A/N: Whew, it's been awhile... again. But don't worry, I haven't given up on this, I've just been busy writing a bunch of drabbles and kink meme requests instead of working on my two ongoing fics.
In case you're like me and don't pay attention to dates/times in stories, the beginning part of this chapter takes place at the same time that everything with Thalassa and Apollo is happening in the last chapter. It will eventually catch up to the last chapter by the end though.
Hope you enjoy.
January 8th, 2029, 11:55 AM
Bus to Kurain Village
Pearl and Maya settled into the bus seat comfortably, ignoring the looks they got from strangers but smiling at the ones who smiled at them. Their strange attire got a lot of stares, but some people who rode the bus day to day were starting to recognize them now. Maya would usually start conversing with an older lady that was on the bus almost every morning. She didn't know where she was from or where she was going, they only ever spoke to each other on the bus, but she was interested in spirit channeling, and Maya was more than happy to talk to her about it and about Kurain Village. The woman didn't seem to be in attendance today, which made sense, since they were usually heading into the village early in the morning and it was early afternoon now.
Maya nudged Pearl instead. "So, Pearly. Anything new lately?"
"Not really. Why?"
Maya shrugged. "I dunno. I just thought maybe you might have wanted to talk about boys or something. You're always so interested in my love life. What about yours?"
"L-Love life? I don't know what you mean," she said. She fidgeted with her necklace, glad that only Phoenix's was charged with spiritual energy, and that he wasn't there with them. He surely would have been able to see multiple Psyche-Locks lock into place around her.
Maya lowered her voice and leaned down towards her. "Have you found your special someone in Apollo, Pearly?"
Pearl's pretzel looped hair went bouncing when she looked up in surprise. "Why would you think that?" she said.
Maya watched Pearl's face redden. It was almost satisfying to see her get so embarrassed, just like Maya used to when Pearl would make her declarations about her and Phoenix's love. "I dunno. You've just been spending an awful lot of time with him, that's all."
"I like Mr. Apollo," Pearl said, adopting the use of his title again as if that made them seem less friendly. "But I don't like him like him."
"You don't? Are you sure about that?"
"Well…"
"I knew it!" Maya cried. "You do like him!"
"Be quiet, Mystic Maya!" Pearl said. "People are starting to look at us."
Maya chuckled. "Sorry. I got excited."
Pearl looked down at the floor of the bus. "Actually… I wanted to ask you something about that."
"What is it? You can ask me anything, Pearly."
"Alright. Well, I actually wanted to ask… Have you ever had a crush on someone that you shouldn't have a crush on? Someone that you know you'd never have a chance with, so you just want to stop thinking about them, but you can't because they're so handsome and nice to you all the time?"
Maya thought. "I guess it was sort of like that with Nick at first. I had such a crush on him, but I didn't think I would ever have a chance with him because he was too old for me. I used to lay in bed thinking about him and then tell myself to just forget it because it was never going to happen." She smiled. "But look at us now. Never say never, Pearly."
"That's the thing though, Mystic Maya. I know for a fact that this is a never situation. Trucy even told me I'm not his type."
"Why would Trucy say something mean like that?"
Pearl shook her head. "She wasn't being mean. She was trying to prepare me, I guess, so I wouldn't get my hopes up."
"What do you mean?"
"I'm sorry, Mystic Maya, but I can't tell you. It's not my place to say, but I just know Mr. Apollo isn't my special someone and he never will be. So how do I get over him?"
"I… I don't know," Maya admitted. "I never liked anyone before I met Nick," she admitted. "You know, there weren't a lot of boys in Kurain, so I never really had a crush on anyone before him. I'm not the best person to ask… I'm sorry."
Pearl sighed. "It's okay."
"Maybe you should ask Nick," Maya suggested. "I bet he had crushes on girls in school who didn't always like him back. Probably lots of them."
"It's embarrassing though," Pearl said. "What if he tells Apollo?"
"He wouldn't do that, Pearly," Maya said.
Pearl slumped in her seat. "I guess I could. Maybe. We'll see."
The rest of the bus ride consisted of general chatter, gossip about the old Elders in Kurain Village, and of course Pearl had to bring up Maya's love life and ask if she had any luck yet in the pregnancy department.
