Phoenix could already feel his teeth chattering and they were only two thirds of the way there. Irritable, he tugged tighter at his pea coat, lamenting the fact that he had nothing thicker to protect him from the chill that was already biting at him. Despite the fact that the Los Angeles weather never dipped far enough to necessitate a proper winter jacket, he supposed he might have to invest in one if this sort of training would gain any sort of regularity with Maya now that she was approaching her duties as Kurain master in a new light. He wondered briefly where he might even find one.
Beside him, Pearl's head wobbled, weighed down by the onslaught of slumber. He chuckled to himself, knowing that she would inevitably fall victim to the low rumble and gentle swaying of the bus. The train they had originally boarded could only take them so far; at around the halfway point, they had stopped and switched over to a local shuttle bus that was vastly more capable of navigating the twisting maze up the mountain. The train had been quiet and smooth, but once they'd switched vehicles, Pearl had fought snoozing ever since. On her lap she clutched protectively around the little knapsack that contained the remnants of her lunch for the day. He smiled fondly at her and reached over, gently tipping her into his side so that she could at least enjoy a small nap before they arrived. He wagered she'd need it. Maya sat impatiently behind him, nose glued to the glass of the window, her own lunch tossed carelessly aside.
Outside, a vast expanse of mountains and evergreen trees whizzed past them. Phoenix could spot some snowcapped mountains in the distance and if he squinted hard enough, he thought he could just barely pick out a little cozy temple that flickered as the tops of the trees zoomed past. Truth be told, he'd rather be almost anywhere else, as he still wasn't entirely certain why anyone would voluntarily subject themselves to such freezing temperatures and isolation, but as usual, he'd found himself helpless against the pleading gazes of the two young women who had permanently infiltrated his life. He'd be damned if he'd participate in anything outside of sitting in front of the fire, though, that much was certain.
His thoughts drifted back to Edgeworth, as they'd done thousands of times since the man had stayed in his modest apartment. As the days had passed, the idea of being with a man had become less strange to him, particularly after he had gained such…pleasant memories of spending time with the prosecutor. Even so, he was grateful that the other man seemed content to take the lead while Phoenix busied himself with figuring out what it all meant. He was truly comforted by Edgeworth's consistent reassurance that he wouldn't vanish again, even if he felt a little bad about making the man tell him over and over again. He hadn't exactly expected to be the first one to need to leave for a few days and his thoughts flitted back to the brief response he'd gotten.
Be careful, Wright.
Was that his way of saying he'd miss him? He leaned his head against the window, wincing at the harsh chill that met his forehead. Admittedly, Phoenix knew outright that he would likely be the romantic of the two. Expecting affectionate messages and long walks on the beach was simply setting himself up for disappointment, insofar as he knew his new partner. Even so, he hadn't quite expected the prosecutor's response to be quite so…ominous. Given their destination and his limited knowledge of temples, he'd left his phone at home since he figured it wouldn't work where he was going, but… He still sort of wished he'd brought it with him if only to have something to fiddle with and read through while Maya and Pearl were occupied.
He wondered what the other man was up to now. Was he investigating his new case? The thought brought a grin to his lips. Edgeworth turned into an entirely different person when he was investigating a case. It was almost fun to watch the gears and cogs turning behind those stormy grey eyes. The prosecutor was called a genius for good reason; the other attorney had an uncanny knack for slowly and methodically piecing together even the wildest of goose chases to come to a logical conclusion. It was extraordinarily impressive no matter how many times he got to see it happen. Then again, Phoenix supposed that now that he was gaining some notoriety, the same had been said about him from time to time, but… it just never seemed as cool when he did it as when Edgeworth delivered his precise and perfect assessments.
He could feel his eyelids growing heavy and for once, he actually indulged the sensation, tempted to sneak in a cat nap, himself, before they arrived. As his eyes closed he could see his lover perched behind his imposing desk, scowling away at the evidence list, oblivious to the outside world. Phoenix had only been in the prosecutor's office a few times, but he could remember most of it relatively clearly. A blush crept to his cheeks as he allowed his thoughts to drift. Would he be able to convince Edgeworth to sneak in a little tête-à-tête on that plush couch of his someday?
