Author's notes: Man, the pressure point in chapter 7 is great for getting me to sleep quickly. Go placebo effect!
Disclaimer: I don't own Capcom, Ace Attorney, or any characters in any of the games
April 22 9:50 AM
Maya's room
Luckily for the cast, operation APearlo had somehow made Phoenix and Maya "disappear" to Athena's room. Everyone had finished their search, and started the 20-year timer. Maya then entered her room, along with Phoenix, Kay, Trucy, Athena, Pearl, and most importantly, Apollo.
Trucy, who didn't know about APearllo yet, was still shipping Phoenix X Maya. She decided catching up with her "mother" was the best move. "Daddy, new Mommy! How are you?" She asked, somewhat overjoyed. "I see you're finally together!"
"...!" Maya realised her hand was on Phoenix's shoulder.
Smash.
Phoenix heard the crippling sound of a psyche lock breaking, one of Maya's black ones. He cringed at the fact Maya may actually be in love with him, and that such a love was now one black psyche lock closer to fruition. (Nooo! Only two locks left before I'm fucked. Both literally and metaphorically. This is bad, to say the least.)
Pearl giggled at Trucy, signalling her to continue the onslaught. "Well, looks like I do have a new Mommy then, yay!" Trucy exclaimed, "I hope you have a great time with Daddy!"
(Knowing as Trucy is now a teenager, I don't think I want to know what that "great time" is...)
Athena then tried to distract Apollo, "hey, Pearl, can you show Apollo a channelling."
At this point, operation APearlo sprang into action.
"...! Oh, um, yeah." Pearl replied. Clay then saw Apollo in front of him, and they both bear hugged each-other. Clay then left Pearl's body, as Maya's channelling ability was strong enough to beat Pearl's tiny amount of remaining spiritual energy. Pearl continued the hug, and wrapped her shins around Apollo's knees to make up for the sudden height change.
She signalled a thumbs up and smiled at Phoenix to say the plan had succeeded. Apollo then realised he was duped into hugging Pearl. His face went redder than his suit, and his eyes were almost as wide as Maya's dinner plate... Only almost, though. Nothing short of a moon or planet can be wider than Maya's dinner plate. His face went even redder at Pearl kissing him.
Clay, who now had long, black hair and a more sensible-sized set of medium's clothes, congratulated Apollo. "Nice job there, finally getting a lover! And yes, I was in on it the whole time. Looks like it's true love." At this point, even Apollo's psyche lock turned red! Pearl then excitedly jumped down from Apollo, and jumped for joy. She then remembered the binding tulips from earlier.
"...! Oh, I just need to get something. I'll be right back." She decided to tread carefully about what she was getting, as she knew about the Magatama in Phoenix's hands.
Clay then made an additional remark, "she's an active one, isn't she?"
Apollo cringed, "yeah, impossible to catch up with, that's for sure." (Although, the hug was clearly genuine, and not a dare. She's definitely my type, as well. Athletic, cute, only 5 years out, extremely badass. I think I might be falling for her!) Apollo's psyche lock shattered.
Pearl then burst into the room, with two binding tulips. Maya immediately questioned, "Pearly, why do you have two binding tulips, don't you only need one?"
"One for me and Apollo, and one for you and Mr. Nick!"
Maya then thought (ah, I should have expected as much. Oh well.)
Apollo then questioned, "what does this binding tulip thing do?"
Pearl took this as a golden opportunity, "It binds two people's spirits together. Maya, Mr. Nick, can you demonstrate for me? Just bash the two flowers into each-other."
Maya almost fell for it, "OK pearly... Wait, what the- hey! You're not making me use a binding tulip on Nick that easily!"
Pearl was a bit annoyed at how she'd gotten so close to getting Phoenix and Maya together, and still blew it. (No! So close! A near miss is still a miss though. Looks like I'll have to try again if I really want them together.)
Apollo was the one to continue, "I'm fine with getting this over with first, but I'm not sure you will be as you'll be very jealous!" Phoenix returned this with a scowl, (I know I can't talk much on this matter, but get professional Apollo!)
