Summery: After the case for the murder of Elise Deauxnim aka Misty Fey, being the new Master of the Kurain School of Spirit Channeling, Maya discovers her mother's spirit channeling within the law enforcement and a certain client that often used her help, Miles Edgeworth. Upon learning this, Phoenix begins discovering that even the logically driven Miles Edgeworth would be desperate enough to use spiritual means to solve a problem bigger than himself.

Phoenix was packing his stuff to return back home from the Hazakura Temple. The case had been stressful and tiresome with the return of painful memories, realizations and worrying about Maya's safety. Though, the truth had been revealed and the case was solved thanks to the help of his friends. Phoenix was relieved and now it was time for him to return home. Maya was currently being paid a visit by a private lawyer in charge of her mother's Will, since Misty Fey had been part of the Witness Protection Program due to the events of the DL-6 Incident.

Pearl was disappointed that she had to return home, especially after feeling like a failure for letting down her sister. She was feeling a bit better now, since Larry was cheering her up with his presence and drawing her pictures. He was working on a particular project and was drawing all of his focus on that picture. He wanted to continue pursuing his art career for the sake of his former mentor, whom he now realized was Maya's mother Misty Fey.

After packing his stuff, Phoenix heard the door to his room open, showing Maya with a strange expression. She seemed as though she was hit by a ton of bricks.

"Hey Nick!" Maya almost screamed.

"Maya, what is it? How did the conversation with the private lawyer go?" Phoenix asked. He was never given the name of the lawyer, since he was a private one.

"Nick, you would not believe everything I just been told. Now, that I'm the new Master, apparently I have connections to the government and police," Maya said, freaking out.

"Yeah, I believe Mr. Armando said something about that. It was how he knew where your mother was at and contacted her in order to save you," Phoenix said, rubbing his chin.

"Yeah, but that's not all! While she was missing she often helped the government and police with her channeling powers. Apparently, it was all confidential. Only a select few knew of her existence and an even fewer selected were allowed to contact her in order for her to use her powers at any time. They often were clients she signed a private contract with."

"Wow, that's pretty impressive."

"Yeah, but you're not going to believe the client that called for her the most, her most recurring client that shared a private contract with her for at least five or six years!"

"Her most recurring client?" Phoenix asked.

Certainly, Misty Fey would have a client that would go to her more so than others. It wouldn't be that shocking. Even though many people of the law enforcement didn't believe in such powers, it wasn't to say all of them felt this way. Even the Judge claimed he didn't agree with his brother in dismissing anything that was deemed impossible or magic. Why would Maya be so shocked about a certain client her mother signed a private contract with? Was it someone she knew?

"I looked at the record of all of her clients and one name popped out the most: Miles Edgeworth," Maya said as Phoenix froze and dropped the folded clothes he was holding.

"WHAT!?! EDGEWORTH!?! Are you sure it was Miles Edgeworth!?" Phoenix shouted dumbfoundedly. Why Edgeworth? He didn't believe in that kind of thing, at least not completely. Phoenix even recalled during the investigation Edgeworth saying so himself that Misty Fey was a fraud. Why would he turn to someone he considered a fraud for her spirit medium powers?

"I checked it at least ten times. It's him alright. I even looked at the dates he called her for. The first time Mr. Edgeworth called for my mother's help was about a month or so after his first case as a Prosecutor. In fact, up until the DL-6 case was solved, he had been contacting her often. He called her during two of your cases against him. If that wasn't crazy enough, she was even called by Manfred Von Karma one time during the same date as the case of the murder of Robert Hammond!" Maya said as Phoenix felt himself become faint. Wait, but why would Manfred Von Karma get in contact with Misty Fey? That doesn't make any sense!

"Maya, I know I asked you this, but are you SURE this is true?"Phoenix asked, feeling himself shake.

"I'm telling you, Nick! What's going on!?"

"I DON'T KNOW! I thought Edgeworth wasn't into this kind of stuff, let alone believed in it. Heck, he told me to my face that your mother was a fraud."

"That's what I thought too. I talked to Gumshoe. He said he was going to call Edgeworth to explain everything. I thought I'd inform you about this."