As Phoenix's thoughts meandered further into the dangerous territory of just how soundproof is that room? and I wonder if I could fit under that desk…the bus screeched to an alarming halt, startling all three of them and sending Maya's lunch flying. Beside him, Pearl pawed at her eyes and yawned. A glance outside showed him that they had arrived at a quaint little outdoor bus stop, such as it was, though all it boasted was a worn wooden bench and an old lamppost. The bus driver called out in a harsh voice, announcing their arrival, which elicited a sharp cheer from Maya.
"We're here, Nick!"
"I see that… How far is the temple from here?"
The bus driver grunted and cut in. "'Bout a quarter mile walk from here down that little trail there, mister. Seems like it's brewin' up one hell of a storm, hope you brought your snow shoes."
Phoenix squinted out the window in an attempt to locate said little trail, but all he could see were snow-covered trees. It had indeed begun to flurry outside, much to the delight of the girls. He groaned. "What little trail?"
The driver sighed irritably. "Come here, mister." When Phoenix navigated to the front of the bus, the driver opened the door and pointed out at the tree line where the barest split could be seen between two imposing pines. "See that, there? That'll take you all the way to the temple's entrance. Buncha wackos at that joint if ya ask me, but hey, it's your funeral, pal. Watch your step when you get off. Fare is included in the training cost, so we're square. Good luck."
Phoenix shook the driver's meaty, calloused hand, but couldn't quite miss the dirty look that Maya tossed him over his comments about the temple staff. He suppressed a grin. It wouldn't exactly be supportive or polite if he let it slip that he agreed.
Once out of the protective walls of the bus, Phoenix was stunned at how much worse the weather actually was. It felt as though the wind cut him straight through to the bone and he shivered violently, slinging his messenger bag across his body and shoving his hands as far down into his pockets as he could get them. Maya and Pearl were seemingly unaffected by the harsh environment, enveloped instead by a protective bubble of their own excitement. The two mediums bounded toward the trail entrance, beside themselves in anticipation. Phoenix sighed to himself and trudged after them, resigned to his fate.
The walk was actually not as terrible as he'd expected, with the dense woods serving as a surprisingly effective shield from the wind and snow that howled above the canopy. Maya gushed about it during most of the rest of their hike, apparently pleased with how perfect the conditions were for her training. Phoenix watched them in amusement, still confused as to just how the cold properly affected their ability to channel the dead and wondering if there weren't some other channeling clan who preferred to do their thing under palm trees with cocktails in their hands. Despite his frequent teasing and complaints, however, he was happy for the two. It had been a while since he'd seen smiles so big on either one of them.
Soon enough, they arrived at the temple. Maya, and especially Pearl, seemed completely awestruck by the building that loomed over them, and even Phoenix found himself gazing at the exotic architecture and ancient signs that peppered the entrance. Standing front and center underneath the welcoming archway was a short white blob that the defense attorney was soon surprised to discover…was a human being. As they approached, the blob woman exploded into a raucous, warm laughter and threw her stubby arms wide, beckoning them forth.
"Right on time, right on time! Come! Welcome to Hazakura, all of you!" Her jowls bounced along with her ha ha haing and despite how jarring it was, Phoenix found himself tempted to laugh along. The woman's energy was positively infectious. "I take it you two young ladies were the ones who sent in the application for training?"
Maya bounced on the balls of her feet for a moment before falling into a deep bow. "Yes, ma'am! My name is Maya Fey, and this here is my little cousin, Pearl Fey. We're very excited to be here!"
"Ah, my goodness, two of the Fey clan, you say?" The woman's round face shifted into exaggerated surprise for a moment before it exploded into another series of ha ha has. "Tremendous! What an honor! Come! Let us get out of the cold and into the hall where we can discuss your training! But wait, who is this that you've brought with you?" The nun shuffled toward Phoenix, seemingly putting in a great deal of effort to move quickly despite not gaining very much distance at all. Soon enough, she peered up at him appraisingly and he compulsively rubbed at the back of his neck, self-conscious.
"Phoenix Wright, attorney at law. Pleasure to meet you, ma'am. I'm simply here as an escort."
To his surprise, the woman shifted her weight to one hip and struck what would have been a dramatically seductive pose, were she any other shape but that of a liquidy square. Before he could ask, Phoenix watched with increasing discomfort as the nun then batted her eyes cartoonishly at him, fluffing non-existant hair next to her hood. "Well, I say, it's been quite some time since we've seen someone as handsome as you around here, toots…"
Phoenix turned scarlet, much to the delight of Maya and the irritation of Pearls, who began rolling up her sleeve.
