On The Edge Part II, Chapter 6

On The Edge
Part II: My Darkest Turnabout
Chapter 6

“…Close the door, Detective,” I ordered, reluctantly getting up from Franziska. Detective Gumshoe did as I said almost mechanically, resting against the now closed door afterward.

“Mr. Edgeworth…Ms. von Karma…” Franziska stood up.

“You will forget what you have seen here, Detective.” Even though she was only wearing my blazer and her skirt, she radiated an aura of audacity, even with her panties around her right ankle. Quickly, Gumshoe turned toward the wall that displayed all of Franziska’s prosecution awards.

“Y-Yes, sir,” he said.

“And you will forget what happened here as well, Miles Edgeworth,” Franziska enjoined as she began to get dressed, pulling up her panties and removing my blazer before buttoning up her blouse and vest the best she could with her missing buttons. I silently surrendered her whip and she cracked it once in the air, a command for Gumshoe to look our way once more. “Should anything that you’ve seen be leaked to anyone outside of this office, you will be promptly fired, Detective.” He tensed.

“…Yes, sir.” Franziska turned toward me.

“And you, Miles Edgeworth, will no longer be able to prosecute your own shit if you even look at me as anything more than your superior. Now, get the hell out of my office, you foolish fools.” I buttoned my pants and shirt before putting on my vest and blazer, walking solemnly out of the office with Detective Gumshoe as I put on my cravat, neither of us even looking at each other until we climbed the five flights of stairs back up to my office.

“Did…I just see what I think I saw, Mr. Edgeworth?” Gumshoe asked, breaking the silence.

“…What do you think, Detective?” My fist pounded my desk.

“Are you and Ms. von Karma…you two aren’t dating, are you?” he wondered.

“No…” I sat down in my chair and brought my knees up, holding my head. Gumshoe reached over and put a hand on my shoulder.

“…Do you love Ms. von Karma?” I exhaled, wondering if I should let the detective in on my secret.

“…Yes, detective. I love Franziska von Karma…but she doesn’t know it.” The detective still looked confused.

“But you two…you’ve been…how can…?”

“Anyone can have sex without feeling love, Detective. Not only men, but women too. While I love Franziska, she possibly hasn’t felt a single shred of affection for me other than me being her ‘little brother.’ Her father treated her as if she were a dog, her mother spent the little time she was in Franziska’s life almost ignoring her existence, and her older sister was out of the house before Franziska was five. She doesn’t know the meaning of the word ‘love’ because she’s never experienced it once in her life, so how can I possibly tell her how I feel when she has never felt nor had someone ever conveyed that emotion to her even once in her life!?” I was screaming, but I didn’t give a damn. Gumshoe, however, just smiled. This smile wasn’t his normal goofy grin, it was a smile of determination and knowledge.

“You just tell her the truth, Mr. Edgeworth,” he said. “If what you feel for Ms. von Karma is real to you, nothing can stop you from telling her that you love her, sir. All you have to do is worry about her reaction.” The serious smile broke when he chuckled. “But that’s only if she has her whip.”

“…Heh. Maybe you’re right.” I got up from my chair.

“You know, I’ve got an idea, sir.” Gumshoe rummaged through his coat and pulled out seven wristbands. “At five-thirty tonight, they’re opening a new hotel in the city that has a water park, a restaurant with food from all over the world, and even a roller coaster. My younger brother’s head of the reservation staff, so he got me these wristbands that’ll get anyone who’s wearing them into all the attractions. I figured I’d take Wright and his group along and since I’ve got these extras, you and Ms. von Karma can join us…”

“Detective, how is that going to help me?” I interrupted.

“Uh…I don’t know. But we can back you up just in case something happens. Plus, you need some fun in your life, Mr. Edgeworth, sir. You’ve been out of it for a long time.” He handed me a wristband and I looked at the blue plastic band before nodding.

“…All right.” Gumshoe smiled and handed me another one to give Franziska.

