A/N: We're back to the Narumayo aspect of this story yay! I'm really excited for the next chapter though, this one is just building up to the next one. ;D
March 1st, 2029, 1:24 PM
Fey-Wright Residence
"Mr. Nick, you're going to get fat if you just sit around eating chips all day."
Phoenix turned to find Pearl standing in the doorway, her hands on her hips. His own hand was halfway into a bag of potato chips. "But I don't have any clients right now," he said.
"I don't think Mystic Maya wants a fat boyfriend," Pearl stated. "She likes your muscles. She told me."
He couldn't help blushing a little. Maya really told Pearl things like that? She really needed some female friends who were more her own age. "Maya loves me no matter what, Pearls," he said, pulling one chip out of the bag to pop it into his mouth. "This is uh, a cheat day?"
"And so was yesterday, and the day before that," she said. "When was the last time you went to the gym?"
He blinked. "Is something wrong? You're not usually so blunt."
She sighed and came around the couch to sit down beside him. They were the only two in the house, with Maya in Kurain for a channeling and Trucy at school. It was Pearl's day off from training. "Mr. Nick, do you miss Mr. Apollo?"
He sat up and rolled up the bag of chips to throw them onto the coffee table. "Ah, so that's what this is about."
She blushed, but didn't bother denying anything. "You knew I liked him, right? You did tease me a bit when he was here…"
"Yeah, I figured."
"I never got to talk to you about it when he was here and once he left, I thought it would get easier so I didn't say anything, but it didn't. Mystic Maya said I should talk to you because you probably had a lot of crushes on girls in school who didn't like you back."
He frowned. "She said that, did she?"
"Mhm!"
He sighed. "Well, I guess it's true. But I'll have you know I did have a few girlfriends in high school."
Pearl covered her mouth with her hand. "You mean Mystic Maya wasn't your first special someone?"
He smiled. "I wouldn't call any of those girls in high school my special someone," he said. "I didn't love them the way I love Maya…" He trailed off, and when he looked over at Pearl she was smiling knowingly at him. He cleared his throat. "Anyway, what did you want to talk about?"
"Well, how do you get over someone you have such a big crush on who doesn't like you back? Apollo was the first boy I've ever liked that much, besides celebrities. Maybe that's weird, because I'm already 18, but," she shrugged, "I've never really felt this way about anyone. And I just can't stop thinking about him now!"
Phoenix wrapped an arm around her shoulders. "Ah, Pearls. I'm sorry, there really isn't a way to get over someone. Just… time, I guess. It does get easier eventually." He took a breath. "You know about what happened with Iris and Dahlia, right?"
She nodded. "Sort of. I only remember what I was told after the whole case though. I was pretty little, but I remember."
"It was a complicated situation, and I was naïve and thought I was in love. Even after it was proven without a doubt that Dahlia tried to kill me, and frame me for murder, I still had feelings for her. I still tried to deny it, I kept telling myself that she wouldn't do something like that, that the girl in court wasn't really her. I realize now that part of the reason I felt that way was because it was really Iris I spent all that time with, but that doesn't change the fact that all that time I thought it was Dahlia."
"But she tried to kill you! How could you still like her after that?"
"That's what's crazy. When you like someone that much you don't want to let them go, even if they do something terrible to you, and Apollo was nothing if not the perfect gentleman around you, Pearls, so of course it's going to be harder for you to get over him. But you will eventually, trust me."
She huffed. "Can't you use the magatama to erase my feelings for him or something?"
He laughed at that. "Hey, I only know how to break Psyche-Locks. If this thing has power like that, you're gonna have to tell me how to use it. You're the expert."
She sighed. "Maybe I can find something in the old library in Kurain."
He squeezed her shoulders. "Don't bother. Just give it time, like I said."
"Alright." She leaned forward and reached out for the bag of chips, unrolling it and taking a handful for herself.
"Those are mine," Phoenix pouted.
She giggled. "You have to share…" She popped one into her mouth and chewed. "Hey, Mr. Nick, can I ask you something else?" she said through her mouthful. "You don't have to answer if you don't want to. I probably shouldn't even ask but…"
"What is it?"
She played with her magatama while she thought of how to word it. "Mystic Maya told you about that meeting with the Elders after New Year's, right?"
"Yeah, she did."
"Do you… Do you think you and Mystic Maya will ever get married?"
He figured Pearl would ask eventually, he should have been prepared for it. Trucy never did anymore, because the one time she did ask, he knew he'd tensed up at the question. She could see it, like she always did, and backtracked and told him to forget it. She hadn't asked since. But Pearl wasn't as perceptive, she couldn't see how uncomfortable the question made him.