Apollo then suggested that he and Pearl use their binding tulip anyway. Pearl agreed and the two flowers which the plant sprouted, one now in Apollo's hand, the other in Pearl's, met. At this point, Apollo's and Pearl's spirits flowed into the tulip. Mia and Misty, who were watching over the new couple, possessed the bodies in this one second to prevent death. It wasn't a long enough possession for anyone to notice a change in stature, luckily for Mia, but it was long enough for a fusion of the two spirits.
Afterwards the single spirit then split into two linked souls, and each inhabited a body, Pearl and Apollo instantly crashed into each-other with full force. As Pearl was the much stronger one in the couple, Apollo instantly gave way, and the two plummeted to the ground. They then rolled on the floor in their hugging position.
About a minute later, they got up, laughing, and held each-other's shoulder. Pearl asked, aiming at Phoenix and Maya, "Jealous already? This is so fun!"
Phoenix replied, "um, no." (One thing's for certain, I don't want Maya's obnoxious, constantly hungry spirit in me. Ever. Also, this is so violent that Apollo is going to need his bandages back at this rate!) He was extremely worried that what Pearl and Apollo were doing might become his fate if Pearl continues her shipping. (I'd rather lose my badge again than have my fate decided by a fangirl and a flower.)
Maya actually did think they were having a good time, and broke another psyche lock.
Phoenix heard the psyche lock shatter. (Crap crap crap! Just one more. It's going to be out before midday at this rate!)
Apollo and Pearl then left the room to get to know each-other a little better.
Kay was next to speak up, "The flower there can do THAT?! That's insane! When are you releasing these to the public?"
Maya replied solemnly, "Not soon, that's for sure. With the power of love literally in someone's hands, just think of all the abuse. Also: there aren't enough for everyone, so if we released it, we'd be forced into some discrimination. Overall, the end just doesn't justify the means."
Kay looked disappointed "humph, and can't you, oh I duuno, breed them or something."
Maya made a witty comeback of "we're already breeding them at an insane rate" (much to Pearly's dissatisfaction) "so it will have to be the 'something'."
Kay then replied, "also, it's not like it'd be easy to abuse this for anything other than stopping a war by getting intelligence workers together, and that isn't exactly abuse for a bad cause so the end somewhat justifies the means there."
Maya knew she couldn't counter this, but made a separate point, "You also need two spirits to inhabit the bodies while in the phase of spirit merging. If not, instant death..." Maya then began to cry. (Why did we have to lose those two? It seems so obvious! Why didn't we think of this before testing it on humans?)
Kay, Athena, Phoenix and Trucy all knew that Maya was on sensitive grounds. They decided that changing the subject was a good idea. Trucy spoke, "Hey, shall I show my latest magic trick?" No objections.
Trucy then performed a ridiculously good card trick based around throwing the cards and catching them (or not). The last 4 cards after the rest were dropped: the 2 of spades; the jack of diamonds; the 3 of spades; and the king of hearts, were all the ones that the others picked (which she didn't know until asking).
Also, the only face-up cards were the cards they picked, just in the other suit of the same colour (2 clubs, jack hearts, 3 clubs, king diamonds).
The four gave Trucy a deafening round of applause. Maya even went the extra mile and channelled the now executed Damon Gant.
After this trick was over, Phoenix heard something, "Guys, I can hear something! Keep the noise down."
Thud. Thud. Thud. The noise usually made when objects collide was going rapid-fire from Pearl's room.
Athena stated, "And I thought I was the one with the super ears. It's coming from Pearly's room." (collisions in Pearly's room? Must. Get. Mind. Out. Of. Gutter... Now!) Athena had now gotten back into full informal mode, and began referring to Pearl as "Pearly" again.
Maya decided to investigate. Athena cringed at Maya's complete disrespect for privacy (and everything else except Steel Samurai, for that matter), and decided to object. Objection overruled, double penalty for Athena.
April 22 10:03 AM
Fey manor - Pearl's room
It turns out Pearl had the psychic power to somehow realise the others were coming. "You can come in, we're not doing any of that." She also realised what they were thinking, which was (only just) above even the mood matrix.
