Bridge to the Turnabout

"Phoenix Wright"

- ...I can prove it. I'm going to bring your magnificent vengeance to fruition, just as you want it.

Episode 5: Bridge to the Turnabout is the final episode in Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney: Trials and Tribulations and the final case in the original Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney Trilogy. This episode acts as a final reunion of the main characters throughout the trilogy, as well as bringing closure to the overall story arc of the game itself. Shu Takumi has mentioned Soutou no Akuma as an influence on the story, especially with both stories involving a case occurring on both sides of a river.

Feb. 6
The penultimate case in Phoenix Wright's career prior to his disbarment was set into motion when Pearl Fey and Maya Fey showed Wright an article from Oh! Cult! magazine that featured Hazakura Temple and asked him to join them; Maya planned to train her spirit channeling by using the temple's "Special Course". Wright at first flatly refused due to the cold weather. However, as he looked at the magazine Pearl was holding, he was shocked to see that one of the shrine maidens pictured in the article looked identical to Dahlia Hawthorne, who was supposed to be serving a prison sentence for her past crimes. Baffled, Wright suddenly agreed to join them, if only to undercover the mystery behind this woman's identity.

Feb. 7
Upon arriving, Bikini, the head nun, welcomed the trio. In the Main Hall, they met a children's book author named Elise Deauxnim, who happened to be Pearl's favorite author. Pearl was overjoyed to meet her idol, and was even more so when the author invited her to read a picture book together that night.

Checking out the mountain's various locales, Wright met Larry Butz, who claimed to have become an apprentice of Deauxnim, and had even changed his name to "Laurice Deauxnim". Wright and Maya then braved the old Dusky Bridge to visit the Inner Temple. There, they found an old scroll containing a picture of Misty Fey, Maya's mother and the Master of the Kurain Channeling Technique. They then met the other temple nun, Iris, with both Wright and Iris being openly shocked to see each other. Iris left to help prepare dinner for the night.

The dinner at the Main Hall consisted of roast chicken, gravy, and mashed potatoes. Just before heading off to the Inner Temple with Maya for her Special Course training, Bikini requested that Iris ring the bells at 10:00 p.m.

As Wright began to slowly drift asleep, he felt the need to go to the bathroom. He met Deauxnim on the way, who asked him if he had seen Pearl. She told Wright that Pearl hadn't come to read with her and was missing, and then headed out to find her. Wright then met Iris in the main hall, and tried to take the opportunity to ask a few questions. Iris excused herself to ring the bells and bade Wright a good night, giving him her hood as a gift. Wright wondered how Iris knew his name as she said goodnight to him, since Wright had never mentioned it to her, only for Psyche-Locks to appear to guard this secret.

At 11:06 p.m. in his room, Wright heard a scream. Rushing outside to the courtyard, he saw Elise Deauxnim's body, which had been stabbed with the Shichishito sword. In his haste, he stepped on Bikini's stomach, waking her; she had screamed and passed out from the sight of the body. She told him to call the police. Although Bikini told him to call the police, Wright had not brought his cellphone with him, forcing to go to the phone near Dusky Bridge.

Upon arriving at the bridge at 11:18, Wright saw that it was ablaze. Seeing Butz, Wright told him to call the police about the murder. Then, fearful that the killer may have escaped to the Inner Temple where Maya was alone, Wright started to cross the burning bridge. However, it gave way beneath his feet, plunging him into the icy and fast-flowing Eagle River below.

Meanwhile, Miles Edgeworth, who was abroad at the time, got a phone call from Butz late at night. Butz frantically told him that Wright's life was in danger, and that he might already be dead. Edgeworth assured his childhood friend that he would come as soon as he could, and immediately chartered a private jet to come to his friends' aid.

Feb. 8
Edgeworth arrived at the detention center by the afternoon. He told Butz that he had found out everything currently known about the case and had visited Wright in the hospital; Wright and Bikini had found Deauxnim's body in the temple courtyard, and Iris was the suspect. Wright would need about two days of bed rest, and so he had given Edgeworth his attorney's badge and magatama, implying that he wanted Edgeworth to defend Iris in his stead. Butz assured him that no-one in court would notice anything peculiar, as someone else had recently fooled the court with a fake paper badge.

Investigation
The investigation began at the detention center, where Edgeworth questioned Iris on the events leading up to the murder. Although he had the feeling that they had met somewhere before, she told him that it must just be his imagination. She told her acting defense attorney that she had rung the temple's lights out bell at 10 p.m., but had later returned to the room instead of going to the Inner Temple's Training Hall because she was "frightened". When Iris was pressed further about this, two Psyche-Locks appeared, marking Edgeworth's first experience with them.

Before leaving, Edgeworth asked Iris if she knew Wright, saying that he seemed very concerned about her. Iris confessed that she had met Wright five years ago. She had deceived him, and decided that it was best if he never saw her again. Edgeworth agreed to defend Iris in court, on the condition that she told Wright the truth after the case was over.

Edgeworth went to Eagle Mountain and met with Detective Dick Gumshoe at Dusky Bridge. Gumshoe told him that the bridge had caught on fire after being struck by lightning, and gave him a weather report showing the exact time this had occurred. Edgeworth in return told him about his suspicions that he had seen Iris before, but Gumshoe said the police had done a database search with her fingerprints and found nothing. Nothing was known about Elise Deauxnim's background, either. As for the crime, it had been witnessed by the temple's head nun, leading to Iris's arrest. Gumshoe gave Edgeworth the victim's autopsy report, which placed the time of death between 10 p.m. and 11 p.m. The body was also covered in bruises, indicating that it had fallen about 10 feet after death.

At the gate to Hazakura Temple, Edgeworth met Butz again, and asked him what he was doing on the night of the crime. Butz said he didn't remember, but three Psyche-Locks appeared.

Inside the temple, Edgeworth asked Sister Bikini about the night of the crime. After dinner, she had left at 9:00 p.m. to take Maya to the Inner Temple for training. There, she had met Iris. Because of her bad back, Bikini had returned to Hazakura Temple for a bath and, at around 11:00 p.m., saw Iris stabbing Deauxnim with the Shichishito in the temple courtyard. Maya was now trapped on the other side of the river due to the bridge burning out, and Pearl, who had last been seen with Deauxnim, had been missing since the night of the murder. Edgeworth found a letter addressed to Iris near the altar, telling her to be at Heavenly Hall at 10 p.m., or else her secret would be exposed.

