PFA's Assorted Short Stories

[PFA]

Whoa hey! So I like to write short stories on occasion, usually for character development purposes, and I don't always have a place to put them. So I figured why not change that!

To start things off, here's a development story I wrote a while ago about the Tilotarians from my WIP game, Mundus Concordia. Most of them aren't going to be showing up in anything for a while, but they're taking over my brain at the moment and I'm gonna lose my dang mind if I don't talk about them. So here we go! (This story takes place about a year before the events of the game.)

Joining the Army

SPOILER: Click to show

It wasn't always easy, being tasked with military recruitment, but Erik was always determined to make the most of it. He had the idea this year to interview some of the colonels on their reasons for joining the military, thinking that getting a more personal perspective on the prestigious individuals might entice some of Tilotaria's youth into signing up. He'd even gotten permission from the General to go through with it, as long as he only spoke to the colonels while they were off-duty.

Unfortunately, he only had one day to do it, and the colonels were very busy. The only time he could think of when they would be off-duty was during lunch hour, so that's when he decided to make his attempt. He took a deep breath, and stepped into the busy cafeteria. Here went nothing.

Thankfully, though the crowds were thick and intimidating, it didn't take him long to find who he was looking for—Colonels Klaudio, Ferin, Karet and Tonnet were sitting together at a table, sharing stories and laughing loudly. Taking courage, he made his way over to the table.

"Ah, excuse me, sirs?" Erik asked, trying to strike a careful balance between speaking over the noise of the crowds and not yelling. Colonel Ferin glanced in his direction, but the others seemed too preoccupied with the story to notice him.

"...And they didn't even know about different elements!" Klaudio laughed as he recounted the story. "All I had to do was tell them about basic magic mechanics, and it was like they'd just learned the secrets of the universe!"

"I bet they'll be fascinated with that for years to come," Ferin checkled, before nudging Klaudio to get his attention. "Hey, Klaudio."

"What?" Klaudio blinked, as Ferin directed his attention to Erik. The colonel raised an eyebrow. "Who are you?"

Erik cleared his throat. "Ah, yes, hello. My name is Erik, I'm with recruitment. I'm starting a new recruitment campaign, and I was hoping, if it's alright with you, that I could ask you gentlemen why you decided to join the military, and why you would recommend it to new recruits?"

"You want to know why I joined the army? I joined because I wanted to be strong," was Klaudio's immediate response, flexing his arms to show his muscles. "They say that Tilotaria is the strongest of all the worlds, and what better way to prove it than to join the army?"

"I see..." Erik jotted down this response in his notebook, then glanced back up at the other colonels expectantly. "And what of you three?"

Tonnet shrugged. "My parents made me join. I used to be quite a troublemaker as a child; they thought it'd straighten me out. But hey, it worked."

"My friends signed me up as a joke," Karet added helpfully. "But then I made colonel, so to them I say, HA!"

Erik frowned. He noted this response in his notebook, though he was admittedly hoping for responses that were a bit more profound. Maybe Colonel Ferin had something better?

However, seemingly reading Erik's expression, Ferin shook his head. "I joined to be with a friend of mine. I doubt that helps you much."

"Would you say that the bonds of your friendship have increased through your military service together?" Erik offered.

Ferin paused a moment to consider his response If he hadn't been paying attention, Erik might not have noticed the brief, subtle break in the colonel's expression. "I guess you could say it's a good place to make friends."

Erik didn't feel the need to press the topic further. "Alright, well, thank you for your answers. It's much appreciated."

"Glad to help," Klaudio said with a grin. As Erik turned to leave, he could hear the colonel cheerfully continuing with his story from earlier.

Those reasons were... not as inspiring as he would have hoped. But, well, there were still others to ask. Maybe one of the other colonels would have a better answer.

Erik's gaze drifted to a table in the corner of the room, where Colonel Kel and his daughter Zelina were sitting together. Yes, the Folanyes were some of the most devout soldiers in the army. Surely they would have something interesting to contribute.

