Well guys, i'd really appriciate you reading this first, not only will it explain why i haven't updated. But it'll explain my future absence.
First of all, thanks for being patient. it was kinda hard pulling this one out but i finally got it... so why did it take so long?
Remember that college class that i said was easy? it wasn't, i studied quite a lot and when i did get the chace to write, all i'd get was a huge dose of writer's block. no i'm not kidding, it got worse when the class finished. i tried every trick in the book for beating it, but nothing worked. Until, i went away for Christmas. then it was like a huge wall was broken and I could Write again. Sigh. none of you will believe this next part, we got home and i noticed something was wrong with the computer.... The motherboard was burning out...
So, i plugged in my Flash drive and saved what little i could, (which included 'Icestorms') and right after i unplugged it, the poor motherboard had it's last fizzout and died. so, i got a new comp. Sadly, as i started reworking everything, writers block started to return, and so i did my best, and finally pushed myself to finish it tonight.
so, how long will i be gone this time? around six months, maybe a littler longer. why? well i'm taking four college classes now, and right when i'm done, guess what? i'm moving, that's right, from one home to the next. i'll be sure to back up EVERYTHING, just in case -.o
but guys, with all that (and my free days only being weekends and a huge workload.) i don't think i'll be able to update for a while, i mean i start school in three days which is why this is so rushed. i can try and work on 'Monsoon' but there's little hope for an update anytime soon.
I do NOT own Phoenix Wright, i simply borrow their awesome characters to make this story.
and once again, alert me if they seem OOC.
Phoenix groaned weakly as he opened his eyes. The room was dimly lit by a light in the window, hidden by the curtain. He looked around the room and froze when his gaze landed on the sleeping figure on the couch across from him. Her hands, though unbound, were severely lacerated, and she held a heavily guarded air about her, as though ready to attack anyone that came near. The whip that was her trademark was firmly grasped in her hand. She would look almost threatening, if it wasn't for the pained look on her face.
Phoenix gasped as the immense damage in his chest made itself known, he gasped sharply and clutched at his chest weakly. The pain spread through his chest, his shoulder and down his arm. He groaned weakly as he sat up, and sighed weakly as the pain lessened. He looked at the table which now held his Bullet-Proof vest, a pair of tweezers, a large heap of bandages, a sewing kit, a small mountain of towels covered with what he now realized was blood and at the end of the table lay a small bag with two bullets in it. He stared, absolutely stunned by the tiny little pieces of metal. Although the damage had been spread out to prevent his death it felt as though he'd been hit by something much bigger.
"Oh," Phoenix nearly jumped out of his skin as Franziska stood up, "You're awake."
Phoenix couldn't stop himself from staring at her. "That's what the pain tells me." She glared in response, as though angered by his stare. "What's all this about?" he asked, gesturing to the contents of the table. Franziska blinked and looked almost ashamed; she quickly regained composure before answering.
"You were bleeding very badly, to the point where you would've died if I didn't do something. So, I got the bullets out of you before it could cause any more damage and sewed you up as best I could." She then looked away, a flush apparent on her cheeks. Phoenix couldn't help but grin.
"It's amazing; how a perfect prosecutor finds the fact she can do emergency surgery without a license utterly embarrassing." He chuckled as she flushed a deep red, almost maroon. "At least you got it out." He pointed out. She glared darkly at him.
"You know, if you hadn't pulled that foolish move in the damn courtroom I wouldn't have had to pull a patch job, and we wouldn't be stuck in this situation." Phoenix's eyebrow tilted and his smirk dropped as she walked up to him. "Why did you pull that anyway? Why on earth would you pull such a foolish and messed up move? You are always such a coward, so why did you do it?!"
Phoenix quietly contemplated her question before answering. "Edgeworth would kill me if I left you in there." She glared. "Besides, if I did leave you there, you'd be dead by now, and since we're the only ones here other than De Killer who is hiding somewhere, they would all have blamed me for your death."
She rolled her eyes, "Yet, somehow I don't believe your story."
Phoenix gulped almost weakly. The magatama in his pocket glowed warmly. He could see the chains suddenly bolting and clicking in front of him, His own personal Psyche-locks. They glowed ominously and gave off a sense of impending destruction. Phoenix then knew why no one who had Psyche-locks ever gave up their secrets. The sense of doom was overwhelming and sent his senses whirling. His heart felt incapacitated and his lungs felt restricted. It was all he could do to keep from passing out. He shook his head weakly, "I swear, Miss von Karma, why would I lie to you?"