"This.... is insane."

The door opened and who else would come other than Miles Edgeworth himself. Franziska also followed behind as well, her arms crossed as usual. Phoenix gave his friend an explain yourself glare as Miles showed a sarcastic smile of his own.

"From that look in your eyes, I'm to assume she told you," Edgeworth said.

"I also made some appointments with Mystic Misty," Franziska muttered, her eyes closed. It seemed like the cat was out of the bag now, but why?

"Including your father, Manfred Von Karma!" Maya shouted with her puffy face.

"WHAT!?! I... I didn't know that," Franziska said, awestruck. She was in Germany, so it made sense.

"I did. It was at the same date when I was accused of murdering Robert Hammond. You can already figure out the rest, Franziska," Edgeworth added, showing a bitter smile as Franziska showed a slight glare that looked surprisingly unreadable before gaining back her prideful composure.

"I should have known."

"What's going on, Edgeworth? I thought you said you didn't believe in this stuff, that Misty Fey was a fraud!" Phoenix glared.

"A lie obviously. I saw Mystic Misty summon my father before my very eyes and claim that Yonni Yogi was the one that murdered him. I've also seen your partner summon your mentor a few times in court. It would be illogical to say that spirit channeling is a farce. I only said what I said, because I was under Mystic Misty's contract. She was under Witness Protection Program, thus as part of our contract, I was not allowed to reveal my connections with her," Edgeworth explained.

"But wait, why would you....?" Phoenix asked, then the answer hit him like a ton of bricks. Wait, did he....? "You... asked Ms. Fey to summon your father... didn't you?" If the proud Miles Edgeworth was to ask Misty Fey to summon a spirit, the only dead he'd want to see would be his father.

Edgeworth stood quiet and his expression seemed hesitant. Franziska also stood quiet, gripping on her sleeve and showing her hardened expression. So, it was true.

"Mr. Edgeworth...." Maya said quietly, looking both surprised, but also sorrowful.

"As I said, I saw it happen before. I... had to see it for myself," Edgeworth admitted, looking over to his side. "The trial of Terry Fawles was a disaster. I lost confidence in myself. Von Karma gave me a harsh scolding for that, claiming that it was my fault and he should expect nothing, but perfection. I had Gumshoe, but... I felt like an utter failure." That trial hurt Mia too to the point where she never took another case for a whole year. Even then, Mia became brasher when defending Phoenix.

"Edgeworth...." Phoenix muttered sadly.

"I realized I needed help, someone to help me focus. I searched for an assistant to work under me like the one with you," Edgeworth said, showing a sarcastic smile. Maya seemed surprised by that comment. The young prosecutor folded his arms. "Unfortunately, non of them qualified. They were rather lousy or not perfect enough."

"You certainly have got high standards."

"I eventually got word of Misty Fey's whereabouts. Going to her was suggested to me by the Chief Prosecutor at the time. I... reluctantly took that suggestion, after some contemplating, and asked for Misty Fey's services to summon my father. Of course, it was only for a short time and he would only be summoned for therapeutic purposes in order to help me focus on my work. My father eventually started helping me with certain investigations on the side."

"Therapeutic purposes?" Maya asked.

"I'd rather not go into detail, but I was dealing with some.... issues at the time. I've recovered since, especially after Phoenix solved the DL-6 case. Before then, I often was overwhelmed with stress and overworking. I also had trouble with my... anger. My father helped me calm down during those times."

"I never knew. I know it was mostly secrecy, but why didn't you tell me you were having trouble?" Phoenix asked in concern.

"Don't be stupid, Wright. If anyone was to catch wind that the High Prosecutor was mentally unstable without a spirit medium, my career would be over. That was why Mystic Misty and I were under contract," Edgeworth said, showing his usual glare.

It made sense. While Edgeworth wasn't fully admitting it, it seemed like he was fighting some sort of mental disorder, perhaps PTSD. Phoenix did suspect this, especially after the death note and sudden disappearance. He was angry at him for a while, but then realized after the Matt Engrid case that Edgeworth might've been battling something far deeper than just losing a win track record. That was the only way Phoenix could find it in himself to forgive his friend.