She was still talking. "If you and Mystic Maya get married, me and you will really be related! Like a real family! We'd be… cousins-in-law?" She looked at him. "Is that even a thing?"
He shrugged. "I think so. To answer your question… I do want to marry Maya someday."
"Someday?"
"Mm. Someday."
"Okay. You don't need to tell me anymore. But just in case you're worried, Mystic Maya does want to get married. She pretends like it's not a big deal to her, but it is. She wouldn't say no. She… thought you might ask her on Valentine's Day, but you didn't."
He'd been wondering that himself after they went out that night. She seemed strangely excited or expectant, but it hadn't even been on his mind. He enjoyed the date and when they got home they made love like they seemed to be doing constantly in hopes that she would get pregnant, and she seemed to enjoy it, but there was just something about the way she was acting that night that made him wonder. The next day she seemed fine, so he put it out of his mind.
"Oh." He wasn't sure what else to say. "Thanks, Pearls. I'm... um… glad you told me."
She nodded and got up, stretching up on her tip toes. "Well, I'm gonna go meditate for a bit. See if that takes my mind off Mr. Apollo."
"Good luck."
"Thanks, Mr. Nick."
"Sure thing."
He watched her walk away and listened to the sound of her footsteps heading up the stairs to her room. He sunk back into the couch, relieved that she was gone. It wasn't that he was scared Maya would say no if he asked her. He knew she would say yes, and that was the problem. For some reason, the idea of marriage made him nervous.
It wasn't crippling anxiety or terror at the thought, but he also knew it wasn't the normal nerves that come with asking such an important question. And the weird thing was, he had no issues or fears when it came to their relationship as it was. They had a loving, long term relationship and he never found himself fearing that anything bad was going to happen between them. They lived together, they wanted to have children together, and he was fine with all of that. But he was scared to get married? What was wrong with him? Deciding to have children together seemed more important, but it didn't bother him at all. In fact he looked forward to it, but as soon as the word 'marriage' was brought up, he'd freeze up at the thought, and his brain started to come up with every crazy scenario it could think of. What if Maya got bored of him? She was still young and pretty and energetic. What if she found someone better suited to her? Someone with better connections that would be better for Kurain Village, or just someone closer to her age?
He groaned. He was just making things up, freaking himself out for no reason. Maya wouldn't do that, and it wasn't fair to think that she would.
He had thought about asking her multiple times in the past. Once back when he was still disbarred he'd even worked up the courage to go into a jewelry store, but he ended up telling himself that he had to get his life together first, and left empty handed. He hadn't been back inside a jewelry store since that first time. He thought about it again right after he got his badge back, but he decided he should work on rebuilding his reputation first to be sure clients would still hire him. And again before Maya went to Khura'in, but once again he convinced himself that it would be better to wait, because what if they couldn't last two years apart? He knew it was terrible of him to even think that, like he had no faith in their relationship, but he couldn't help it.
Now he really had no reason not to do it. They'd kept their relationship strong for almost ten years, even through all the ups and downs of his disbarment and Maya's two years away in Khura'in. He knew there was nothing that would be able to tear them apart now, and Maya deserved it. She never nagged him, never did more than drop very subtle hints every so often, sometimes so subtle that he wasn't even sure if it really was a hint or if he was looking into it too much. She would never force him or give him an ultimatum. It was up to him. It would also be better for her image in Kurain if she was married; the Elders wouldn't give her so much grief and any children they had wouldn't be looked down upon within the village.
It made sense logically to marry her, but the biggest and most important thing, something he didn't need to convince himself of and had nothing to do with logic, was that he loved her. He wanted to spend the rest of his life with her, he wanted to be with her until he was old and grey, up until he left this world, and then afterward he would be grateful if someone channelled him every so often so he could still visit her until it was her time to join him. So what was buying a ring and signing some papers really? It wouldn't change anything. They would continue to love and support each other as they always had.
He sighed and tapped his fingers on his knee. He could go at it slowly; let himself get used to the idea. Maybe even ask Athena for some help with her Mood Matrix if he really needed it, and he could always talk to Edgeworth. Edgeworth would no doubt he'd lay it all out and make it sound like the most obvious thing in the world.
As he sat there, staring at the living room ceiling, he made a decision. He was going to ask her. He didn't know when or how, but he could start planning it. If he took his time and worked through his nerves, he could do it, and he knew he wouldn't regret it. But where to start?
March 3rd, 2029, 4:53 PM
Chief Prosecutor's Office
"I'm not sure why you think you can just show up here, as if I don't have work to do."
Phoenix looked around the office. "Where is this work you speak of Edgeworth? All I see is an open laptop with…" he walked around the desk and bent closer to look at the screen, "'Plumed Punisher Episode 22 subbed' playing on it. I thought you hated this show?"