January 8th, 2029, 12:47 PM
Kurain Village
As soon as they stepped off the bus, Maya and Pearl were surrounded by villagers. She couldn't help feeling a little like royalty every time she came back to Kurain after a long period of time away, and especially now that she no longer lived in Fey Manor. The people loved her, and she knew it wasn't just in her head. She tried as hard as she could to be a good leader; to be not like her mother who left the village for 15 years, but to be the way she thought Mia may have been had she become Master instead.
She knew there was plenty still to get done; simple things like bringing the village more into the modern age by adding more phone lines and finally getting internet and TV access were nothing when compared to the things she wanted to do, but it would all happen in good time.
She spoke to some of the closest villagers while Pearl stood beside her smiling and conversing with some of the younger acolytes, who always seemed to have plenty of questions about the boys Pearl was meeting in the city.
After a few minutes, the crowd began to disperse to go back to whatever menial chores they were attending to that day, the excitement of the Master's return finally done. A wrinkled old woman in a lilac robe, a heavy magatama necklace around her frail looking neck, was all that remained.
"Elder Rose," Maya said, stepping forward to hug the old woman. She was so very old now, Maya didn't even know what her age actually was. She was old when Maya was a child, and she was old now that she was an adult.
"Hello, Master Maya," Elder Rose said, patting Maya on the back with a surprisingly strong hand, and then switching her attention to Pearl. She squeezed her cheeks like Pearl was a little girl, but Pearl simply stood there and took it.
Rose had always been like an aunt or grandmother to the two of them, and apparently to Mia and even Maya's mother as well. They were very distantly related, but Maya wasn't sure how. Rose was the head elder on the council, the boss so to say, and Maya would forever be grateful to her for handling Kurain Village while her mother was missing, and then again while Maya was training to become the Master officially. Maya could trust her fully, the fact that Kurain Village was running smoothly even after her two year stint in Khura'in, and that there had been no attempted murders in years, was testament to that.
Rose turned back to Maya when Pearl's cheeks were significantly pink. "Come, Master Maya. To the meeting room."
Maya groaned. She knew she sounded like a child, but she couldn't help it. She'd been on the bus for an hour, and she couldn't rest for a few minutes before being dragged away? "Aw, Rose, I was hoping I could stop at the Manor—"
"I apologize, Master Maya. The other elders are impatient, as you know."
Maya rolled her eyes, but began walking when Rose linked arms with her. "Oh, I know. When it comes to me they're impatient. But when I want to make a new reform or something, it takes months and months of talking to finally decide whether or not it's worth it. They do know that I can do any of this whenever I want to, and I'm just being nice by letting them deliberate, right?"
Rose smiled. "Yes, they know. They make you wait on purpose, so they feel like they were the ones to make the decision in the end, and can therefore take credit for bettering the village. They won't do much else to actually oppose you, because they know there's no point."
Pearl crossed her arms as she walked beside Maya. "But they still know deep down that it was your idea, Mystic Maya!"
Maya smiled. "I know, Pearly. But all that really matters is the betterment of Kurain. So long as that happens, I don't care who gets the credit for it."
Rose nodded. "That proves that you are the leader we need, Master Maya. Too many of Kurain's past leaders, or would-be leaders, were obsessed with the power. I'm so glad we finally have someone willing to put their pride aside for the well being of the village."
"Thanks, Elder Rose," Maya said, feeling a little embarrassed. "Anyway, what is this meeting about? I know my Christmas vacation is officially over but I don't have any channellings scheduled this week, do I?"
Rose shook her head. "No, you don't. It's simply a routine meeting since you've had such a long break."
"Is that a hint I shouldn't take such long vacations?"
Rose smiled. "No, not at all. I know you want to spend all your spare time with Mr. Wright now that you're finally back from Khura'in. He must have missed you something terrible."
Maya couldn't help blushing. Rose was the only Elder to know about her and Phoenix's relationship almost right from the beginning, and was nice enough to keep it a secret for years. Even when Maya finally did come clean about it to the others, they still expected her to stay "pure" until marriage; Kurain was still traditional that way. If only they knew.
"Well, I missed him too. It was hard, going two whole years without seeing him in person. But we stuck it out."
"Love can overcome anything," Pearl said, nodding sagely.
Rose nodded her agreement. "I'm glad you two have each other, Master Maya."