Edgeworth then returned to the detention center, believing that the letter was the reason Iris had been frightened. He deduced that the person she didn't want her secret revealed to was Wright, breaking her Psyche-Locks. He went to Heavenly Hall next, to look for the mysterious blackmailer, and met Butz there. Butz said he had been in his room at Hazakura Temple when, sometime after 10 p.m., he saw lightning strike Dusky Bridge. However, the map of the temple contradicted this, since it was impossible to see the bridge from the Main Hall. Edgeworth deduced that Butz had really been at Heavenly Hall, waiting for Iris after sending her a letter. The "secret" he had threatened to expose was the "love" between him and Iris that was all in his head. Butz's ineptitude at letter-writing was such that his love letter had ended up looking like a blackmail letter. Butz's Psyche-Locks were broken; however, he also mentioned seeing "something incredible" on that night, and, when asked about it, five more Psyche-Locks appeared. Edgeworth decided that he would just have to pull the truth out of Butz in court.

Trial
Edgeworth arranged for the judge from his debut trial to oversee the trial, as he would not recognize him. He also asked Franziska von Karma to prosecute, since she would only care about getting the chance to best him. Von Karma initially expected to face Wright, but upon finding Edgeworth on the defense's bench instead, she was just as happy at the chance to crush her adoptive brother. As expected, von Karma called Bikini as the first witness.

Bikini testified that she was supposed to stay in the Inner Temple, but her bad back was causing her pain, so she left Iris with Maya while she went back to Hazakura Temple for a hot bath. Edgeworth objected to this, pointing out that Iris had said she never went to the Inner Temple. Although von Karma retorted that Iris was simply lying, Edgeworth claimed that if her intention was to lie, it would have made more sense to say that she went to the Inner Temple, as it gave her a much better alibi. The judge called Bikini's memory into question, but told her to continue her testimony.

Bikini recalled that when Iris met her at the Inner Temple, she was dressed exactly like when she was at dinner, but Edgeworth presented Iris's hood in response; she had given it to Wright after dinner, and so therefore could not have been wearing it when she was at the Inner Temple. Von Karma replied that she could have just worn a spare hood, as Bikini had spares. The judge told Bikini to testify about her movements after her bath.

Bikini testified that she heard a noise from the courtyard, while led her to see Iris stabbing Deauxnim with the Shichishito. She believed that the stabbing must have occurred after Deauxnim fell from her room, but Edgeworth pointed out that the autopsy report said she was pushed after being stabbed, proving that the scene Bikini witnessed did not happen. The judge suggested that Deauxnim was killed in her room, which von Karma agreed to, but Edgeworth questioned if there was any sign of struggle between them, and if there were any blood stains in the room. After the judge questioned her about it, she replied saying that there were no traces of blood found in the victim's room. Von Karma reminded the judge that very little blood is lost upon insertion of the blade and the victim loses the most blood when the blade is removed. Since the blade was not removed, Edgeworth agreed, saying that it would act like a lid for the wound. Thus, von Karma concluded that the victim was stabbed and pushed out of the window. The judge asked for a clearer testimony from Bikini.

Bikini testified that she didn't actually see Iris stab Deauxnim, but the sword was already in place. After further enquiry by Edgeworth, Bikini added that she saw Iris with the sword, which was in the victim to the hilt, being pulled out smoothly. Edgeworth objected, pointing out that it would be impossible for Iris to stab Deauxnim to the hilt with the Shichishito, as this would require far more physical strength than she had. Although von Karma objected to this as he merely assumed she was not strong enough, Edgeworth also stated that would have been impossible for her to smoothly pull the blade out of Deauxnim's body, owing to its seven branches. Furthermore, the wound was too large for the sword to stop the bleeding completely and there was only blood on the tip of the sword. Edgeworth concluded that the Shichishito was not the murder weapon, but merely a part of a staged scene. However, von Karma told him that it changed nothing, as Bikini saw Iris stabbing the victim with a sword-like object. Edgeworth responded by asking where the real murder weapon had disappeared to, since no "sword-like object" had been found anywhere at Hazakura Temple.

Bikini suggested that the killer could have disposed of the real murder weapon by tossing it into the Eagle River. This could be done quickly with the aid of the snowmobile, which was capable of making the trip from Hazakura Temple to Dusky Bridge in 5 minutes. Edgeworth presented a photograph of snowmobile tracks which seemed to contradict this, as only one set of tracks were visible in the photo. If someone had ridden a snowmobile to Dusky Bridge and back, there should be two sets of tracks. Von Karma explained that it had been snowing on the night of the murder, and thus the tracks leading to the bridge could have been erased by the snowfall. Edgeworth replied that this was impossible, as the weather data showed that snow had stopped falling at 10:50 p.m., which was before Bikini had witnessed the crime, and therefore no tracks made after that time could have been erased. Von Karma suggested that the weather report might have been inaccurate, but Edgeworth presented another photo: namely that of the victim, Elise Deauxnim. There was no snow on top of her body, proving that the snowfall had already stopped when the murder took place.

The only apparent explanation was that someone had gone to Dusky Bridge with the snowmobile while it was still snowing, and returned to Hazakura Temple with it after the snow stopped. Von Karma stated that it could only have been Iris, since she had the only key to the snowmobile; however, Bikini pointed out that, after leaving Iris at the Inner Temple, she hadn't seen the snowmobile at Dusky Bridge on her way back, but had seen it at Hazakura Temple.

The judge asked if there was another witness who might have seen the snowmobile at the bridge. Remembering that Butz may have been wandering around Dusky Bridge that night, and that he had mentioned seeing "something incredible", Edgeworth asked to have him summoned as a witness.

During the recess, Edgeworth met Iris in the defendant lobby. She restated her earlier testimony that she had never gone to the Inner Temple, despite Bikini claiming to have met her there. She also confirmed that she had been the one who had used the snowmobile to go Dusky Bridge, but said she could not say why, at least not until Maya's safety had been confirmed, and five Psyche-Locks appeared. Edgeworth asked Iris again if she had killed Elise Deauxnim, which she again denied doing. Since no Psyche-Locks appeared, he reasoned that she must be telling the truth.

