Happy Phoenix/Maya day!...Well technically it's not till the 5th but still, I wanted to upload this oneshot early or right on the dot.
I got this idea after listening to a few Ace Attorney music boxes. I love music boxes but sadly they seem like a dying art form.
But anyways I want to as usual thank Gnobo because he not only edit this for me but he also but his blood, sweat, and tears into it just like me.
Disclaimer: I don't own Ace Attorney or the characters. This is just a fanfic made by a fan.
After a long day at Gatewater Land, Phoenix, Maya and Pearl returned to Wright and Co. Law Offices exhausted from all the fun they had together. Pearl was constantly swooning over Phoenix and Maya spending time together like a couple, and as the day got late, she was starting to nod off to sleep. Fortunately she had enough energy to walk home with Phoenix and Maya. She wanted to make every moment with them count.
"Nick, I forgot about something." said Maya.
Phoenix was confused as they walked the stairs to his office/apartment. "Hmmm, what is it Maya? You didn't forget anything at the park did you?"
Maya giggled, "No, I forgot to thank you for keeping your promise about taking me and Pearly on a boat ride."
Pearl was having countless fantasies of Phoenix and Maya together in perfect happiness. She blushed as all of these wonderful dreams flew through her little head. "Mr. Nick is amazing!" He would be the perfect husband for you, because you two will find everlasting happiness together!"
Maya's cheeks quickly turned red, "Oh Pearly! It's alright, I'll be fine either way!" She said frantically.
Phoenix smiled as he walked up the last set of stairs. Regardless of the Pearly's innocent dreams, he was happy and slightly amused. If it were possible, he wouldn't mind living a quiet, peaceful life with Maya and Pearl, where they will all be safe from harm. He thought of going back to Iris in the past, but he still felt uneasy because of past events that happened between him and her during his college years.
When they finally got to the entrance of Wright and Co., Phoenix spotted something in front of his door.
"Hmmm? A package?" He said to himself out loud.
Maya and Pearl finally caught up, "Huh? Whatcha got there Nick?"
"I'm not sure." Phoenix could pick up the plain package with one hand. When he tilted it he felt whatever was inside it move a little against some objects cushioning it. He looked at the label on the package, and found that the sender was anonymous.
Maya and Pearl got a quick glimpse at the package with curious looks on their faces as Phoenix grabbed his keys and unlocked the door.
"It doesn't look like much," Maya said with a little bit of curiosity.
Phoenix walked into the apartment with his mind focused on the package while Maya was close behind him.
"I'm going to use the bathroom first, alright?" said Maya as she scurried into the bathroom.
"Alright." Phoenix said as he went into his bedroom looking for something to open the package with.
As sleep was overcoming the little girl, Pearl yawned and finally laid down on one of the couches in the office. As she slowly drifted into sleep, she thought of how much more alone time Phoenix and Maya would have together now that she's asleep. However, Phoenix sat on his bed with a lamp on, wondering who would send him a package anyway. Even though he had friends, most weren't very generous. Still, he wanted to open it and try to remember in the back of his mind if he had a package-opening knife around the office.
Then it came to him that there was probably one in one of the desk drawers. So he left the comfort of his bedroom to see if he was right. When he got there, he saw the desk clean for once, a lovely night sky, Charley the plant, and Pearl, fast asleep on one of the couches.
Phoenix gasped for a moment and quickly placed the package down on the desk and fetched blanket for Pearl. He felt bad because he felt like he wasn't being a good father figure for Pearl, but he tried his best. He also had to admit that Pearl was a bit more mature than most children out there.
He grabbed an extra blanket out of the closet and tried to place it on the little girl lightly so he wouldn't wake her up. "Goodnight Pearls," he whispered.
He went through one of the drawers of the desk and past the pens, crumbled up pieces of paper, and pictures of Mia, Maya, and Pearl, he found a slightly rusty package-opening knife.
"And now for the moment of truth."
Phoenix gripped the knife in his hand and tore the line of tape closing the box. When he opened it he noticed something that faintly shined under all the Styrofoam peanuts. He grabbed the object with one hand and noticed it was light but at the same time seemed to have something hard inside it.
"A box?"
The box was pretty, having sparkles of different shades of purple. The box had a lid on top and he thought it was a jewelry box. He opened it, wanting to see what was inside, only to see tiny metal bars playing a gentle tune that reminded him of someone for some strange reason. He blinked a few times, not expecting a lovely tune to fill his ears and make him feel something. Pearls was also feeling something since she gave a dreamy sigh in her sleep.
Knowing the music box made Pearl feel relaxed, he placed it down on the desk, and was about to dispose of the cardboard box filled with Styrofoam peanuts but he noticed a piece of paper inside.
"A note!"
Perhaps this note will finally give an answer as to who sent the music box. When he unfolded the paper he found small but fancy hand writing.