Colonel Kel's steely gaze fell on Erik as he approached, sending shivers down the latter's spine. Despite the injury that had taken one of his arms, Colonel Kel was widely known as one of Tilotaria's deadliest warriors, with a temperament to match. Erik just hoped that he wouldn't get on the man's bad side.

"H-hello, sorry to disturb you," Erik stammered, forcing a smile even as Zelina turned to him with a raised eyebrow. "My name is Erik, and I'm with recruitment..."

"Get on with it," Kel spat, and Erik felt as though an iron pole had been forced down his back.

"I-I was wondering if I could ask you two why you joined the military?" Erik asked, beads of sweat running down his forehead. "It's, ah, for a new recruitment campaign I'm doing."

The Folanyes were silent for what felt like an eternity. Erik was just about to excuse himself and make an escape, when suddenly Colonel Kel broke into a chuckle. Erik might have relaxed were it not for the fact that the colonel's grin somehow made him look even more dangerous than before.

"Why we joined the military, you ask? Simple: because we're Folanyes," Kel explained, and Zelina smirked in agreement. "Our family has always birthed some of Tilotaria's most powerful warriors. Why wouldn't we join the military?"

"Exactly," Zelina added. "Our heritage is an important part of who we are, and we honor it with pride."

In retrospect, that was the answer he should have expected. Erik, however, decided he would not be deterred. "Alright, and why might you recommend the military for new recruits... who might not be Folanyes?"

"Not everyone is a Folanye, but all Tilotarians descend from warriors," was Kel's response. "It's a heritage we all should be proud of."

"Right, of course." Erik nodded, writing down some notes. Looking to Colonel Zelina, he asked, "Anything to add? Perhaps to any potential female recruits?"

Zelina raised an eyebrow. "Female recruits?"

"You're the only female colonel. Certainly you could offer some words of encouragement for any other females looking to sign up," Erik suggested.

"I don't care that I'm female. I'm a Folanye."

"So... might you say that anyone can make it in the military, regardless of gender?"

Zelina rolled her eyes. "Whatever."

That would have to do, Erik decided. "Alright, thank you for your answers. This should be very helpful."

Colonel Kel waved him off, and Erik was happy to oblige. It still wasn't quite what he was hoping for, but at least he could probably get away with putting in something encouraging female recruits. Certainly the army could use more of those.

But there were still more colonels to talk to. He glanced around the room, spotting Colonel Trahein standing by the serving area with an empty tray of food. Erik smiled, maneuvering through the crowd to catch up with him. The personalized armor that the colonels wore to help them stand out in a crowd was coming quite in handy at this moment.

"Excuse me, Colonel Trahein?" he asked, once he was within earshot of the colonel. Or so he thought, at least—Trahein didn't give any indication that he had noticed Erik. Erik frowned. "Sir? Hello?"

Colonel Trahein's gaze briefly flickered toward Erik, but he did not respond. Was he ignoring him? He was ignoring him, wasn't he.

"I'm sorry to disturb you, but I'm working on a new recruitment campaign," Erik explained, "and I was hoping I could ask you about why you decided to join the military? And why you might recommend it to potential recruits?"

Again, the colonel didn't respond, wordlessly turning to walk away. Erik frowned. Maybe this was a lost cause, but he wasn't ready to give up just yet. Maybe he needed something to catch his attention?

"You don't use magic, right?" Erik asked.

Colonel Trahein stopped dead in his tracks. He had definitely heard that—though now Erik wasn't sure if it was a good idea to ask that question. Trahein looked over his shoulder at Erik, his gaze hard as a rock. A pit formed in Erik's stomach. This couldn't be good.

"No, I do not," Trahein said curtly, before pivoting around to face Erik. "They thought I couldn't do it, because I had no magic, but they were wrong. I joined the army to prove myself, and I worked hard, and now I'm a colonel." He aggressively jabbed a finger into Erik's chest. "So you tell those recruits that you don't need magic to become strong. I earned my title, and don't you forget it."

And then, without another word, Trahein turned again and walked away. Erik needed a moment to catch his breath before uttering a choked, "Y-yes, thank you, colonel."