"But, what about Prosecutor Von Karma? Why did he appoint my mother and during the Robert Hammond case no less?" Maya asked, showing a slight glare.

"Why do you think? He killed my father as part of his revenge for tarnishing his perfect record. He eventually caught wind that I had Mystic Misty pay me visits. If you haven't figured out the rest, then you must be dumber than Larry," Edgeworth said, showing his smudge smirk.

"No.... way," Phoenix said, cold sweat dripping on his face and the back of his neck. "You mean.... Von Karma brought out Misty Fey to summon your father to watch you lose the trial and....?"

"That is correct, Mr. Phoenix Wright. I didn't know, of course, or the trial Edgeworth was in, until after I arrived in this country," Franziska confirmed, showing her cunning smirk. Phoenix blinked his eyes on that one. So, Franziska didn't even know about that trial that put her father behind bars?

"I can't believe he would do something like this to you... to your father, after murdering him!" Maya shouted angrily.

"I can. I respected my mentor and still do to a degree, but that's not to say we ever agreed or got along," Edgeworth smirked bitterly.

"Same. Father always paid more attention to Edgeworth and his crimes were beyond despicable. Regardless, he is my father and shall remain," Franziska agreed.

"Since Misty Fey is officially dead, it seems I will be seeing my father less. Part of the contract was that Mystic Misty would only offer her services until the day she died. Any Master after her would not share the same contract with me. It seems I will have to live my life without him like everyone else," Edgeworth said.

"I wouldn't say that. Sure, I won't be at your beck and call, but if you want to see your father right now, just ask. I already saw a picture of your father enough times to know who to summon," Maya offered with a playful smile.

"...... I suppose it wouldn't hurt. Father had been wishing to see you in person, Wright," Edgeworth said almost reluctantly.

"M-Me?" Phoenix asked, dumbfounded.

"Of course!" Maya replied, bowing. "Though, I will have to change to more suitable clothes, since I'll be summoning a man."

"Actually, I did find your mother's spare clothes she wore whenever she summoned my father. They're a bit big, but they should do just fine," Edgeworth mentioned.

"Oh, thank you, Mr. Edgeworth. Though... it feels strange wearing my mother's...."

"If you don't feel comfortable, I'm sure Sister Bikini-" Phoenix said before Maya cut him off.

"No! No! It's fine. It's just... you know...." Maya replied, showing a brief pause before continuing. "Anyways, I'll go change real quick. See you back in a bit."

Everyone else stayed behind, while Maya ran outside to find her mother's clothes that were brought to the Hazakura Temple. Phoenix was still gathering his thoughts about what he just now discovered. So, Miles Edgeworth turned out to not only have believed in spirit channeling, but had called on Misty Fey to summon the spirit of his father for therapeutic purposes. The genius Miles Edgeworth that only relied on logic and reasoning had turned to a spirit medium to deal with certain personal and mental problem.

The more Phoenix thought about it, it only made sense that even those that use logic and reasoning can turn to spiritual things to solve personal issues when there is nothing else to turn to. That's how it often went to. It didn't matter how logical, scientific or ingenious you were, everyone was human and thus would always turn to something greater than themselves when conflicted with a problem too big for them to handle. If not, it is easy for mankind to fall into corruption. They need something to guild their morals and function as a society. If there wasn't something bigger than mankind, who could mankind rely on? Edgeworth had no one to look to or trust, so it was only human he would put his trust on something spiritual in order to function in life.

In this case, it was something that had built up over time ever since the DL-6 incident. Phoenix knew that the incident that killed Gregory Edgeworth had left more than just a scar on Miles Edgeworth. It also effected his decisions in life and who he was. Even if he was to have seen his father being summoned and testify that Yanni Yogi was the killer and believed it, Edgeworth would still want answers, especially with the reoccurring dreams. From what little Phoenix remembered of Gregory Edgeworth, he was kind of father that loved his son so much that he'd do anything to protect and care for him. It wouldn't matter if Edgeworth was a prosecutor or under Manfred Von Karma. If Edgeworth was in trouble, Gregory would go to hell and back for him. If Gregory would sell his soul to Manfred Von Karma, the devil incarnate, he would do it for his son, Miles Edgeworth.

