Disclaimer: I do not own Phoenix Wright in any way. Nor do i own The Hazards of Love by The Decemberists, which is where the title of this fic has been taken.
A/n: This is a vague idea i had many months ago and decided to put up. There will be seven 'chapters' and an epilogue.
4) Saviour
"I may need your help."
Iris sighs quietly at the all too familiar words. Dahlia starts more and more conversations with that sentence these days. She can't remember the last time Dahlia visited her, simply to talk to her.
(Never, a part of Iris whispers)
"What's happened?" she asks.
"I had to give the necklace away."
Iris stares at her twin's calm face. To an outsider, her tone would suggest that she was mildly irritated at having lost a piece of jewellery. But Iris knows her sister well enough to see the anger, and even panic, in her eyes. She can understand why. That necklace was important.
"Why?"
"The lawyer was getting too close to the truth."
Realisation strikes Iris. "That necklace had ... oh, Dahlia," she says, heartbroken. "Please tell me you didn't k-"
"I had to. There was nothing else I could have done."
Part of Iris wants to shout at her sister. Part of her wants to ask her why she can't try to get out of these situations peacefully. But she doesn't because she knows her sister is damaged and hurt, and will never listen to her.
(Iris knows being peaceful doesn't work either. When she closes her eyes at night, she sees the faces of Terry Fawles and Valerie Hawthorne. She never met them. She did nothing to them. And because of that, she knows that she killed them just as much as Dahlia did)
"I will pray for him," she replies. It's the closest to a reprimand that she can manage.
Dahlia shrugs, indicating that this is of no concern to her. "I had to get rid of that necklace quickly. But that boy I gave it to ... he might get too close to the truth." She scowls for a moment. "I can't move freely enough, not with this police investigation. I need to get rid of him."
Iris' mind spins. It feels wrong to sit in a temple and talk so casually about murder. Dahlia doesn't seem worried about it but Dahlia never seems to worry about these sorts of things. That's Iris' job.
"But all you need is that necklace..."
"Yes, but how can I get it quickly enough without the police noticing? No, Iris, I'll have to do it this way."
Iris looks at her sweet-faced sister. Her sister who has so many sins staining her soul. It occurs to her that Dahlia only has one confidante left. And maybe people who help Dahlia do seem to end up dead, but Iris doesn't care. She needs to help her.
Her mind flickers to the unknown boy – the one with Dahlia's necklace. He'll be sitting somewhere, thinking about the girl who gave him this present, and not realise that his days are limited. Even though she can justify letting Valerie Hawthorne and Terry Fawles die, because she was never truly involved –
(She will never be able to justify it. Never)
- she can't let Dahlia kill this stranger. She can't let him die. And she can't let her twin have yet another crime to answer for. For a brief second, she contemplates refusing to help; but she can't betray Dahlia again. She can't simply abandon her.
(Because if Iris does, Dahlia will be alone. There will be no one left to pray for her)
The question is, how can she save them? She is no cunning plotter or planner.
"How did you get the necklace to him?" she asks.
"Oh, I met him in the basement. Pretended it was a sign of my love." The scorn in Dahlia's voice makes Iris flinch. "I even made a date with him for tomorrow. That's when I'll have to do it."
Suddenly, the answer is there. "Let me do it!" Iris exclaims.
For one second, Dahlia loses her composure and looks more like the sister Iris remembers, as she stares at her in shock. "You want to kill him?"
Iris blushes. "N-no," she stammers, appalled at the idea. "Let me get the necklace off him for you. If I can, you'll be in less trouble."
(If she can, she'll have saved three people)
"How would you?"
"I'll pretend to be you. I'll meet him and ask him for it back. I'll keep trying to get it back off him. Please, let me do it."
Dahlia considers it for a moment. "You would have to be quick. This is urgent, Iris."
"I know."
Dahlia nods. "Even you can't mess this up, I suppose. You do it your way then." She seems slightly amused. "You're meeting him outside the university at four in the afternoon. His name's Phoenix Wright. You'll recognise him by the stupid, spiky haircut and the goofy smile. He's an art student."
"Thank you," Iris answers.
"And just remember – if I have to act, I will."
Iris tries to remain calm as she nods. "I'll get it back."
Dahlia looks at her watch. "I'll leave you then. Goodbye, Iris."
Iris moves forward to give her a hug but Dahlia remains unresponsive so she lets her arms drop to her sides. "I'll see you soon," she says instead. "I love you."
Dahlia nods. She never tells Iris she loves her when she's stressed.
(Iris wonders whether Dahlia loves her at all)
Once Dahlia is gone, Iris tries to think of a plan. How can she get this necklace off this boy – Phoenix – quickly? She isn't used to people: only those who visit the temple and the occasional conversation in the city.
How would Dahlia do it, normally?
Iris smiles. She has a plan. If Dahlia is the one Phoenix is expecting to see then Iris will simply have to become Dahlia. If she thinks and acts like Dahlia, she should be able to get the necklace back quickly. Dahlia never fails. And this plan won't either.
After all, who would know Dahlia Hawthorne better than her own sister?