Well, that was another colonel down. And he had a decent reason, though now this campaign was starting to sound like a call for minorities. Which, there was nothing wrong with that, but it was still not quite what Erik had been hoping for. Was this idea of his a bust?

"He's not much for conversation, is he?" came a smooth voice from behind him. Turning toward the source, Erik was surprised to find himself face to face with the recently promoted Colonel Muros. With a chuckle, the young colonel added, "Don't be alarmed; he's always like that."

"Ah! Colonel!" Erik smiled, pulling out his notebook. "My name is Erik, and I'm with recruitment. I was hoping I could ask you—"

"Yes, yes, I heard what you said to Colonel Trahein," Muros assured him, flicking some of his silver hair over his shoulder. "I'll tell you why you should join the military: because it helps you to become your best self."

"Oh? How so?" Erik asked.

"You see, I was very different as a child," Muros explained. "Timid. Weak. Barely said a word to anyone. But my parents convinced me to join the military, and look at me now! I'm strong, confident—one of Tilotaria's elite!" He chuckled lightheartedly. "I owe everything to the military, and wouldn't trade it for anything else."

"I see! That's a very interesting story." Erik smiled as he wrote this down. Finally, he was starting to get somewhere. "Thank you very much, colonel."

"Of course." Muros smiled back at him. "I'm pleased to help."

"Muros!" came a voice, which Erik now recognized as belonging to Colonel Klaudio. Sure enough, turning toward its source, there he was, standing with some of the colonels from before. "Come on, we've got a meeting."

"Ah. Heard," Muros replied, before returning his attention to Erik. "Best of luck with your campaign."

"Thank you," Erik said, frowning as the colonels went on their way. They had a meeting? Already? But he hadn't gotten the chance to talk to all of them yet! There had to be some way to salvage this...

Out of the corner of his eye, he caught a glimpse of a group of colonels heading toward the door. Ones he hadn't talked to yet—Colonels Renauld, Vilmos, and Maurize. Erik, not about to give up, walked at a quickened pace in hopes to catch up to them. Maybe if he was quick, he could get their answers before they started the meeting. That technically wasn't talking to them while they were on-duty, right?

"Wait! Colonels! Can I speak to you for just a minute?" he called after them, once he was in earshot.

Colonel Maurize paused to glance back at him, pointedly raising an eyebrow. "We're busy."

"Please? I promise it will only take a minute," Erik insisted.

The colonels exchanged glances for a moment, just long enough for Erik to catch his breath from the sprint. It was Colonel Vilmos who decided to speak, asking, "What is it?"

"Thank you. I'm with recruitment, and, ah..." Erik bit his lip, catching Colonel Maurize's impatient sneer. He'd best make this quick. "Can I ask you all why you joined the military?"

"Why does anyone join the military?" Maurize retorted. "As Tilotarians, it's our duty to spread our influence and make a difference in the worlds. I would think that obvious."

Erik decided not to mention that, actually, none of the other colonels so far had given him that answer. Colonels Renauld and Vilmos, meanwhile, nodded in agreement.

"Indeed. And I, for one, am honored to accept that duty," Vilmos said. "After all, don't we all want to improve the worlds?"

"Yes, of course. Thank you." Erik glanced at Colonel Renauld, waiting to see if he had anything to add—he was said to be an excellent wordsmith, so surely he would have something impactful to say—but the colonel remained silent. Erik smiled awkwardly, jotting the response down in his notes. "Alright, you can go now. Sorry for interrupting."

Without another word, the colonels went on their way, leaving Erik to his thoughts. He had gotten a response from every colonel except one, which was really better than he could have hoped for given the circumstances. Though it would have been nice to hear from Colonel Coran, the oldest surviving colonel by far, the man was nowhere in sight. Erik decided it was best to leave it be—after all, he needed to get started on writing up that recruitment campaign.

