A/N- This story is based on a discussion I had with some friends about Dahlia's motivations and by the end of it, we had come to some interesting conclusions which I then incorporated into this fic. For the sake of this story, I will simply list these assumptions so that you understand the context of this fic. As I mentioned, I actually did not pull these conclusions out of thin air and I do have a logical argument for them, but this not the place for debating character motivations. This is the place for writing about them.
1) Despite Dahlia's words, she not did not suggest leaving her sister behind and was actually very upset by this.
2) The fake kidnapping was never about revenge for Morgan's sake, but revenge for Dahlia's own sake for the pain she endured once she was separated from her sister.
3) Dahlia did not start out the way she is portrayed in the game, but developed into that over time. The majority of this development occurs after Iris is given away.
I'll stop babbling now. Thanks for you patience. I hope you enjoy the story and please let me know what you think.
Special thanks to Xero Wright and Franzise Deauxnim for proofing this story.
Disclaimer: I do not own Phoenix Wright in any way, shape, or form.
Dahlia's eyes darted back and forth nervously as her father stopped the car beside a huge temple. Iris's head rested against Dahlia as she slept soundly, exhausted from the long drive. It was barely seven in the morning when their father, a tall red-headed man with stern features, had woken them both up and put them in the car without a word of explanation. Although Dahlia couldn't be sure how long they had been traveling, she was certain it had to have been a few hours. It certainly felt like they had been traveling forever in that silent car. Dahlia was very aware that the last time their father had done something like this, she and Iris had been dragged away from their home to live with strangers who barely tolerated them.
"You two stay here. I don't want to have to go searching for you kids," Hawthorne snapped at the girls without looking at them as he got out of the car. With that said he walked quickly up the path to the Main Hall, leaving Dahlia and Iris alone.
Dahlia watched their father walk away for a couple minutes before turning her attention back to her sleeping sister. Tapping her black-haired twin on the shoulder softly, Dahlia whispered, "Iris, wake up. I think we're here."
Iris stirred at her sister's voice, wincing as her tired eyes quickly tried to adjust to bright sunlight coming through the car's window. "Really?" Iris asked as she straightened up to look out the window. Gasping happily at the beauty of their surroundings in the lovely spring light, Iris eyes lit up as she spoke excitedly, "Look at this place, Dahlia. It's so pretty. I'll bet we'll have a lot of fun here." When Dahlia didn't respond, Iris turned to face her sister. Noting the distant expression on her sister's face, Iris asked, "Dahlia, what's wrong?"
Not wanting to alarm Iris without a solid reason, Dahlia turned her head and stared out the window. "Don't you think it's strange that Father still hasn't told us why we're here?" she asked cautiously.
Ever the optimist, Iris just shrugged her shoulders and smiled. "He probably just has something really special planned. I can't wait to find out!"
Dahlia smiled broadly, finding Iris's enthusiasm contagious as she always did. No matter how bad the situation, Iris was always able to see the good in everything and everyone, and then share that view with her sister. Things never seemed as harsh after Iris was done with them. Pushing her worries aside, Dahlia agreed, "Yeah, you're probably right." Smiling mischievously at her sister, Dahlia opened up the car door and then tapped Iris's shoulder as she yelled, "Tag!" Dahlia jumped out the open car door and raced off, leaving behind a temporarily confused Iris.
Quickly catching on, Iris jumped out the open door as well and took off in pursuit of her sister, who now had a decent lead on her. In her attempt to close the gap between them, Iris failed to see the small hole, which was well hidden by grass and flowers, causing her to fall to the ground.
Having heard her sister cry out, Dahlia spun around and her eyes quickly scanned the area for Iris. Spotting her sister on the ground not far away, Dahlia broke into a run to get to her as quickly as possible. "Are you okay?" she asked anxiously when she reached Iris, trying to catch her breath as she knelt beside her twin. Noticing the tears in Iris's eyes, Dahlia spoke again softly, "Where are you hurt?"
"I... I scraped my knee," Iris mumbled as the tears started to show. The wound wasn't bad, and already the pain in her leg had begun to fade. Looking up at Dahlia for the first time, Iris noticed the worry in her sister's eyes and quickly tried to comfort her. "I'm okay now." Seeing the doubt still present in her twin's eyes, Iris wiped the tears from her face and smiled. "I'm really alright. I promise."
"If you say so..." Dahlia said, her voice still tinged with worry. "Do you need anything?"
Iris started to shake her head, but then stopped herself. Tentatively, Iris asked, "Could we just sit for few minutes? I'm a little tired anyway." When Dahlia nodded her consent, Iris started to pick a few of the pretty wild flowers around her.
Dahlia watched intently as Iris began to expertly tie the flowers she had picked together, being very careful not to knock the tops off. "What are you doing?" Dahlia asked curiously, leaning over to get a better look.
"I'm making something," Iris reported brightly, her attention still completely focused on the rapidly growing flower chain.