"A bit young for me, I'm afraid, but that still leaves Sister Iris a chance…" Apparently pleased with herself, the woman bounced through another set of boisterous laughter before smiling brightly at all three of them. "You may all call me Sister Bikini, named for my famous bikini body! Now come! It's nearly dinner time already!"
Bikini body…? Phoenix grimaced and eyed the nun as she waddled awkwardly in front of the group, clutching gently at her lower back. The image of a peeled potato in a small bikini popped into his mind and he shook his head violently, feeling rude even if he hadn't voiced his opinion. Admittedly, he was a bit curious about this Sister Iris that Bikini had mentioned, but only by virtue of comparison… If this was someone that felt comfortable so blatantly flirting with him, what sort of person was she endorsing? For all his luck, it might end up being Bikini's twin sister, Tankini, trying for the two-for-one special… he shuddered. It was going to be a long three days.
The main hall was cozy and warm and smelled of old mahogany and incense. Phoenix shivered and rubbed at his arms, trying desperately to finally shake the pervasive cold that had overtaken his body as he glanced around at his surroundings. Unlike Kurain Village, where the décor was ornate and stunning in its presence, this temple seemed almost…forgotten. A thick layer of dust covered everything above eye level, although there weren't many decorations on the walls, anyway. The massive table that sat in the center was worn by many, many years of hands and elbows polishing its surface. The carpet and zabuton set underneath it were threadbare and falling apart in spots, though many tears and holes had obviously been mended over the years as well. Phoenix smiled at the site; it almost added some authenticity to the experience, for once.
The table was positively littered with various side dishes all centered around a peculiar absence—Phoenix assumed for the main course that had yet to be placed—and he stared, wondering just how many people they were expecting for that evening. The stoneware upon the table held everything from steamed vegetables to ramen to pot stickers, filled to overflowing in their serving bowls. Phoenix was quite certain that the side dishes alone would be plenty of food for them, much less once the main course was added, and suddenly he felt silly for insisting that they all pack sandwiches and cut veggies for lunch. Just as he was about to ask Sister Bikini about the spread, a voice came from behind him:
"Quite the display, isn't it? I was just as surprised my first evening here." The voice was quiet and smooth and serene, like ripples on a placid lake under a full moon. Phoenix turned toward it and was surprised to find a tall, matronly figure with raven black hair and a broad, tired smile. "They cook for the week, here. What you see before you will last them for the next seven days, and then they will move on to the next meal."
"Ah, that makes sense, though Maya alone could probably knock at least one day's worth of food off, herself…" He smiled impulsively at the thought, always impressed at how much food the young woman could pack away into such a small frame. He held out a hand. "Phoenix Wright, attorney at law and Maya's handler. It's a pleasure, miss…?"
The hand that took his was cold and feather-light, grasping just delicately enough to make its presence known before it vanished again. "Elise Deauxnim, charmed. And your two associates?"
"Ah, those two would be Maya and Pearl Fey. They came for the training, though I'm a little afraid they might never leave now that they've seen the dinner…" He shifted his gaze over to where Maya had leaned over the enormous spread of food, eyes gleaming in a predatory stare. Just behind her, an unknown nun emerged from a swinging door carrying a serving platter upon which sat an enormous roast. Phoenix locked eyes with the young lady for the briefest of moments, but what he saw sent lightning down his spine. "It can't be," he caught himself whispering to himself in shock, completely forgetting that he had just been engaged in conversation.
Fortunately, the woman next to him seemed unphased by his rudeness and pressed on, her tone curious. "Maya and Pearl Fey… of the Kurain Village Feys?"
The specificity snapped him out of his surprise. "Actually, yes," he turned back toward her, "you've heard of them?"
The mysterious woman regarded him for a second, and he was immediately reminded of the way Chief Gant used to stare through him while he was preparing his next carefully-constructed set of lies. Before he could assess her, however, the woman smiled warmly at him and dipped her head in a gentle nod. "I've read about them in a few articles before. If memory serves, you are the lawyer who helped them out in their travels."