“You won’t regret it, sir!” he said before heading toward the door.

“Wait, Detective.”

“Yes, Mr. Edgeworth?” I gave him a small smile.

“…Call me Miles from now on when we’re not working.” He nodded.

“And you can call me Dick,” he told me before walking out of my office. I sat at my desk and wrote a small note to Franziska, telling her about Dick inviting us to the hotel and about a few of the attractions, requesting that she go for her health. After finishing the note, I went down the five flights of stairs to the door of her office and pushed the note and wristband through the bottom crack of the door. Five minutes later, a folded piece of paper came from under the door. I opened it and read the very short sentence:


I’ll go.


***
I decided to use my lunch break to buy a new swimsuit for the water park, heading toward the nearest department store since I was in a rush. As I browsed through the various rows of merchandise, a voice called out to me, followed by three others.

“Edgeworth?”

“Mr. Edgeworth!”

“Over here, Mr. Edgeworth!”

“Oh, Mr. Edgeworth…hello.” I turned and saw Wright, Maya and Pearl Fey, and Iris walking over to me, each of them carrying a shopping bag.

“What are you doing here, Edgeworth?” Wright asked. “And what’s wrong with your forehead?” He pointed at the bandage wrapped around my head, a thick patch of gauze on the left side of my forehead.

“I cut my head open after falling against my desk,” I half-lied. “And I’m looking for a swimsuit…”

“We each just got one. Detective Gumshoe told us about the resort an hour ago. Personally, I’ve been trying to find a way to get everyone out without having to go bankrupt.” Wright laughed nervously.

“I’m gonna eat from every country’s cuisine after riding the rollercoaster six times,” Maya vowed.

“I want to go to the water park,” Pearl admitted.

“I’d love to see the water park as well,” Iris said. She was still quiet, but she was significantly happier than the last time I had seen her, especially since she and Wright were holding hands. “Feenie even encouraged me to buy a bikini.” A blush colored her cheeks.

“Only because it looked the best on you,” Wright confessed, now also blushing.

“Admit it, Cousin Nick,” Maya teased. “You just wanted to see Iris in a bikini.”

“Maya…”

“You did look happier when she wore it, big brother Nick,” Pearl said.

“Not you too, Pearls!” All four of them laughed and I decided to take my leave. Wright was a lucky guy to have known the Fey family and despite feeling glad for him, a few pangs of jealously went through me. I quickly shook it off and found the section of the store that sold men’s swimsuits, looking through all of them before deciding on a red pair of trunks that cut off just above my knees and had black strips of fabric lining the sides. The Fey females and Wright caught up with me after I paid for my swimsuit and decided to join me for lunch at the small food court.

“So, Mr. Edgeworth, do you know if anyone else is going with us?” Maya asked.

“Well, there’s us, Detective Gumshoe himself, and Franziska…”

“Huh?” Wright looked confused. “She’s going?” I nodded, giving him a grim look. “No, I didn’t mean to make it sound bad. It’s just…I never expected her to be the type to go to water parks. She always looks like she’s got too much on her mind to think about going to a water park.” My expression eased.

“That is true. She hasn’t been exposed to anything fun in her life.” I swirled my white rice with my plastic fork.

“How terrible,” Pearl said. “Why not?” Now how does one go about explaining Manfred von Karma to a ten-year-old.

“She had a very cruel father,” I said.

“Was her mother nice?”

“…Her mother died when she was young.” The youngest Fey looked down at her teriyaki chicken and that initiated the dismal atmosphere.

“H-Hey!” Maya yelled. “That was the past, let’s think about the future. And I know in the future, there’s going to be water parks, roller coasters, and food from all over the world! So come on, everyone! Stop being so sad and think about how much fun we’re going to have tonight!” The mood significantly lightened and soon Maya and Pearl were chatting about what they were going to eat, Phoenix and Iris talked quietly to themselves, and I began to eat my onions and mushrooms.