As she rolled her eyes at Iris's response, a small amount of annoyance appeared in Dahlia's tone as she spoke. "I can see that... I meant, what are you making?"
"It's a surprise," Iris told her twin cheerfully. "It's almost done." Hearing her sister sigh heavily in response to that comment, Iris glanced up and smiled at Dahlia when she saw the sullen look on her twin's face. Knowing well that her sister hated waiting, Iris quickened her speed so that Dahlia would not have to wait much longer. A few more minutes passed in silence with Dahlia watching curiously as Iris continued to weave the flowers together. Finally, the chain was long enough and Iris tied the ends together so that it formed a large circle. "All done," she announced happily as she leaned forward to set the product of her work on Dahlia's head. "A beautiful flower crown for my beautiful sister."
A huge smile spread across Dahlia's face as she touched the small crown on her head. "It's perfect!" she cried happily, hugging her sister tightly. "I love it, Iris. Thank you!" As she released her sister, Dahlia turned her attention to the flowers around them and began to pick the prettiest that she could find. "I'm going to make one for you, too. That way we can both have pretty crowns," Dahlia said firmly as she attempted to weave the flowers together as Iris had just done. Much to Dahlia's surprise, making the crown was more difficult than she had anticipated. Her touch was a bit too rough and the flower tops kept falling off. Biting her lip in frustration, Dahlia continued to struggle with flowers, not wanting to have ask for help.
Iris watched her sister with concern for a couple minutes before speaking up. "Do you need help?" Iris asked softly. Dahlia paused for a second before finally accepting her sister's offer. Iris took a few of the flowers and then slowly weaved them together, making certain her sister could clearly see what she was doing. She handed it back over to Dahlia and said, "Now it's your turn."
Nodding silently, Dahlia moved very carefully, mimicking Iris's actions. A pleased smile crossed her face as the chain began to grow smoothly. The flower crown was about halfway done when she heard a voice calling for her and Iris coming from the direction of the Main Hall. Disappointment flooded through her as she recognized the voice as their father's.
Iris, who had heard the voice as well, turned to her sister. "Is that Father calling?" she asked innocently.
Sighing heavily, Dahlia placed the incomplete crown in her pocket, careful not to flatten or knock off the flowers. Grabbing a handful of the flowers, Dahlia stood up. "I think so. I'll have to finish your crown later. We should go, before Father gets angry with us."
Together the two girls dashed back to the Main Hall where their father was waiting impatiently for them beside a heavyset nun with kind eyes.
Hawthorne stepped forward when he saw them. "Where did you two go? What have I told you both about making me wait?" he demanded, his voice so low and harsh that it actually made both girls shudder. Seeing Iris shrink away from their father's anger, Dahlia took a protective step in front of her.
"Now, I'm not sure that is necessary," the nun's disapproving tone interrupted Hawthorne. Turning to Iris and Dahlia, the nun smiled comfortingly at them. "It's nice to meet you two. I'm Sister Bikini. What are your names?"
Dahlia tensed at Bikini's words, still confused by the situation. Knowing that Iris was still too frightened to talk, Dahlia spoke for both of them. "I'm Dahlia and this is my sister, Iris." Taking a step forward, Dahlia voice trembled a bit as she spoke again. "W-what do you want?"
Surprise crossed Bikini's face at Dahlia's question, quickly followed by anger as she spun to face Hawthorne. "You didn't tell them?" she cried furiously.
Bikini's reaction had confused Dahlia even more. Speaking up before her father could answer Bikini's accusation, Dahlia asked, "Didn't tell us what?"
Shooting his daughter a hard look, Hawthorne growled, "Children are to remain silent unless asked to speak. You would do well to remember that." Turning to Bikini, he lifted his head high and responded, "Of course I didn't tell them. I don't need my children's permission to act. They do as I tell them and that is it." The coldness in his eyes was so piercing that it made her take a step away from him. "Which one do you want?"
For the first time in a while, Bikini found herself at a loss for words. She stared at the man's face in a vain hope that she might find some hint of sadness or regret at having to leave a child behind. When he had come and requested that she take in one of his children, she had assumed that he had some pressing reason that he couldn't keep both girls, but now she was no longer sure. There was nothing present in his face or body language indicating the pain that he should have been feeling at a time like this. Realizing that Hawthorne had no intention of answering his daughter's question, Bikini took a deep breath to steady herself as she turned to face them. "Your father has asked that we raise one of you here. That is what we have been discussing." Bikini's stomach clenched in pity as she watched both girls' faces pale at the news.
"No!" Dahlia screamed in horror, her heart racing and her breathing quickening. The flowers clenched in her hand, which had been so important only a moment ago, dropped from her grip and fluttered to the ground. For a moment, Dahlia felt physically ill. Of all the things she had worried about, the possibility that they could be separated had simply never occurred to her. Glancing over at her sister, Dahlia saw that Iris had sunk to the ground with tears streaming from her worried eyes. Sitting down beside her sister, Dahlia wrapped her arms around her twin and clung to her tightly. Iris was quick to return the embrace. Still clinging tightly to her sister, Dahlia turned to look at the two adults, her eyes darting between them. "Please don't separate us! Please don't do this!" Dahlia turned her attention to her father, trying desperately to hold back the tears. "Is this because we went off to play? We're both sorry, Father. We'll never disobey you again. Please..." Dahlia's voice trailed off as the tears finally broke through and she dissolved into sobs.