Good evening Wright, it's been awhile. Even though there is no special occasion I hope you and the Fey girls will enjoy this little trinket that plays a soothing melody. In truth I didn't send this on a whim. I received it as an anonymous gift and didn't find it all that intriguing, but one day...A familiar looking "ghost" came to me and suggested I deliver it to you and the Fey girls as a gift. You probably didn't expect me to be the sender of this package, but I didn't feel like making a fancy delivery so I asked my "faithful servant" to send the music box and this note.
~Miles Edgeworth
"Edgeworth? And he said that a ghost told him to deliver this, how weird."
Then, it hit him! Faster than the rollercoaster at GateWater Land.
"Could it be-"
"Hello Phoenix." Said a familiar voice behind him.
"...Mia!" Phoenix turned around to see her old mentor in Maya's body, it turns out Maya was in her purple strip pajamas and her hair was untied.
"I see you've already gotten my gift."
"So...you were the one who told Edgeworth to give this to me?" Phoenix asked in surprise. "Why?"
"Think of this as me saying...thank you." Mia said with a smile on her face.
"For what?"
"For everything! For all that you've done for my little sister all the years you two have been together. It means a lot to me that you've gone to such lengths to keep her safe while I've been gone."
All the memories suddenly came flooding back to him. Memories of when he first met Maya and proved her innocence in the murder of her sister, of when he acquitted her again of murder just months later, and when he even crossed a burning bridge for her.
"Another reason I give this to you is because...let's face it, it will be hard for you two to be together for long." Mia said with regret.
Phoenix could feel himself fighting tears. Even he knew that fact too.
"She will be taking on a huge responsibility as the Master of Kurain Village, yet at the same time, she would rather stay here with you. Eventually, she will have to choose to stay in Kurain. So I'm giving this to you as a reminder of everything you've done for her, and how much she's meant to you over the past few years."
"...Oh Chief!" Phoenix was in tears as he wrapped his arms around Mia.
Mia pat Phoenix on the back, but just then she left Maya's body. When Maya came to herself again, she was confused about what happened and why Phoenix was giving her a bone-crushing hug.
"N-Nick, what happened? I blanked out after I finished brushing my teeth."
Phoenix stopped hugging Maya and saw her confused face.
"You're crying Nick, why?" Maya said in shock. "Did...did Dahlia come out of me again?"
Phoenix frantically wiped the tears from his face, but he honestly felt like crying again after thinking about what Maya just asked. "No-no! It's alright Maya, it's just that Edgeworth...a-and Mia. I-it's a long story."
Maya looked at the music box on the desk. "And I bet it starts with that box," she surmised.
Maya walked towards the box and lifted the lid, then the box started playing its soothing theme again.
"It does," Phoenix said as he quickly recounted everything that happened just several minutes ago. "Edgeworth sent that music box to us. He said it was because of a whim from a ghost who told him to send it, and then I realized that the ghost he was talking about was Mia, and then Mia suddenly showed up and-"
Maya pressed her fingers against Phoenix's lips. "Shhh! Shhh! Shhh! Quiet Nick! Pearly is asleep," she whispered frantically.
"Oops! Sorry!" He whispered back.
"I bet Pearly is covering her ears under that blanket," Maya thought.
Pearl had actually woken up after Phoenix started crying. She thought she was dreaming, but if she was, then Phoenix would be happy.
"I always knew that they were meant to be!" The little girl mused to herself under her blanket. "But I don't want to ruin this special moment for them."
"Boy, I owe Pearls a dozen ice cream cones for being irresponsible and inconsiderate," Phoenix thought.
"So Nick," Maya whispered to Phoenix. "What happened after my sister showed up?"
As he took a deep breath, he went on about what happened between him and Mia. "Well, after Mia showed up, she explained to me that she gave me the music box as a means to thank me for everything I've done for you."
"For all the times you've saved me, like the goofy knight in shining armor that you are?" Maya said while smiling. "I think that deserves at least a lot of brownie points, don't you think?"
"Yeah." Phoenix chuckled. "And she also told me that she got this because...because..."
"Um Nick, you're putting me a little on the edge of my seat, what is it?" Maya asked.
Phoenix was trying his best again not to cry, "...Because...there might come a time where we might not see other...for a while."
Maya gasped. "W-why's that?"
"...Because of your duties as Master of Kurain Village."
Maya felt sad as she thought of her big responsibility to her village, and what it would mean for her and her time with Phoenix.
"I wish it didn't have to come to this, but I guess I don't have much of a choice." Maya sighed. "Honestly, I would rather stay here with you, but I know I have to watch over all the other mediums in Kurain.
"So does that mean we can't see other then?" Phoenix asked despairingly.
"I'm not sure...but what I am sure of is that I'll do everything I can so we can still see each other. Our bonds are strong, and I believe we can find a way."
Phoenix was seeing another moment where Maya was being much more mature than she usually shows herself off to be. Edgeworth was the first to catch on to this side of her, and now Phoenix was seeing more of that for himself.