Court reconvened and Larry Butz was summoned to the stand. He was asked to testify about what he had seen on the night of the murder. Butz claimed to have walked to Dusky Bridge several times, but not seen the snowmobile or met anyone there. Edgeworth said that this was a lie, since Butz had run into Wright by the bridge that night. Resuming his testimony, Butz stated that he had seen lightning strike the bridge from the shack and gone there shortly after, where he had immediately run into Wright. Edgeworth pointed out that there was another contradiction here; lightning had struck the bridge at 10:45 p.m., meaning that Butz would have arrived there around 11 p.m., at the latest. However, 11 p.m. was when Bikini had seen Iris stabbing Deauxnim in the courtyard, at which point Wright was still in Hazakura Temple, meaning that Butz could not have encountered him at the bridge. Von Karma argued that Bikini had stated the time of the murder as simply "around 11", but Edgeworth had further proof that Wright had not arrived at the bridge before 11 p.m.: the weather report showed that the bridge had been burning for about 30 minutes, or until 11:15 p.m., and the fire had already almost died out when Wright had arrived. Convinced that Butz was still not telling the truth, Edgeworth asked what he had been doing the whole time.

Butz admitted that, upon seeing the burning bridge, he had given into the urge to draw a picture of it. Remembering that Butz had claimed to have seen something incredible that night, Edgeworth asked him to submit the drawing he had made to the court.

To everyone's shock, the drawing seemed to depict a figure flying over the burning bridge. Butz claimed that it was Iris; he had seen her fly that night, at least 30 feet above the bridge, with her hood fluttering in the wind. Edgeworth said Iris had given her hood to Wright earlier that night, meaning that the person Butz had seen "flying" could not have been her. Butz said he had definitive proof that it had been Iris: after going to Dusky Bridge to look for her, he had found a crystal sphere half-buried in the snow, and claimed Iris was the only one who could have lost a crystal sphere that night. Edgeworth pointed out that someone else had lost a crystal sphere; Elise Deauxnim. There had originally been a sphere on her staff, but it had disappeared after the murder.

Von Karma tried to dismiss Butz's testimony by saying that the idea of someone flying was ridiculous, but Edgeworth argued that the important thing was that the crystal sphere had been found near the bridge. This proved that Deauxnim had left Hazakura Temple that night, which could change everything assumed about the case thus far. It was then suggested by von Karma that the killer, not the victim, could have dropped the sphere, but Edgeworth pointed out that the sphere had been half-covered in snow. Since the snowfall had stopped by the time Bikini witnessed the scene in the courtyard, the sphere must have been dropped at Dusky Bridge before then. The snowmobile could have been used to move the body to Hazakura Temple. This opened the possibility that the real murder had taken place somewhere else, and it also raised the question of why the body had been moved in the first place. With these issues unresolved, the judge decided that the case required further investigation, and the trial was ended for the day.

Pre-earthquake
Phoenix Wright, having recovered enough from his ordeal to return to work, met Miles Edgeworth at Dusky Bridge and took over the defense team's investigation, to Edgeworth's relief. Detective Gumshoe told Wright that he had already started to repair the bridge, intending to finish as soon as possible. He promised to Wright that he would be the first to know when that happened.

Along the way to Hazakura Temple, Wright met Franziska von Karma at the main gate. She "greeted" him and made clear once again her intention of finally defeating him in court. After that conversation, Wright met Bikini, who told him that Pearl had gone missing. She insisted that she had met Iris at the Inner Temple, contradicting the latter's testimony that she had not left her room. Wright noticed that Bikini referred to Deauxnim as "Mystic Elise", an honorific used to address members of the Fey clan. When Wright asked Bikini about Deauxnim's true identity, five Psyche-Locks appeared.

After looking around the courtyard, Gumshoe arrived to tell them that the bridge had been repaired. Von Karma reappeared as well, to Gumshoe's horror, and told Wright that she would accompany him in his investigation.

Edgeworth joined them at the bridge, and the group journeyed across to the Inner Temple together. Upon arriving, they found Pearl crying by herself, and they immediately asked about Maya. Pearl told them that she was worried about Maya, which is why she had been on this side. The door to the Sacred Cavern within the Training Hall, where Maya was suspected to be, was sealed with a trick lock, which resembled a physical Psyche-Lock, and Misty's picture scroll was smeared with gravy.

Godot then showed up, telling von Karma that he would take over as prosecutor for the case. He appeared angry at Wright, telling him that he had set something in motion he would never be able to undo. Wright talked to him and learned the truth about Godot's mask: without it, he could not see. Godot claimed to have lost his sight when he "died". When Wright asked what he meant by that, Godot told him that he should know who had "killed" him. Wright had the impression that he knew what Godot was talking about. He also had the impression that his grudge against Wright appeared to be related to the death of Mia Fey.

Godot told Wright that Maya was most likely trapped inside the Sacred Cavern within the Training Hall. The trick lock on the door to the cavern could only be removed by the same person who had set it, namely, Iris. He had already arranged for her to be brought over to open the lock.

Wright moved outside to find Gumshoe muttering to himself about "something he should erase". He then noticed von Karma and Wright and he told them to not go into the garden. Disregarding his advice, von Karma and Wright headed for the garden, anyway. There they found a talisman, which was supposed to belong to the Master of the Kurain Channeling Technique. They also noticed a bloody note on a lantern in the garden that read "Maya", albeit upside down. Von Karma told Wright that there could only be one explanation for the writing being upside-down: Elise Deauxnim had written the message herself in her own blood. Wright and the police investigation team concluded that the true crime scene was the garden on the Inner Temple side. The clues there could not have been planted after Bikini witnessed the stabbing in Hazakura Temple, as the burned down bridge meant that the Inner Temple side was inaccessible.

At the gate to the Main Hall, Wright met Edgeworth and Iris, with the latter being taken to the Inner Temple to open the trick lock. Wright asked to come along, but Edgeworth said that members of the public should not interfere in the police's investigation. Wright met Bikini at the Main Hall again, having figured out Elise Deauxnim's true identity. The talisman found in the garden had the same crest seen on the scroll depicting Misty Fey, the crest of the Master of Kurain. Wright concluded that Elise Deauxnim was really Misty Fey, Maya's missing mother, with the breaking of Bikini's Psyche-Locks confirming this. However, before any more could be said, the ground beneath them rumbled. An earthquake was happening.

