"A defense attorney?" Maya said. "What's that?"
Dahlia raised an eyebrow. "Someone who sucks blood and money."
"You're going to be a vampire?" Maya said, eyes wide.
Mia chuckled. "No, don't be silly. I'll be a good attorney."
"Oh," Maya said.
"So, what makes you want to be a lawyer?" Dahlia said.
"I have some unfinished business, and the best way to take care of it is to become a defense attorney," Mia said. "You want to know a secret?"
Maya gasped. "A secret? What?"
"There's a bad guy lurking around in the city," Mia said. "And I'm going to catch him."
"Like the Steel Samurai?" Maya said. She had recently become a big fan.
"Exactly," Mia said.
"Or like Red?" Dahlia said.
"Right," Mia said. "So that's why I have to leave the village. You need to go to law school to be a lawyer."
"Is that like training here?" Maya said.
"In a way," Mia said, hugging her kid sister. "Just like training in Kurain, you need to build up some independence and go out on your own."
Mia hugged Dahlia too. "Oh, I forgot something in my room. I'll be right back girls."
Maya hung her head when Mia was out of sight.
"What's up Maya?" Dahlia said.
"Mia's not coming back," Maya said glumly.
"Of course she is," Dahlia said, rubbing her little cousin's head. "She's a Fey after all."
"Iris didn't come back," Maya said.
"Iris is a Hawthorne," Dahlia said. "Mia is different."
"What about Mommy?" Maya said. "She didn't come back either."
"W-well," Dahlia tried to think of something to say. Nothing is more difficult to refute then the bluntness of a young child.
"Alright, I'm back," Mia said. "It wouldn't do to forget my wallet."
"Hey Mia," Maya said, all smiles. "You're gonna come back after law school aren't you? I'll still see you?"
"Yes, of course you will," Mia said.
"You promise?" Maya said. "In the name of the Steel Samurai?"
"In the name of the Steel Samurai and all that is just, you haven't seen the last of me," Mia announced, then broke into a fit of laughter. Maya and Dahlia joined in.
Maya hugged her older sister, but still only made it to her waist. "I'm glad you won't be gone forever."
"I'll visit you and Dahlia as much as I can," Mia said. "But... I won't be part of Kurain Village anymore."
"What does that mean?" Maya said.
Dahlia smiled knowingly. "I think it means you're going to be Master."
"Me?" Maya said. "But, I'm the little sister."
"So was Mom," Mia said. "And now, as her eldest daughter, I pass that title down for you to inherit."
Maya's eyes shined. "Thank you Mia! I can't believe I'm going to be Master!"
"You'll be like Champion Red," Dahlia said. She wasn't jealous in the slightest of her little cousin. She had grown up knowing she would never become Master, and had never gotten into the study of spirit channeling.
"Cool!" Maya said.
"You have few years to go before you become Master though," Mia said. "But when you get to that point, make sure you're the best."
"Okay Sis!" Maya said. "But you have to be the best lawyer in the world!"
"I'll do what I can," Mia said.
"You'd better," Dahlia said teasingly. "We'll keep bugging you until you do won't we Maya?"
"Yeah!" Maya said.
Mia chuckled. "Alright, alright. But I have to become a lawyer first."
Dahlia walked back to her house and slid open the screen door. To her disappointment, Morgan was home.
"Hey," Dahlia said unenthusiastically.
"Take off your shoes when you enter the house Dahlia," Morgan said. "It's bad enough that you wear such in appropriate clothing."
"What's inappropriate about jeans?" Dahlia said. "I think I'm pretty well covered actually."
"You know what I meant," Morgan said sternly.
Dahlia rolled her eyes. "I have the right to wear what I choose. Even if I was going to be a spirit medium."
"You have no ambition of being a spirit medium, you go against nearly every cultural aspect of Kurain, I don't understand why you didn't leave with your father," Morgan said casually.
"Just because I don't conform doesn't mean I don't belong here," Dahlia said.
She showed her mother the red Magatama she kept around her neck. "See? I will always be a Fey. This proves as much, and you can't change that."
Morgan just scowled and went about making tea. Dahlia stormed past her and went into her room.
