Chapter Four: Argument
By the time Lana and Ema walked through the front door, Lana was no more ready to broach the topic than she was when they left the residence. How did she even start?
And it wasn't like the two of them had any sort of experience with this. The last time Ema talked to her about a boy, she'd been in college in Europe. Lana couldn't exactly evaluate him through a phone. In high school, Ema rarely talked to her about anything, let alone boys she liked. Lana had herself to blame for that.
Besides, it wasn't as though she hated the prince, hesitant though she was. He seemed polite enough. But a soft word and pretty smile wasn't worth all of Ema's time and sleep. She was working herself to death just to be with him. She'd never admit it, but Lana knew had no intent of staying with him in this country. If she did, she wouldn't make the extra effort to return to LA every so often.
But at the same time, she never would have come here if it hadn't been for him. It took a force beyond this world to keep Ema from a Snackoo bag, let alone the modern world.
Lana knew her sister. She knew how persistent she could be about things. She knew, more than anyone else, how difficult it was to make Ema give up.
But if she did nothing, it would tear her sister apart. She should've come over sooner, and ripped the bandage off early. But the longer those two were together, the more pain it would be when they split up. Lana didn't want her sister to suffer. She had to at least give her some advice.
"You weren't very hungry at dinner," Ema commented, bringing her sister out of her thoughts. "Is anything wrong?"
"I ate on the plane."
"You didn't have much to say, either." Ema was analyzing her like a crime scene. "Are you sure you're feeling well?"
"I'm just tired," Lana replied, trying to end the conversation as soon as possible. "Where's the bathroom?"
"Outside."
"What?"
"It's a flushing toilet and everything, don't worry. It's just not connected to everything else."
She paused. "Why an outhouse?"
"Because it was an outhouse when I bought it. This is an old place. I had to get the parts shipped in for a toilet, sink, and shower. And finding someone to install it? Kinda surprised the place even had electricity."
Wow. Lana figured Khura'in would be behind the US technologically, but she hadn't guessed how far. How did Ema cope? Her fancy smartphone couldn't do half its tasks out here.
But she wasn't going to bring it up now. She needed a shower first. "Be back in a few minutes."
Starting up the shower was different than she expected, and it took her a bit to figure out how the hot water worked, but once Lana was in, it was heaven. For the first time since the plane ride, Lana felt her muscles relax. She always did her best thinking in the shower.
What was it going to take to get Ema to realize what was happening to her? Lana feared that however she approached the subject, it would end with their relationship strained and going home early. And she wasn't disapproving entirely, but... had Ema considered this at all? Somehow, it felt like she hadn't. There were times it felt like Ema never considered the consequences of her actions.
Maybe Lana could start there. Just get Ema to consider her position, and the difficulties attached. If Ema realized how impossible it all was herself, Lana wouldn't have to play the bad guy. She didn't know how things would end if she did.
As she exited the shower and dried herself off, Lana simulated conversations in her head, trying to think of the best way to convey her message. Did she really have to do this tonight?
Well, it wasn't like she had much time here. Might as well do it when they're alone and relaxed.
When she walked back into the main building, Ema was already in nightclothes. She seemed to be reading... a book of scriptures?
"What is that?"
"Oh, hey Lana." Ema didn't look up. "It's a translation of one of the many, many holy books in Khura'inism. I agreed to read it if Nahyuta agreed to read a book about evolution."
"How is that going?"
"Better than I thought. He doesn't seem very interested in the theory as a whole, but finds the idea of micro-evolution possible."
Huh. "I doubt a clergyman would be too interested in scientific theory, anyway."
"Gregor Mendel was an abbot," Ema countered. "Science and religion aren't mutually exclusive, you know."
"Weren't you the one who once told me they were?"
"I was wrong."
"Hm." Lana didn't know what to say to that. She vaguely wondered if Ema would ever consider converting for this guy's sake. If you asked Lana just yesterday, it would have seemed impossible to her. "Is the book interesting, at least?"
"Mmhm. I'm to the part where the Holy Mother watches her new husband die in war, and flees to seek answers about the nature of the world. She hasn't become a goddess yet, apparently."
"Huh." Lana knew next to nothing about Khura'inism, beyond the importance of spirit channeling and the idea it all came from one lady. The royal family claimed they were descendants of the Holy Mother, and that was why they'd never been overthrown, thirteen hundred years after founding the dynasty. The story went that if the Khura'in family line were to leave power, the country would cease to exist and fall into a state of eternal war. It was crazy to think about, but whatever it took to maintain order, she guessed.
She tuned back in as Ema went on. "If it were just a work of fiction, I think I would enjoy the read, but Nahyuta takes it so seriously. I don't understand why."
"Religion means a lot to some people. It might not make sense to you, but maybe you have to accept that the two of you have differences."
"I might just have to." Ema slumped. "I try to understand him, but sometimes... I don't know."
"You feel like you aren't a part of his world?"
"Not exactly. I mean, Apollo isn't Khura'inist either, but he's a part of it enough. It's just... with all the praying he does, I feel like a side chick to his goddess or something."