She led them past Fey Manor to another building that was used as a sort of City Hall within Kurain. It was smaller than Fey Manor though, with only a few rooms and a small auditorium, if a two foot high stage with fifty or so chairs placed in front of it could be called an auditorium. They made it to the customary meeting room, and Maya steeled herself. She had technically been the Master for years now, but she had been training so often for the past ten or so years that she didn't really feel like the Master until she returned from Khura'in, and that wasn't even a whole year ago. She always had to work at acting confident in front of the other Elders, because she wasn't completely comfortable with her position yet.
She entered behind Rose with Pearl directly behind her. The four other Elders, Mystics Lily, Petunia, Daisy and Poppy were seated beside each other on one side of the table. Rose joined them, and Maya took her customary seat on the other side of them, with Pearl at her right hand.
All of the Mystics looked old. That was the only way Maya could think to describe them. Rose was the oldest, but she still had some vigour. The others were just old, hunched over and frowning, and still stuck in their old ways. They still seemed to have a hard time coming to grips with the fact that Maya was trying to revolutionize Kurain. Even something as simple as getting internet service seemed like a huge ordeal to them.
As the Master, it was her duty to start off the meeting, even though she hadn't been the one to call it. She folded her hands on the table in front of her. "Thank you for meeting me here today, Mystics," she said, slowly looking at each of them in turn. Lily and Petunia nodded, but Daisy and Poppy hardly seemed to have heard her. She continued. "As you all know I'm returning from my Christmas vacation this week so this is a general meeting of sorts. Have there been any issues you need to discuss?"
Lily nodded excitedly. She wasn't as grumpy as the others, and was always happy to speak for the group. "Yes, Master Maya. We wanted to discuss your proposition for changing the line of succession to be named Master to a more inclusive selection."
Maya's eyebrows went up. She hadn't been expecting that, certainly not so soon. Of course, that only made her worry that they'd decided to reject her proposition.
It had been the first thing on her to-do list once she returned from Khura'in — something she planned on doing ever since she was young — and that was to change the way a Master was chosen. There had been enough manipulation and bloodshed in the past because of fighting over the position of Master. As of now, Pearl was set to take over the position even if Maya did have children of her own, but she still wanted this proposition to go through. She didn't want her or Pearl's future children to fight over it or be forced into it if they didn't desire it. And she always thought that Pearl had simply agreed to be the Master after her because it was expected of her. She never complained, but Maya got the feeling that if given the choice, Pearl wouldn't choose to become Master either. She loved the city, she loved 'city girl' things, and Maya couldn't see her wanting to spend the rest of her life cooped up in Kurain Village.
Eventually she wanted it to be a democratic vote among villagers, where anyone with spiritual power and the motivation to train and strengthen their powers would be able to run for the position. It was more fair that way, and there were plenty of young acolytes in the village now who had spiritual powers, many of whom Maya was starting to train herself. Any of them would make an amazing Master in the future.
She proposed the idea months ago, almost as soon as she returned from Khura'in, but the process was taking forever. As much as she sometimes wanted to, Maya refused to take over complete command like some sort of dictator. The Master could declare anything she wanted and it would be done, but that would only serve to make her more enemies, and she was tired of threats on her life. It was better to put forth ideas and let the Council of Elders deliberate. If they decided against her propositions, she could do them anyway, but giving them the chance to talk it over first usually gave them the impression that they were making the final decision, and thus it was thanks to them that the village would be bettered.
So now the time had finally come to hear their decision. This was something very important to her, so she really hoped they were going to approve it. She didn't want to use her power as Master to do it anyway if they said no, but this was the one thing she had to do, even if they did say no.
"What did you decide?" she asked, keeping her voice calm, though she was freaking out on the inside.
"Well…"
"Yes?" Maya said, leaning forward in her seat.
"We've approved it, Master Maya," Lily said.
Maya had to resist the urge to pump her fists in the air or get up and dance around the room. Rose was smiling at her, as was Pearl, they both knew how much this meant to her. Poppy and Petunia seemed impassive, but Daisy was scowling. She disliked Maya the most, and the feeling was mutual.
Daisy cleared her throat, not wanting anyone to start celebrating too hard before she got her say. "There is still one condition, Mystic Maya," she said. Maya hated that she was the only one who refused to call her Master Maya, because she knew for a fact that Daisy still didn't think she was fit to be Master, and so refused to call her so.
Maya didn't really care what the condition was. It couldn't be that terrible, right? She would do pretty much anything in order to have this reform put through. "What would that be?"
"At least one member of the main Fey family has to join the council, which means you will still need to produce us an heir. The gender of the baby will not matter, as only the Master needs spiritual power and now anyone will be able to run for that position. But we still need a Fey on the council, spiritual power or no."
