma, before he realized what he meant. He slowly set his pencil down on the table, before looking up at the man, "You mean...forged evidence...??"

"As I said, do anything to get a guilty verdict." said von Karma, simply.

"B-But that's wrong!" said Edgeworth, standing up abruptly and glaring at the prosecutor, "If you do that, the chances of sending an innocent man to his death, are—"

"Watch your tongue, boy!!" snapped von Karma hotly, glaring at Edgeworth. He flinched, but didn't sit back down. He knew that this monster of a man has the worst temper he had ever known. And, if pushed too much, he wouldn't hesitate to get physical. Edgeworth knew the man could easily slap him silly and toss him across the room. He had done it once before.

"Still...why would you go so far?" asked Edgeworth carefully, watching von Karma carefully. He needed to, just in case he needed to run from the enraged prosecutor. Instead of chasing down the boy, von Karma relaxed and let another sly smile cross his features.

"A perfect record makes people respect you." he said slowly, letting it sink into Edgeworth, "If you have any sort of penalties, you'll just turn into a laughing stock."

This burned Edgeworth more than he cared it would. Just because someone gets penalized, doesn't meant that they're total losers. It shows that they're human! Knowing where his train of thought was going, Edgeworth slammed his hand down on the table, causing von Karma to look at him, surprised.

"Even if you get just one penalty, no one will hold it against you!" said Edgeworth, "My father might've not won all the time, but he was still the best defense attorney there was!"

At that moment, the look in von Karma's eyes made Edgeworth soon regret his choice of words. He remembered he felt this same way, when Yogi started acting up on the elevator in that incident just a couple of months ago. Even so, it was still bright and alive within Edgeworth's mind.

"What...did you say...?" asked von Karma dangerously, standing up slowly and looking down at Edgeworth. He felt intimidated right away and wanted to run...but he stuck with what he said earlier. Swallowing his fear, he glared back at von Karma, hiding his sweaty palms, by pressing them down on the table, hard.

"I said, my father was the best defense attorney there ever was." said Edgeworth, in the same tone that von Karma gave him moments before, "If you say that because he didn't have a perfect record, that he's a 'laughing stock,' you're dead wrong."

This time, von Karma slammed his hands down on the table as his stood up, causing Edgeworth to gasp softly and flinch back. Once again, that look was back in von Karma's eyes. And he didn't stop at just standing up, either. Knowing that now was the right time to flee, Edgeworth turned around, only to have a strong hand grab the back of his shirt and lift him into the air.

"L-Let me go!!" shouted Edgeworth, more out of fright than anything else. However, the man ignored him and continued to go up the stairs. Edgeworth grabbed and pulled at von Karma's hand, but nothing would make it budge. Just as the action was about to choke him with his own shirt, von Karma opened the door to Edgeworth's room and, literally, threw him into the room.

Edgeworth was worried that he would land on the hard floor, but thankfully, he bounced on his bed, nearly falling off in the process. Taking a few scared gulps of breath, he looked at von Karma, getting a small glimpse of him, before the door was slammed, then locked from the outside. Edgeworth relaxed slightly, but then he heard von Karma speak from the other side of the door.

"Your father is dead. He can't be the best anymore, if he's rotting in the ground. Think about that."

Edgeworth listened to the monster walk away, before throwing his notes on the floor, making the papers slap loudly. Taking his hand back, he realized that he was shaking pretty badly...which confused him. He was used to von Karma acting this way...so why was he shaking so badly? He thought back to von Karma's words from behind the door...and that's when it sunk in.

Father...

Edgeworth knew his father wouldn't get this mad at him. And, if he did on the rare occasion, he would always come back and apologize for his actions. von Karma, however, never once apologized—even for the smallest of things. He was a total monster through and through. The complete opposite of Gregory Edgeworth.

A pang of loneliness and longing hit Edgeworth hard. After making sure that no one was by the door, by listening, he drew his knees up to his chest and wrapped his shaking arms around them. Hot tears stung in the corners of his eyes, as the feelings got worse. This would be the first time he would cry under von Karma's roof. And he knew never to cry in front of the man.