Post-earthquake
Aware of Edgeworth's deathly fear of earthquakes from a childhood trauma and worried for Maya's safety, Wright raced back to the Inner Temple. When he arrived, Edgeworth ashamedly told him that Iris had escaped while he had passed out from fear. However, they soon found her at the Inner Temple, where she explained that she had ran ahead because she was worried about the Sacred Cavern caving in. However, something about the Inner Temple had changed: there were now five trick-locks on the door to the Sacred Cavern, and Iris said it was impossible for her to remove them. Edgeworth left to further investigate the garden, while Wright stayed to ask Iris a few questions.

Iris said that the trick-locks could be set in hundreds of different ways, and only the person who had set them could remove them. Wright said that someone had probably set more locks on the door before Iris could remove the first one in order to prevent Maya from getting out. Iris said she could probably remove all the locks if she went through every combination, but that would take a whole day. Remembering the contradiction between Iris and Bikini's testimonies, Wright asked her where she had really been on the night of the murder, only for three Psyche-Locks to appear.

Wright met Edgeworth again in the garden, where the latter had remembered where he had seen Iris's face before: in court, during his first case. The woman in question had been the daughter of a jeweler. However, Edgeworth claimed she could not possibly be related to Iris. Wright later met Pearl and Butz at Heavenly Hall, and decided it was time to ask Pearl where she had been on the night of the murder. She was also hiding a secret, since five Psyche-Locks appeared when he asked. All she told Wright was that she believed she had lost her spiritual powers, which made him suspect that she had tried to channel a spirit and failed.

Wright talked to Bikini again. She revealed that Misty Fey had come to Hazakura Temple to foil a plot to destroy the Fey main family line, as well as the feud between Misty and her older sister, Morgan. Wright told her about an incident a year previously at Kurain Village, in which Morgan had been an accomplice to a murder with the aim of installing her daughter Pearl as the next Master of Kurain. At this point, Bikini let something slip: Iris was Morgan Fey's daughter. Shocked by this, Wright questioned her further, only to learn that Morgan had three daughters: Pearl, Iris, and Iris's twin sister. Bikini couldn't remember the twin's name, but Wright had a good idea as to who she was.

Wright found Gumshoe examining the Hazakura Temple courtyard again, this time looking for the real murder weapon. He had also found the remains of a partially-burned letter in the incinerator. Wright could not see who it was addressed to, but the readable part contained instructions telling someone to channel a spirit after the lights-out bell had been rung. Gumshoe lent Wright a metal detector to look for the murder weapon, which eventually reacted to Misty Fey's staff. Upon examining it, they discovered that it contained a hidden sword. Wright knew it must be the real murder weapon, although any blood had been wiped off.

Wright went to talk to Edgeworth again and tell him what he had learned from Bikini. They both came to the same conclusion: Iris's twin sister must have been Dahlia Hawthorne. Edgeworth, however, maintained that Hawthorne could not possibly be related to the current case, and told Wright the reason why: she was dead. Six years had passed since her conviction for Doug Swallow's murder, and she had finally been executed the previous month. Wright, knowing now that someone had tried to channel a spirit on the night of the crime, was still convinced that Dahlia Hawthorne could be related to their case after all.

Wright talked to Iris again, telling her that he now knew about Hawthorne, and had figured out how Iris could have been seen at two different placed at the same time: someone had channeled her sister's spirit on that night. Iris confirmed this to be true, and when Wright asked her why she had not mentioned it sooner, she told him that her sister always did the right thing and that she didn't want to get in Hawthorne’s way, having betrayed her once before already. Iris told Wright that she had been supposed to help with the fake kidnapping on Dusky Bridge eleven years earlier, but had been so scared that she had not shown up. She and Hawthorne had planned it as a way to get revenge on their father for abandoning their mother, Morgan Fey. Iris and Wright's conversation was then interrupted by von Karma, who told Wright to leave and continue his investigation. Iris promised to open the trick-locks by the next day, and Wright so left for Heavenly Hall to uncover Pearl's secret, the final piece of the puzzle.

With the evidence he had gathered, Wright managed to figure out that the burnt letter was meant for Pearl, and had been written by her mother, Morgan. Pearl was supposed to channel Dahlia Hawthorne's spirit after the lights-out bell, but did not know what Morgan was planning or even who Hawthorne was. Wright proved that Pearl had been the one who read the instructions, because she had made a mistake only a child could make: the letter told her to "gravely roast the Master in the fires of Hades", but, unfamiliar with the words, Pearl had instead covered Misty Fey's scroll in gravy.

Pearl admitted she had followed the instructions in the letter, but, upon trying to channel Hawthorne's spirit, she found that she couldn't do it, which was why she thought she had lost her spiritual powers. Wright asked her if there was not another possible reason why she might have failed to channel a spirit, and was told that it could happen if someone else was already channeling the same spirit at the time.

Godot then appeared and told Wright that the efforts to reopen the Sacred Cavern were in vain, and that Maya would not come back, just like Mia. He promised Wright that they would settle everything in court the next day. Meanwhile, Morgan Fey told herself that the Fey main family line was no more, and that Pearl would finally take over as the next Master.

Defendant lobby
In the defendant lobby, Wright was greeted by Edgeworth and Pearl, but Iris was nowhere to be seen. Edgeworth told Wright that she was in the prosecutor's lobby, as she would be testifying as a witness for the prosecution. Godot would be taking over the case, since von Karma had stayed behind in the Sacred Cavern to try and remove the locks, which Edgeworth estimated would take three more hours.

First session
As soon as Iris was called to the stand, she apologized to Wright, saying she had not been honest with him. Iris confessed to being an accomplice to the murder and altering the crime scene in order to cover for someone else. To Wright's disbelief, Iris named Maya as the murderer, saying that she had seen Deauxnim attack Maya with a dagger in the Inner Temple garden, at which point Maya had killed her in self-defense. Wright questioned the credibility of her testimony, showing the court that Deauxnim's staff contained a hidden sword. Since the victim already had a weapon in her hands, using a separate dagger would not make sense. Godot dismissed this, saying that swords were unwieldy for close-quarters combat, which explained why the victim might have used a dagger instead.