Maya had eventually returned back, wearing a white kimono that was often worn by males. She smiled excitedly, bowing herself.

"Are you ready?" Maya asked.

"Yeah. Edgeworth?" Phoenix asked, turning over to the young prosecutor.

"I'm ready. At this point, all of us have seen this happen," Edgeworth said, arms folded and finger tapping.

"Alright. Here we go!" Maya said, bowing before forming her fingers to a shape to start the summoning.

Maya's body began to slightly glow white before her form grew to a man's body. Even though Phoenix expected this, this was the first time he ever saw Maya summon a man and this man would be Gregory Edgeworth. The last Phoenix remembered seeing Gregory Edgeworth was when he was only a child. Him, Larry and Miles often had sleepovers together and since Phoenix's home was the orphanage and Larry's home was with his older sister, both boys always went to Miles's house for their sleepovers. Of course, Gregory always welcomed them and spoiled the boys like crazy. Phoenix remembered always asking about his trials, since Miles often bragged about his father and how he would someday be a Defense Attorney like father. Phoenix wondered if Gregory ever remembered him, even a little bit. It had been almost 20 years.

Maya's body transformed into one of a man with a familiar face Phoenix now remembered during all those sleepovers. Of course, the glasses were missing, but his calm and collected composure began ringing some bells, even those piercing eyes that matched Miles' really well. Of course, his hair was black and long, since the hair length and color never changed. He looked at the group, then at Miles, who showed a welcoming smile.

"Ah, son. I see you brought some friends over this time," Gregory greeted, then turned to Franziska. "Hello again, Franzy." He bowed his head as Franziska smiled.

"Hello again, Mr. Edgeworth Sr," Franziska greeted, taking a bow. It amazed Phoenix that she respected Gregory, then again, he was Edgeworth's father. Judging by the nickname, Phoenix could only guess that Gregory had grown to like Franziska.

"Uh... hi, Mr. Edgeworth sir," Phoenix stammered nervously. It had been so many years. "I guess it's been a long time, huh?"

"Hm? Have we met?" Gregory asked, seemingly surprised.

"Y-Yeah... um.... I used to go to sleepovers with Larry and Edgeworth at his place. You'd talk about your trials and such," Phoenix said nervously, rubbing the back of his neck.

"Wait...." Gregory said, then his eyes widened, gasping. "Nick? Little Nickky?"

"Ye...ah. That's me."

"Little Nickky?" Franziska asked, smirking slightly.

"I honestly don't know why he changed his name. He was called Nicolas when we were children, Nick for short," Edgeworth said, arms crossed.

"I never heard that one. Is that why that that foolish fool of an artist and that foolish girl call you Nick? Why change it?" Franziska smirked.

"Uh... yeah," Phoenix said, sweat showing on his face. "It's kinda complicated why. I'd rather not talk about it." He cleared his throat. "A-Anyways.... Edgeworth says that you wanted to speak to me personally?"

"Actually... yes," Gregory replied, bowing his head. "I wanted to thank you personally for what you did for my son three years ago."

"Thank me? Are you talking about the trial of Robert Hammond's murder?" Phoenix asked.

That's right, Manfred Von Karma called Misty Fey to summon Gregory Edgeworth in order to watch his son be tried for murder by the hands of his mentor. Phoenix remembered how scared he was during that trial. He couldn't imagine how terrified this man must've felt and being helpless to do anything about it. Knowing Manfred, he would've found a way to make sure Gregory Edgeworth would be powerless to do anything, but watch his son on that trial.

"Yes. I... watched the entire trial," Gregory replied, showing some pain in his eyes.

"Maya told me that Manfred Von Karma requested Misty Fey to summon you on that trial."

"He did... against her will in fact. When I was summoned, I was surrounded by Von Karma's men and forced to sit and watch as my son was standing on trial for a murder that was an obvious setup. I knew Von Karma set my son up and I was helpless to do anything. At the time, I had thought you were a lawyer summoned by the state, since Von Karma told me that no lawyer was willing to defend Miles and he was not willing to take in my former disciple to defend him. It was...." Gregory confessed, his expression reading an emotion he was holding back. "the most terrifying experience I've ever had to face. I thought for certain Miles's life would be ruined, especially after he confessed to being responsible for my murder."