"Thank you, Maya...Thank you for always being that shining glimmer of hope whenever I feel like everything is lost. I don't know where I would be without you!"
Maya giggled. "And I don't know where I would be without you Nick!"
The two hugged each other warmly as they were both smiled from ear to ear.
7 years later
Phoenix Wright, penniless and no longer the ace attorney he once was, was sitting bored out of his wits over his old, cluttered, office desk.
Trucy came over next to him, "Daddy?" She asked. "Is something wrong?"
"Nothing," sighed Phoenix. "I was just...thinking of someone."
"Really? Who?"
"Someone very important and to me...Nevermind."
As Trucy gave a confused look to her father, she also happened to notice a strange, shining little box on his desk underneath all the clutter.
"What's this?" She asked as she turned it over and examined it. "Is this some sort of magic box?"
As Phoenix looked over the box Trucy was looking at, all the memories came flooding back to him again. "This is a music box that I received years ago, before I met you."
He opened the lid up for Trucy, and they both listened to the soothing melody that played from it.
"Oooo! It's pretty!" Trucy said in awe.
Trucy held the music box in her hands and watched the metal bars play the song. "What is the song called?" She asked.
"...Turnabout Sisters." Phoenix put simply.
"Turnabout?...That means the song has something to do with court. Hey Polly, we should figure out the mystery of the music box," Trucy said with a bright smile.
Apollo was sitting on the couch minding his own business, reading a book about evidence law. His heart nearly stopped when Trucy asked such a question since he didn't want to solve another one of Trucy's wacky mysteries after the missing panties incident.
"W-What?" He asked.
Trucy placed her hands on her hips. "Don't 'What?' me. You need to help me figure out the mystery of this music box because Daddy won't tell me about this 'special someone' of his."
Apollo was confused. "What does this mystery person have to do with that music box?"
Trucy put her finger against her lips and winked at Apollo, she could tell by the way Phoenix was reacting.
"Um, Mr. Wright?" Apollo asked. "So why can't you tell any of us about this, 'special someone?'"
"Must you know everything about what's happened in my past?" Phoenix replied. "Maybe it's something that you shouldn't know about...not yet."
"Well, can you at least tell us what this person was like?"
"Was this person like a sister to you?" Trucy asked.
"Not exactly so." Phoenix said with a slight smile. "She felt a little...closer than that."
Trucy gasped when she heard this, and she felt her heart nearly skip a beat. She was thinking that this person could be her future Mommy!
"Oooo! Can we please meet her Daddy? Pretty please!" Trucy said as she bounced in excitement.
"In time, Trucy. Like I've said, the time isn't right yet to meet her." Phoenix said. "But don't worry, I'll take you to the village soon, I'm sure of that."
"Village?" Trucy wondered.
"Yes. Now if you'll excuse me, Trucy, I have a...package, to deliver." Phoenix said as he looked for an empty box to put the music box in."
A few days later
Maya Fey, after a long day of training the younger mediums, was heading back to the mansion when she had found a cardboard box lying by the doorstep.
"A package for me?" She asked herself as she picked it up and tilted the package slightly. She could hear a small object moving inside while it's cushioned by other smaller objects.
She looked at the label, and it was strangely anonymous.
"Hmmm, I'm getting some strange deja vu for some reason." She said as she used the edge of her sword cane to carefully cut open the box.
She opened the box, went through the Styrofoam peanuts inside and found a small note inside.
Hey, I just wanted to send this back to you. I know the day you left we fought over who should keep the music box and I finally gave in when you said that I should keep it so I never forgot you. But the music the box plays represents you and Mia so I think it's better suited for you. Don't worry, I won't forget you, I missed you so much and I think I'm missing you too much. But I know we'll meet again, I'll make sure a miracle happens again. This I promise you Maya.
Sincerely, Nick.
"...N-Nick?" Maya felt her heart beating faster as she thought of the only person she ever called that name.
And as she looked down from the note, she saw something glimmering with shades of purple, something that she thought she would never see again in such a long time...a music box. She opened it up again and the soothing turnabout sisters ballad filled her eyes which made her smile from nostalgia.
"Thank you so much, Nick." Maya said. "But now I wish I could send you something special too, besides all those Steel Samurai DVDs."
Maya thought about it for a moment, and then she finally had an idea that she would consider foolproof. "I got it! I can make another drawing for Nick! And this time he'll actually be able to see it."
Maya skipped back to Fey Manor, got an idea that she could draw a magatama with Phoenix's spikey hair mixed together. Then he would be considered an honorary member of the Fey clan.
Ok...This was less romantic than I thought it would be but I guess I should make something that would appeal to P/M fans who like the pairing romantically or platonically.
And we Phoenix/Maya fans should rejoice because of Professor Layton vs. Phoenix Wright getting an official release. Yes! More Phoenix and Maya action!