Edgeworth slammed the laptop shut from the front of the desk where he was standing. "Get out from back there, Wright. That's my personal workspace."
Phoenix walked back around to the front of the desk and took a seat on Edgeworth's couch without even waiting for an invitation. Edgeworth looked slightly annoyed, but he was used to Phoenix's unannounced visits, and Phoenix felt at home enough in Edgeworth's office not to worry too much with propriety, plus he knew it bugged Edgeworth and it was funny to annoy him.
Edgeworth stared down at his friend. Phoenix didn't seem to be in a bad mood, but he was being strangely quiet as he sat and looked around the office, as if he'd never been there before. Everything except Edgeworth himself seemed so interesting to him, and Edgeworth found himself sighing. Clearly he was going to have to get this conversation started. "Did you want some tea, Wright?"
"Sure, why not?"
Edgeworth stepped behind his desk and pressed a button on the phone. His secretary responded right away. "Yes, Mr. Edgeworth?"
"Miss James, could you have some tea made and sent up? The usual."
"Of course, Mr. Edgeworth. It'll be there in no time."
"Thank you."
A few minutes later, Edgeworth's young secretary brought the tea in on a tray and bowed out of the room again, but not before glancing at Phoenix and smiling knowingly.
Phoenix looked up at Edgeworth as he handed him his tea. "What's up with your secretary?" he asked. "She always looks at me funny whenever I'm here."
"She either has a crush on you, or thinks you and I are in a relationship," Edgeworth stated matter-of-factly, before taking a sip of his tea.
"Those are the two theories?" Edgeworth shrugged, and Phoenix rolled his eyes. "Well, whatever. Maybe we should invite her to Maya and I's wedding then. Either way, she'll be surprised."
Edgeworth looked up over his tea. "Your… wedding?"
"Oh. That's kind of what I wanted to talk to you about."
"Are congratulations in order?"
"No, not exactly. I did finally decide that I want to propose to her. But… I won't lie—"
"You're scared to do it."
"Wha? How did you know?"
"It's a common occurrence in men who wish to propose. Even if they have been with their significant others for almost ten years…" he said pointedly.
Phoenix sighed. "See, I knew you'd make it sound like the obvious thing to do."
Edgeworth took another sip of his tea and set it down on the side table, then took a seat on the couch beside Phoenix. "You love her, don't you, Wright?"
"Yes, of course."
Edgeworth nodded. "You've been together for almost ten years, correct?"
"Yes…"
"And she loves you?"
"God, I hope so, or she's wasted ten years of her life."
Edgeworth sat back and crossed one leg over the other. "Then what, pray tell, is the problem?"
"I—I don't know. There isn't a problem, the problem is with me! When I think about asking her I get so nervous. But it's more than the normal nerves that come with the whole proposing thing. I start to get all these thoughts like, what if she leaves me after? And the thing is, I know it's stupid to think that. I don't actually believe Maya would do that to me. I know she loves me, but still I have those thoughts anyway, and they stop me from even going into a jewelry store if I happen to walk by one."
"Have you considered a therapist?" Edgeworth asked gently. "I can sit here and tell you all day that it is certainly logical to marry her, but you shouldn't ask her until you're sure you can handle it. It's not fair to her for you to ask just because you think she wants it. You have to want it too."
"I know, you're right. For once, you're absolutely right. I am going to ask her, but I need to work through this first."
"What about Miss Cykes? She's quite good from what I've seen of her in court."
Phoenix rubbed the back of his neck. "Yeah, I thought of that, but would that be weird? I am her boss after all, does she really want to hear about my personal issues?"
"It couldn't hurt to ask her. She seems to enjoy helping others and she's good at it, and all of you over there in your office seem very close anyway, almost like family. If you trust her, you should ask her."
Phoenix nodded. "Yeah… Yeah, I think I will. And if she doesn't want to I'll go to someone else."
Edgeworth patted his friend on the shoulder. He wasn't one for physical contact often, but he'd learned over the years that sometimes Phoenix needed a bit of encouragement. "The fact that you're so willing to get help for this proves that you want to be with Maya, that you want to commit to her for life. You'll be fine, Wright."
"Y-Yeah, thanks Edgeworth. I knew talking to you would help." He smiled and shifted to turn in his seat. "Hey, maybe this is premature, and I don't know if I'm supposed to do something special or whatever but... whenever it happens, whenever Maya and I do get married, you'll be my best man, right?"
For once Edgeworth wasn't able to hide a small smile. "Well, we wouldn't want to have to rely on Larry to hold the ring for you, would we?"
Phoenix rolled his eyes. "You could just say yes, you know."
"Of course I will, Wright. I'd be honoured." Phoenix grinned and held his arms out but Edgeworth shook his head. "No hugs necessary."
