IC INBOX | cerealia

[prosecutory]

Good day. This is Miles Edgeworth.

I cannot accommodate you at the moment, but please leave a message and I will respond as soon as possible. 

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[prosecutory]

How...how did you die?

[Remembering his manners, he gestures toward the sofa.]

And please, have a seat. Shall I make tea?

[faithfulflame]

[She will avail herself of the couch, sitting down and settling in.]

That would be lovely, thank you. It's been a few days. [Snort.]

You are aware many people were kidnapped yes?

[prosecutory]

[Edgeworth nods as he walks toward the kitchen.]

I'll get the tea ready. And yes, I was. Contacting any of you elicited a "User Currently Occupied" message.

[faithfulflame]

Ah. So you weren't taken at all.

[She'll wait on the couch, arms folded, the picture of poise and calm while turning to follow his movements.]

Sorry that I worried you.

[prosecutory]

[There's the sound of water being poured out as he begins steeping the tea in its pot, and he emerges from the kitchen again, his brow furrowed in concern.]

No, I wasn't. [He frowns; there is a touch of sadness in it.] And no, no need to apologize. [A shake of the head.]

[faithfulflame]

[The sound of water is welcome, and she looks back with a weak, though genuine smile that just barely touches her eyes.]

It’s something of a long story. There’s something I want to tell you that I might should have ages ago, and didn’t. It never seemed necessary, but it’ll provide a little context for why this isn’t a big deal to me. [A pause.] Rest assured though, I’m really fine. Completely and in one piece.

[prosecutory]

[Edgeworth settles into an armchair to the right of the couch.]

Very well, then. What do you want to tell me?

[He's all ears, and Rei doesn't have to worry about how weird it is because Edgeworth himself is weirder than he was the first time he left his home world and got drafted, kinda, into a supernatural war.]

[faithfulflame]

[Well, how about this.]

I suppose it's best to start with: I'm not human. I'm not even from Earth, really. Though I grew up there.

[She toys with her hair a little bit and shakes her head.]

I'm a martian. The last of them. And the reincarnation of the Goddess of Flame and War, the ruler of Mars.

[prosecutory]

[Edgeworth's eyes widen in surprise. He hadn't expected anything like that...but as it sinks in, he makes no further reactions except to nod.]

I see. I presume this grants you powers of some sort?

[And then he's back to calm, cool, collected Edgeworth.]

[faithfulflame]

[Rei nods, and presses fingers against her heart. The crystal there begins to glow, burning bright with an orange light.]

Yes. It's why I can control fire. I can do a lot of things, with ghosts and spirits...and my body isn't like someone my age's. I'm stronger, faster, and I can fly if I need to.

And I'm immortal. So long as my heart isn't thrown into a specific place, a...location where stars are born, I'll revive.

[prosecutory]

[Yes, she mentioned knowing how to control fire. And Edgeworth had seen for himself those spiritual abilities. He just didn't make the connection to Rei being an actual Martian...and thought she had more powers up her sleeve because of that.

He watches the glow. It reminds him of the soul energy his powers are drawn from.]

You've died before, then? Back in your world?

[faithfulflame]

Yes.

[Simple enough to answer.]

Once in my past life, and twice more in this one. In battles against dark gods and goddesses, I fought and died so that earth might live on. I was revived by the powers of a friend, both times, so I didn't need to be Reborn and reawaken.

Death, once you expect it, isn't a problem. It's restful, for me.

[prosecutory]

Many people would think otherwise, especially if they aren't immortal.

["Prosecutor Miles Edgeworth chooses death." He hadn't actually died, but looking back, if he had truly chosen death...

Anyway, he clears his throat, still (unnaturally) calm as ever.]

But thank you for telling me. I never would've guessed you weren't human.

[faithfulflame]

I understand the sentiment, but here? We are effectively immortal. In so far as we know, CERES has no way to prevent our resurrection. I feel it's automated.

[Otherwise why would the dissenters be up and about again after a death?]

