Gatewater Hotel
September 5 4:45 p.m.
Phoenix and Maya waited at the entrance of the Gatewater Hotel for the others to arrive. There were many guests who had expensive taste and dressed in attire that looked like it was made from the greatest professionals across the globe. Phoenix and Maya felt sort of trumped acknowledging that the price tag on their clothes was probably but a fraction of everyone surrounding them.
Many of those surrounding them had posh attitudes that Maya mimicked to Phoenix, making him chuckle under his breath. "Is that so, Sir Wright?!" Maya waved her hand in quirky elegance while imposing a posh attitude in front of Phoenix. "Unlike you who uses that petty word, 'Objection,' I, on the other hand, use 'Au contraire' because I'm fancy and have so much money up my ass that I shit gold!"
Phoenix was patting his knees from laughter so hard that his eyes teared. "Maya stop! You're killing me! HAHAH!"
The attorney bent down and held his weight with one of his hands, still laughing at Maya's imitations. He composed himself before getting back on his feet. He wiped a tear from his eye and tried to come up with a joke of his own. He held his chin, pondering of an imitation for himself. 'I got it!' He shot a devious look before clearing his throat.
Phoenix held his chin up high and grabbed his tie, sticking out his pinky with exaggeration. "I say, Ms. Fey!" His voice cracking as he tried to imitate poshness. His hand pressed lightly against his chest. "Such words sting the renowned defense attorney of which I am! But if you were to shit gold, l on the other hand, am able to bestow golden showers!"
"Ew! Nick!" Maya laughed at Phoenix's imitation, partly from how bad he gestured his arms, the other for the sexual innuendo. The two giggled up a storm that lightly caught the attention of those around them. They stopped, realizing on how loud they were getting.
Phoenix looked at his phone, still wrestling on how to view the time with his new gadget. "4:55 Maya. Where are they?" Phoenix began to worry. If the others didn't show up soon they were going to be left outside the hotel.
A limo pulled up at the bottom of the stair to Gatewater, honking at the other cars to usher them away. The driver of the limo came out, his face partly covered by the black cap over his head with his hair partly pointing out of the back, but his black goatee was clearly visible. He opened the door before bowing and gesturing his free hand towards the hotel. A black heel exited the open limo door with an elegant and sumptuous violet dress. The limo driver reached over and grabbed the strong, but elegant hand. The figure came out of the car. Phoenix's heart fell to his gallbladder. 'It's Her!'
The woman in the violet dress had black gloves that reached her elbows as her dress was graffitied with elegant black designs that traveled along the trims of her straps and edges that shined brightly against the lights. A purple masquerade mask that matched perfectly with the designs of her dress covered her eyes as the sequins and feathers on it glistened. She placed her hand on her hip and stepped aside. After her was a man with a broad and sturdy physique. He had a black suit that barely reflected light, white gloves with a feathered black and white masquerade mask accompanied with a pointed tip near the nose that complimented his suit and slick tie. He lifted his hand carefully to the woman as she placed her arms around his. He wrapped his arm around hers and placed a hand over her gloved hand. The black and white intermingled gracefully together. Their pace was as if they rehearsed for a week on it. Everyone scattered away from their presence to allow the two to climb the stairs uninterrupted and unbound. Phoenix began to worry. 'Why is she here?! If Athena finds out she's here she'll-!'
"Hey Nick!" Maya was pulling the arm that was holding hers. "That's the woman who invited me here!"
Phoenix's heart sank even further along with his stomach. "S-she i-invited you h-here?!" He broke his focus to look at Maya.
"Yep, she came about a week ago to Kurain on a business trip." Maya said gleefully.
Phoenix had a hard time holding up his weight now. His vision was slightly fading. Maya was trying to catch Phoenix before his tall stature collapsed on top of her. "Nick, what's wrong?"
His words were tumbling out of his mouth awkwardly. "Th-That w-woman w-was."
Maya gave an angry look. "Out with it, man!"
Wright finally collected himself after a minute. He cleared his throat, which became dry after seeing the woman. His voice was slightly raspy, "That woman was my recent client."
Maya shot a concerned look at him. "Really?!" Maya changed her focus to the elegant woman walking in arm with the man in the pointy masquerade mask. "I can tell you did a good job because she is as free as a bird!"
Phoenix shuddered. "What was she charged for?" Maya continued her questionnaire.
"Uhh… assault." Phoenix muttered the words between his lips, not breaking his focus on the woman.
"Really?" Maya looked back at the woman who seemed to be facing their direction. "She doesn't seem like the person to do that, Nick. I bet it was an easy win for you, wasn't it?"
Phoenix's arms went numb as her gaze was targeted at Phoenix. He remembered what happened during that trial, well at least the way Apollo and Athena described it. "Y-yeah. It was pretty easy."
"You gotta tell me the details later, Nick!" Maya admired the woman who was walking up the stairs. The woman's focus was back to the hotel. "You want know something, Nick?"