"Aaw I think they are necessary, Miles."
Edgeworth grimaced. Phoenix only resorted to calling him by his first name when he wanted something, but he made no move to accept the hug. That didn't stop Phoenix, who scooted forward to pull his friend into his arms. Edgeworth reluctantly patted him on the back. "That's enough, Wright. Save this for your future wife."
"Hey, don't say anything about this to anyone," Phoenix said once he'd pulled back. "You and Athena, once I tell her, are the only two that should know. I would tell Pearls and Trucy but I'm afraid they might spill the beans to Maya in their excitement, even on accident. Plus I have no idea when this'll happen. For all I know it might not be for another year."
"My lips are sealed."
He sighed. "Even just talking about it like this makes me feel better. I'm going to talk to Athena as soon as I can." He finished off his tea and stood up. "Well, I'm going to head out now. Thanks again Edgeworth."
"You're very welcome, Wright. Good luck."
March 6th, 2029, 5:53 PM
Wright Anything Agency
"Uh, Boss?" Athena tapped her fingers on Phoenix's desk, prompting him to look up at her. She looked nervous, but he had no idea why. "You said you wanted to talk to me before I headed upstairs. I'm not in trouble am I?"
"Of course not, Athena." He finished signing the papers he had in front of him and looked back up at her. "Why? Did you do something worth getting in trouble for?"
"Nah. It's just a little bit nerve-wracking when your boss says he wants to 'speak with you after work'. I felt like a little kid at school all day, just waiting for the principal to give me heck."
He laughed. "Sorry about that. No, it's nothing bad. Actually, it's about me."
"Oh, really? What, like a survey about whether or not you're a fair boss or something?"
"Athena, no. I was just wondering… Have you ever used Widget to help people outside of court? With… personal issues."
She stood back for a second and stared at him, making him slightly uncomfortable. Finally, she spoke again. "I sense discord in your voice, Boss. Widget's practically a registered therapist! What's up?"
"You have to promise not to tell anyone."
Athena drew an X over her chest with a finger. "Cross my heart. This will be totally confidential."
"Alright. I want to ask Maya to marry me."
Athena squealed and jumped around in a circle. "Really?! I'm so happy for you, Mr. Wright! It's about time!"
Phoenix sat back and waited for Athena's excitement to die down. If she was this excited he couldn't even imagine what Pearl or Trucy's reactions would be if he told them. "Right, it's great. But see the thing is—"
"Oh, you're scared." He raised an eyebrow and she smiled timidly. "Sorry. I can tell. So, you need to talk about it then? I can definitely help, if you're okay with it. And as long as you know I'm not a legitimate therapist…"
"That's fine."
She waved him over to the couches where she took a seat. He came over and sat opposite her. She tapped Widget and her holographic screen appeared in front of her. It was almost intimidating to be the one on the end of one of Athena's "therapy sessions" instead of watching her do her work with a witness in court. When she looked up at him over the screen she smiled. "Mr. Wright, relax."
He realized what a stiff position he was sitting in and tried to relax back into the couch, placing his hands together in his lap.
"You really don't want to talk about this, do you?" she said.
He shrugged. "It was a long time ago."
"So you've already identified what the problem most likely is?"
He turned to look out the window. "Probably."
"Tell me about it," she prodded.
He sighed and looked at her again. "Back when I was in college, I had a girlfriend."
Athena nodded. "Okay."
"She uh, tried to poison me, and when that didn't work, she had me framed for murder instead."
Athena tried to hide her surprise as she tapped the screen in front of her. "Alright, I can definitely see how that would affect your future relationships. Continue."
"My mentor, Mia Fey, Maya's sister, got me off the hook, and Dahlia was found out. A few years later, after I became a lawyer, Dahlia was finally executed."
Athena looked up over her screen. "Wow, Mr. Wright. I had no idea."
"Yeah. Sadly, there's more."
"Oh, okay."
"Not long after Dahlia was executed I found out that she had a twin sister named Iris. A bunch of crazy stuff happened, it's way too long a story to tell, but essentially the Dahlia Hawthorne that was executed, I really only saw two or three times during the eight months we were dating. The rest of the time it was Iris I was spending time with, pretending to be her sister. She really was a sweet girl and apparently she really did have feelings for me, which makes it hard to accept the fact that she still lied to me for those eight months. I don't think she knew about Dahlia's plan to kill me, but the fact still stands that she lied to me and then when Dahlia didn't need her anymore, she just left. I didn't find out until years later that they were even different people."
Athena nodded solemnly. She had no idea her boss had gone through something like that. His relationship with Maya seemed so perfect, she never would have guessed he was having feelings like this. She'd never heard any sort of discord in his voice any time Maya was around.