"A side chick to his ancestor?" Lana was thinking about how to spin this. Maybe it would be easier than she thought.
"I know it's weird, and I am trying. But it isn't just him either. Did you know conversion is a requirement for gaining citizenship here? That's why this place is one hundred percent Khura'inist: because if you practice another religion, you have to move out within the year. I have a work visa excepting me from the law, but-"
"That's crazier than I thought." Lana wondered if this was the best opportunity she was going to get. "You know, when I first heard you were going to be working over here, I was pretty surprised. I looked up this place, and it didn't sound like a place you'd like to live in. What made you come here?"
"I met Nahyuta before I knew anything about this place. He and I worked better together than anyone I've ever been with. It took a bit of sorting out, but... It was cases were crazy, but when are they not? For once, a prosecutor actually cared about and appreciated the work I did. Traveling with him reminded me of college in Europe. And then, after a case in America... we sorta became more. And for the first time in years, I was really happy about it. And-"
Lana couldn't listen to this. "That's really sweet, but-"
"He isn't the only reason I'm here, before you ask. I have other motives. I know Apollo spent part of his childhood here, but... he's my friend. I didn't want him to be alone. However hard you think my job is, his is ten times worse. And this place's legal system..." She sighed. "It's gotten better, but it's still so crazy. Also... I feel like I sat back and did nothing when the system back home went into a dark age. Maybe I help out here, I can make up for it, somehow."
"You don't have to feel that way. I did far more to bring it about than you ever did."
Ema swayed back and forth, finger on her chin. "You know... if you wanted to become a detective again, you probably could here. Nahyuta knows about your record, but if Gaspen Payne can have his ignored, so can you. They need the help badly enough, and think of how fun it would be. You could even-"
"No."
"No? Why not?"
"Because I've finally settled down into a life I'm comfortable with, and I'm not about to move halfway across the world to chase down an old fantasy. I still can't believe you did. You'd passed the forensics exam, Ema. You had everything you wanted, and you came here."
"You think passing some test was all I wanted? What's the point of doing what I love with no one to do it with? You think I had many friends back home?"
"You had me. You had Mr. Wright. Heck, what happened to your dreams of working with Mr. Edgeworth? Did you just drop everything for this guy?"
"I did work with Mr. Edgeworth, remember? Last month. I finished the case, went to some wedding, then came back here." Now Ema was riled up. "Do you really think I just dropped everything to come here?"
"That's what it looks like. You finally achieved what you'd been working at for years, and suddenly it isn't enough for you? How many dreams are you going to chase down? You stopped wanting to marry a prince when you were six!"
"Who said anything about marriage? You think I'm acting delusional, here? I started liking Nahyuta before I even knew who his family was, and I'm not about to stop because of it."
She tried to pull back a bit. "You can like him all you want, but I want you to be honest with yourself: what chance does this have of working out?"
"What are you saying?"
"You heard what I said earlier: you two are very different people from different parts of the world. I think you're being rash. I wish you'd thought about it more before you started dating this guy." Lana was losing control here.
And apparently, so was Ema. "I'm not a child, Lana! I can make decisions for myself. And if I choose to date Nahyuta, you can't tell me not to."
"I can tell you it won't end happily. Ema, just think about it. If-"
"Do you think I haven't thought about it?! I think about us every day. I invited you over here to show you a part of my life, and you lecture me for it the first night. Why did you even come out here?"
"To see if you were happy," Lana confessed. "And I can tell you right now, you aren't going to be happy with this affair forever. You might as well-"
"Might as well what? Be alone all my life? Who are you to give me advice? The last time you loved somebody, she ditched you for a coffee addict! Then died! Not all of us want to be single at forty."
"Not all of us want to raise a child in our twenties, either! Not all of us want to sit in prison for ten years for trying to protect said child. But that's just how life is, you know? The sooner you accept it, the easier it is to just move on."
Ema's face went slack with shock. She dropped her book. Then her cheeks turned red. Before Lana could say anything more, her sister stormed out of her own house, leaving Lana to stand there in silence.
Lana picked up the scripture book from where Ema had dropped it. Did she go after her? Give her time to cool off? Nothing?!
So much for sisterly advice.
A/N's: Greetings, everyone! I am back, and with a rather emotional fight scene that I'm not sure how I feel about.
On one hand, I feel like I made the Skye sisters too dramatic. But on the other, I can totally see them interacting like this. They definitely aren't your typical sibling relationship, and after years of Lana being restricted to a degree in Ema's life, it occurred to me she might not react well to Lana trying to influence it. Plus I wanted to explore Ema's rationale for going to Khura'in. If she and Nahyuta were really nothing in canon, her actions wouldn't make any sense. That, plus all the game's hinting, has led me to believe the ship's creation was intentional on Capcom's part.
Oh, and I included past Mialana. Hope no one's surprised.
Thanks for reading, expect maybe two more chapters of this fic, and I'll see you on the far side!