Wright, still unconvinced, revealed Deauxnim's true identity as Misty Fey, Maya's long-lost mother. It was inconceivable that she would try to kill her own daughter. At this point, Godot presented a bloodstained dagger to the court, saying he had found it stuck to the back of a pine tree at the crime scene, and that it corroborated Iris's testimony. The judge asked her to testify one more time about what she had witnessed.

Iris testified that Maya had stolen Deauxnim's weapon and stabbed her in the stomach when she had her back to the stone lantern. Wright said that this contradicted the autopsy report, which stated that the victim had died from a stab wound to the back. Godot explained this by saying that the stone lantern in the garden was not lit, and Iris could have made a mistake due to the darkness, which could also explain why Maya and Deauxnim had not recognized each other. He then presented the stone lantern to the court. The judge pointed out that the name "Maya" was written in blood on the lantern, much to the disbelief of Godot, who was apparently unaware of this and insisted that there was no writing on the lantern. Iris recalled that Deauxnim had not collapsed immediately after being stabbed, and said that she must have written the name behind her back before she died.

The judge, now convinced that Maya was the murderer, ordered Iris to testify about her cover-up of the crime scene. Iris claimed to have dragged the body across Dusky Bridge and used the snowmobile to carry it to Hazakura Temple, where she had stabbed it with the Shichishito. Wright showed her the photo of the snowmobile tracks, which meant that the snow must have stopped falling before she moved the body, and Iris confirmed this. However, as Wright then pointed out, the weather data showed that the bridge had caught on fire while snow was still falling, meaning it was impossible for Iris to have carried the body across the bridge. It was still a fact, however, that the body had been found on the other side of the bridge, meaning it must have made it across somehow.

Wright then recalled the person Butz had seen "flying" over the bridge. Presenting Butz's sketch, he surprised the court with an incredible theory. The suspension cables on the bridge were upside-down on Butz's picture, which meant the entire picture was upside-down. Butz's sketch did not depict a body flying; it depicted Misty's body swinging under the burning bridge like a pendulum, suspended by one of the damaged cables. The fall from the landing on the other side had caused the trauma on her body and knocked the orb off her staff.

Iris claimed to have no knowledge of this. Wright pointed out that someone had to have received the body on the other side and carried it with the snowmobile, and Bikini could not have carried a body with her back problems, meaning Iris was the only one who could have done it. Since there was no way Iris could be oblivious to all this, Wright finally realized why his client had turned on him and was trying to pin the murder on Maya: the woman at the witness stand was not Iris, but Dahlia Hawthorne, summoned back from the dead.

Wright told the court about Morgan's plan to have Pearl channel Hawthorne, saying that this explained how Iris could have been seen at two different places at the same time: the Iris whom Bikini had met at the Inner Temple had been, in fact, Hawthorne. Godot insisted that the Iris at the witness stand was the real Iris, as she had been kept under watch since her arrest, but Wright pointed out that the earthquake the previous day had given Iris an opportunity to escape while Edgeworth was having a panic attack. Hawthorne must have switched places with Iris then.

Her cover blown, Hawthorne revealed herself.

Second session
Hawthorne testified about her summoning and the plan devised by Morgan Fey, her mother. The plan was to have Pearl summon her so she could find Maya and kill her; with Maya gone, Pearl would inherit the position of Master. Hawthorne had only gone along with the plan because of her grudge against Mia; she was willing to hurt and kill anyone Mia held dear.

Hawthorne testified that, upon being first summoned, she had hunted Maya down and attacked her in the Inner Temple garden, but had been stabbed shortly after. She had lost consciousness, but not before writing Maya's name in blood on the stone lantern in an attempt to cast suspicion on her. Some time later, she had awakened in the Sacred Cavern, where Iris found her, allowing Hawthorne to trap her sister in the cavern instead and lock it again. Hawthorne guessed that since Maya had not been found anywhere, Maya had jumped into the river in guilt for killing her mother, achieving her objective of revenge. Godot received a call himself, confirming that Iris had been found in the Inner Temple, and Maya was nowhere.

Wright was devastated, but Godot reminded him to check the evidence. Maya could not have thrown herself into the river; there was a rock shelf under the cliff on the Inner Temple side and she would not have reached the river if she had jumped. Thinking things through, Wright realized that Hawthorne had been summoned by none other than Maya herself, as she was the only other person left who could perform the technique. With Hawthorne possessing her, there was no way for the vengeful spirit to harm her. Hawthorne raged, demanding to know who had foiled her plans. Mia appeared, summoned by Pearl, and told Hawthorne that she had come up with the idea after Maya summoned her spirit in consultation.

Mia and Wright taunted Hawthorne: all her cruel plots had ended in failure, with her killing the wrong people and leading the trail back to her. Although her first crime, the fake kidnapping and stealing the two million dollar diamond was a success, the whole truth came out when Terry Fawles escaped prison, forcing her to kill her older stepsister and make Fawles commit suicide. Soon after, her plot to kill Wright ended in failure, and she was even unable to pin Wright for her murder of Doug Swallow, which lead to her execution. Finally, the fact that she was being channeled by the exact person she was going to kill. This was the last straw, and Hawthorne raged at Mia, who calmly stated that Hawthorne would never win as long as Mia was there. Wright says Hawthorne losing no longer matters and angrily demands Hawthorne to leave Maya's body immediately. Distraught and anguished, Dahlia Hawthorne was exorcised from Maya's body with memories of her failures playing relentlessly, leaving behind a severely weakened Maya who fainted.

The judge remarked that it would be best if Hawthorne was never summoned again. Wright remarked that the judge seemed considerably calm for someone who had just witnessed the supernatural; the judge admitted he had been reading about summoning, as his brother suggested that he open his mind. Just as the judge was about to announce his verdict, Godot objected. They had not yet proven who had killed Elise Deauxnim, meaning Iris remained the prime suspect. Godot taunted Wright over finishing the trial without help. For the first time in his career, Phoenix Wright would have to finish a trial alone, with no co-counsel to help him.

