Just a little chapter filler. I'm really sorry that I haven't been updating! School is such a burden. It'll probably be like this for the remainder of the fic...

I lurve Pearly. She's so cute! Anyway, enjoy the chapter. Please don't forget to review! :D


Pearl took a deep breath. She hoped Phoenix wouldn't hear her. There was a big chance he wouldn't, as he was completely engrossed in the questioning of the young boy, his namesake, Phoenix DeLite. So Pearl slipped out of her seat and headed out the door without making any noise.

She watched the cars pass by, not very sure of what to do. It has been, what, seven years since she last saw this place? And Pearl had been so busy with her spiritual training that she didn't have time to visit. Pearl turned to one of the bailiffs. "Excuse me, sir," she said in that polite tone of hers.

The bailiff saluted her. "What can I do for you, young lady?" he asked Pearl.

"Um, how do you get to the hospital…?" she asked. "I need to get there. Please tell me; I can walk there by myself."

The bailiff smiled at her. "It's raining. It's not good to be exposed to rain. There's a better way," he replied. "Tell me, do you have money?" Pearl nodded. "You can hail a cab." The look of puzzlement on Pearl's face gave her away. "You don't know what a cab is? Well, it's a car driven by someone, and if you pay them, they'll drive you to that place."

"Ah, I see," Pearl said. "How much does it cost?"

"Well, it depends on the distance," the bailiff replied. "If you want to get to the hospital, that's around…" the bailiff did the math. "Three dollars," he said. "Do you have three dollars?" he asked. Pearl took out her purse and nodded. "Come, I'll teach you how to hail a cab." He did, and in a matter of two minutes, Pearl was safely seated in the back seat of the cab.

"Give me your money," he said. Pearl reluctantly handed him the three dollars. "Now where do you want to go?" asked the driver.

"The hospital, please," Pearl replied. The driver gave her a brief nod and started driving. Pearl stared out the window and watched the raindrops race down the window. They seemed a lot like the tears of the sister she barely knew…

Pearl thought about Iris everyday, wondering about who she really was. It had been seven, eight years since she last saw her. And during that time, her aunt was murdered, so she barely got to know anything about Iris. She had asked Maya, but all she said about Iris was that she was her half-sister.

Pearl checked the plastic watch Maya bought her for her birthday. It was one-thirty. She decided that after she visited Maya, she would go to the detention center and pay a visit to her mother, as well as Iris. Pearl checked her purse. She had seven dollars left.

"We're here," the driver said, pulling over.


"Thank you," Pearl replied. But before she stepped off the cab, she said, "Um, Mr. Driver, this will take only thirty minutes, I promise. Please wait for me. I want to go to the detention center before going back to the courthouse." The driver considered this for a moment and nodded.

"Very well. The waiting will be one dollar, the trip to the detention center from the hospital will be four dollars, and the trip from the detention center to the courthouse will be two dollars. Hey, kid, you got seven dollars?" he asked. Pearl nodded. "Fork 'em over."

Pearl looked at him skeptically. "How do I know you're not going to leave me?"

"I don't cheat on my customers, kid," the driver replied. Everything suddenly turned dark, and three psyche-locks appeared. Pearl drew in a sharp breath and rubbed her Magatama, which was charged with spiritual energy. I shouldn't trust him, Pearl thought.

"I'll give you the seven dollars after you drive me back to the courthouse," Pearl argued. "Deal or no deal?"

The driver sighed. "Fine, it's a deal," he said grumpily.


Pearl burst through the door. "Mystic Maya!" she exclaimed. She wrapped her arms around Maya's thin waist.

"Pearly!" Maya said breathlessly. She hugged her cousin back while the nurse watched them disapprovingly. "What are you doing here? Aren't you supposed to be in the courthouse with Nick, Apollo and Trucy?" she asked. Pearl shrugged and waved it off.

"How are you, Mystic Maya?" she asked. "Are you okay? Can you remember anything?"

"I guess I'm all right, Pearly," Maya answered. "But I'm sorry… I can't remember anything yet. The doctor says it will come to me, though, saying it's only 'temporary' and that it'll come to me all of a sudden." Maya said, shrugging. Pearl giggled.

"I'm glad you're okay, Mystic Maya," Pearl replied.

The nurse spoke up. "Oh, she's not in the clear yet," the nurse said. "There's gossip that when Maya remembers what happened, she'll be a witness in the trial." Pearl gaped in shock. Maya gasped, and all the memories of that trial flooded back to her.

"N-No, Nick…! P-Please don't!"

"M…Maya…"

"I… I heard the whole thing. From my sister… In the medical office…! That's why! That's why… I have to protect Mr. Godot…" Phoenix stayed silent. Maya continued talking. "I can't do it… I can't testify against him…" she gulped. "…After all, he's the man who put his life on the line to protect Mia… and me, too!"

"Maya… I know that!"

"N-Nick…"

"But even so… it doesn't absolve him of his crime!" Phoenix exclaimed. "…Please, Maya. Testify."

"But… but what if Mystic Maya won't be able to remember anything at all by the time the trial finishes?" Pearl asked worriedly. The nurse considered this for a moment. Please! Information! Details! Maya urged silently. Much to Maya's displeasure, the nurse shrugged.