Maya crossed her arms. She didn't like that much. It was still forcing one of her children into serving Kurain, and she didn't like that idea. But it wasn't like they would need to do much, right? And that would be years away. By then, perhaps she could change their mind, or, she thought more gruesomely, these Elders would be gone by then and there would be a new council of not so elder acolytes. So she nodded her consent. "Alright, fine."
"I have to ask this, Mystic Maya," Daisy started, smirking a little. "Has your lawyer asked you to marry him yet?"
Maya looked down at the table. Daisy got some sort of sick satisfaction out of asking Maya this same question at every possible moment. She knew full well Phoenix hadn't asked Maya to marry him, because if he had, it would be the talk of the village.
"No, not yet," she said. Maya never wanted to be one of those girlfriends who pestered and nagged their boyfriend about getting married. It wasn't important if they loved each other. They already lived together, they were already partners and best friends. What did making it official really do?
Daisy's smirk hadn't left her face. "If you're to produce us an heir, you will need to get married first. If your lawyer won't ask you…" she left the implication open.
Maya almost snorted at that. If they thought for one second that she would leave Phoenix just because he hadn't asked her to marry him yet, they were delusional. And they actually thought that she was still a virgin, just because she wasn't married? Well, they could continue to think that for all she cared, she wasn't about to tell them they were already trying to get pregnant. If she did get pregnant before they got married, she would deal with telling them then. There wouldn't be anything they could do about it anyway.
Pearl cleared her throat from beside Maya. "But, Mystic Maya and Mr. Nick are already going to have a baby, so she'll have an heir soon. What does marriage have to do with it?"
All five of the Elders, Rose included, turned to stare at Pearl. Daisy's face was turning red already, and Maya turned to her cousin.
"Pearly!" Maya raised her voice, for once very upset with the younger girl. Pearl actually shrunk back from her, realizing right away that she said something she shouldn't have. She was 18 now, she should have known not to blurt something so personal out at a meeting like this, particularly that! She had to know how old fashioned the Elders were, and how disapproving they would be. Maya would have to have a long discussion with Pearl after this, about keeping certain family things private. For now she would have to deal with the scolding she was going to get.
Poppy spluttered across the table from her, making her first sound all night. "W-What did she just say?! You're with child? You and that lawyer finally—"
"Stop calling him 'that lawyer', Mystic Poppy," Maya snapped at her. "You all know what his name is, and you should know by now that he is going to be the future father of the main family whether you like it or not. All the future Feys of the main branch family from this generation on are going to be descendants of Phoenix Wright," she spat. "I know that for some reason, many of you here still have a hard time grasping that Nick is a good man, who loves me and who I have loved for years now, and will not stop loving just because I'm not married to him. You're all just going to have to get used to it."
"Mystic Maya," Petunia's voice was calm but she sounded like she was speaking to a child. "This isn't about who you choose as your partner, this is about being proper. You cannot have a child out of wedlock. A bastard will never be fit as an heir to the Fey name—"
Maya slammed her hand onto the table, reminiscent to how Phoenix did in court. "Don't ever say that again, Petunia, or so help me I will banish you on the spot. Don't test me further on this. I know you're all old, but it's 2029. I don't have to get married first to have kids with the man I love." She looked at each other them in turn. "I know certain people here are still upset about the fact that Morgan Fey's multiple plans to have me killed or put in jail didn't pan out, so I understand the resentment towards Nick, since he was the one who saved me every time. But you'll all have to either get over it, or give up your positions here on the council."
That managed to quiet the table. The Elders knew better than to test the Master. They pushed Maya far, but everyone had a breaking point, and they were all scared of what she would do if they made her too angry, especially considering she'd never used her full power against them before.
Maya stood up. "Besides, whether or not my child is a bastard will have no bearing on whether or not they're worthy of the Fey name, seeing as you've all approved my proposition for the democratic vote, so thank you for that. I'm not giving up the title yet, so we still have plenty of time to work out other details." She paused. "Oh, and by the way, I'm not pregnant. At least not yet."
With that she turned, her robes fluttering behind her, and strode from the room. She didn't even wait for Pearl.