“Um, Mr. Edgeworth?” Pearl gently tugged at my elbow.

“What is it?” I asked.

“What kind of food did you eat in Germany?” Maya asked.

“Let’s see…we had pasta made from potatoes, bratwurst, sauerbraten, sauerkraut, Wiener Schnitzel, Hasenpfeffer, Labskaus, Pickert, Spanferkel…” Their expressions were of confusion after the word “potatoes,” so I decided to explain. “Bratwurst is sausage. Sauerbraten is beef or horse meat marinated in vinegar. Sauerkraut is shredded pickled cabbage. Wiener Schnitzel is breaded and fried veal, which is calf meat. Hasenpfeffer is marinated rabbit stew. Labskaus is corned beef with herring, mashed potatoes, a fried egg, and a pickle. Pickert are potato pancakes and Spanferkel is a young pig grilled whole.”

“Ewww!” Maya gasped. Pearl looked anxious.

“It may sound unappetizing, but after ten years, it grows on you.” Especially my last meal in Germany, I almost added, remembering how delicious Franziska’s cooking had been.

“I’ll still try some if the restaurant has it, Mr. Edgeworth,” Pearl said. “You like it, so it must be good.” I smiled a bit.

“It’s the best food I’ve ever had.”


***
At twenty minutes after five, I stood next to Dick in front of the large building that was to host all of these incredible attractions. Wright and his group soon arrived after being dropped off by taxi (I saw a few tears in Wright’s dark blue eyes as he reluctantly handed the bills to the driver) and only Franziska was left. Five minutes before the grand opening, a dark green town car arrived and Franziska von Karma stepped out, looking as cool and collected as ever. She slipped a valet a bill and handed him her keys before walking over to our group.

“Hey, Ms. von Karma,” Dick said nervously. “Glad you could make it, sir.” Her head briefly nodded.

“What is this foolish place?” she demanded.

“A hotel,” Wright said. “It’s, uh, a place people stay at when they’re not at…” Franziska cut him off with a glare.

“Phoenix Wright, I may not be a seasoned traveler, but I know what a hotel is.” Pearl looked up at her.

“M…Ms. von Karma?” she asked.

“Yes, kleines Mädchen?” Everyone looked at me.

“She said ‘little girl,’” I explained.

“Would…if you want to, can you take me to the water park?” Pearl asked. Franziska looked to be concentrated in thought.

“…Ja. I will take you to the water park if you want me to take you there.” The little girl smiled and a slow smile went to Franziska’s face as the ceremony began.

“So, what first?” Dick wondered, looking around at the large lobby, which was full of bustling people moving back and forth between various locations.

“Water park!” Maya exclaimed.

“I want to go to the water park,” Pearl said politely.

“I do as well,” Franziska said.

“That does sound like fun,” Iris said.

“Then the water park it is,” Wright decided. “Unless you want to go to the roller coaster first, Edgeworth?” Everyone looked at me, but what really mattered was the look in Franziska’s aquamarine eyes.

“I’d…like to go to the water park,” I choked out.

“Then let’s go!” After we headed out into the changing rooms where Wright pulled out a blue pair of trunks (typical) and Dick put on a pair of dark green trunks, we stepped out into the water park. It was hard to believe that all those slides and that huge pool of water could fit in a building, but sure enough, it did.

“Wow! Nice suits, guys!” Our heads turned and the Fey girls came into view. Maya wore a lavender two-piece swimsuit, Pearl wore a light yellow tank swimsuit, and Iris was wearing a pink bikini. Wright couldn’t keep his eyes off of her.

“So, where’s Ms. von Karma?” Dick asked. The question was soon answered when she stepped into view.


I swore…I could have jumped on her at that moment…


Franziska wore a strapless silver bikini top with a small bottom that had strings tied to the side. Her neck, which had been covered with reddish marks when I'd seen it last, was now expertly covered with waterproof makeup and looked as curved and flawless as ever. My vision of her was interrupted with a gasp.