"Honestly, you can be such a fool sometimes, Edgeworth. If I had known you'd do something so foolish, I would've whipped you tenfolds," Franziska glared directly at Miles.

"That's probably why Von Karma never told you about the trial. He knew how much you cared about my son and were willing to defend him. I have no doubt that he expected you to use your influence to takeover the trial, ergo he never told you," Gregory explained surely as Franziska flinched with great surprise. "It wouldn't surprise me if you never knew until maybe six months after the trial took place."

"Because of what you did, you freed my son from his 15 years of heartache and myself as well. The result of the DL-6 left a great scar on my son and I had blamed myself for so many years."

"Yourself, but why? You did nothing wrong!" Phoenix objected.

Gregory shook his head. "Mystic Misty summoned me at the Police Station. I was to give out my testimony as to who was responsible for my murder. I... lied in my testimony. At the time, the only memories I had were the same as Miles."

It then clicked. It wasn't just Edgeworth who believed for 15 years that he killed his own father, Gregory also believed the same thing.It made sense. He was told he died by a gunshot to the heart and the last thing he remembered was being choked by Yanni Yogi, while his son was throwing a gun at him before the gun went off. It began making sense why Miles Edgeworth summoned his father as often as he did. Even though Gregory Edgeworth was dead, just seeing his spirit live on was enough for the prosecutor to calm down and focus.

It also dawned on Phoenix that even Gregory had lived his afterlife realizing that Miles was in emotional turmoil. It must have been hard on Gregory to watch his son be in this much pain, doing everything to help him, only to watch him continue to live on in pain. Phoenix defending Edgeworth, even believing wholeheartedly of his innocence, that must have been a miracle for the former Defense Attorney. Because of realizing the truth, Gregory must have realized that had his testimony had been truthful about what he saw, there was a chance the case would've been solved.

"I have to disagree," Phoenix said as Gregory looked up at him in surprise. "Sure, you did lie in your testimony, but even I would agree that the trial was not a fair one either. Evidence was manipulated and Robert Hammond was a disgraceful Defense Attorney. He defended Yanni Yogi, but he ruined his client's reputation as a result. Yanni Yogi was a victim yes, but he was not the only victim. Had there been a trustworthy Prosecutor and Defense Attorney, I believe the trial would've turned out far different, regardless if your testimony was the truth or lie."

"He's right, Father. I saw the evidence during the trial; the bullet hole on the elevator door that was overlooked, Von Karma's vacation after the incident, all of those were overlooked. It's this reason why I became and remain a prosecutor. I don't think Robert Hammond was completely at fault, he was doing his job now looking back, but I looked at the prosecutor of that case. Had he done his job in searching through every nook and cranny of the crime scene, he would have searched for that missing stray bullet. Instead, he overlooked it; no doubt to cover for Von Karma. This resulted in the speedy trials we have, which is resulting more innocent victims being convicted in numerous kangaroo courts that are so outrageous that I'd be surprised if you weren't rolling in your grave right now."

"That is true. Even right now, I am already seeing a dark age coming, due to these speedy trials. I have no doubt they will have disasterly results," Gregory agreed, showing an intense glare, the same Edgeworth often wore when he disapproved of something. It always felt like the temperature was slowly dropping one degree per second. Like those eyes are staring into your soul.

"You really believe that, Mr. Edgeworth sir?"

"I know it. I've seen it behind the scenes in the Prosecution's offices. Prosecutors have always been respectable guardians of the law. They were the reason I became a Defense Attorney."

"Wait, seriously!?" Phoenix asked dumbfounded.