"That's right," he heard himself saying, but he was overwhelmed with the impression that this woman was not who she said she was, nor was that how she knew of the Feys. Furthermore, he was still hugely unaccustomed to people having heard of him before and the sensation made him feel more than a little awkward. Was this how Edgeworth felt when he met people? As famous as he was, he supposed it wouldn't be unheard of for people to have studied him ahead of time… He cleared his throat. "They're sort of like close friends or little sisters now, though, instead of just clients, I guess. Maya also works as a sort of paralegal for me when she isn't training at temples like this."
Before she could answer him, a delighted gasp rang out close to them and Phoenix glanced down at the source. Pearl gazed up at the two of them, seemingly star-struck. After a moment, her eyes slid over toward the mystery woman named Elise Deauxnim and her hand covered her mouth, the least she could do to contain herself. Phoenix chuckled at her. "What's up, Pearls?"
"Mr. Nick!" She gasped the words out, struggling to keep herself under control. "Do you not recognize who this is? This is—that is, she's—oh my goodness!" The tiny spirit medium's face flushed crimson and she pressed both hands to her cheeks, bashful and giggling. Phoenix glanced back up toward this conversation partner, desperately seeking clarification, and was relieved to find her laughing quietly at Pearl's little outburst.
"As I mentioned before, my name is Elise Deauxnim. I've been a children's book illustrator for some time now. It would appear as though I have a devoted fan." Phoenix watched as the woman crouched low to look Pearl in the eye, apparently enjoying the smaller medium's antics. "I'm told your name is Pearl Fey, is that right?"
Pearl gasped at her. It was all she could do to nod her head up and down.
"Well, Pearl, would you like to maybe read some books with me after dinner? I have some free time and I'd be happy to spend it with you, if you like."
Phoenix half expected Pearl to outright faint at the opportunity. Truth be told, he was glad for the woman's offer, as Maya would already be in training at that point and he wasn't quite sure he knew what to do with a kid Pearl's age for hours on end. Desperately, Pearl clutched at his pant legs and stared imploringly at him, eyes watery from the surge of emotions she was enduring. "Please, Mr. Nick, may I?"
He couldn't help himself. He laughed out loud at the sheer need in her voice, as if she were being offered an all-expenses-paid cruise around the world and not simply a few hours to spend reading children's books. He toyed with the idea of teasing her just a little bit, but the more he glanced between the two of them, the more he could feel his heart smile and he sighed, at least committed to not completely folding. "Well, I was going to ask you for help reviewing a new case law regarding probation violations, but I guess her offer sounds a lot more fun…"
Pearl threw a fist in the air and cheered at him. Just then, a tremendous sound rang out over the table, as if someone had hit a gong several times in succession right behind them. Phoenix whirled and saw Sister Bikini vigorously ringing a massive brass bell that was mounted to the wall next to the entrance, trying in earnest to call out to them over the enormous clamor she was creating. The defense attorney clutched uselessly at his ears and stared at the nun incredulously, relieved when she finally stopped and clapped her hands together in satisfaction. "Alright, you lot," she placed her hands on her hips and puffed her chest out like a robin, "dinner is served! Bone appetite!"
Pretty sure that's "bon appétite"… Phoenix shook his head at her and chuckled to himself, marveling at how spirit mediums always seemed to make things wholesomely weird without even trying. Pearl, Ms. Deauxnim, and Sister Bikini all took up seats on the far side of the table, so Phoenix and Maya knelt on the cushions opposite them, enjoying the heat from the roaring fire at their backs. Just as Sister Bikini reached for the carving knife and fork to start taking apart the roast, the other nun—the one Phoenix had noticed earlier—emerged from what he imagined must have been the kitchen. He cautiously watched out of the corner of his eye as she paused in her approach to the table, seemed to consider something, then pressed on slowly, as if resigned to the situation.
He realized moments later as she delicately placed herself upon the zabuton next to his that she had likely paused to look for another seat, as the one she had just taken was the only one left. Curious. What was it about him that would make her not want to sit next to him? His memory flashed back to the wide, doe-like eyes that had met his own earlier that evening and he blinked, nearly certain now that he had imagined it. There was simply no way.
As Sister Bikini carved away at the roast, Phoenix tried desperately to catch another glimpse of the nun next to him, but to no avail. The hood that encased her head was just too large for him to peek around it at her face. Still, he was here for at least another two days, so it wasn't like he had to find out who she was right this second… He jumped, startled out of his thoughts, as Sister Bikini rapped the carving fork rapidly against her water glass. "Alright, everyone! Bow your heads for the evening prayer before we get started!"
