A/N: Hey guys! Here's the beginning of my next story! I hope you'll all enjoy!

For my new readers, all of my stories happen in the same universe. You DON'T have to read all of my stories though. They are standalones, for the most part.

That being said, I do have to explain something: Why Luke is attending a university that is not Gressensheller.

After Unwound Future, Luke and his family moved to America: Specifically LA, California, home of a certain spiky haired Defense Attorney. Originally there for a research project that went horribly wrong (as seen in my story "The Professor's Apprentice"), Clark was offered Tenure at the Archeology school, Nodir University. Luke now attends Nodir University majoring in Archeology.

Hm… can't think of anything else! Luke is 18 and Phoenix, Miles, and Zacharias are 36.

Now, FORWARD!

…

Chapter One: Prosecutor Zacharias Barnham

The shadows of the Witches Court danced darkly in the corners of the room, the heat waves of the unseen fire causing everything to seem hazy. The young Inquisitor Zacharias Barnham stood tall behind his bench, glaring up at Alyssa Mira where she hung in the bird-cage like contraption.

This was his first time in court.

His first time facing a witch.

The witnesses lined up and gave their testimonies. The hapless Defender attempted to unravel their story and come up with evidence to prove his client innocent, but even he didn't believe in the poor woman.

Only one man did. One man believed that she might be innocent. Might not be a witch after all. And it was his job to prove that she was.

Despite the calm exterior of Barnham's appearance, he was sweating profusely under his armor. He feared the worse: that he would send an innocent girl to the most painful death of all.

But as a Knight, and an Inquisitor, he could not show these fears.

The Judge shook his head, clearly impatient with the night's proceedings, and slammed his gavel.

"I find the defendant, Alyssa Mira, guilty of being a witch. Send her to the fire!" he roared. One of the night's pulled the lever, and the cage began to close around the woman.

"NO!" she screamed, and her eyes locked with the inquisitor's, almost like she could read his doubts. "I'm not a witch! I'm not! You have to believe me!" she cried, her eyes welling with tears.

The face plate slammed closed. The cage dropped. A blood curdling scream erupted from the fire pit.

…

Zacharias Barnham's eyes flew open, a shuddering gasp catching in his throat, the scream still echoing in his ears.

It took him a minute to recognize the clean, crisp area in which he lay.

"We are about to land. Please put your trays in the up position and buckle your seat belts. Thank you for flying with iFly," A cool, automated voice announced over the speakers. Zacharias did as it asked before glancing out the window as the city below, still trying to catch his breath and ignore the chill running down his back due to the cold sweat.

…

It didn't take long for Zacharias to claim his luggage in the Los Angeles airport, nor to find the area where travelers would meet their families after a long voyage, or new friends who would make them feel at home. It was in the latter category that the ex-Knight fell as he searched the names on the signs held by the waiting people. He didn't know who he was looking for, just that the Chief Prosecutor said that someone would be here to meet him and take him to his new apartment.

Finally, his eye caught on his name, before rising to see the face above the sign. He was surprised to see that he recognized it.

"When you said there would be someone here to meet me, I hardly expected it to be the Chief Prosecutor himself," he said. Miles Edgeworth allowed the sign to hang by his side as he smirked at the man in front of him, holding his right hand out to shake. Zacharias complied.

"Prosecutor Barnham, I take it?" Miles asked, earning a nod from Zacharias. "It is a pleasure to finally meet you, after corresponding with you so long through email. However… I expected you to be younger," Edgeworth admitted. Zacharias smiled at the comment.

"Perhaps, had my life gone differently, I would have become a prosecutor before my thirties," he admitted. However, I doubt the thought would have crossed my mind if I was never an Inquisitor… he added mentally.

"Perhaps this is for the better. A lot of young Prosecutors tend to allow the title to go to their head, especially if they're the next prodigy," Edgeworth said with a small chuckle, shaking his head as he lead his new companion out of the airport and to his car.

"Forgive if I'm wrong, Chief Prosecutor, but weren't you once a young 'prodigy?'" Barnham asked, remembering all he had learned about the man. Edgeworth simply shrugged, shaking his head once more.

"Indeed, but I learned that the role of a prosecutor went much… deeper then just getting a guilty verdict," he explained, causing Barnham to nod in understanding. They reached a cherry red sports car, which Miles popped the trunk to, allowing Zacharias to put his suitcase and carry on in, before they both climbed into the front.

"Prosecutor Barnham?" Miles asked after a while.

"Hm?"

"If you don't mind me asking, why did it take so long for you to get your Prosecutor's Badge?"

"Ah. You see, after my parents passed away, I dropped off the grid for a while," Zacharias began.

"Yes, I noticed that. Eleven years, in fact."

"Yes. Eleven… very long years. I didn't come back until I was already twenty-six years old. I attempted other jobs, such as baking, but nothing made me happy. None of those jobs felt like… my calling. So, at the age of thirty, I decided to try to become a prosecutor, but it took them another year until my background check could be finished, considering my disappearing act. Finally, though, I was able to enter law school, where it took me another five years to gain my badge, considering I was also supporting myself at the time," he explained. Miles nodded in understanding.

"That makes sense," he said softly, having more then enough experience in disappearing acts and becoming orphaned. The two fell into a companionable quiet, Zacharias watching the world outside his window as he tried to get a feel for his new home, Miles focusing on the road and silently digesting this new information.

It came to an end, however, as Miles pulled up to an apartment building.

"You are in unit 32B. Here is your key," he said, handing the key over. "It's already furnished, and the first month is paid by the PIC. Do you drive?"

"Yes."

"Then tomorrow, we will go rent you a car before work, and you can follow me to the Prosecutor's Building. How does eight a.m. sound?"

"Perfect. I will see you then, Chief Prosecutor," Zacharias said, climbing out of the car and gathering his stuff from the trunk. With a wave of his hand, he entered the building, where he found his new home and the start of his new life – the third, to be exact.

…

A/N: I don't know why, but I see Zach and Miles becoming good friends.

Zach's story for before Labyrinthia and Labrelum Inc. was my own creation. His parents died in a tragic car accident when he was fifteen, and after a week in a foster home, he ran away. Labrelum Inc. found him and offered him a chance at a new life, wanting to see how everything would affect a young mind just coming into it (rather then being born into it). He was missing for eleven years.

Hm… can't think of anything else to put here, but I kind of really want to go play my video games, so… the next chapter probably won't be up until tomorrow. Until then, bye!