Wright Anything Agency
September 6 12:00 p.m.
"Maya?" Phoenix asked hesitantly.
"Yes, Nick." The spirit medium inquired with delight.
"That woman?"
"What woman?"
"Ms. Specter?"
"Regina?" She gleamed with excitement.
"Yeah. I know you spoke briefly about her, but why was she at Kurain in the first place?" Phoenix was now focused on his previous client.
"Well. She said a lot of stuff, Nick." The spirit medium sat down comfortably on Phoenix's office chair, leaning on her palm before continuing.
"She said she heard from an associate outside the country about the Kurain channeling technique. She said she was very intrigued and asked about two million questions about it. She's is worse than you cross examining a witness, Nick." She joked.
"Seriously, Maya…" Phoenix pleaded sincerely.
"Geez, Nick!" She turned. "Fine! She asked like, how do I do it? How does it work? If it hurts or not? Are there side effects? Can anyone do it? Does it also works on guys? If it's blood-related? How long ago does the technique last?"
Phoenix kept contemplating on the rambling spirit medium who seemed unending on the questions.
"Hold it!" He interrupted her. "And what happened after that?"
"Okay Eager Attorney!" She caught her breath. "After I answered all her questions, she introduced me to this guy... " She halted.
"What guy?" Athena questioned, her face seriously clung to Maya's statement.
"This guy looked good, sorry Nick!" Maya laughed.
Phoenix's shoulders slumped as sweat trickled down his face. "Really Maya?"
"Hehe yeah! But like I was saying, this guy, the one at Gatewater party, the one holding Regina's hand all romanticly." She blushed lightly, "You should hold me like that more often, Nick."
Phoenix's brow twitched. He was not exactly the best at presenting himself in personal affairs when people are spectating. It was always something he brushed off when people would ask if she was more than just an assistant. But the idea did scratch his mind at certain times.
"Only if you finish." Phoenix impulsively blurted to get more info from the medium.
Her face glowed, her words sped up, "he spoke kindly to me about learning the incantations of the Ultra Course. I was surprised because men can't channel spirits, especially if they aren't Fey related. But he didn't mind at all. He said he wanted to train with Ms. Regina at Hazakura…"
Maya gave Phoenix a mischievous stare, "Just like how we did, isn't that right, Nick?" She winked teasingly towards the blue attorney.
Athena quickly darted her head quirkily at her boss and the spirit medium. "Did I miss something?"
Phoenix's head bobbed forward, passing his shoulders, which were still down. The sweat became more frequent as he remembered that dreadfully bitter cold night where Phoenix and Maya stood at Hazakura for the Ultra Course.
'Who in their right mind would want to spend a night in that pit of an icy prison?!'
"Pearl set us up one time at the Hazakura temple. Caged behind frozen bars and frigid psyche locks." Phoenix miserably mumbled.
"Come on, Nick. It wasn't that bad!" Maya winked once more, teasing the glum attorney.
He fixed himself, squeamishly, remembering it was also that night, he was very close to Maya. After the hectic antics of Dahlia Hawthorne coming back for another kill, he finally had time with Maya that wasn't murder related. That night, it actually went according to Pearl's plan, even though she didn't notice it at the time.
Athena was hesitant, but very curious on how this 'Ultra Course' worked.
"And…?" Phoenix gestured with his hand.
"So they went inside for a whole night. I gave them the proper instructions on the waterfall and scrolls before beginning. Ironically, they were very excited. Most guest shiver before looking at the doors."
'It is pretty cold in there, Maya…' Phoenix thought sarcastically.
"Then when they finished. They were out, completely unbothered. Maybe they're from Russia or something…" Maya squeezed her chin. "They're probably used to stuff like that. Then the following day, they were talking about summoning someone. I don't remember their name. But the nice man said he would reward me greatly if I did. Then…"
Athena and Phoenix tilted their heads back in suspicion. "Then what?"
"I don't remember. I fell asleep, or maybe I channeled the person they wanted. But what was weird is that I got scared when I heard this really loud bang!"
Phoenix arched forward, "A bang?"
"Yeah, like a firecracker. About four times." Maya squirmed in the seat, trying to remember.
This 'bang' Maya referred to made Phoenix uncomfortable. His tie felt tighter before clearing his throat.
"I awoke later on in the same room, but this time only Regina was there. She looked very happy before asking me if there are any good 'defenders' nearby. And of course, the best 'defender' I know is you, Nick! I told them everything about you and all your cases and all the stuff we went through!" Maya was hopping in the chair.
"Maya! I love the feedback, but why would you tell strangers 'everything' about me? And did you figure out what the banging was?" Phoenix pointed out.
"Why not? Who doesn't know you, Nick?" Maya sassed playfully.
