Eyyyy :)

Finals are coming up - boo. Studying is such a pain. I need to get over my procrastinating habit... by posting another chapter. Wait.

Anyways. Hope you enjoy!

Chapter 19

February 9

4:02 P.M.

Hazakura Temple Main Hall

"So Iris is Morgan's daughter?" Phoenix asked, staring at Bikini in disbelief. He remembered Morgan Fey quite well, and how she tried to kill Maya, her niece, in order to ensure her daughter Pearl's place as the Master of Kurain Village.

"Yes. Morgan had three daughters: Pearl, Iris, and Iris' twin sister. Morgan's husband realized that Morgan would never become the Master, so he took the two older girls and became a jeweler. Then he sent Iris up here and remarried. I'm not sure what happened to her sister."

Something clicked in Phoenix's brain. 'That explains a lot.'

February 9

4:30 P.M.

Inner Temple Garden

Phoenix, a little out of breath from all of his walking, entered the garden. "Edgeworth!"

Thankfully, Edgeworth was still in the garden. He turned around, noticing Phoenix's urgent tone. "Yes, Wright?"

Phoenix grinned a bit. "I've got it. Bikini just told me that Iris has a twin sister."

Edgeworth's eyes widened. "So that must mean…"

"She must be…"

"Dahlia Hawthorne," they said together.

"So it really was -?" Edgeworth demanded. Phoenix laughed darkly.

"Remember when I said that I had a girlfriend in college?" he reminded Edgeworth, who cringed mentally at the memories of the "trial" and the events following it.

"I'm so sorry, Wright… when I saw that you were caught up in that murder case five years ago…"

"Yeah. She used me to get rid of some poison she had… and then she tried to kill me to get it back. Nearly succeeded, too."

Edgeworth growled, and Phoenix took a step back. The prosecutor's mind was whirling. "She can't be connected, though… there's no way," he forced out. "She's already dead."

"What?" Phoenix gasped. Although he had been expecting it, the news was still a bit of a shock.

"But of course, Wright. She was executed last month…"

"Oh…"

"And I'm sorry I missed her execution," Edgeworth muttered, low enough for Phoenix not to hear.

"What was that?" Phoenix asked. "I didn't hear that last bit."

Edgeworth said nothing, turning away quickly.

"Edgeworth?"

Miles Edgeworth took a deep breath. "Not now, Wright."

February 9

4:36 P.M.

Inner Temple Training Hall

"Iris?"

The nun turned around. "Oh!"

"We need to talk," Phoenix told her, grasping the Magatama. He nodded grimly when the Psyche-locks appeared once more. "I'll ask you again. What happened on the night of the crime?"

Iris blinked. "I don't know… I was in my room the entire night."

"I don't think so," Phoenix smirked. "Bikini saw you go to the Inner Temple that night." He sighed in relief as a lock shattered.

"Well…" Iris began. "I did leave my room at about 9:40 that night to go to the Inner Temple… I remember that now."

Phoenix sighed. "No, Iris, you didn't. You said so yourself that you have to ring the bell at 10:00 every night. I saw you at that time, and you were not at the Inner Temple." Another lock broke.

"H-how is that possible?" Iris asked him, nervously biting her lip. "You tell me!"

"There were two of you," Phoenix replied. Iris smiled shakily.

"That's not – how could that be? There's only one of me, and I'm right here! Can you prove that there were two of me?!"

Phoenix grinned fully now. "Yes, I can. The other 'you' would be your sister, Dahlia Hawthorne." His eyes narrowed in triumph as the final lock shattered into bits.

Iris bit her lip and squeezed her eyes shut, a few tears threatening to spill out. "Mr. Wright… you must know that my sister is…"

"Yes, I heard."

"But she didn't do anything wrong! Dahlia always does the right thing. I… I betrayed her, Mr. Wright. I know that I may be found guilty, but…"

"You betrayed her?"

"Eleven years ago… I planned what happened at Dusky Bridge, but I grew afraid and ran away. If I hadn't done that… Dahlia started to commit crime after crime… after that day, all because I betrayed her. Our father… Dahlia wanted revenge on him."

"Revenge?"

"My father married my mother, Morgan Fey, because he thought that she would become the Master of Kurain Village. However, when her sister became the Master instead, my father left my mother and took my sister and me with him. I did not fit in with my new family, so I came here to Hazakura Temple."

"I see. One more thing. Did your sister ever mention… a college student that she was going out with?" He had to know. He needed to know the truth about five years ago.

"Um… she did say one thing."

"Yes?"

Iris stared intently at Phoenix. "She said that she hated his guts."

Phoenix winced. 'So everything really was a lie…' "Thank you, Iris."