Phoenix has come to the end of his journey. Will he be able to finish the last circle?
Circle VII - Pride
Phoenix felt dizzy as they climbed further up.
He was grateful when his lover halted
And opened a door onto a balcony.
Beneath the starry sky the lovers stood,
And the law man took great gasps of air,
And, once refreshed, felt a moment of peace.
But he looked over the dark onyx rail
Into the great fiery chasm below
And knew he must keep firm hold of his resolve.
The demon man spoke: "You have come far, my love.
And even if you ultimately fail,
Let us at least toast to your persistence."
He snapped his fingers, the echo piercing,
And a dark shadowy figure appeared
Holding a tray with red wine and glasses.
The shadow seemed familiar, large and scruffy.
As recognition dawned on the law man,
The shadow stumbled; wine shattered on the floor.
Phoenix felt a pang of anger as the wine
Splashed on his suit, but it faded. His love spoke
To the servant: "Fetch us another bottle."
He turned toward the law man: "All good things will come
To those who wait." He leaned against the rail,
But Phoenix saw his claws tense into fists.
He shook his head and addressed his lover:
"You have waited long for your happiness,
But even you cannot always be placid.
I fear for your servant – you'll dock his pay,
As you so often do when he angers you,
Without regard for his well-being, dear Miles.
You are patient, but you also lash out
With fury at times." He heard pieces of stone
Fall to the floor, his lover's claws crumbling.
No loud roar erupted from the demon,
Though Phoenix could sense his turmoil within.
Without waiting for the servant, he turned,
And took his lover's hand, now free from danger.
Together, they climbed the stairs to the top,
And finally reached the tower's apex.
The rooftop was bare, no shadows, no figures
To throw into the fires 'neath the tower –
Only the law man and his demon lover.
One more test remained, one more sin to prove
To show the demon that he was not perfect,
To make him overcome his pride and be freed.
The law man took stock of the sins and virtues,
And thought of the many different forms of greed,
But he was surprised when his lover spoke first:
"Dearest Phoenix, you have proven much to me
About my own imperfections, my shortfalls.
It is too much to bear. Let us leave this place.
Allow me to keep what dignity remains.
For your sake as well, you should quit this quest.
It will hurt you, and I wish you no harm."
He guided his lover across the top
Toward an opulent red chariot, and stood.
For a moment, the law man considered:
He was weary, he hated these trials,
And he wanted nothing more than to abscond
With his dear Edgeworth and put this behind them.
But Phoenix realized his selfishness,
Knew that he must complete all of his task
If he truly cared about his lover's fate.
Said Phoenix: "I must finish what I began
So that you can be free once more, my love.
Even as you wish to escape from here,
You have given me the answer I need
To the final test, the last of your sins."
He ran his hand along the chariot.
Continued the law man: "You care so much
For those close to you, especially me.
You give greatly of yourself without reserve.
But for yourself you choose only luxury:
Private jets, fancy decor, expensive tastes.
You wrap yourself in finery, in the best.
Even your means of transport is lavish,
Extravagant beyond necessity.
With all your selflessness, you still have greed."
The demon began to roar, but in the midst
Of his terrible yell his voice faltered,
Lost the demonic timbre, and became a sob.
And with those simple words, the deed was done.
All the sins were proven, save for the last:
The greatest sin, which begets all others.
Phoenix flew to his love, a demon no more,
But only a man, his dear Miles Edgeworth,
And wrapped his arms 'round him, holding him tight.
His heart ached, a deep, clenching agony,
To see his lover so despondent, in pain.
And the demon's last words proved true: he was hurt.
But he had one task left: to comfort his love,
To make him acknowledge his humility
And thus make him defeat his own sin of pride.
Said he: "You have no reason to feel shame,
Just as you have no reason to be perfect.
You err, you are human, and it is all right."
Said his lover: "You have broken me once more.
As you shattered my perfect record, so too
Have you shattered my virtues with vice."
Phoenix held him close, pressed a gentle kiss
To his forehead between silvery bangs,
And chose his next words with the utmost care:
"Dearest Miles, you are not broken, but whole,
Our virtues define us, as do our vices.
One cannot be complete without having both.
Choosing only virtue made you a demon.
Isn't it enough to simply be a man?"
Before his lover could speak, he continued:
"Every test you gave me I failed as I passed:
I ate from your feast, I rested, I lusted,
I envied you, felt anger for you, and here
I felt a moment of foolish, selfish greed,
That I might quit and spare us this hard pain.
But in the end, I needed both virtue and vice.
Even with my faults, do you not love me still?"
The once-demon man lifted his grey eyes
And looked at the law man, his answer clear.
Satisfied, Phoenix said: "And with your own faults,
You are still dearest to my heart. My belov'd,
Accept yourself as you are, imperfect and free."
His lover swayed, the sin of pride eroding,
And Phoenix caught hold of him as he dropped,
And heard him say: "You speak truth above all else."
The law man pressed his lips to his lover's,
Felt the tower crumble away beneath them,
And he clung tightly to his love as they fell.
As the grey mists swept around him once more
Phoenix heard the whisper of his dear mentor:
"Well done, my student." The world faded to black.