Phoenix felt flattered, 'Hehe… Well if you put it that way.'
"I didn't know where the noise came from."
He shook his head, returning to the subject. "Hmmm...And that's when they offered to bring you?" Lightly tapping his finger against his chin.
"Yeah! It was really nice of them.
Athena was completely intrigued on the matter. Not on the two guests from Kurain, but about Maya's power. Her boss would sometimes skim passed Maya's special ability, but she never actually saw it first hand.
"Maya?" Athena asked humbly.
"Yes, Athena?" The spirit medium addressed.
"This power you have? What is it exactly?"
"I can channel spirits. As the master of Kurain, I have the duty to perfect the channeling technique as well as preserve the tradition."
"Hold it!" Athena bluntly interrupted Maya. The yellow attorney darted around the desk to face Maya.
Maya's eyes shot wide as the yellow attorney shoved her index towards her face. "You can channel spirits?! As in the dead?!"
"Y-Yeah. Didn't Nick ever tell you guys that?" Maya was baffled.
"Mr. Wright?! Why didn't you tell me Maya could do such things?!" Athena was flustered, her fists dangling on her sides.
Phoenix froze. This was something he worried about bringing up Maya. His fear of mentioning Maya to his employees was not of professionalism nor that he didn't love Maya, but the fear of bringing up her ability.
"I'm sorry, Athena… I couldn't." Phoenix registered her question seriously.
"Why not?! This is something that can help us so much during trials!" Athena shook angrily. "If someone was killed, we would know who did it!"
"No!" Phoenix exchanged earnestly. "That's exactly what happened almost 17 years ago. The DL-6 incident and the wrong person was accused of murder."
Athena loosened her grip lightly, "How do you not know your own killer?!"
"Things became complicated, Athena… Causing the live's of many to suffer; Edgeworth, Grossenburg, Yogi, and..." Phoenix slowed down before putting his head down. The heat traveled up to his face. "Misty Fey…"
The blue attorney peered an eye to Maya, her expression was fixed, but he could sense the sorrow emitted from the spirit medium.
Athena's fists finally unclenched as her composure changed, gaining the sort of dire news from her boss across the desk. "Misty Fey? Is she related to you Maya?"
The spirit medium crooked an awkward frown, "Yeah… She was my mother. The master before me."
Athena flinched backwards, her hair flying along her trajectory. "I didn't know. I'm sorry."
"It's okay, Athena." The spirit medium shined. "I know she's happy where she is and very proud."
"She is, isn't she?" Athena smiled faintly.
A sudden idea crossed Athena's mind that made her eyes grow widely. 'If she can do that, maybe I can talk to…'
"MAYA!" Athena broke out of thought, impulsively grappling the spirit medium's kimono. Maya tilted her head back reflexively by the overwhelming attorney.
She responded timidly back, "Y-yeah, Athena?"
Athena's face was pale as ever, her sweat piled on her forehead while her blue eyes were giant platter sized dishes as her jaw slacked on their hinges.
"Can you summon my mother?!"
"What?!"
"WHAT?!"
Phoenix and Maya stared at each other before belatedly gazing horridly at the frantic attorney.
"Please Maya! Please! Summon her for me!" Athena's grip tightened.
"But I-" Maya was interrupted.
"NO!" Phoenix shot an angry scowl at Athena. "Don't do it."
"But Mr. Wright please! There's was so much to say! So much to thank her for! So much to apologize for!" Athena's behavior was becoming erratic as the spirit medium dangled in her grasp.
"Listen, Athena." Phoenix removed his hands from his pockets before approaching Athena. He grabbed her wrist, signalling her to release Maya. She let go of the spirit medium. Her body frozen in time by her rejected offer.
"You can't. It would open too many healed wounds. The case was won and bringing her back would only grow your dependence on her. It happened to me, Athena. Trust me. I used to abuse her power whenever I needed help. And it helped me realize that I cannot be dependent on people who are no longer in the living. Please Athena. I'm only doing this for your own good."
Athena persistently asserted herself, "But boss, I won't be abusive. It's a one time thing!"
"I'm sorry, Athena. I cannot let you. I thought the same way you did and I, too, became dependent on Maya's ability to win certain cases."
"But-!"
"My final answer is no."
Athena peered back at her superior. Crushed by his rejection. Her fingers trembled. Widget turned off. The stern, but sympathetic gaze of her boss still attached to her. Her fingertips became numb as the heat in her body burned. The amalgam of dejection, anger and guilt pulsed through her being. Hot tears occupied her eyes as they faded her vision of the blue attorney and purple spirit medium into a watercolor mess of blurred lines. Her palms cover her face before heading out the door.
"Athena! Wait!"