---

Back in his office, Erik was entirely focussed on his work. He needed everything to be perfect, so he would have something truly inspiring to show his boss. After hearing the stories of Colonels Trahein and Muros, he knew what his biggest selling point would be—that anyone, regardless of their circumstances, could join the military and make a difference. He was sure it was going to be big, just as long as he could get his phrasing exactly right.

A knock on the door distracted him from his thoughts. Erik blinked. Who could be knocking at his door? Was it his boss? He wasn't supposed to turn in his draft until tomorrow...

"Come in," he hollered. And then when the door opened, Erik was so shocked to see who was on the other side that he immediately leapt to his feet. "C-Colonel Coran?!"

"Yes," came Colonel Coran's response. He strode into the room, his very presence radiating with power and dignity. "You are Erik, correct?"

"Y-yes, that's right," Erik stammered, all too aware of the anxious pounding in his chest. "What brings you here, sir?"

"I heard about you from the other colonels. About your recruitment campaign," Coran explained. "I wanted to give my own thoughts on the matter."

Erik was speechless. Colonel Coran would come all this way, taking time out of his busy schedule, just for a silly recruitment campaign? "I, ah... are you sure? I wouldn't want to keep you from anything important..."

"This is important. Recruitment affects the future, not only of the worlds, but of individuals." The colonel gestured to the notebook on Erik's desk. "I'm certain the responses you received from the others told you as much."

"Er... yes, I suppose so," Erik admitted.

Colonel Coran nodded, turning his gaze to a banner on the wall bearing the military's sigil. "Every soldier has their reasons for joining the military. Some to prove themselves. Some to change the worlds. I find it ultimately matters little—more important is what will happen when they do join."

He sighed, shaking his head. "I have been in the military for forty years. I have seen many new recruits enter the military, unprepared for what awaits them. Those who come expecting strength will have it beaten out of them. Those who come expecting to change the worlds will find that the worlds will not so easily accept that change. Wars are fought. Lives are lost." He bowed his head, his expression somber. "Days, even years can go by where it feels like everything you do is for naught. It is easy to give up hope at that point. Many have... even myself, at times.

"However." Coran looked up, his gaze so strong that Erik felt as though the colonel could see into his very soul. "Regardless of how hard it gets, it is important that you never give up on yourself. You can become strong. We can change the worlds. It may take time, perhaps a very long time, but it can only happen as long as you keep trying."

There was a profound silence, before finally Colonel Coran broke eye contact, bowing his head again. "The military is harsh, unforgiving. I would even say, not for everyone. But to anyone who joins, you have a chance to change the future. Never forget that."

Erik breathed deeply, as though they were the first breaths he had taken in years. He thought that Colonel Coran's perspective would be interesting, but he had no idea what he was missing. That was even more profound than he could have hoped for.

"That's... that's very insightful," Erik uttered as he collected himself. "Thank you, sir."

Colonel Coran nodded. "Of course. I'm pleased I could speak with you."

"Likewise," Erik replied.

"I'd best get back to my duties at the base," Coran said, turning toward the door, but still looking over his shoulder at Erik. "Best of luck with your campaign."

And without another word, he went on his way. Erik fell back into his seat, gazing down at his in-progress draft. He was going to have to start over, but he didn't care. He now had something much better in mind.

[PFA]

Silly self-indulgent thing with some old Taco characters! Spoilers for Icy Taco Ace Attorneys.

Frozen Yogurt

SPOILER: Click to show

"Did you take my frozen yogurt?"

Abby blinked, looking up from the file she'd been studying to be greeted by the sight of one of her associates, Clen Hall, glaring down at her. Pulling the spoon out of her mouth, she asked, "What do you mean?"

Clen quirked a brow. "In your hand?"

Abby glanced down, then back at Clen. "This is a spoon."

"Your other hand."

"Oh, this?" Abby held up the object in question to get a better look at it. "It looks like a cup."

"A cup full of frozen yogurt," Clen said. "With my name on it."

"Oh, it does have your name on it!" Abby replied in mock surprise. "What a funny coincidence!"

Clen narrowed his eyes. "It's not a coincidence, Abby."