And of course. It didn't seem right to keep it from you any longer. You're trustworthy, and I don't want you believing that I'm cavalier about death for no reason. I'm a soldier, I've killed, and I've died. That's just a part of my life.

[prosecutory]

[She's right. Here, everyone is as good as immortal. But for those who hadn't experienced it yet and would rather not? They would continue living as though they weren't immortal.]

Normally, I wouldn't understand the life of a soldier...but I do now. I have been one, sort of.

[faithfulflame]

Right, you mentioned that before. That you'd been in another world. [She never asked much about this.] You were a fighter there, weren't you? Which is how you know about swords.

[prosecutory]

[Edgeworth nods.]

That's right. I learned how to use a sword, took up martial arts, and helped defend the city I lived in.

To be fair, everyone brought into that world was given a power to help them fight.

[faithfulflame]

That.

[Rei sniffs, tasting the air around him, finally examining him with her second sight, looking for his essence and for power.]

Makes sense. What do you do, exactly? You don't seem...quite like Phoenix and his friends, now that I think about it.

[prosecutory]

[If Edgeworth's soul or soul energy shows up within her psychic sights, it's probably glowing fervently, with a bright electric blue light. It's probably also a frowny soul.]

What is my power? I draw energy from my soul, and I can use it to convince any being with a soul of anything. Make them believe anything I say, or do my bidding. Some of us also learned how to project that energy into an offensive attack.

[He places his hand on his lap and opens his palm. Electric-blue sparks crackle into life, leaping from fingertip to fingertip.]

When I was brought here, I retained my memories of that world, the skills I learned, and my powers.

[faithfulflame]

[It is sadly a frowny soul, but that's really alright. It makes Rei smile cheerfully, and stretch out with her own energy, sending a few bubbles of red-orange weirlight floating up around his hand.]

Sounds a bit like some other people that I know. That's a strong power to have, especially since you have the skill with words already.

[Or you wouldn't be a lawyer.]

And you aren't the first person to remember being somewhere other than home that I've met. Though that's the strangest tale I've been told.

[prosecutory]

[Edgeworth watches the red-orange bubbles with interest while his own hand continues to crackle and glow.

He gives her a wry grin.]

Your tale would have seemed strange to me as well, had I not seen and experienced stranger things.

Do you fight alongside other soldiers? You mentioned a friend who could revive you.

[faithfulflame]

[They're a bit like fireflies, and they divide up into smaller ones, swarming just like them.]

That's right. I'm Mars, the guardian of that planet. There's one of us for nine of the ten planets in our solar system, as well as for the moon and the moons of Mars. So, at present that's thirteen.

[Yes, she said ten planets.]

Most planets have a guardian like me. The living ones do, anyway.

[prosecutory]

[Edgeworth can't manipulate his power like Rei can - at least, not without touching something or someone and sending a horrific jolt through. So after a while, the energy in his hand simmers down and stops, and it is as if nothing happened.

The ten planets bit is jarring, but he decides to shelve it for now. It was probably a different solar system anyway. Similar to the one he knows, except up to that part.]

How are you chosen to be guardians? Although...I suppose it goes without saying that you would be the guardian of Mars.

What of the others?

[faithfulflame]

[You know, Rei would have sworn there were only 9 planets too. The last one is just hidden, made of dark crystal that refracts light, making it nearly invisible.]

We were born there. On those planets. In the case of our solar system, we were the royalty of those planets. I suppose you could say I'm the queen of Mars, now that my mother is dead. My mother in the past life, anyway. But it's a dead world. Only Earth has life anymore.

The others are all the same. Royal blood of their world's family, with a heart made of crystal like mine.

[prosecutory]

Were some of your enemies the reason why these other planets are dead?

[He feels like he can sympathize with Rei. Not because of the dead planets thing, but because of her continued fight against the gods and beings and whatever to protect the universe. Although in his case, they just needed to protect their own little patch of the world and in so doing, keep the rest of the world safe.]