Obediently, each head at the table tilted, the participants silent.
Sister Bikini took a single, solemn breath and brought her hands together, bowing her own head in quiet reverence. Phoenix had never heard of any of the Kurain mediums saying a prayer over their meal before and he was interested to hear it, though he wasn't sure if it had been omitted in his experience because it didn't typically exist, or because Maya was too motivated for burgers to wait any longer than she had to… He snuck a peak up at the feisty, fun-sized nun and waited with bated breath to hear what she had to say.
"Bless the meat, damn the skin—open your kissers and cram it in! Wah ha ha ha ha!"
Distantly, he could hear the celebratory cheers emanating from Maya and Pearl, but he was too overwhelmed with dejected surprise to join them. What the hell kind of prayer was that?! Sighing deeply and shaking his head, he reached out for a bowl of what appeared to be onigiri…and bumped knuckles with the mysterious girl sitting next to him. In their shock, they turned to each other with an apology, and froze.
Staring back at him was undoubtedly and inarguably the face of his ex-girlfriend, Dahlia Hawthorne, but also somehow not. Even with most of her head obscured by the thick white fabric of the hood she wore, Phoenix could have (and had, he realized) drawn each individual feature from perfect memory, having seen the delicate brows and long eyelashes and soft dimples countless times in his dreams…and nightmares. He knew that he was openly gawking at her but couldn't seem to shake himself free from the clutches of memories he thought long dead to him by now. The young lady blushed a bit and retracted her hand, staring hard at the table. "My apologies, Mr. Wright, please go ahead."
Trying to snap himself out of it, Phoenix reached for the bowl once more as directed. It was only after he had made his selection and returned it to the table, searching for his next side dish, that what she had said came rolling back through his thoughts like a pervasive fog. His hand hovered over a platter that was covered in roasted vegetables and he glanced back toward her, somewhat unsurprised when she abruptly averted her eyes. She'd been staring at him. "How…how do you know who I am?"
The din of conversation around them seemed to fade away as he gazed at her, focused only on the two of them. The mystery surrounding her resemblance to his ex-girlfriend had tripled upon her quiet apology to him and he was now hyper-focused on getting to the bottom of it, even if it meant that his food was actively growing colder by the second.
Gentle—but fake, he noticed—surprise washed over her features and she paused in buttering a slice of bread to look back at him. "What do you mean?"
He shook his head at her, perplexed. "I never told you my name."
A hint of fear crept into her gaze as she realized her mistake. Just as she was about to try and salvage the situation, however, Phoenix felt a sharp elbow in his ribs. Flinching and clutching at his side, he turned to glare at Maya, who was chewing aggressively at a chunk of pot roast and staring him down with narrowed eyes.
"What was that for?"
"If you stare at that nun any harder, Pearl is going to have an apoplexy, Nick." Maya motioned over her shoulder at the younger medium who was indeed staring Phoenix down with pure, unadulterated murder in her eyes. Phoenix reeled backward and placed his hands up in a sign of surrender, knowing full well that he was dangerously close to crossing The Line as far as Pearl's temper was concerned. He wasn't quite sure where Maya's younger cousin had come up with the idea of Maya and him being together happily ever after, but she was unwaveringly devoted to the idea and would tolerate nothing else that challenged the concept. Phoenix felt his heart suddenly drop into his shoes. How, exactly, was he going to explain what was going on between him and Edgeworth? The thought had never even occurred to him.
He leaned over toward Maya but kept his eyes on Pearl, keeping his palms toward her from across the table as he whispered to his friend. "I'm sorry, but I swear I've seen this girl somewhere before. She even knows my name even though I never introduced myself!"
"Huh, that's pretty odd," Maya said in a completely normal speaking voice around a mouthful of mashed potatoes, much to the defense attorney's dismay. His head whipped to the side to see if said nun had overheard them discussing her, but he was immensely surprised to see that at some point, she had vanished entirely, small portions of food on her plate left entirely untouched.
Glancing back toward Pearl, he noted with a small amount of relief that she had resumed eating in between spurts of talking Ms. Deauxnim's ear off. Must have scared her off with that spooky glare of hers… Good going, Pearls.
Resolving to get to the bottom of things after dinner, Phoenix sighed and started in on his own plate. It would figure, he mused, that no matter where he went, trouble always seemed to find him.