"Really? I didn't know you made frozen yogurt!" Abby turned the cup in her hands, studying it. "You know, I'm not sure why they call it 'frozen' yogurt. I mean, wouldn't that just be yogurt in a block of ice?"

"Abby..."

"Maybe they should call it 'cold' yogurt," Abby continued. "Except that yogurt is always cold, isn't it? Unless it's been left out for too long, but then it goes bad..."

"Knock it off, Abby," Clen spat. "You know your idiot schtick doesn't work on me."

Abby giggled, a sly smile crossing her lips. "Really? It seems to be working pretty well."

"Why did you take my yogurt?" Clen questioned, ignoring her.

"Because I was hungry," Abby told him, scooping out another spoonful. "Besides, your stuff has been cluttering up the freezer for days."

"I've been busy!" Clen insisted. "Between missions and my job, I've barely got any time to—"

Abby shrugged. "Not my problem."

"You can't just take people's stuff without asking!"

"Oh yeah, golly gee. I'm such a terribly dishonest person," Abby said, the irony in her voice abundantly clear as she gestured to the questionably obtained file she'd been reading, while sitting in a library packed full of similar files.

Clen groaned. "You know what I mean."

"Ooh, that gives me an idea!" Abby stuck her spoon in the frozen yogurt, and held up her now free hand. Her hand began to crackle with an unnatural magical aura, which gathered to form the shape of a cup. When the aura faded, in her hand was a perfect replica of the frozen yogurt, which she offered to Clen with a smile. "Here you go!"

Clen just stared at it, unimpressed. "I'm not going to eat your magic."

"Aw, why not?" Abby cooed. "It won't kill you! Probably."

"Have you read the file on Han Garrison?"

"Well, yeah, but he didn't die." Abby smirked. "Besides, his aura wasn't conditioned for it. Yours is."

"...That is true," Clen admitted, looking at the replica yogurt in contemplation. After a moment, he shook his head, the scowl returning to his face. "But no! And stop changing the subject!"

"Ugh. Spoilsport." Abby crushed the replica yogurt in her hand, causing it to dissipate in a flash of orange light. "It's just frozen yogurt, Clen. Why can't you just buy more?"

"I didn't buy it for you!"

"You left it in the freezer for days. How was I supposed to know you'd suddenly care?"

"It's not my fault that—"

"Knock it off, you two," came a third voice, interrupting the argument. They looked to the doorway to see Bourne Freeman, another one of their associates, staring back at them with a tired look on his face. "We're supposed to be on the same side. Can't you act like it for once?"

Both Clen and Abby frowned, sharing a look. There was no formal hierarchy among the Duplicates, besides the Master himself, but Bourne being such a powerful mage—not to mention the boyfriend of one of the Master's own descendants—made him hard to argue with.

"...You're right," Clen muttered defeatedly. "It's just some stupid yogurt."

"I guess I should have asked first," Abby returned. "I'm sorry."

"Good. Now was that so hard?" Bourne sighed, looking around the room. "Anyway, I need to look something up. Have you guys seen the file on the Goodwin house fire?"

"Yeah, uh, shelf 4A, last I saw," Clen said.

"Thanks. I'll check there." Bourne started in that direction, leaving the others in awkward silence.

Once Bourne was out of earshot, Abby spoke again. "I'd better get back to work, myself."

"Yeah, I guess." Clen brushed his bangs out of his eyes, turning to walk away. There was an edge to his voice as he added, "Enjoy the yogurt.

Abby smirked back at him, shoveling another spoonful of frozen yogurt into her mouth and returning her attention to the file in front of her. It wasn't the cleanest win, but she'd take it.

[PFA]

I found this old Ace Attorney fanfic! I wrote this years ago, and I think I shared it with one or two people, but never actually posted it for some reason. Today seems like a good enough day to change that!

Spoilers for the first Phoenix Wright game!

Calling From Beyond

SPOILER: Click to show

It all happened very suddenly.

Thoughts of the case were still running through my mind when a massive earthquake hit, knocking out power and trapping me, my son, and the bailiff inside a courthouse elevator. We were trapped in there for hours, struggling to breathe, and then... there was a gunshot.