Maya heard Pearl, and opened the door. She then saw Apollo and Pearl genuinely having a great time playing with Pearl's plants, swinging through them while playing tag. (They are having so much fun. I've got to admit, I'm jealous...)
Rattle Rattle Rattle.
Phoenix heard the sound of the breaking psyche lock, and began to tear up. (And my life is now over. Escape from Maya would have been a miracle with Pearls in the way. Annoyingly, I had to win those 4 murder cases to release the truth. And, maybe because of them, and the truth's persistence of revealing itself,
The miracle never happen.
Maybe it was never supposed to.
Because a "miracle" is something that doesn't exist.
It looks like Pearls and the binding tulip will decide my fate. Probably an instant guilty verdict. Punishment: life imprisonment... Why does it have to end like this?)
Phoenix was then helped out by Athena, after some pressure from Widget. "What's wrong, Phoenix?"
Phoenix stated "th-thanks A-athena... B-but this isn't something you can help." He then went into a stream of tears.
Pearl insensitively asked Phoenix, "if you're going to cry, at least water the plants!"
Maya thought (Why did Nick go into a nervous breakdown at the sight of Apollo and Pearly playing. Jealousy?)
The psyche lock shook even more vigorously, causing immense strain on the chains, and a rush of air everyone could hear and feel, despite a lack of magatamas.
Widget stored the new record for fear while the others questioned the origins of the phantom winds. They were much creepier than the cave entrance.
Maya then continued thinking (Nick, get over it already. I didn't cry for this long over the death of my own mother! Can he control his own emotions?)
The psyche lock's shaking then slowed down a little. So did Phoenix's tears, (I... I may have h-hope of keeping that lock intact! I need to keep that lock as stable as possible, at all... Well, most costs. The end doesn't always justify the means, after all!)
Athena was more than a little confused at Phoenix's sudden burst of courage, but decided not to enquire to avoid more crying.
Phoenix then spoke, his suit now even more blue thanks to the water soaked through it. "Anyway, magatama related incidents aside, I presume you two are doing alright."
Pearl and Apollo had a simultaneous response, "we're fine!"
(It looks like their whole personalities have fused, HELP!) Phoenix thought, (I do NOT want Maya's spirit inside me, that will only end in disaster. I really need to keep that lock intact, at all costs! This "vacation" is looking like it may become a 2-week nightmare.) His eyes expanded to bulge out of his skull, following the shock of this realisation. Widget detected the first ever surprise overload outside a birthday party.
Athena then spoke up, "Widget is detecting ridiculous emotions in Phoenix Wright. He may be going insane."
Apollo then made a joking remark, "Maybe if we let Maya's emotions control his by using a binding tulip, -"
"NO! Bad idea!" Phoenix's wrathful reaction made Maya jump a little bit (H-he just went suddenly mad as soon as someone mentioned the binding tulip. Offence taken in full.) This added a red psyche lock in the place of one of the broken black ones. Phoenix's emotions immediately calmed down.
Pearl tried to recover things, "Why do today what you can put off until tomorrow? (a moral I live by a bit too much...) If it's not meant to be now, you can always wait, but I'll help out the moment your feelings change."
Phoenix was happy at Pearl's mature remark, "Exactly Pearls, we can wait. But don't hold your breath on this ever happening. Apollo would be very depressed and frame someone for murder if you suffocated."
Pearl and Apollo had simultaneous anger at this insult toward Apollo, as they were now pretty much the same person, with the same thoughts, just a mind twice as powerful as most with two bodies to control.
And so, the group then moved onto discussing their first activity, realising that operation APearllo was finally complete.
Author's notes: As I may end up referring to them as the same character, Apollo and Pearl's collective mind and personality will be called "APearllo." (hey, it's a bit more creative than "Samneric" from Lord of the Flies!) I will still, however, refer to them as Apollo and Pearl if they do something separately.
Anyway, operation APearllo is finally complete. I can now finally focus on the holiday!