January 8th, 2029, 2:39 PM
Kurain Village, Fey Manor
Pearl and Rose found Maya in one of the meditation rooms of the Manor, her face a blank mask as she sat cross-legged on a cushion on the floor. Maya had become very good at meditation, especially if she was in a bad mood, and didn't even seem to notice them entering. Normally it was forbidden to interrupt a Master who was meditating or channeling, but this was Maya.
Pearl cleared her throat. She was feeling unusually shy after what she'd done. Maya never got mad at her, ever. The closest she ever came to raising her voice towards Pearl had been years ago, Pearl couldn't even remember the reason why anymore. She knew she was in the wrong. When she was young she was obsessed with her cousin's 'romance', and she was beyond happy when Maya and Phoenix finally did become a couple, but she was eighteen now. She was an adult who should know better than to stick her nose where it didn't belong. She knew she still had a lot to learn about the world, but that was something that should have been obvious.
Maya was either too deep in her meditation to notice the noise of Pearl clearing her throat, or she was ignoring her. Rose stepped forward and placed a hand on Maya's shoulder, trying to gently wake her from her trance. Maya's eyes fluttered open, landing on the old woman in front of her, and then to Pearl.
"How long was I out?" she asked.
Rose tapped her chin. "It's been a little over an hour. We thought we should give you some time alone."
Maya started to stand up. "Sorry about the theatrics in the meeting," she said. "I just get so mad when they think they can dictate my life, or when they look down on me for something so stupid. Nick and I love each other. I don't care if we never get married, that makes no difference."
Rose nodded and patted Maya's shoulder. "I know, Master Maya. It's alright. I quite enjoy seeing the others get so visibly uncomfortable with your anger."
Maya smiled at her. "Right. Maybe I should get mad more often." She looked at Pearl then, and Pearl was relieved to see that she didn't look angry.
"Mystic Maya, I'm so sorry," Pearl said, hanging her head. "I shouldn't have said that, it wasn't my place. It's private between you and Mr. Nick and none of my business."
Maya sighed. "You're right, Pearly. You shouldn't have, and it's not." She didn't sound angry, she was simply stating the fact. "I know that you're happy for Nick and I, you always were our number one supporter, but from now on, it's private. When it happens, you and Trucy will be the first to know."
Pearl nodded solemnly. "Alright, Mystic Maya."
Maya smiled. "Come here, Pearly," she said, holding out her arms. Pearl stepped into her embrace and wrapped her arms around Maya to return it. Rose was smiling at the two of them when they pulled apart.
"Master Maya, if you don't mind me asking… How long have you been trying? I remember when your mother had Mia, and then you. I can't believe you're already trying to have a child of your own. It seems like just yesterday you were a baby yourself," Rose said.
"It's only been a few days," Maya said. "It's not going to happen that fast, but I hope it won't take too long."
Rose waved a hand. "We Feys have always been a fertile bunch. I'm sure it'll take no time at all!"
Maya giggled behind her hand and Pearl was glad the mood had lifted again. "Let's go get something to eat, Pearly," Maya said. "I'm starving."
"Sure! Do you want to join us, Mystic Rose?" Pearl asked.
Rose shook her head. "I'll head home now. I'll make something for myself there."
"Alright," Maya shrugged. "Let's see if the cook will make us some burgers, Pearly."
Pearl followed Maya out of the room, but they didn't get very far before a young acolyte was running down the hall after them. "Master Maya!"
Maya turned. "Yes?"
"You have a phone call," the girl said, holding out the landline phone.
"Hm? Who is it?"
"It's Mr. Wright. He said it was important, and you weren't answering your cell phone."
Maya took the phone from her. She had turned her cell phone off so she wasn't interrupted during her meditation and had yet to turn it back on. "Hey Nick."
"Maya! Sorry for calling the landline, you weren't answering your phone or any of my texts."
"Sorry, I was in a meeting and then did some meditating, so it was off. What's wrong? Is everything okay?"
She heard him take a breath. "Not really. Trucy and Apollo are fine. It's Thalassa."
She furrowed her eyebrows. "What happened?"
"She was shot, about an hour ago. She's in surgery right now."
Maya's hand flew to her mouth. "Oh no. How did that happen?"
"We're not sure yet. Apollo found her like that when he went to visit her this morning. No one reported anything. The police are still investigating it. I just wanted to let you know, in case you got back to the house and no one was home."
"Of course. Can I do anything to help?"
Phoenix sighed. "I don't think there's much you can do," he said. "It's in the doctor's hands for now."
