This I promise you.

“…”

“Haha, it’s not really a big deal. Though sheesh, I can’t believe you weren’t paying attention while I was on stage.”

Anyway.

First came midnight and, with it, the closing of the voting ballots. By this point, several things had already happened at the party, like intimate couple moments, touching reencounters, at least 3 fights, one person gravely wounded…

You know, the typical affairs you’d find in a witches’ party.

Even so, people kept enjoying the festivities at the Ushiromiya mansion, all under the vigilance of the hosts and their work colleagues. For some, it felt like the party could keep going forever, as fun as it was.

As with all things. good or bad, however, even this Halloween Party had to come to an end. Even if Battler and Beatrice had already access to their Endless Magic once again, it’d be rather boring for our scientist captors if the subjects spent the rest of their stay celebrating the spooky times.

At 2 AM, the Endless Witch and Sorcerer, alongside the two demons of love (’Zepar’ had made sure that ‘Furfur’ took out that vampire outfit earlier…), stood center stage at the mansion’s main hall, right in front of the witch’s portrait.

“Hello, everybody, this is your hosts speaking to you. First of all, thank you very, very much for having come to our house tonight. None of this would have been possible without you guys’ presence!”

“Ufufufu…. Indeed, dear. It’s surely been a long time since we’ve lived such a fun night in Hive CIty, huh? I sure hope that this has been a magnificent night for all of you!”

A wave of cheers and claps later, they continued.

“Unfortunately, the closing time is upon us, so you’ll soon have to return to your houses or whatever other sort of living place you have. Shame not many people fill those informative surveys so that I could be more accurate, huh?”

“However… I’m sure that all of you must still be expecting one final event to happen tonight. And you’d be right, for you all are yet to bear witness to the miracle of magic, the prize for attaining the most recognition of your love!”

“Yes, yes, yes! I can see all of you out there, rubbing their hands for this once in a lifetime chance of getting whatever wish lies inside your hearts! …As long as it’s inside our limits, of course.”

“Pooo, I wanted to pull something better than this! You’d better give me all my power back until next year, you hear me, scientists?!”

“Now, now, Beato. Focus back on the show.”

“Ah, right!” She clears her throat. “Anyway, whether you’ve already picked your poison or not is besides the point. The only truth is that we have already seen who among the 27 participant couples will be bestowed with glory tonight! Zepar, Furfur, make the honors, please!”

“YES, Lady Beatrice!” ‘Zepar’ stood forth and made a signal for ‘Furfur’ to follow through. “Ah, how blessed love be! How enchanting to have it celebrated in such a wrondous form, right, Furfur?”

“Blessed it is, Zepar!” The other ‘demon’ replied. “It’s magnificent seeing how many of you citizens care enough about the primal force of the world. We could see that for the amount of votes we’ve gotten, votes that Zepar and I have been especially careful to count!”

More like Maya did the whole job because Phoenix was busy being gay, though. Therefore, Maya is the only person who knows the winner of the contest at this moment. Not even the hosts know the results yet, busy as they were dealing with a certain… personal issue earlier.

“Now, everyone, come, come closer! It’s the promised time, the time to learn which of you lovers of tonight will have the doors of paradise opened to you!”

“Oh, how magnificent love is! Love is the single element of this world, the very reason of existence. Therefore, those who’ve obtained it tonight have fulfilled the very purpose of their lives!”

“No more delays, everyone!” ‘Zepar’ took a special envelope out of a pocket. “Look, look carefully. The names of the winners are written inside this evelope. It’s currently sealed, currently unviolated. Only with magic could anyone forge this magnificent result!”

“Ohhh, the excitement, the suspense, the agony! I can’t wait anymore! Come, Zepar, tell us! Who was the winner of tonight?”

“Right on time, Furfur!” She opens the envelope and holds the paper with the names.

“The winners of Hive City’s 2016 Halloween Party’s Couples’ Contest are……………………………………”

He struggled with the bowtie around his neck for perhaps the hundredth time. Phoenix should not have been moving around so much earlier, it had come undone. He pulled at it one more time, the horrible knot he had tied it into. Before finally giving up and calling out to Edgeworth.

This moment is important.  How often dose Edgeworth humor Gumshoe?

Upon the apartments and houses of nearly every single citizen within the city*, a letter arrived with the pattern of a golden eagle – an invitation, clearly, detailing to its reader an upcoming celebration.

Dear …,

Enclosed within this letter is an invitation to enjoy the festivities and company of the USHIROMIYAS in coming days at a HALLOWEEN EXTRAVAGANZA at their MANSION in SECTOR FIVE.

Food, drinks, and a menagerie of activities will all be provided for attendees to enjoy, including a COUPLES’ CONTEST. COSTUMES are welcome and encouraged, though your gracious hosts only ask to see this INVITATION in order to attend.

Sincerely,

LORD BATTLER AND LADY BEATRICE.

Each letter had a wax seal with a similar emblem as the print, as if each one had been handled with personal care. Attached to the letter was an address to the Ushiromiya Mansion along with a date and time: 7:00 PM ON OCTOBER FOURTH.

Almost immediately after being opened and read, the wax seal turned into a golden butterfly which flew around for a moment before dispersing into small, golden droplets.

(*A certain assassin did not receive an invitation, perhaps it got lost in the mail…)

“Wha-what? But I bought a fancy new shirt any everything. I thought you’d really appreciate it.” He said, finally now understanding how terrifying it was to be on the other end of the pointed finger.

He took the monstrosity from Phoenix and headed toward’s the office closet, something that he knew would come in handy someday. From he closet he picked one of his spare shirts and handed one to the defense attorney. Maybe they’ll go shopping for more decent attire and show him what true fashion is.

Edgeworth must have been having a nice day before this too. Then suddenly Phoenix took center stage, bursting into the man’s office. He was wearing the same confident smile he always wore. Regardless of whether or not he had any actual reason to be confident. 

However, his shirt. That was new. He wanted to try a new outfit and had dug at the back of his closet. He was genuinely trying to impress Edgeworth this time. It was too bad, that in the end, Phoenix was still himself. 

“Objection!” He stood up from his seat, letting a few papers fly out of his desk, as he pointed a finger towards the other man. 

He smiled, or at least his lip’s twitched upwards. Thinking about books always seemed to settle him. 

“They have an odd way of letting you believe that you can count on them, and they’ve always proven you right.” A certain detective would be the poster boy for this type of people and through the years of their professional partnership, Edgeworth can easily attest to this. Though his performance didn’t always meet his expectations, he trusted him to always pull through in the end.

✯ “And I’m not that spetacularly amazing, uhum!” You’d better raise those dignity defense walls quickly, Edgeworth. Maya knows no mercy for her teasing.

“You credit yourself less than what you really are, Ms. Fey.” He’d gotten a good grip on himself over the years so it’ll take a lot more than just teasing to break him. Then again, this is Maya Fey we’re talking about.

They were all, probably worse off without him. Not that they missed him, but rather he had chosen to leave them all with a terrible burden. 

“Ah….”

Arima had been unconsciously reaching out to touch the newfoundland the moment she raised her head. He tempered himself though, and his hand stopped and fell flat on the table instead. He would just wait patiently. 

Edgeworth didn’t seem to mind the loss of the weight on his lap and continued their conversation.