"Let me ask you this then, Boss, what makes you think Maya is anything like Iris? I understand that Iris may have seemed sweet, and still lied to you, but Maya isn't Iris. So why do you think Maya would do anything to you just because you get married? You've been with her, how long? Two or three years was it?"
He scratched at the back of his neck. "Well that's what we tell most people, but a few people know the truth. Maya and I have been together for almost ten years. We got together not long after I was disbarred."
"Wow. So you're already in a committed relationship, when you think about it. Getting married shouldn't change how you feel about her or how she feels about you. So why are you so worried?"
"I don't really know. That's the whole thing. When I think about our relationship now, as it is, I'm fine. I want to have kids with her and live with her, but the thought of marrying her scares me, even though I don't want it to."
"Hmm. Are there are similarities between Iris and Maya?"
He swallowed. "Oh."
"What is it?"
He ran a hand over his face. "Iris is Maya's cousin. They're related by blood."
This time Athena couldn't hide her surprise. "Wait, what?"
"Yeah. Pearl's mother… She was also Iris and Dahlia's mother. She had them before Pearl was born and gave them up to her first husband, or so Maya has told me. Dahlia was just a psychopath, but Iris seemed genuinely sweet and caring…"
Athena tapped frantically on her Mood Matrix. "Mr. Wright… That's your problem."
"Huh? What is?"
"That Maya and Iris are related. The Mood Matrix is showing major anxiety when you talk about Iris being Maya's cousin."
"R-Really? But I've never even thought about that any time before."
"Maybe not consciously, but subconsciously that's what's causing this fear in you. That Maya may turn out to be like her cousin, that after so long of being together, it'll turn out that she's been lying the whole time anyway. And whether or not she actually has feelings for you won't matter, she'll leave or be taken away the same way Iris was back then."
"But that's stupid. I don't really think that!"
Athena shrugged. "That's not what my Mood Matrix is telling me. Do you ever see Iris?"
He shook his head. "No. Apparently she got out of jail a few years ago and Pearls visits her sometimes. She went back to being a nun in Hazakura Temple, up on Eagle Mountain."
"Do you think talking to her might help you get over this irrational fear?"
He shifted. "Or it could just make it worse." Athena tapped something on the Mood Matrix again and the screen disappeared. Phoenix sat forward. "That's it?"
"For now, yes. I won't push you if you think it may make things worse, but maybe you should talk to Iris about what she did. Maybe understanding will help you realize that Maya isn't her. Maya wouldn't do anything like what you're scared of."
"I haven't spoken to Iris for years, Athena."
"I know. But maybe that's your problem. Like I said, it's up to you. Do what you think will help. If you think it'll make it worse, don't go."
He nodded. "Alright. Thanks, Athena. I know it's probably weird to hear all this stuff from your boss."
She shrugged. "It's no problem. If I hadn't become a lawyer to save Simon, I probably would have gone into something like this. I like helping people, and you're like family, so of course I'm going to help." She winked at him. "Besides, I really want to go to your future wedding."
"You'll definitely get an invite." He stood up and smirked down at her. "Maybe you can even bring Simon."
She didn't blush like he thought she would. She tilted her head at him instead. "Yeah, sure. That sounds nice."
"Well, I'm going to head home now. Thanks, Athena, for all of this."
"No problem, Mr. Wright! We should probably have a few more sessions with the Mood Matrix too, so same time next week?"
"Yeah, sure. That sounds good. Make sure you lock the office door before you head upstairs for the night."
She saluted him. "Sure thing, Boss!"
March 10th, 2029, 9:45 AM
Hazakura Temple
Three days later, Phoenix found himself nervously sitting across from Pearl on the train to Hazakura Temple. Pearl didn't ask many questions when he asked her when she was going to go visit Iris next, and still didn't question him after he said he was going to join her. But as he stared out the window to his left, he could see Pearl staring at him out of the corner of his eye. Finally unable to take it any longer, he turned to her.
She didn't bother looking away. "Mr. Nick, can I ask you something?"
"Sure."
"Why did you want to come visit Sister Iris with me? You never have before."
"I just figured it's about time I see her again," he said, hoping his bluff would fool Pearl.
Of course it didn't. She crossed her arms. "Mr. Nick, you haven't seen her or talked to her for ten years. Why all of a sudden now?"
He tried to scramble for a reason, but couldn't come up with much, so he shrugged. "I need to talk to her about something, Pearls. That's all I can tell you. Does she know I'm coming?"
"Yes. I wasn't about to surprise her with, well, you. I had to tell her. I hope you don't mind."
"No, not at all. It's probably better that way."