"Hehe I was surprised too. I normally consider Defense Attorneys foolish fools defending their foolish clients, but... Mr. Edgeworth Senior is an exception in my books. I did research on him. Before becoming an Attorney, he was a Detective in his younger days and helping numerous of legendary Prosecutors," Franziska replied, smiling while wiggling her finger. "Why do you think I've called for his help once in a while? Edgeworth gets his genius mind from somewhere. Gregory Edgeworth was one of the most genius, brilliant minds in the Detective Agency. At one point, he worked as a Chief Detective before giving that up to become a Defense Attorney at the birth of Miles Edgeworth."

"SERIOUSLY!?! That's amazing!"

"I was quite surprised myself. I was never told that as a child," Edgeworth said plainly. He must've found out at some point during one of the times he summoned his father.

"Why did you become a Defense Attorney, if you don't mind me asking?" Phoenix asked curiously.

"It was to help the people I worked with in the past: the Detectives, Prosecutors, Judges, officers of the law," Gregory replied, showing the kind smile Phoenix remembered as a child. "As a Chief Detective, I would always watch over investigations the Detectives under me did that the Prosecutors used to settle in court.I worked my hardest to find the truth, but there was a time in my life where I've... made mistakes, overlooked evidence. I realized the powerful position I held made it far too easy to overlook evidence and the defendants that were indict for all sorts of crimes. At the day of my son's birth, I had fallen into a case over... custody rights."

"Huh?"

"My mother had married my father under a false marriage. She did this in order to rob my father of his money. He was paid well as a Chief Detective," Edgeworth explained. Phoenix blinked.

"There was a lot of evidence against me, claiming that I was not fit to raise or see my son. At that time, until I died, it was the most terrifying case I've ever faced. Thanks to my lawyer, he was able to prove Annabelle's misdeeds in tricking me into a false marriage. I realized from that case how different it is when you're the defendant in the defendant's chair. Most of them are guilty, but it's often not as black and white as it seems. For instance, they may end up robbing someone in order to save another's life. The courtroom isn't just about if the defendant is guilty or not, it's about seeking the truth in order to pass down the right judgment."

"That's incredible. As a Defense Attorney, I want to save people falsely accused of wrongdoing," Phoenix replied with a smile.

"For this day and age, we need Defense Attorney's like you. Times have changed. If I was alive, I would be a Prosecutor by the way things are going right now. Though, regardless, my wishes will continue to live in within my son and he is an excellent prosecutor. Perhaps someday, we might work together. I'll always be of service to Miles."

"I'm glad. It's a real honor to meet you again, sir. I hope we can meet again," Phoenix replied with a smile as he watched Gregory part, leaving Maya's body.

It was amazing how much Phoenix learned about Gregory and his involvement with Miles Edgeworth, even beyond the grave. With how much time is changing, law and order included, it only made sense that even Gregory's spirit would change as well. It was no coincidence that Miles Edgeworth threw away his childhood dream as a Defense Attorney in order to become a Prosecutor. It was possible that Miles Edgeworth unknowingly was following his father's wishes.

If one is to expect to change or fight against the law, one must fight on both the outside and inside the courthouse. Gregory Edgeworth chose to become a Defense Attorney to help those inside the government and law. Unfortunately, due to how corrupt law and order had become, Gregory chose to work within the courts in order to help his son fight against the corruption. Miles Edgeworth would continue that fight with his father's spirit inside him much like Phoenix Wright fought with Mia Fey's spirit inside him.

No matter what the future holds, Phoenix was ready to fight from the outside, while his rival and best friend fought from the inside.

A/N: This was an idea I thought was interesting. I mean I have read one one shot where Miles Edgeworth summoned his father one time, but I had an idea in my head. What if Miles Edgeworth had summoned his father during his young days as a prosecutor. Considering that Edgeworth has used the magatama before, not to mention had seen Maya and Pearl summon Mia Fey a number of times during court, I don't think he truly dismisses the idea of summoning a spirit. Compared to most stubborn, snotty rivals that don't believe in magic, Edgeworth isn't the kind to completely dismiss it, let alone use it. He just never depends on it, so I thought if Edgeworth did believe in spirit medium stuff, then it wouldn't be too far fetch if he asked Misty Fey to summon his father. Considering that Godot knew about Misty Fey's whereabouts from being a Prosecutor, the same must go for Miles Edgeworth. I'll also have a follow-up to this.