And just like that, it was all over. I was dead.

I had so many questions. How could I have died? What would happen to my son Miles? What about the case? It was so overwhelming... but in retrospect, it was nothing compared to what happened afterward.

"Gregory Edgeworth... heed my call... your help is needed on the other side... may your spirit come and speak with us..."

I had no idea what was happening. Who was this woman, whose voice I was hearing? And how could it be possible to come back from the dead? I was skeptical... and yet, the pull was so strong, like a siren's song beckoning me to follow. Not knowing what else to do, I obeyed.

...The room was dark, and my vision was blurred, making it difficult to see where I was. But the faint glow of candlelight suggested that it was sort of ceremonial room, perhaps for monks, or... perhaps a medium?

"...Mystic Fey? Is it working?" "She looks different somehow..." "Mystic Fey, are you alright?"

I blinked, at that point noticing that there were others in the room with me. Men in uniform... policemen? Were they policemen? What were they doing here? And who was Mystic Fey? Was that the woman who was calling me...? And why weren't they noticing me?

I glanced down at my hands, finally noticing what I was wearing. A medium's outfit... was I seeing through the eyes of the medium? Did they think I was her?

"Perhaps she's channeling a spirit?" "A spirit...? Do you think he can hear us?" "...Is someone there? Who...?"

They were looking for someone... me?

"Who are you?"

I took a deep breath. If they were expecting a spirit, I should let them know I was there. "I am Gregory Edgeworth..."

This really set them off. Apparently they really were looking for me, as they had a lot of questions for me.

"It's him!" "Is it really you?" "Impossible..." "Er... excuse me, sir, can we ask you a few questions? It's about what happened to you..."

I paused, images flashing through my mind. The earthquake, the elevator... the gunshot. "I have been killed..."

They spoke to each other for a moment, before turning to me again. "We're sorry it had to come to this, but we have an important question to ask you. We've arrested the bailiff, Yanni Yogi, on accusations of your murder, but we don't have enough evidence... so was it the bailiff that shot you, or someone else...?"

They... wanted to know who shot me? They specifically called a spirit medium just so they could get my testimony? So many questions ran through my mind. Was this even legal? How bad was it that they needed to go to such extreme lengths?

But regardless, they wanted an answer. "The one who shot me..."

All at once, the memories flooded back to me. There was a struggle... the bailiff's pistol fell, sliding across the floor. Then there was a shout... and a gunshot... and everything blacked out.

...There were only three people on the elevator. There was only one person who could have fired that shot...

No.

No, it was impossible. Anything but that. Anything but him. He was just a child... it was an accident. They couldn't punish him for that... he didn't deserve that.

"...Sir?"

...But they were expecting a name. I had to say something.

"...Was the bailiff... Yanni Yogi."

They spoke to each other again, seeming pleased with this response. I felt my hands clench, gripping the mystic's kimono as I thought on what I had just said. This... wasn't right. My whole life I did my best to protect the innocent, to find the truth at all costs.

I knew the bailiff didn't do it. He couldn't have done it. But what else could I say? There were only three people in the elevator... I couldn't tell them it was suicide. And I certainly couldn't tell them it was Miles. I refused to believe that.

...But... what if it was true...?

"Thank you, sir." The man's words barely registered in my mind. "That was all we needed."

I bowed my head in silence, closing my eyes. What was I to do? Should I take it back? Should I tell them the truth? But they were so pleased with the answer they got... and I couldn't let anything happen to poor Miles. He had already lost his father... I couldn't live with myself if I accused him of patricide.

...Live with myself... who was I kidding? I was already dead.

...

"So, um... what now?" "Well, I can't think of anything else to add..." "Mystic Fey has to dismiss the spirit, I guess..."

...Nothing else to say... I suppose he was right. What I said had already been said. They wouldn't believe me if I tried to take it back now.

...I'm sorry...

As I felt my spirit leave the medium's body, I realized she would probably be wondering why there were tears in her eyes.