Pearl shifted. "Mr. Nick, there's nothing going on between you two, right? I trust you not to hurt Mystic Maya like that but I can't help but worry…"
"Of course not, Pearls," he said, looking straight at her. He honestly felt a little annoyed that she would even think something like that. "And there won't be. I just need to talk to her."
"Okay, Mr. Nick."
When they arrived at the train station in Hazakura, Phoenix was surprised to see how bustling the place was. When he came with Maya and Pearl all those years ago, it was practically deserted. Pearl noticed his wide eyed look.
"You should have visited sooner, Mr. Nick. Eagle Mountain is much more populated now. Mystic Maya sent a lot of acolytes to train up here so there are way more people around than there used to be. We even get some tourists every now and then."
"I'm impressed. Maya never told me."
An acolyte from the temple was there to meet them, bowing politely and then leading them up the mountain. It brought back bad memories of the temple steps in Khura'in and Phoenix could already feel his muscles starting to complain. Maybe he did need to cut back on the potato chips.
By the time they reached the temple, he was out of breath, but Pearl and the acolyte both seemed perfectly fine. Pearl patted him on the back as he stood there panting. "You okay, Mr. Nick?"
"Uh huh. But I think Maya needs to invest in a lift or something for going up the mountain."
Pearl giggled. "I'll bring that up at our next council meeting. I'm sure she'll get right on it."
He made a face at her obvious sarcasm. The acolyte smiled at them. "Mystic Pearl, you know the way to your quarters don't you?"
Pearl nodded. "Yep. Can you take Mr. Nick here to his room?"
"Room? I'm not staying the night though."
"It's just customary. Somewhere for you to put your coat and stuff."
"Ah, okay then."
Pearl took her bag and headed into the temple ahead of them. The acolyte waved him over. "This way, Mr. Wright. I'm sorry but your room won't be inside the temple."
"Huh? Why not?"
She fidgeted. "Well, because you're a man," she said simply. "There are too many young women here." She looked at him and grinned. "But it's not them we worry for when men are around."
He got the gist. "When can I meet Sister Iris?"
"Oh, Sister Iris is quite busy these days. She knows of your visit and she'll come to you when she can. Don't worry, your room has plenty of things to help kill the time. Everything's been refurbished recently all thanks to the new Master. She's done wonders for Kurain and Hazakura."
He smiled, feeling prouder by the minute. "So, people are happy with Master Maya?"
"Oh, very." The acolyte looked around. "It's not polite for me to say such a thing about a previous master, but Master Maya has done much more for us than Master Misty ever did." She put her hands over her mouth, as if shocked by what she'd just said. "Oh, please don't tell Master Maya I said that!"
Phoenix couldn't help laughing. "I won't."
She smiled gratefully and stopped outside a cabin separated from the temple. "Here we are, Mr. Wright. You may go inside."
"This whole place is just for me?"
She nodded. "Yes. As I said everything has been refurbished and some things were even added. This is one of the old cabins, but it looks brand new."
He opened the door to step inside. A fire was already lit in the fireplace so it was nice and warm inside. It was nicely decorated, with a small kitchen near the back, a sofa and coffee table near the fireplace with a plush fur carpet on the floor, and on the other side of the room, a large bed.
"Wow," he breathed. It was so different than the last time he'd visited. It had been so cold and grey. It was still cold outside this far up on the mountain, but the cabins and the temple itself looked warm and welcoming. He looked back at the acolyte. "I have a question for you."
"Yes?"
"Where does the Master stay when she comes up?"
"Master Maya has her own cabin on the other side of the temple. It's twice the size of this one, and very beautiful. We keep it clean and dusted just in case she decides to visit."
He nodded thoughtfully. This cabin alone was so nice he couldn't help wondering if someday Maya might want to show him her cabin, albeit in a more romantic way. "Well, thank you. I'll wait for Iris here."
The acolyte bowed to him. "She shouldn't be long."
He closed the door behind her and turned around to survey the cabin again. The warmth of the fireplace was already seeping into his skin, so he took his coat off and laid it across the back of the sofa. There was a bookcase and a chess set near the bed, but he couldn't very well play chess by himself, and he wasn't very good at it anyway. Instead of looking for a book to read, he sat down on the sofa, feeling very tired all of a sudden. The long train ride and trek up the mountain had taken its toll.
He was awoken an hour later to a knock on the heavy wooden door of the cabin. He sat up quickly, temporarily forgetting where he was. The knock came again, so he ran his fingers through his hair quickly and got up. When he opened the door, he almost didn't recognize the woman standing in front of him.