"Please, Father," Iris whimpered, speaking for the first time. Tears streamed down her pretty face as she continued to plead with him. "We won't be any trouble. I promise!"
Snorting in disgust, Hawthorne grabbed Iris harshly and pulled her away from Dahlia. Turning to Bikini, he said, "If you won't choose... then I will. You can take this one." After setting Iris next to Bikini, he picked up Dahlia, who fought him vehemently, and started to carry her to the car only to be stopped by Bikini's voice.
Bikini could feel her heart breaking as she watched the scene. No longer able to tolerate the cruelty, she had cried out to stop Hawthorne from leaving with Dahlia. "There's no need to separate them like this, Mr. Hawthorne. I can take them both." Gesturing to the large area around them, she tried to smile, "There is plenty of room here and I could use the company. I promise that I'll take good care of them both."
For a second, Dahlia's hopes rose at the nun's offer. Not only would it allow her to remain with Iris, but they would both be free of their father. Dahlia stopped struggling temporarily as she turned her attention to try and talk with him, but Hawthorne spoke first.
"That's enough," Hawthorne said to Bikini, his eyes narrowing in annoyance. "I have made my decision, and this conversation is over." As he turned to leave, Dahlia began struggling again, but she was unable to escape her father's firm grip. Before anyone else could act, he had put Dahlia in the car. The last thing Dahlia heard before the door slammed shut on her was Iris screaming her name frantically.
Watching her sister through the back window, Dahlia could see her start to run after them only to be stopped by Bikini who pulled her close and held her protectively. Sinking into Bikini's soft embrace, Iris sobbed wildly as Bikini tried desperately to comfort the distraught girl. "Iris..." Dahlia whimpered, watching as the car pulled away and her sister disappeared from sight.
Dahlia's cries quickly grew on Hawthorne's nerves and glancing at her in the rear view mirror, he growled, "Shut up and sit down, or I'll really give you something to cry about! Stop acting like such a baby."
Scared by her father's anger, Dahlia fell silent, but in her mind she was still screaming for her sister. As she sat down, Dahlia felt something in her pocket squish. Suddenly remembering the half-finished flower crown she had been making for Iris, Dahlia reached into her pocket and stared at the now badly broken chain sadly. Burying her face in her hands, Dahlia sobbed in silent torment. What was she supposed to do now? Never before had she felt so alone.
--
The cold air cut through her as she waited on that rickety bridge for her step-sister to arrive with the final piece of the plan, bringing Dahlia back to the present day. With a firm shake of her head, she tried to banish those harsh memories from her mind, but found that she was unable to push them entirely aside. She couldn't understand why these thoughts continued to plague her even after all this time. No longer was she that pathetic little girl who needed her sister so badly. She relied on and trusted no one but herself. Others were simply tools to be used and discarded when they were no longer useful. Finally successfully forcing all thoughts of her sister from her mind; both past and present, Dahlia turned her attention back to plan at hand.
Tapping her foot impatiently as she waited, she fought to restrain her growing annoyance as the idiot by her side babbled all about his meaningless emotions and all his plans for their future. Taking a deep breath, she managed to keep her temper in check and smile sweetly at him. She'd be rid of him soon enough.
Spotting a shadowy figure by the end of the bridge, the forced innocent smile on Dahlia's faded into a satisfied smirk for just a second. Already knowing the identity of the stranger, she and Fawles moved forward to the newcomer.
"You brought it?" Dahlia demanded, crossing her arms over her chest.
Valerie Hawthorne nodded curtly. In her hand she held a small bag and as she handed it over to Dahlia, she said. "Of course I got it. Took me longer than I thought it would, though. Our father did not want to part with it, but he finally agreed."
Taking the large gem out of the bag, Dahlia felt a wave of satisfaction knowing that everything was going according to her plan. Dahlia knew well that her father would not mourn her 'death,' but he would be devastated to lose such a valuable gem. Money was the only thing her father had ever truly loved. "Of course he did," she muttered knowingly. "Father wouldn't want others to know that he valued this gem over his daughter's life." Running her hand over the gem, her satisfaction grew. Revenge was within her grasp now.
Tiring quickly of this game, Dahlia decided it was time to finish it. Shoving the gem back into the bag, Dahlia subtly nodded at Valerie and waited for her cue. Hearing the gun fire and Fawles cry out, Dahlia clutched the bag to her chest and jumped from the bridge without fear or remorse. As she fell, she thought to herself, "Just as you wished, I'm all grown up now, Father. All I am, I owe to you." Dahlia smirked as she continued to fall, disappearing into the darkness.