Phoenix's demeanor changed, his worry was slightly subsided by her question. "What?"
Maya finally gazed up at Phoenix, a bit emotional in her eyes. "If it wasn't for her…I wouldn't be here. Next to you. To be with you..."
Phoenix stood there frozen, slack-jawed by the medium's words. His insides were empty and probably dropped out of his body by now. "What do you mean?" Phoenix was hesitant on the answer his girlfriend was going to give him.
"I mean… she came to the village a week ago. She said something about training with the Ultra Course at Hazakura. I was surprised knowing that someone who wasn't a local came by to try it. She greeted me kindly and I showed her the instructions on how to do the course. After I opened the Psyche Locks of the temple cavern I was impressed on how she actually completed it pretty fast and was unphased at all by the cold weather inside."
Phoenix felt a sudden chill as she continued. "Then later on, she greeted me privately after I had a meeting with the village elders. She proposed an offer to me that I just couldn't refuse! She said that I would be able to see you again!" Phoenix's heart began to climb back into place. The spirit medium master kept rambling. "I couldn't say no! And the offering I had to give her was well worth the price!"
Phoenix interrupted her, "What was the deal?"
"The deal was that I had to offer some of my blood to her. She said something about testing it for future medicine and that my spiritual energy is key to unlocking a piece to her giant puzzle. I don't know! She was using all this fancy lingo wording and I lost her halfway!" Her arms flailed as she completed the last sentence.
"After I offered it, she spoke to the elders. I don't know what she said, but it must of been damn well impressive because those old hags are more stubborn than restless mules squared times infinity!"
Phoenix was quite impressed, but not really surprised because he experienced first hand on what this mystery woman could do.
"Then the guy next to her-..." Phoenix quickly glanced at the darkman who walked inside the hotel before exchanging his look back at Maya. He felt something sinister for an odd reason. "came to me and he is a sweet heart! He is really nice! And very cunning." She sassed the last word.
"He talked to me about a great gift that he promised to 'reimburse' me for my kind offer. I'm not sure what it was, because I fell asleep for some reason afterwards." Phoenix's face became concerned at that moment. He felt like he got hit with major Deja vu. "But when I woke up, I had a huge wad of cash along with these invitations! She told me to use the money to get here and invite as many people as I want, and if I needed, come back to her for more! And here I am! Next to the great and renowned defense attorney called, Phoenix Wright." She gazed upon him with desire.
Phoenix blushed and held her tightly against his chest. 'So she brought Maya to me? Why am I so worried? I should be actually thanking her! Oh, I promise to thank her grandly later! I swear I will!'
Phoenix was giddy and excited now aware that his recent client not only paid him grandly, but brought Maya to him, allowing him to feel her and love her once more. It felt like a dream. The shadow of doubt left him, except with that one detail. 'Why her blood?'
"Mr. Wright! Hey!"
"Daddy!"
"Mr. Nick! Oh-! Hee Hee!
Phoenix and Maya broke their grasps to see the three familiar figures running up the stairs to them. Pearl was dressed in a pink simple dress. Trucy was dressed in a cyan blue dress that had ruffled straps and ruffles above her midriff. She had a light blush with mascara. So did Pearl. It was obvious that Trucy did their makeup. Apollo was dressed in a dashing black vest with white slacks, black shoes, and a black bow tie.
"You guys look awesome!" Maya interjected at the three beautifully dressed persons.
"Thanks Mystic Maya." Pearl blushed, her hands cupping her face again. "And so do you with your special someone!"
"I know!" Maya leaned back to Phoenix and kissed him on the lips. Pearl and Trucy laughed together, their fingers intermingled and jumping. Maya pulled back, but Phoenix wished she didn't. He didn't care if it broke the PDA rule. He was happy to have his heart back where it belonged.
"Where's Athena?" Apollo asked abruptly.
"I don't know…" Phoenix answered lowly while shrugging his shoulders.
They all gave a worried look to each other. It was about a minute passed five and Athena was still nowhere to be seen.
"HERE I AM!"
Everyone looked towards a pillar near the Gatewater entrance. Apollo's jaw dropped. Athena was dressed in a ravishing black dress that had a large white ribbon in the middle and white trims across the edges of her dress. She had white gloves with the ends having a white trim. Trucy was also looking at Athena's dazzling dress, but lifted her hand to Apollo's mouth and lifted his jaw back in place. He closed his mouth, but he noticed how perfect she matched with his outfit too. 'I guess I found my cohort for tonight.' He had a toothy smile plastered on his face.
A man who dressed in what was the ideal butler getup stepped out of the double door frame. He cleared his throat before announcing, "Last call! Anyone who does not come inside now, will not partake in tonight's festivities!"
Maya slapped the stack of invitations against Phoenix's chest. "Lets go, Mr. Wright." She winked.
"Yes!" He kissed her before heading inside. "Let's go!"