"Stupid Mother, I was already in a bad mood. You were the last thing I needed," Dahlia grumbled. She hadn't showed it before, but she was upset that Mia was leaving. Her older cousin had been one of the main reasons she stayed in Kurain.
She punched a wall, just to vent some of her frustration. It then that she noticed the Cyndaquil plush Mia had given her many years ago.
"Dylan, what am I going to do?" Dahlia said, flopping on the carpet. She knew Dylan wouldn't respond, but she never grew out of talking to her.
Dahlia sighed. "At least Maya's sticking around, and we can visit Mia. You know, maybe this won't be so bad. Still, they'll both be busy now. Maya is going to be the Master, and law school sounds tough."
She tried to look on the positive side, but that had always been a challenge for her. "I guess I'll just have to make the most it. Who knows? Maybe things will get better. Maybe something really awesome will happen."
"A baby sister?" Dahlia said incredulously.
"Yes, I'm having another daughter," Morgan said.
Dahlia grinned. It was too good to be true, having a sister that wasn't Iris. She suddenly thought of Maya.
"I have to tell Maya!" Dahlia said.
"Yes, tell Mystic Maya there's another Fey coming," Morgan said, smoothing out her mother-of-pearl robes.
Dahlia froze for a moment.
"Hello Pearl," Iris said, dressed in robes with a pink Magatama traditionally strung around her neck.
"Hi Sister Iris," said a little girl with big eyes. "Can I ask you something?"
"Of course you can Pearl," Iris said.
Pearl nibbled on her thumb nail. "It's about Mr. Nick."
"Oh," Iris said, surprised. She turned her head and blushed. "What do you want to know?"
"Is Mr. Nick your… special someone?" Pearl said.
"Uh, he and I were only together for a while in college," Iris said, as pink as her Magatama.
"Oh!" Pearl said, looking up at Iris. "Well then don't worry when Mr. Nick and Mystic Maya get married it will be perfect."
"Dahlia!" Morgan said sternly. "Are you even listening to me?"
Blinking her vision back into focus, Dahlia looked at her mother. "Uh, yeah."
"Neither of those are actual words Dahlia," Morgan said, tiredly.
In light of the good news, Dahlia decided to give her mother the benefit of the doubt and say her hormones were acting up. In addition, she was curious about her vision. She had never gotten on like that before.
"Hmm, Pearl," Dahlia said, contemplating the name. "It's kinda cute, little Pearly."
"Dahlia, what are you going on about?" Morgan said, taking a sip of her tea.
"Huh?" Dahlia said, scatter-brained from all the emotions and revelations. "Oh yeah Maya bye Mommy!"
Morgan spit the tea out of her mouth in shock and Dahlia ran out the door.
"Maya! Maya!" Dahlia shouted as she ran through the village. "Maya!"
"Dahlia?" Maya said, stepping outside. She nearly jumped out of her skin when her cousin tackle hugged her.
"Guess what!" Dahlia said.
"What? What?" Maya said, getting caught up in the excitement.
"I'm going to have a baby sister!" Dahlia said.
"Seriously?" Maya shouted.
"Yes!" Dahlia said.
"That's awesome Dahlia!" Maya said.
"I know I'm so excited, heck I called my mother Mommy!" Dahlia said. Slowly, her face fell.
"Don't worry Dahlia I won't tell anyone," Maya said.
"Thanks, but… I kind of just announced it to the whole village," Dahlia said.
Fuzzy, light hair topped the head of the newborn girl. She experimented with opening and closing her hands, completely entertained with the task.
Morgan cradled the child in her arms. "I can feel the potential in you, little one."
She looked at her older daughter, playing on her DS. She turned her attention back to the baby. "Take care not to end up like your stepsister, Pearl."
A few hours later, Dahlia sat with Pearl in the infant's room. She tickled her baby sister's belly, making them both laugh.
"You are a little pearl," Dahlia said. She had instantly warmed up to Pearl; it was hard not to love her. "Don't let Mother screw you up."
Pearl looked up at Dahlia with big innocent and reached up to her face.
"Ow, Pearly that's my hair," Dahlia said, trying to ease her scarlet locks from the chubby little hands of Pearl.