"Father...!" whimpered Edgeworth, burying his face into his knees, his body shaking with held-in sobs. I want my father back!! He screamed in his mind, before quietly sobbing the rest of the night away.

XxXxXxXxX

Edgeworth hated being in the darkness of his past. After being put on trial, he was sure that his past would remain behind him, forever more. Still...even he knew that such a powerful memory wouldn't rest forever. During some of the stronger quakes, that memory would play behind his closed eyelids, even well after the earthquake is over.

I...can't get out...He struggled to get rid of the darkness around him, but it still remained, his body not allowing him to get out of his fetal position. He couldn't tell if the earth was still shaking, or if it was just him. This was the part that Edgeworth hated the most—not being able to free himself from the blackness. After all, no one was there to help him out of it sooner. When he did come out, he would find himself alone and extremely shaken up, feeling like a child once more.

Is there anyone there...?

"...worth..."

Hm?

Edgeworth felt his body relax slightly, as he heard a voice that wasn't his own. After a moment, the voice spoke again, sounding like it was calling his name. He couldn't place who the voice belonged to, but each time it spoke, the darkness started to slowly fade, and warmth started to spread throughout his body. Slowly, he lifted his head, staring blankly into the darkness, wanting to hear the voice again.

"Edge...worth..."

Upon hearing his name, the darkness started to clear out almost instantly. The warmth flowing through his veins was the most comforting feeling he had felt in a long time. He let a small smile grace his lips, as he closed his eyes, contently. This voice in the darkness...he would hold onto it forever.

As it was the one voice that could make the darkness go away...

*********

"Edgeworth?"

Edgeworth slowly felt himself come to, becoming aware that he was still curled up into a tight ball. He didn't try to move, as he knew his body wouldn't let him for awhile. Instead, he settled for opening his eyes and seeing the damage that happened because of the earthquake. However, upon opening his eyes...he saw darkness.

Wait, am I still in that place? he thought, panicking a little. However, he knew that he was conscious once more...and that was confirmed when he saw that the 'darkness' was actually a color. For a moment, he thought he was lying on his couch, but knew that it wasn't possible. His couch was leather, whereas this was more cloth-like, like a shirt. And it smelled.

Not a bad smell, mind you. Yet, it was definitely familiar.

After a moment's hesitation, Edgeworth slowly pried away his hands from his head and slowly glanced up, wondering where the hell he was now. He blinked a few times, letting his vision adjust and focus.

When it did, he found himself staring up at the face of a certain defense attorney—Phoenix Wright.

It took a moment for the surprise to settle in. Then Edgeworth realized what position he was in. They were on the floor (with Phoenix on his knees), with Edgeworth curled up in his lap, having his face buried into his chest earlier. Phoenix had his arms around the prosecutor in a comforting embrace, though now that he was awake, he released him slightly, though still kept his arms around him. Normally, Edgeworth would've snapped at Wright for such an act...but he didn't feel like snapping at him at the moment.

"W-Wright...?" asked Edgeworth, flinching at how dry his voice sounded. He hated how dry his throat was, after an earthquake episode. He wanted to get up and get something to drink, but his body still wouldn't move for the time being.

"Thank goodness..." sighed Phoenix, relieved, "I thought you'd never come out of that state! Are you alright?"

"I think..." muttered Edgeworth, trying to sit up. However, he quickly learned that he was going against his body's wishes when his muscles ached with protest. He let out a low hiss, as his muscles actually began throbbing. How long was I curled up like that for?? he wondered. Seeing that he was having some troubles, Phoenix carefully helped Edgeworth up and leaned him up against the couch, which was right next to them.

"This is the worse I've seen you." said Phoenix, concern obvious in his voice, as he watched Edgeworth, "Being trapped in that crawlspace during an earthquake like that must've been really hard."

"Crawl...? Oh!" Edgeworth blinked, as he remembered what happened before the earthquake. He was playing fetch with Pesu, when the ball went into the closet. He got it out, but not before noticing a small door on the wall. After discovering that it was a hidden crawlspace, he decided to explore it, but ending up falling and trapping himself inside. Before the earthquake, he was going to call—"When did you get here, Wright?"