“Ms. von Karma, your shoulder,” Iris whispered. “What happened?” Everyone’s attention turned to Franziska’s right shoulder, which not only had the round scar from her gunshot wound, but the patch of gauze from when I had bitten her three nights ago.

“I attended a luncheon at the home of a fellow prosecutor yesterday and his foolish little dog bit my shoulder when I was caught unawares,” she said smoothly. Even I would have believed her if I didn’t know the truth. “Now, where would you like to go first, Pearl Fey?” Pearl took her hand and led her toward the wave pool.

“I’m going to the slides,” Maya said, walking off toward the tubes that were shooting people out into smaller pools of water like a cannon.

“Me, too.” Dick followed Maya, but went to a different set of slides.

“What do you want to do, Iris?” Wright asked.

“I think…I’ll go to the wave pool. That looks like fun,” she said. Wright nodded.

“You coming with us, Edgeworth?” I nodded and followed them to the large pool where large waves lapped at the floor as if it were really the ocean. While Wright and Iris headed off toward the deeper end, I looked at the shallow end where Pearl and Franziska were letting the waves hit their ankles, Pearl laughing as the water splashed against her.

“This is so much fun, Ms. von Karma,” she said happily. “I’m glad you’re here with me.” Franziska smiled.

“…Danke, Pearl Fey.” Though Pearl didn’t know what it meant, she looked to have gotten the message. I walked over to them after hesitating for several minutes.

“Having fun?” I asked.

“Mr. Edgeworth, isn’t it fun?” Pearl asked. “Even Ms. von Karma is glad to be here…” As Franziska and I stood side by side, she looked back and forth between the two of us.

“…Is something wrong, Pearl Fey?” Franziska asked. The small girl placed the tip of her thumb between her lips and I could see her mouth a word.

“…Psyche-Lock.” I looked over at Franziska.

“Why don’t you get her something to drink? I’ll look after her.” Franziska nodded and went toward the small refreshment stand while I kneeled to Pearl’s level. “Tell me about the Psycho-Locks.” Without asking why I knew about them, she whispered:

“There are five locks…around both you and Ms. von Karma. Five locks each.” I had Psycho-Locks? That must be from hiding my true feelings for Franziska, but why would she have them? I decided to have this ten-year-old child help me break them.

“Pearl. Why do you think I have the Psycho-Locks?” I asked.

“I…I can tell by the color of them…that you have the locks on your heart because you want to block feelings of love. You’re in love, Mr. Edgeworth, aren’t you?”

“…Yes. I am.” A burden began to lift.

“Now, your special someone…is she here with us?” I nodded. “Who is she?”

“…Franziska von Karma.” A second burden lifted and I knew another Lock had broken.

“…Are you too scared to tell her how you feel?”

“…Petrified,” I admitted and felt a third burden lift.

“You’ve known Ms. von Karma a long time. Are you afraid you’ll lose whatever closeness you had with her before if she spurns your love?” Pearl asked, showing a wisdom far beyond her short decade on this earth.

“I am.” The fourth Lock shattered, but she did not look happy.

“…I can’t break your fifth Lock, Mr. Edgeworth. The only way you can break every pink Psyche-Lock is to confess the feelings of love to the one who should be hearing them, but unlike the red ones, it’s safe to break as many as you can before stopping so that whoever has that Lock can break it themselves. You must tell your special someone the truth and break your Psyche-Lock. I’m sorry, Mr. Edgeworth.” I patted the top of her head.

“…It’s okay. You broke four of them, anyway.”

“I promise I won’t tell anyone, Mr. Edgeworth, if you tell Ms. von Karma the truth,” she vowed. Franziska soon arrived with three cups of lemonade, giving one to Pearl while I took the other. “Thank you, Ms. von Karma. After we finish them, will you and Mr. Edgeworth take me on the slides?” I looked at Franziska, who looked back at me.

“If Miles Edgeworth wishes to join us, he can,” she said.