Maya heard some mumbling in the background, then another voice came through the line. "M-Maya?"
"Trucy… I'm so sorry…"
"Thank you… Are you going to come home soon?"
"Yes, Pearly and I will be home soon. We'll come to the hospital right away, okay?"
"Okay," she sniffed and Maya could hear her shaky breath. "I'd really like you to come visit. I wanted you and Thalassa to meet. My two moms… Now this might be the only chance you get." She started to cry again, and must have given the phone back to Phoenix, because he spoke again.
"Maya?"
"I'm still here, Nick, and I'm coming back right now."
"Alright. I'll see you soon."
When Maya hung up, Pearl was staring at her fearfully. "What happened?"
"Thalassa. She was shot this morning before Apollo went to see her. He found her and she's in surgery right now."
"Oh no," Pearl said softly. "Poor Trucy. Poor Mr. Apollo..."
"We're heading back into the city," Maya said, turning to Rose. "Family emergency."
Rose nodded. "Go. I'll let the others know. Take any time you need, I can push back any channellings you have scheduled within the next few weeks if need be."
"Thank you, Rose. Please make sure they don't abandon the plans for the new Master selection, either."
"I will personally be working on that, so I'll be sure to get it done."
"I don't know what I'd do without you," Maya said, giving her a quick hug and then turning towards Pearl. "Let's go Pearly. Trucy and Apollo need us." She took her by the hand and the two of them rushed out the door.
January 8th, 2029, 5:15 PM
Hospital Waiting Room
Maya and Pearl had hailed a taxi to drive them back to the city so they wouldn't have to worry about bus or train delays. When they entered the hospital and headed to the waiting room, they found Phoenix and Trucy sitting side by side on the cold metal chairs. Trucy was leaning against him, her eyes closed as she tried to rest a bit. Across the room, Apollo was standing beside Klavier Gavin of all people, talking to him in a hushed voice. He was dressed in black sweats and a t-shirt, so casual compared to the suit Maya was always used to seeing him in.
Trucy stirred and lifted her head from Phoenix's shoulder. As soon as she laid eyes on Maya, they filled with tears. Maya rushed to her side and sat down in the empty chair beside her. Trucy threw her arms around her and started to cry again while Maya patted her head and looked up at Phoenix. "How long has she been in surgery?"
"A few hours. They needed to remove the bullet and repair any damage to her internal organs. It shouldn't be much longer."
She nodded and began rubbing Trucy's back. "It'll be okay, Trucy. I won't be going back to Kurain until we know for sure Thalassa will be alright, okay?"
Trucy nodded, not lifting her face from Maya's bosom. Maya sat back in her chair and continued petting her hair lightly, comforting her as best she could. Across the room, Pearl was giving Apollo a quick hug and telling him that if there was anything she could do or anything he needed, just to let her know. He smiled and thanked her sincerely. Klavier Gavin smiled at her too, which of course made Pearl blush to the roots of her hair. Maya had never met him in person but she had seen him on TV often and was well aware of his part in Phoenix's disbarment, though she knew Phoenix had forgiven him for that a long time ago, so she had nothing against him.
Pearl turned away from them and Maya watched Apollo look at Klavier again. The taller man put a hand on Apollo's shoulder and squeezed, giving him a reassuring smile. Apollo looked at the floor and shifted a bit so he was standing just a bit closer to Klavier, and suddenly Maya had a much better idea of why Pearl was so sure she had no chance with Apollo. Interesting. She wondered if Phoenix had any clue. Probably not, he was so oblivious to things like that.
When Pearl made it back over to them, she sat down and threw her arms around both Maya and Trucy. She didn't say anything, but Trucy did look up enough to give her a small smile in thanks. As Maya sat there with her arms wrapped around the two girls, she couldn't help but feel bad about how jealous she'd been of Thalassa. Phoenix was right. Trucy wasn't replacing her, she probably hadn't known how much Maya was looking forward to going shopping with her, and she couldn't help if she was excited that her mom was alive. Of course she'd be excited, who wouldn't be?
But now this had happened, and Thalassa probably wouldn't be going shopping anytime soon.
A/N: So the next chapter (which is already written) will for sure be the last one in this whole "Thalassa" arc I've got going on right now. After that we'll be back to good ol' Narumayo so thank you for sticking with this story if you were reading it for the Narumayo and ended up with a bunch of Klapollo teases and Apollo focus instead. I'll try to keep it on track from on out.