"Mm?" Phoenix seemed a bit confused at the question, but answered nonetheless, "When the earthquake was done, I got worried for you, so I came here early. You didn't lock the door, so I just came right in. Oh, and I didn't know you had a dog."

"Pesu?"

Right then, the golden retriever came out from behind the couch and went immediately to Edgeworth's side, whimpering loudly and licking his face, worriedly. He chuckled and petted her on the head (despite his sore body) to calm her, "I'm fine, Pesu. Your Edgey's fine."

" 'Your Edgey...?' " chuckled Phoenix, receiving a glare from Edgeworth, "Anyways, she was throwing a fit by the closet, and that's when I noticed the door. I opened it and, when I saw you in there completely curled up like that, I knew I had to get you out of there quick. ...Which wasn't easy."

"How so?" asked Edgeworth curiously, as Pesu laid down next to him, putting her head in her Master's lap.

"You wouldn't loosen up at all!" exclaimed Phoenix, "You were as stiff as a board, and shaking like a leaf. I managed to get you out without hurting both of us, but when you wouldn't come to for anything, I was starting to get really worried..."

"I see..." said Edgeworth, looking down for a moment. True, the earthquake itself wasn't bad, but being trapped in that small crawlspace was just like being trapped inside that elevator from 15 years ago. He shuddered again at the thought, before looking up at Phoenix, "I was actually going to call you, but—"

The demon prosecutor blinked, realizing something. Seeing Phoenix's confused expression, he continued, "I...dropped my phone."

"Your phone?"

"In the crawlspace."

They both looked back at the closet, where Edgeworth noticed that there was a box on the floor. It must've fell during the quake...he thought. He then realized that the 'bang' he heard before losing consciousness was probably the box hitting the floor. He looked back over at Phoenix, who was looking right back at him.

"...I'm not going back in there." said Edgeworth hotly, giving the defense attorney a glare. Phoenix gave a small laugh, before getting off of the floor. He knew that Edgeworth wouldn't want to go back in there so soon, but he just wanted to make sure.

"Okay, okay. I'll get your phone, so just wait." he said, going back towards the closet. Edgeworth watched him, noting that he wasn't wearing his usual blue business suit. He was also dressed casually, in a red and white shirt, and jeans. His socks were white, unlike Edgeworth's blue ones.

Edgeworth decided that this would be the best time to look around to see the damage the quake had done. Surprisingly, nothing was broken—just a whole bunch of things were on the floor, like books, a lamp (that didn't break), and a few decorative items. Looking down at Pesu, he gently petted her, making sure she wasn't hurt in anyway. She looked up at him, blinking slowly, but she didn't seem hurt.

"I'm glad that you're okay, Pesu." whispered Edgeworth, giving his dog a hug, despite his muscles screaming in protest, "And thanks for leading Wright to where I was."

"Hey, don't I get a thank-you hug, too?"

Edgeworth jumped (then soon regretted it, as his muscles acted up again), as Phoenix appeared by his side again, holding out to him his phone. He stared at him for a moment, before removing his arms around Pesu and taking back his phone, slipping it back into his pocket.

"Wasn't the cuddling from earlier enough?" he asked, raising an eyebrow.

"But you were unconscious...! It's not the same!" whined Phoenix, pouting. Edgeworth couldn't help but chuckle at his expression. Wanting to get up, he grabbed the couch and forced himself to his feet. However, aside from his body not wanting to move, his legs felt like wet noodles. Thankfully, Phoenix jumped in before the prosecutor could kiss the floor.

"Are you sure you're alright??" asked Phoenix, looking at Edgeworth, concerned.

"I'm just a little weak, that's all. And stiff..." he muttered, feeling a little useless at the moment. He hated feeling this way, and the constant concern from Phoenix was not only starting to become slightly embarrassing, but a little annoying. But he didn't have the strength to tell him to stop. After all, he did need help to stand.