Gone was the innocent looking Sister Iris from almost ten years ago. It was hard to remember that she was a 34 year old woman now, not the 25 year old he last saw. She was a bit heavier now, at least compared to the slight little thing she used to be. The extra weight looked good on her though. She was wearing a white warding hood over her black hair, and when she pulled it down onto her shoulders, Phoenix couldn't help gaping at her. Her face was marred by a large scar, crossing her nose and stopping just under her left eye. If whatever had made that scar had gone any farther, she might have been out an eye.
"I-Iris?!"
She smiled at him, and that smile was the same as ever. It showed her beauty even now, after everything she'd gone through. "Hello Feenie."
"What… What happened?" It slipped out of his mouth, and he could have kicked himself for it. "Oh God, I'm sorry, I didn't mean anything—"
"It's alright," she said, reaching up to touch her fingertips to the scar. "Prison happened."
He stepped aside to let her inside. "I'm so sorry, Iris."
She stepped inside and turned back towards him while he closed the door. "No need to apologize. It's what I deserved for my part in what happened all those years ago."
He gestured for her to sit on the sofa, then sank down beside her. "You didn't deserve that. You know, I wanted to help you reduce your sentence. I was going to talk to the courts on your behalf but I was disbarred not long after you went to prison, and couldn't. I'm sorry."
"I know," she said. "Master Maya has explained everything to me already. There's no need for you to feel bad. Prison wasn't all that terrible anyway. I was in a minimum security women's prison. I learned skills there that I hadn't learned from being stuck here on the mountain, and learned a few interesting things about myself as well. I made friends. Most of the women there were in for drug arrests or petty theft, usually to feed their drug addictions or their families. They weren't bad people. And I became a lot less timid and learned to look after myself." She smiled. "This scar may look bad, but you should see the other girl."
He grinned at her. "Wow, seriously?"
"Seriously."
"I'm glad to hear that then."
She nodded, looking down at the floor. "So, why did you come to visit me today, Feenie?"
"Do you mind… not calling me that?" That old nickname brought back too many bad memories.
"Oh," she blushed. "I'm sorry. Old habits, I guess. What would you prefer? Mr. Wright?"
"Phoenix is fine."
She nodded. "Okay… Phoenix."
He swallowed. This was even more awkward than he expected it to be. "I came to see you because… I wanted to talk about everything that happened back then."
She raised her eyebrows. "Why now? After all these years?"
"Because I'm going to ask Maya to marry me. But I'm scared, and my, er, therapist said that fear could be coming from something in my past…"
Understanding dawned on her face. "Ah, I see."
"We never talked about it. After Dahlia went to prison, I didn't even know of your existence until Maya and I came to Hazakura Temple. And after that, you went to prison, I was disbarred, and never contacted you again. I feel like if I just hear from you why you did it, it may help me. Why did you pretend to love me for eight months and then just disappear?"
"I didn't pretend," she said. "I thought you already knew that after the trial. I pretended at first but my feelings for you towards the end were real. I did love you."
"Then why? Why did you just leave and let Dahlia do what she did?"
"I didn't know about Dahlia's plan to kill you. If I had known I would have told you, or tried to stop her. I thought she was just going to try getting that necklace back from you again. She was my sister and she convinced me that I should be loyal to my family, even if all she ever did was ridicule and use me. When she said she didn't need my help anymore, I couldn't do anything about it. I had to give up on you and come back here."
She sighed. "Believe me, there's not a day that goes by that I don't wish I had been stronger back then. If I had been able to stand up to her, to tell her how I felt about you, so much could have been avoided. But she was my sister and I was weak and scared of her." She looked up at him, tears shining in her eyes. "Please forgive me, and don't let this come between you and Master Maya. She's nothing like me. You should hear her talk about you when she visits. She deserves you, and you her. Maya is strong, unlike me. She loves you and she would die for you before ever letting anything happen to you. Please, Phoenix." She tentatively placed her hand over his and gave it a gentle squeeze. "Please remember that it was my decision to play a part in Dahlia's plan back then. Only me. Maya would never do such a thing."
He sat back and sighed. Hearing her say it did help somehow, even though he'd known it all along. "The funny thing is, after hearing you say that, I'm realizing I already knew. Of course I did. I trust Maya more than anyone. I love her and she loves me."
Iris smiled. "I'm happy for you. I'm glad that you found someone better. Someone who deserves a man like you."
"Thanks, Iris."
She nodded. "I hope it's not too forward of me to say this, but I hope I see an invitation to your wedding in the mail sometime in the future."
"You will, for sure. Thank you for agreeing to see me today. It must have been a surprise."
"It was, but I'm glad you came. I think it was good to get this out of the way, after so many years of ignoring it. I hope we can be friends now, Phoenix."
"You're Pearls's sister, and Maya's cousin. As far as I'm concerned, you're family."
She smiled at him, then looked away. "You don't know how much that means to me."