Recess
In the defendant lobby, Wright asked Iris why she had helped Hawthorne so much. Iris said she had felt sorry for her sister, who had been abandoned by their mother and neglected by their father. She also confirmed, as Hawthorne had told Wright the previous day, that she had been supposed to help with the staged kidnapping eleven years earlier. Iris also admitted to moving Deauxnim's body to cover for the real killer, but said she could not reveal who it was. She was then summoned to the judge's chambers, but before she left, she told Wright that there was something she wanted to tell him later.

Wright then had a brief conversation with Mia, who assured him that Maya would recover completely. She left Wright with two hints to figuring out who the real killer was: they must have had foreknowledge of Hawthorne's plan, and, due to the bridge burning out, it must have been someone who was not in Hazakura Temple the following day. Thinking back, Wright had some idea of who it was.

Third session
Court reconvened. The judge announced the results of the blood test on the dagger: while there hadn't been enough time to confirm whose blood it was, it definitely was not the victim's blood. The judge also expressed his desire to end the trial as quickly as possible, and considering Maya's condition, Godot and Wright agreed.

Godot first had Maya testify as to who the real killer was. Due to her rattled composure, her testimony was full of holes and inconsistencies, and Wright knew she was trying to hide something. She accidentally let it slip that there was a man behind her attacker, whilst beforehand she could not identify anything. She also said she had screamed "Help me!" to said man. Seeing her slip-up, she amended her testimony, stating that she had seen the man by the light of the stone lantern in the garden; however, this was impossible, since said lantern was out of commission that night. When Godot asked how Maya had seen the killer in the dark, Wright responded, "There are some things you can only see in the dark, Mr. Godot."

Wright then requested that the court turn off all lights. In the pitch-black darkness of the room, the judge was in shock as the identity of Wright's accused killer was laid bare. His mask aglow, Godot congratulated Wright on his deduction. Maya responded that Wright was wrong, that she had thought the assailant was a man because the crime scene had been cleaned of all evidence incriminating Maya, except for the bloody writing reading "Maya" on the white stone lantern.

Wright pointed out that the blood was the most incriminating evidence of all, and proposed that the killer didn't clean up the writing because the killer didn't see it. Maya pointed out that all the torches in the garden were lit, so any "normal" person wouldn't miss it. Wright conceded this and once again accused Godot, pointing out that he could not see red on a white background, which had been hinted on in their last case together.

Maya pointed out that Godot hadn't been to the Inner Temple until the bridge was finished being rebuilt, and testified to the court that Godot had found Pearl first and cheered her up while he was doing his "Godot-style" investigation. However, Godot made one fatal slip-up, when he noted that in the Inner Temple, there was a hanging scroll picturing Misty Fey in Japanese clothing, surrounded by "the hue and aroma of Western tastes."

Wright pointed out that Pearl Fey had thrown gravy upon the scroll before Dusky Bridge was fixed. If Godot had come to the Inner Temple for the first time and seen the Hanging Scroll, he would not have known that Misty Fey was wearing Japanese clothing underneath. Godot objected that he would have to have known about Morgan's plan in advance. Wright agreed, and showed him the burnt letter that Detective Gumshoe had found. Pearl had said that the seal had already been broken.

Wright proposed that Godot, using his power as a prosecutor, had listened in on the meetings between Morgan and Pearl, and he had found the plans before Pearl had. However, even though he had found out about the plan, he had left the plans where they were so Pearl could find them. Godot asked for a motive, and Wright gave the important link between Godot and Maya Fey: her sister, and Godot's old love, Mia Fey. Godot admitted this, as well as Wright's revelation that Godot was none other than former defense attorney Diego Armando.

After being poisoned by Dahlia Hawthorne, Godot had fallen into a five-year-coma. The smell of a doctor's cup of coffee had finally brought him out of the coma, only for him to learn that the woman he loved was dead and the woman he hated was on death row. At this point, he had felt he had only two reasons left to live: to test Mia's successor "Trite", who he blamed for aiding Hawthorne and failing to protect Mia, and to protect Mia's sister Maya, who he knew was still in danger from Morgan's vengeance.

Godot had planned everything at Hazakura. He had contacted Misty Fey using his connections as a prosecutor, wanting her to be at the site to prevent Pearl from summoning Hawthorne, and Iris, who was already there, was to be the "fall girl" in Godot's backup plan in case they couldn't stop Morgan's plan. Godot's role was to protect Maya Fey in case something went wrong. Misty originally tried to invite Pearl to her room to read books together, thus preventing the summoning; when this failed, Misty summoned Hawthorne's spirit so Pearl couldn't do so.

Godot acknowledged Wright's skill as an attorney, but stopped short of admitting everything, challenging Wright to figure out everything on his own. The judge added that based on the new revelations, only Maya or Godot could have committed the murder. How this trial would end would all come down to Maya Fey's final testimony about what had happened in the garden that night.

Maya testified that she saw three red lights before she was splattered with blood. However, she had heard the person who was stabbed strike back, knocking the lights out and causing a hideous scream, after which she blacked out.

Wright pushed through the testimony. Since the murder weapon was already stuck in the victim's body, she must have struck the killer with the dagger that was found at the crime scene. Godot objected that the blood could have been the victim's, but Wright reminded Godot that the blood had already been tested, and it was not the victim's. Therefore, it could only have been the killer's. Godot, however, had an answer for this as well: he was the one who entered the incriminating dagger as evidence. If he truly was the killer, he would have most certainly washed the blood off the knife and planted another person's blood on it to cover his tracks. Either way, Godot claimed with certainty that the blood wasn't his.

Maya added that, if Godot was hit by the knife, it would have left a rip or blood on his clothes, clothes he hadn't had the chance to change since the murder. However, no blood or wound was found on him. Wright argued that Godot might have brought a change of clothes, but the judge reminded him that Godot couldn't have predicted the lightning strike that left him stranded at the Inner Temple. Desperately, Wright suggested that Godot was naked when he committed the murder, but Godot countered that the freezing temperatures that night made that explanation impossible.