“Sure, Pearl. We’ll take you.”


***
After we got our fill of swimming and dried off, we decided to head for the roller coaster. Since Pearl was too small to go on the roller coaster, we decided to go in shifts so that someone could watch her while the others rode. Dick volunteered for the first shift so Maya, Iris, Wright, Franziska, and I went in line.

“You’ll sit next to me…won’t you, Feenie?” Iris looked pale as she saw the coaster’s track, which looped throughout the large room and rose up almost as high as the ceiling before sharply declining down.

“Don’t worry, Iris. I won’t leave your side,” Wright promised. Franziska, who also had never been on a roller coaster, was looking around with amazement in her eyes.

“Ich habe irgendetwas wie es nie gesehen,” she whispered.

“Doesn’t this look like fun, Franzy!?” Maya asked eagerly.

“…Ja, Maya Fey.” Again, it was amazing to see how contrasting both of these girls were, despite them being born in the same year. Maya exuded such childlike naïveté that made her seem much younger than her nineteen years while Franziska, who was forced to grow up from the moment she exited the womb, seemed so much older.

“Hey, man, move up. You’re hogging the line!” A rude hand hit my back and I stumbled slightly, still not quite there. “Dude, come on! I wanna…!” He was cut off by the loud crack of a whip, his hand smarting with a red welt.

“Du sollten geduldig sein, fool,” Franziska ordered. She was shorter than the black-haired man she had whipped, but her intimidation was far greater than he was.

“Uh…s-sorry, ma’am!”

“Apologize to him!” the German prosecutor snapped, pointing at me with her leather-encased index finger.

“…Sorry, man.” I nodded and headed toward the front of the line. Due to our excursion, we’d missed Wright, Iris, and Maya getting on the roller coaster and now we had to wait for it to start again. Five minutes later, the ride was over and Maya was walking dizzily, Wright looked breathless, and Iris’ face was flushed with excitement.

“That was so much fun, Feenie! Let’s ride it again,” she said.

“Sure, Iris,” Wright said.

“I’ll go check on Pearly and Detective Gumshoe,” Maya said.

“Edgeworth, Franziska, you’re gonna love it!” Wright called out to us as he and Iris headed for the back of the line. Franziska and I stepped over to the long car and I allowed her to step into the front row before I did, then sat next to her.

“…Ich bin so nervös,” she whispered.

“Nicht sorgen. Es wird über schnell sein,” I assured her as we buckled our lap belts. We both held onto the metal bar in front of us, Franziska’s hand resting on top of my own as I subdued a blush. The car began to slowly lumber up a steep peak, Franziska’s hand squeezing hard onto mine until it finally dropped at high speed. Her screams of fear evolved into screams of elation that made me blush further.


You must tell your special someone the truth and break your Psyche-Lock…


“Miles Edgeworth, das ist so viel Spass!” Franziska shouted to me in elation.

“Ist nicht es!?” I called back. “Franziska, I…” The ride stopped before I could be able to tell her anything.

“Was war du über zu sagen?” she asked as we stepped off.

“Nichts.” I shook my head. “Es war nichts.” The Lock still remained as I felt the pain in my chest returning.


***
After all of us (excluding Pearl) had ridden the roller coaster at least three times each, we decided to head into the restaurant, which was actually the only place not completely occupied in this hotel. It was already nine o’clock, so we would have to leave after we were done eating since Wright, Franziska, and I had cases in the morning. This was also my last chance before the night was over to tell Franziska the truth and it had to be tonight as the pain in my chest was at an all-time high.

“It’s on me, guys,” Dick teased when the waiter handed us our menus. Of course, with our wristbands, everything was already being paid for thanks to the younger Gumshoe brother.

“Mr. Edgeworth, they do have German food here!” Pearl said excitedly, showing me the menu.

“Yup,” the disheveled detective said. “This is an international restaurant, they’ve got food from everywhere.” I looked through the menu, seeing not only the names of the dishes, but where they were from and what they were. Everything looked so tempting, but I made up my mind.