They sat in quiet silence for a few minutes, each of them processing the conversation. It seemed to go so quick, he didn't need to prod or poke her for information. Her apology was sincere and he knew she was right. He couldn't let the damage their relationship had done to him effect his relationship with Maya.
"So… I'll be heading home later today. Is there anything I can do around here to kill the time until the next train leaves?" he said, finally breaking the silence.
Iris seemed thankful that he'd finally said something. She thought for a moment, then her face lit up. "Oh! Did you know Sister Bikini is still around? She's in a wheelchair now thanks to her bad back, but she still takes care of the younger acolytes."
"Then I should visit her before I leave," he said, standing up and stretching. Iris got up as well. "I know all about having a bad back, believe me. I feel for poor Sister Bikini. Now I know what she was going through when she had to cross that bridge over and over."
Iris covered her mouth with a hand to hide her giggle. "I can give you a tour of the temple and then bring you to visit. A lot has changed since the last time you were here, thanks to Master Maya."
"I think I'd like to see Maya's handiwork," he said as he pulled on his coat. "She doesn't tell me much about what she does. She does a lot more than I even realize. I'm proud of her."
Iris pulled her hood back up as he held the door open for her. She descended the stairs back onto the snowy path. "You should be proud of her," she said. "She's an amazing Master and person. We're all very thankful for her."
Phoenix followed Iris down the path back towards the temple, feeling that swelling pride yet again at Iris's high opinion of Maya. He couldn't wait to get home to see her, just so he could tell her he loved her.
March 11th, 2029, 1:12 AM
Fey-Wright Residence
When he got home that night, it was already late, and the house was quiet. Pearl had stayed at the temple so he entered alone, flicking on the light in the front hallway where he kicked off his shoes and took off his coat before making his way upstairs to the bedroom.
Maya was already asleep under the blankets, her back facing him, her long black hair splayed out across her pillow. He tried to be quiet as he undressed, but when he crawled into bed beside her she stirred and started to roll onto her back. He wrapped his arms around her to prevent her from moving and pressed his face into the curve of her shoulder.
"Nick?" she mumbled. "It's so late. Where were you?"
He kissed her shoulder and rubbed his hand along her arm. "I went to Hazakura Temple with Pearls today. I just got in, the last train was pretty late."
"Why'd you go there?"
"I decided it was finally time I visit Iris." He was confident that Maya wouldn't be suspicious of him. He wasn't going to lie to her about who he'd gone to see, but he couldn't tell her the reason why.
That got her attention, and she did manage to roll onto her back to look at him. She looked much more awake now, and slightly concerned. "Did everything go okay? You haven't seen her for so long…"
He smiled. Of course she would only be worried about his wellbeing. "It was a little weird at first, but it's fine now. She's changed a lot."
Maya nodded. "Yeah, she has… I'm glad you finally went. Pearly and I have been visiting Iris for years but I never brought it up to you. I figured it was a touchy subject."
"It was. But we're okay now. We can be friends, I think, and she's part of the family anyway, isn't she?"
Maya smiled. "Yes. I've lost enough family, so I'm glad you think so."
He sat up on an elbow and leaned over her, putting a hand on the other side to hold himself up. "You never told me how much work you've been putting into Hazakura, Maya. It was beautiful up there." He leaned down to kiss her lightly, then moved to nuzzle her neck. "All I could think about the whole time I was up there was how proud I am of you."
She lifted her hand to bury her fingers in his hair. "Mm. Thanks, Nick. That means a lot." His kisses were starting to travel down to her chest, so she cleared her throat. "Now if you'll excuse me, I was trying to sleep."
He lifted his head to grin at her. "Sorry." He gave her one last peck on the forehead. "I just love you so much."
She patted his cheek. "Thanks."
"All I get is a 'thanks'?"
She rolled her eyes and flung her arms around his neck, pulling him down against her. "Oh, Nick! I love you too!" she cried.
He rolled onto his back, pulling her with him as he went. "Okay, okay, you're hilarious."
"I am, aren't I?" She laid her head down on his chest and wrapped an arm around him. "But seriously, I do love you. More than anything."
He tightened his arm around her shoulder in a half hug. The fears he'd been having over the past week seemed incredibly stupid now that he was lying with her, feeling so comfortable and warm and loved. "I know you do, Maya."
She sighed contentedly and closed her eyes to go back to sleep while he laid there, wondering what on earth he'd done to deserve her.
A/N: I'm so sorry, Iris. I just figured that prison wouldn't exactly be all that nice to such a sweet thing like her.
Also just wanted to say that I know in real life, an issue like this would take a bit more than talking it out with a therapist in one day to resolve, but for the sake of length, I sort of rushed through it.
Guest Review:
Jade: Thanks for reading! I'm glad you enjoy it. :D