"I'm afraid I don't know," she replied. "They didn't say anything else."

"Oh… I see…" Pearl said, disheartened. Suddenly, the door was shoved open, revealing a guy in a white lab coat. Maya jumped, Pearl screamed—much to Pearl's dismay, as screaming was for babies—and the nurse…

"DOCTOR!" the nurse shrieked louder than Pearl had. "You could've given the patient a heart attack!" Pearl spun around. The guy looked weird. He had pink hair and was wearing a set of brown pajamas underneath the lab coat. "…Oh. It's just you." The nurse spat. "Why don't you go back to your own room, 'Director'?"

The guy walked over to Maya like a person who just had a bit too much wine. "Hm…" he said, putting both of his hands on Maya's face. "Very attractive, I must say…" Maya scowled and backed away. Pearl followed her example. After all, this guy was a creep.

But the guy went closer. Maya screamed. "EEEK!" she shrieked. "You-you-you… you pervert!"

"STOP IT! You're scaring the patient," the nurse said. She grabbed both of his shoulders and steadied him. She whispered to Pearl, "Now would be a good time to leave, Ms. Fey." Pearl nodded, waved goodbye to her cousin and scampered out of the door.


When she stepped outside, she realized two things: the rain had stopped and the driver was there, waiting for her. He was scowling. "Follow me," he mumbled just loud enough for Pearl to hear. Pearl reluctantly followed. The driver pulled the door open. "Get in. Now." Pearl obeyed. The driver slammed the door shut and got in the driver's seat.

Pearl remembered the freaky face of the fake director. And that word Maya used: per-vert…? What is a pervert? Pearl decided she will ask someone later. Should I ask Mr. Nick or Mr. Edgeworth? Pearl asked herself. After a few minutes of thinking and considering, she decided to pick Edgeworth. After all, being the cravat-wearing prosecutor he is, he must know a lot of big words.

Just as the detention center came into view, the driver pulled over. "Get. Out," he said, gritting his teeth.

Pearl opened the door and stepped out into the sidewalk. To make sure the driver won't leave her, she took the seven dollars out of her purse and waved it at him. The driver's eyes followed the money as it moved from side to side. Pearl kept the dollars and snuck a glance at the driver. The driver nodded, understanding.

Pearl strode over to the entrance and into the information center. "Excuse me," she said to the lady behind the counter. "I'd like to see my mother."

The lady smiled at her, having recognized her from her previous visits to the detention center. She studied Pearl. "My goodness, Pearl, you've grown taller—and prettier, of course, since I last saw you. And about your mother… I regret to inform you, but she… she died last winter. I'm sorry, darling." Pearl bowed her head.

"Oh, okay…" she said, letting the tears stream down her cheeks. Though Morgan had tried to get Maya killed in many occasions, Pearl couldn't help but cry. This woman, Morgan Fey, had been a criminal, of course, but she was still her mother. "I… you see… I also came to visit Sister Iris Fey."

The lady checked her records. "Very well. Pearl, I assume you know where to go?" she asked. Pearl nodded. "The visitor's center is over there," she pointed to the door to her left. "I'll have the guard bring her out of her cell. Have a nice visit, Pearl."

"Thank you," Pearl replied. She proceeded to the visitor's center and sat down on the chair provided for her.

Minutes later, a dark-haired woman with two braids sitting on top of her head appeared. "Oh! I know you!" Iris exclaimed. "You're Pearl, aren't you?" Pearl nodded. Iris sighed. "I'm sorry. About Mother, I mean. She died last winter. I saw it all happen. I couldn't stop her, and…" Iris's eyes filled with tears.

"It's all right," Pearl replied. "What happened anyway?"

"The prisoners, including me, were called to line up in the hallway for a medical check-up. I was behind Mother. Suddenly, she clutched her chest…" Iris wiped her eyes, "…and crumpled to the floor. I couldn't stop her… I tried to, but then… it was too late. Mother… Mother was gone." Pearl swallowed and nodded for her to go on. But that was all Iris had to say. A silence settled between them until Iris broke it by asking, "So how's Fee—Mr. Wright?"

"Fine," Pearl said. "So… um… Sister Iris… do you still love Mr. Nick?" she asked sadly. Pearl secretly hoped that Iris did not love Phoenix, but she knew that was not the case. Iris considered this, and nodded. Pearl opened her mouth to say something, but Iris cut her off.

"To be honest… I'm really jealous of Mystic Maya. She's always with Mr. Wright. It makes me wish… that I was her," Iris admitted. "I mean, it's really clear that Mr. Wright cares for her. And me…? I'm sure he hadn't thought about me a single time these past years. H-He didn't even visit."

Pearl bowed her head. "Mr. Nick was busy, you see. He lost his attorney's badge," she said in a shaky voice. "And he was busy… trying to find the truth about what really happened." Iris nodded.

"I heard," Iris said briefly. She shifted uncomfortably in her chair. "I-I… I guess I'll be seeing you, Pearl."

"You too, Sister Iris," Pearl replied. "I promise I'll visit again soon."

"Pearl… can you promise me something?

"Sure. What is it?"

"Can you promise me that the next time you come… you'll bring Fee—Mr. Wright with you. Please…?" Iris asked.

Pearl smiled a little. "Okay."