“…May I take your order?” the waiter asked.

“I’ll have the Roast Chicken Provencale,” Wright said.

“I’ll have the Arroz con Pollo,” Iris said.

“I’ll have the Kai Yang and the Kung Tom Yan,” Maya said.

“I’ll have the Chim Cut Ro-Ti,” Dick said.

“I’ll have the Labskaus,” I said.

“I’ll have the Himmel und Ääd,” Franziska said.

“Um…Mr. Edgeworth? What should I get? I want to try some German food, but I can’t read very well.” I looked through the menu.

“How about…Schweinsbraten?” I suggested.

“What is it?” Maya and Wright instantly demanded.

“It’s cow brains,” I lied.

“Don’t listen to him, Pearly!” Maya cried.

“Pearls, don’t order it,” Wright suggested. Dick and Iris merely looked disgusted. Franziska let out a soft laugh.

“Hören du auf, sie zu foltern, Miles Edgeworth,” she chastised.

“Do I have to?” She nodded. “It’s just pot-roasted pork. It’s safe.” Our menus were taken.

“So what’d everyone order?” Maya asked. “I got garlic chicken and prawn soup.”

“Roasted chicken,” Wright said.

“Chicken and rice,” Iris said.

“Hot and spicy quail,” Dick chuckled.

“What’s a quail?” Maya asked.

“It’s a bird,” Wright explained.

“I got corned beef, mashed potatoes, herring, a fried egg, and a pickle,” I said.

“Ewww,” Maya gagged.

“I got mashed potatoes with stewed apples and fried blood pudding,” Franziska said.

“Now that’s gross,” Wright groaned.

“Actually, that sounds pretty good right now,” I muttered loudly.

“Oh, God, Edgeworth!” Wright gasped as if I were dying. “You need more American food. Get this man a hamburger!”

“That’s German,” I said.

“I must be a real gourmand, then,” Maya mused. We all laughed except for Franziska, who didn’t get the joke. As our plates arrived, everyone began to sample what the others were having. Wright ate off of Pearl’s plate, Maya ate off of Iris’ plate, Iris ate off of Dick’s plate, Dick ate off of Wright’s plate, Franziska ate off of Maya’s plate, Pearl ate off of my plate, and I was the only one “brave enough” to eat off of Franziska’s plate. I didn’t know why they were being so uneasy about it, it was just sausage. They stared at me as if they expected me to foam at the mouth any minute.

“It’s just sausage,” I insisted. Pearl’s look, however, seemed to be one of warning. Time was running out. Wright stretched his left arm and yawned.

“I’m tired,” he groaned.

“I can take you guys home if you want, pal,” Dick said to Wright.

“Really?” he asked. “Thanks.” I blinked.

“Dick, you gave me a ride,” I said.

“Uh…sorry, Miles.” Dick glanced down at his plate, picking at the bones of his quail with his butter knife.

“Ms. von Karma, could you give Mr. Edgeworth a ride?” Pearl asked.

“Miles Edgeworth is old enough to ask me himself, Pearl Fey,” Franziska told her, looking at me as she said it.

“Yeah, that could work,” Dick said.


Goddammit, now Dick was in on it…


“Franziska, could you…give me a ride home?” I asked. She nodded. Pearl’s honey brown eyes and Dick’s dark hazel eyes rested on me, trying to convince me to say those words. I seized my chest, feeling an overwhelming spasm of pain running over me.

“Edgeworth!”

“Mr. Edgeworth!”

“Miles!”

“Miles Edgeworth!?”

“Oh, God…!” I groaned, looking at all of their faces, saving Franziska’s for last.

“Wright, call an ambulance, pal!”

“Oh, my God! Mr. Edgeworth!”

“His Psyche-Lock must be too strong.”

“What about a Psyche-Lock, Pearls?”

“The ambulance, Wright. Call them now, damn it!”