Godot scoffed at Wright, claiming that Mia would have solved the case by now. However, despite being backed into a corner, Wright insisted that he would be able to prove that Godot was the killer and that there was, in fact, a way for him to hide a wound. Godot, impressed by this, decided to pile on the pressure: Wright would only be allowed one chance to prove himself and if he failed, Iris would automatically be found guilty. Undeterred, Wright agreed to this and after thinking it over, proposed that Godot was hiding the wound under his own mask.

At first, Godot bluntly denied this claim, and claimed that Wright would never be half the lawyer that Mia was. However, he suddenly saw Mia's spirit standing and objecting alongside Wright, and realized that she was living on through him. As Godot froze in shock, Wright pressed on. He reminded the court that Maya had seen the red lights disappear followed by a scream, which he concluded meant that Godot's mask must have been knocked off his face when he was attacked. He then demanded that Godot remove his mask and show the wound he was sure was there. An explosion then erupted from Godot's mask, causing him to scream in pain and frustration.

Godot's confession
Godot confessed his hatred for Wright because he went on living his happy-go-lucky life even after covering for Hawthorne and letting Mia die. Godot thought he couldn't forgive Wright, but he knew, deep down, that the one he couldn't forgive was himself. Not able to face Mia's death head on, Godot had run away, throwing away his past, his name, and even his face, hiding himself behind a mask.

Even in the end, he couldn't decide if he had really wanted to save Maya that night, or get revenge on Hawthorne for ruining his life. Watching Mia's spirit in Wright finally gave him an epiphany: all along, he was simply trying to save his own broken soul in a desperate attempt to atone for his failure to protect Mia. Maya reassured, however, that she believed in him, for which Godot thanked her. Blood then seeped out of his mask. Wright warned Godot of his wound, but Godot just laughed it off, reminding Wright that "red" did not exist in his world.

"Godot"

- These must be... my tears. Ever since I woke up from my coma, I think I've been waiting for this very moment. You'd do well to remember this, Maya. The only time a lawyer can cry is when it's all over.

Iris's confession
Iris was called back to the stand. Even though she was innocent of murder, she would still be tried for her role as an accomplice in the crime. Iris wanted to say one thing to Wright before she was taken away; as she had promised to Edgeworth, she revealed her deception to Wright... that she had posed as her sister while they were dating six years ago.

After Hawthorne had handed off the bottle of poison to Wright, she was ready to kill him to get it back due to Wright showing it to everyone that he met and the risk of police finding out. Iris begged her to wait, not wanting her to commit any more crimes, and tried to get the bottle back from Wright by posing as Hawthorne. However, she couldn't get Wright to give it back, and eventually fell in love with him. Hawthorne finally took matters into her own hands and tried to poison Wright's cold medicine, which led to Doug Swallow's death and her arrest. In light of this revelation, Wright replied that she really was the person he always thought she was, and that he had believed in "Dollie" even after Hawthorne was found guilty.

Afterwards, Godot pondered how many cups of coffee he had drank over the years, but could only say that the cup he was drinking right now was the best one. Wright, taking a drink of his own, agreed. The judge finally handed down his "not guilty" verdict.

Epilogue
Everyone was ready to celebrate the close of their latest case, but noticed that Pearl was nowhere to be found. Maya went to find her and when von Karma began to wonder why Maya was so chipper after all the events, Edgeworth surmised that she was being strong for Pearl's sake, since Pearl was also deeply wounded by this case. Her mother had led her astray and she blamed herself for the way the events unfolded. Maya came back without Pearl, unable to imagine where she could be, especially after calling Kurain Village only to be told she wasn't there. Wright had an idea though.

Maya and Wright headed to Hazakura Temple, where Bikini told them Pearl was at the Inner Temple. When they arrived there, they didn't see Pearl at first, but noticed that the picture of Misty had been cleaned. An upset Pearl reunited with Wright and Maya, who assured her that the blame for the events was not hers. Reflecting on the events at hand, Bikini, Wright, Maya, and Pearl discovered a picture of Mia and Maya when they were younger, trying to fix the Sacred Urn having just broken it, in the charm that Misty always wore. Misty had never forgotten about her daughters, since they were always with her. Bikini then offered spiritual training to Wright. However, he refused to this proposition, uttering his catchphrase one last time.



Where are they now?
Maya plans to train extra-hard for her roles as Master of Kurain, manager of Wright & Co. Law Offices and big sister to Pearl and Wright. That is, as long as she doesn't get locked up or captured again...

Pearl is excited that Wright went through the special course for Maya, citing him as her cousin's "knight in shining armor". She's also heard of an extra-special Ultra Course at the Hazakura Temple, and might surprise Wright and Maya by secretly reserving it for them...

Maggey Byrde has bought Gumshoe a new trench coat, but notes that he doesn't look the same in a clean one. Luckily, Gumshoe's line of work means it'll get dirty soon enough...

Adrian Andrews is happy that the Treasures of Kurain exhibit was a great success. She also got to see von Karma again, who taught her how to use a whip, and told her to show what she learned to Wright sometime...

Ron and Desirée DeLite have started a company called Mask☆DeMasque Consulting, dedicated to stopping the criminals in the city. (The motto: "Cut it out, pleeeeeeeease!") As a side business, though, they also sell plans to criminals. Ron then wonders if they actually are the true criminals...

Viola Cadaverini has returned the $500,000 to Furio Tigre, and a tea set with a special tea Viola made herself...

Victor Kudo's grandchildren recently threw him a birthday party, embarrassing the old codger and making him cry as well...

Lisa Basil has hired a new programmer to replace Glen Elg at Blue Screens, Inc.: Adam Mada.

Sister Bikini notes that since the murder, more reporters and money have come to Hazakura Temple, and hopes Iris will soon come back.

Iris is glad that Phoenix and company visited her at the detention center, and that he only had eyes for her. However, she's a bit sorry that 'the little one' slapped Feenie so hard that he got a nosebleed.

Wendy Oldbag has returned from her vacation to her security job, only to find no one to greet her since Butz quit. She then rants all about it and even mentions that she had brought some Macadamian nuts for Edgey-poo...

Butz thinks he's found his calling in art, and is planning to take the art world by storm with 'Franzy's Whip Lash Splash'.