"...Where do you want to go?" asked Phoenix, wrapping his arm around Edgeworth's waist and slinging his arm over his shoulder. Edgeworth tried to hold his own weight, but his wet-noodle legs wouldn't have it. Not wanting to have Phoenix carrying a dead weight, his grey hues landed on the couch.

"The couch is fine, for now." he said, nodding towards it. It was only a step away for both of them. Nodding in response, Phoenix obeyed Edgeworth and slowly set him down on the leather couch. Once he was down, the spiky-haired defense attorney had an idea.

"Lay down on your stomach for a minute, I want to try something."

"Hm?"

Edgeworth looked at Phoenix, noting the excited gleam in his eyes. Knowing that he wouldn't take 'no' for an answer now, he sighed and agreed, "Fine."

With some effort, Edgeworth managed to lay down on the couch, folding his arms and resting his chin on them. For a minute, he wondered what Phoenix was going to do, until he felt another weight on the couch, as Phoenix got on too, setting his knees on either side of Edgeworth's hips and placing his hands on his back.

"Wright, what the hell are you doing?" asked Edgeworth quickly, looking back at him.

"Maya taught me something a few weeks back." said Phoenix, smiling over at Edgeworth, who was still looking at his suspiciously, "Sitting at a desk all day makes you stiff, right? She gave me the Kurain Village massage treatment and I loosened up instantly! I thought it was neat, so I had her teach me."

"A massaging technique?" asked Edgeworth, raising an eyebrow, "I thought that village was famous for its channeling, not massaging."

"I thought that was odd, too..." muttered Phoenix, looking thoughtful for a moment. Edgeworth was tempted to shove him off of the couch, but with the position that they were in now, there was no way he could do so. Damn...would've been really entertaining, too...he thought, with a smile. With a small shrug, he laid back down, grabbing a pillow by the end of the couch and placing it under his arms.

"Well, do what you want. It's not like I can stop you." he sighed, laying his head back down.

"Awright! Here goes nothing~!" chirped Phoenix, cracking his knuckles (which made Edgeworth nervous again). For a moment, Edgeworth felt nothing and wondered if Wright was doing anything at all. But before he could question, he immediately felt a pair of hands on his back, pressing down hard. Instantly, his muscles screamed with protest.

"Ow, ow, ow!! That's too hard!" he yelped, gripping at the pillow under him and glaring at the defense attorney behind him.

"S-Sorry!" said Phoenix, taking his hands back and scratching the back of his head sheepishly, "I haven't done this in awhile. And Maya yelled at me for doing the same thing, too. Lemme try again...please?"

"...Fine." muttered Edgeworth, relaxing once again. He felt Phoenix's hands on his back once more and, though his muscles protested against the action, after a few moments, they didn't hurt anymore. In fact, once Phoenix had a steady rhythm going on, the pain went away entirely. Edgeworth was surprised at how the muscles in his back were slowly loosening up from their locked positions from before. This isn't too bad...

"ム..." he sighed, burying his face into the pillow. He heard Phoenix chuckle above him, as his hands continued their magic.

"Don't go falling asleep on me now." he said playfully, as his hands moved from his shoulder blades, to around his mid back. Edgeworth gave a soft grunt in reply. He was tempted to go to sleep, but knew that it would be a bad idea. After all, even as he closed his eyes, the events from before replayed themselves.

Hopefully I'll be able to get some sleep tonight...he thought, raising his head a little off of the pillow. He listened to Phoenix hum a merry tune, when he realized that it was him that pulled him out of the darkness of his past. It was his voice that pulled Edgeworth out of his own despair. And when he woke up, he was comfortably in his arms. Normally, Edgeworth would've had a problem with his rival being there for him, of all times. However...outside of court, Phoenix was a friend—and a cherished one at that. I wonder if he feels the same way...thought Edgeworth, with a soft smile. Just as he closed his eyes, wondering if Phoenix could stay a little longer with him, a strange sensation shot through his body, causing him to physically jump. A dark blush crossed his cheeks, as he glared at a small spot on the couch, not even daring to look back.

"...Wright."

"Yes?"

"Get your hands off of my ass."

"Ah...s-sorry..."