“Mr. Edgeworth…”

“…Sterben du auf mir nicht.” As I fell into the darkness, the words I had struggled to say formed to my lips, though I only heard them in my mind…


I love you…


***
I woke up and found myself bathed in white, the smell of antiseptic and rubbing alcohol hovering in the air.

“He’s awake!” a voice called. Wright…

“Thank God,” another exhaled. Dick…

“Oh, I’m so relieved.” This was a female’s voice. Iris…

“Mr. Edgeworth!” Another female, this one elated. Maya…

“Your Psyche-Lock is still strong.” A child’s voice. Pearl…

“…Miles Edgeworth?” And this voice…


Franziska…


An IV had been placed in my right hand and even though I was in hospital garb and in a bed, I was not in a hospital room.

“What happened?” I asked hoarsely. A doctor walked into the room and pulled out a clipboard.

“You had a pericardial shock, Mr. Edgeworth. Your body has been going through intense periods of stress from the looks of it and I suppose it just finally made you try and get some rest. Don’t worry, it’s not too serious, though I do recommend you get as much rest as possible. I’m ordering you to take a week off and relax before you go into work. As soon as you can feel up to walking around, you can go home, but I do want one of you to drive him back.”

“I’ll do it,” Franziska volunteered. “I was going to take him home anyway.” The doctor nodded.

“Then the rest of you can head back home.” Everyone else returned the nod. “I’ll be back in an hour to check up on you, Mr. Edgeworth.” Dick walked over and placed a hand on my shoulder.

“Feel better, Miles,” he said.

“Thanks.”

“Take good care of him, Ms. von Karma.”

“…I will, Detective.” Wright, Iris, and Maya began to leave, but Pearl walked up to me.

“…You must break the Psyche-Lock tonight,” she whispered before leaving with the others.

“A Psyche-Lock…what is that, Miles Edgeworth?” Franziska asked when we were alone.

“It’s…something that blocks the truth of a person’s heart. Pearl has a gift: she is able to see if a person is hiding something from others. She embedded that gift in a Magatama, which she gave to Maya, who gave it to Wright, who lent it to me temporarily when I substituted for him in the Iris case. Tonight, Pearl told me…that there were Psycho-Locks on my heart…five of them. We broke four of them, but I still have one left. She also told me that you have five Locks as well.” Franziska blinked.

“Fünf Schlösser?” she repeated.

“That means you’re keeping five secrets from everyone other than yourself. If someone manages to break your secret, you confess the truth, but I’ve still got a Psycho-Lock on my heart and Pearl told me that only I can break it. This one, she said, involves my heart. I have to tell someone the truth about how I feel for this lock to break and that will help me feel better.”

“…Was müssen du sagen?” Franziska whispered.

“…Die Wahrheit,” I said, reaching out for her. She took my hand and held it with both of hers. “Franziska…ever since I met you, you’ve been an utmost priority in my life. I was determined to make up for the fact that you never had parents that gave a damn if you lived or died by letting you know that someone was always going to be out there, watching over you when you needed it and standing back when it was time for you to go out on your own. Leaving you was the hardest thing I ever had to do, for that meant denying everything I had felt about you. It may have been to save your life, but it stills haunts me to this day…I could have stood up to your father and left Germany with you. We wouldn’t have had such a bitter reunion…”

“Miles Edgeworth.” Her gloved hand held my face. “Wenn du dabei sind, etwas zu sagen, gerade es sagen.” I looked into her eyes, my hand reaching up to rest on her face.


“Franziska von Karma…Ich liebe dich.”


The look on her face was one of pure shock. Her lips began to tremble as tears pooled in her teal eyes before running down her cheek.

“Oh, mein Gott, Miles…” She began to sob, a trembling smile barely keeping on her lips.

“Was ist falsch?” Franziska leaned forward and rested her forehead against my bandaged one.

“I love you, Miles…” Her head gently inclined before her lips rested against mine.


Part II: My Darkest Turnabout
THE END