Development

 * Due to Miles Edgeworth's popularity among fans, Shu Takumi wanted to give the character a role in the third game as well. While he was writing the story of the final case, he came up with the idea of making Edgeworth the player character, and rewrote his draft to have Wright plunge off Dusky Bridge to allow the player to temporarily become Edgeworth.

References to other cases

 * When Edgeworth arrives at Dusky Bridge, the player has a choice to go back to the detention center. If the player does, Gumshoe would follow Edgeworth. Gumshoe would then recall Edgeworth's stay in the detention center. This is a reference to Turnabout Goodbyes when Edgeworth was taken as a suspect for the murder of Robert Hammond.
 * When Butz reveals his sketch of the mysterious flying body, the judge remarks that no court of law would ever acknowledge that people fly. To this von Karma says, "Actually, there is some precedent for this." This is a reference to Turnabout Big Top and the "flying Max Galactica".
 * Upon meeting Wright, von Karma tells him that she "came here for one thing, and one thing only. To pulverize you." Wright is unsurprised by this, and tells her "...It's not like I thought you were here to bring me some Coldkiller X, you know", in reference to the medicine that proved vital in Turnabout Memories.
 * When the player presents the Magatama to Detective Gumshoe when playing as Edgeworth, he will eat it. When playing as Wright, however, Gumshoe will say that he had a sore throat. Wright will then say that it is his Magatama and that he can't eat it. He then thinks, "At least he doesn't just put stuff in his mouth first and ask questions later anymore." This is a reference to The Stolen Turnabout when Gumshoe eats the Magatama when presented to him, thinking it was a piece of hard candy.
 * Von Karma mentions that she mailed Gumshoe's coat back to him from Germany. This is a reference to the events of Farewell, My Turnabout, where the coat ended up in von Karma's luggage after she used it to wrap the items Gumshoe had retrieved from Shelly de Killer's hideout.
 * Wright references the events of Reunion, and Turnabout when talking to Sister Bikini. However, he falsely states that the murder occurred because the power of channeling was misused, when no one was actually channeled during the murder.

References to popular culture

 * While Sister Bikini is talking to Maya and Pearl Fey about the Special Course, Bikini says that they should not "dilly-dally shilly-shally", indicating that Maya should start preparing for the Special Course. "Dilly-dally shilly-shally" is said numerous times by the character Tifa Lockhart in the film Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children.
 * When Wright is skeptical towards the temple's apparent spiritual energy, Maya states "Forgive him, sister, for he doesn't know of what he is saying." This is likely a reference a line from the Bible that was apparently spoken by Jesus during his crucifixion ("Forgive them, father, for they know not of what they are doing") according to the Gospel of Luke.
 * Partway through the aforementioned conversation, Phoenix says, in reference to Bikini, "(Wow, she must have just gotten off the trolley from the land of make-believe.)" This is a reference to the children's program Mr. Rogers' Neighborhood
 * During their first trip to the Inner Temple, Maya remarks that she felt as though a ghost could jump out at any moment and scare them, to which Wright replies, "(A spirit medium afraid of ghosts...? Isn't it ironic, don't you think?)" This is in reference to the lyrics of the 1995 Alanis Morissette song "Ironic".
 * When Edgeworth first cross-examines Larry Butz in court, if the player presses the statement about how Butz didn't see the snowmobile, Edgeworth will ask him why he's, "stammering like he just flew over a cuckoo's nest." This could be a reference to the film, One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest, starring Jack Nicholson.
 * Butz claims that he saw Iris flying like "the dude with red underwear". This is a reference to the iconic costume worn by the fictional DC Comics superhero Superman.
 * Upon encountering Godot in the Inner Temple, he says to a protesting von Karma, "Hey, Filly. Know your role, and shut your mouth. " "Know your role..." was one of the catchphrases of the WWE superstar The Rock.
 * If Maya's profile is presented to Bikini while playing as Edgeworth, the acting defense attorney voices his distrust of the supernatural by saying: "I detest talk of supernatural drivel. I suppose now you'll say she has midi-chlorians?" This is a reference to the somewhat controversial midi-chlorians created to explain the Force in the science-fiction franchise Star Wars.
 * During "Iris's" testimony, it is (falsely) stated that Maya turned the tables on her attacker by taking her knife. Godot's response to this is: 'As they say... "A cornered fox is more dangerous than a jackal".' The quotation he uses is that of a line spoken by the character Gray Fox near the end of the stealth action video game Metal Gear Solid.
 * During Maya's testimony, Godot compares her mind to a cup of coffee and says to the judge, "Mr. Trite's words are the milk and you are the spoon, Your Honor." The judge, misunderstanding Godot's unusual metaphor, protests, "I-I'm a spoon!? I'm no spoony bard, I'll have you know!" "Spoony bard" is a reference to the notorious line from the English localizations of Final Fantasy IV, in which Tellah refers to Edward Chris von Muir as a "spoony bard".
 * While playing as Edgeworth, presenting any irrelevant evidence to Bikini will end with her describing herself as an "immaterial girl". Gumshoe will then respond with "I guess she lives in an immaterial world, huh Mr. Edgeworth?". Both of these lines are references to the Madonna song Material Girl.

Typos

 * When playing as Miles Edgeworth and meeting Gumshoe at the Suspension Bridge for the first time, presenting Phoenix Wright's profile will result in Gumshoe to say "'Maybe somehow he's actually the cause of all these incidents!'" in which Edgeworth will think to himself, "But you could say the exact the same thing about him!" instead of, "But you could say the exact same thing about him!"
 * When Wright and von Karma run into Gumshoe after talking with Godot, von Karma quips at one point, "Perhaps you were trying to decided if you wanted to wash "that" off or not...?" instead of, "Perhaps you were trying to decide if you wanted to wash "that" off or not...?"

Other languages

 * Japanese - 華麗なる逆転 (Kareinaru Gyakuten; lit. "The Splendid Turnabout")
 * French - Le Pont des Volte-face (lit. "The Bridge of Turnabout")
 * German - Brücke zum Wandel (lit. "Bridge to Change")
 * Spanish - Puente hacia el Caso (lit. "Bridge to the Case")
 * Italian - Confronto Finale (lit. "Final Confrontation")
 * Korean - 화려한 역전 (Hwalyeohan Yeogjeon; lit. "Splendid Turnabout")