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The monotone hum of the plane was the only thing keeping Franziska from being lost in her thoughts. She had spent months hoping to get revenge in America for her brother but all she ended up getting was tears, anger, and confusion. Her trials with Phoenix Wright had been the most infuriating cases of her career.
But of all of them, the trial against Matt Engarde was the most frustrating of all.
She couldn’t stop thinking about the moments after Engarde’s guilty verdict. She remembered the last words she’d said to them. Strongest of all, she remembered how it started. That little girl was still right beside Wright, Miles Edgeworth was reassuring them Maya was on her way here, and-
“Nick!”
As if on cue, Maya Fey came rushing in. Wright welcomed her with open arms, which wrapped around her into a hug.
“MAYA!”
It was sickening how happy they were. After a pause, Franziska had stepped in. No one called her name. No one had greeted her with a hug. Pearl was the first to see her, and even then, she did so with caution.
Then Phoenix Wright spoke.
“Um... About earlier... Uh... Thanks f-”
“Why are you still smiling, Mr. Phoenix Wright?!” Franziska shouted. “You...you lost! Your perfect win record has now been crushed! And yet...you are still happy?!”
To her, it was basic logic. Engarde was his client. He was then found guilty. Therefore, he had lost, and she Edgeworth had won. End of story. And yet, why did she-
“I don't think you understand, Franziska.” This time, Maya Fey was the one to speak.
Franziska felt outraged. What wasn’t there to understand? Was she truly as foolish as she seemed?
“How dare you?” She yelled, stepping closer to the shorter woman. “How could you know more than me?”
“Franziska, did you not notice that I wasn’t with Nick for a while?” she chuckled.
“And what of it?” Franziska bit back.
“Didn’t you see De Killer run away when you came to save those pieces of evidence?” Maya smirked. “Maybe he left them so hastily, not to hide himself, but maybe to hide someone else.”
Franziska’s face went pale.
And Maya laughed.
Maya Fey, who was meant to be Franziska’s rival, had been starved and kept hostage for three days. Maya Fey, who had still shown her kindness nearly every time they met, who had been accused of murder not even a year before (which she imagined wasn’t exactly good for her mental state),
Laughed.
Franziska couldn’t understand. How could Maya laugh at a time like this? She had to be in shock. Yet, there was something in her voice that portrayed something different.
She was genuinely happy.
“Don’t worry,” Edgeworth cut in. “She may understand in time.”
There wasn’t much else to say. Edgeworth had gone on a tangent regarding his reason for disappearing, if one could call it reasoning. Even now, she refused to acknowledge a word he said, except for one thing.
“We will always eventually reach that one single truth. This I promise you.”
What did he mean by that?
It didn’t matter. Franziska couldn’t take any more of this. It was all too much to hear.
“You pathetic fool!” She had shouted. It hurt to hear herself.
“I don't want to hear the wretched whimpering of a disgraced loser!” She began pacing in circles around her "little brother". “A Von Karma is someone who is destined to be perfect! You are no longer worthy!”
She paused.
“..and neither am I.”
It hurt. Worse than the bullet in her shoulder. Worse than how she felt manipulating Ms. Andrews the way she did. Everything Franziska had experienced over the past few days, the pain, the anger, the pride, the frustration, nothing hurt more than what she admitted in that moment. And she meant it. She wasn’t worthy. Neither her nor Edgeworth were.
Which is why she left her whip. Or, tried to. If Edgeworth hadn’t returned the damn thing, she may have never returned to Los Angeles. She may have never spoken to Wright or Detective Gumshoe or…or Maya ever again. Her strength was something she slowly understood, now that she had left. She realized that Maya wasn’t so different from her, and just looked at things differently. But they both needed to move on.
And yet, something kept trying to drag Franziska back. Something she refused to acknowledge for so long.
Love.
And now, as she held this card in her hand, Franziska began to weep.