Franziska looked almost skeptical, she sighed darkly and sat down next to him before turning to face him. "I still don't believe you Phoenix." A delicate eyebrow rose when he simply stared. "Are you ok?"
Inside, his heart was on fire. The words 'I still don't believe you' rang in his head and one of the five locks located around his heart shattered, he then began to hyperventilate and sighed weakly again, to the question 'are you ok?' all he could manage was, "still hurts".
Franziska stared at Phoenix. He looked almost as if he was having a heart attack. His eyes seemed incredibly dull and he was breathing heavily. He was staring straight ahead as if staring into the face of Death itself, his eyes wide. Worried she carefully grabbed his shoulder. He simply looked at her and breathed deeply before calming down. "What was that about?" she asked.
"It was nothing. Just the pain." Franziska glared at him as if seeing through his masquerade. He sighed darkly and sat up, only to be pushed back down by Franziska.
"Tell me." She said almost demandingly. He glared at her as a second Psych-lock broke in front of him. He shook his head again, she snarled in agitation and got up, going over to the couch opposite him and sat and stared at him. He sighed weakly.
Before Phoenix could answer her however, a loud rumble filled the air. Phoenix and Franziska exchanged a glance before running to the window. A large snow plow was driving down the road, followed by a large procession of cop cars, S.W.A.T. teams and search parties. The cars stopped every now and then to drop off their specific search parties. Both Phoenix and Franziska watched as at least ten people ran from a S.W.A.T. van into the Courthouse.
Phoenix then noticed out of the corner of his eye, a large cut hidden by the lacerations on Franziska's hand., he quietly placed his hand over hers causing her to jump and pull away, "it's nothing" she muttered quickly, pulling away. Phoenix grabbed at her hand again, and while holding it palm up he examined the large cut that blossomed across her glove. The torn fabric slightly damped with blood, He carefully pulled it from her hand exposing a large gruesome cut that lashed across her palm. Franziska sniffed, a sound that startled Phoenix.
"De Killer came back after you passed out, he pulled out a knife and tried to finish you." A weak sniffle tore from her as she suddenly buried her face against his chest, she fought back tears from spilling out of her eyes. "I couldn't let him kill you, Phoenix, I just couldn't!" Phoenix wrapped his arms carefully around Franziska.
"It's ok." He whispered weakly, "its ok."
She shook her head in defiance. "No, it's not ok. You were right, my father is nothing more then a monster! He loathed my existence! He hated me from day one!" as she screamed she fell to her knees, tears rolling down her cheeks which were now flushed with embarrassment.
Quietly Phoenix got down on his knees and sighed, the pain in his chest pulsed and he gasped weakly. Franziska looked up at him and he stared back, their soft breathing echoed in each others ears. Then, without warning Phoenix lean forward and pressed his lips firmly against hers. The last three psyche-locks shattered in unison as soon as his lips were pressed firm against hers.
Franziska froze, his lips were incredibly warm, inviting even. Her heart fluttered weakly and her eyes began to close. She wanted so badly to kiss him back, but knowing the cops were on their way, it wouldn't exactly look good if she was found kissing her arch-nemesis. She blushed and pulled away, Phoenix looked at her in confusion. "Foolish Fool," She whispered as he stared at her.
"Only because I'm foolishly in love with you," He whispered back, her blush darkened as he stared at her. How? She thought, How could he, after my whipping him so many times, after insulting him so many times, How could he love me after all that? He grinned lightly and whispered to her. "I love you." She fought back the tears and pulled up her whip. The police were coming, didn't he understand that?
Franziska froze when she saw the doors to the room slam open, Miles Edgeworth stood there looking both worried and beyond miffed. "Franziska." He said darkly. She glared at him before briskly snapping the whip in his face and walking out the door while saying darkly, "I told you I'd be fine." She push past him without another word but looking as though she'd been crying heavily.
"What did you do to her?" Edgeworth turned to Phoenix in anger, "What did you tell her?!" his voice was rising, but Phoenix could only stare after Franziska, who was still retreating, as the bullet wounds began pulsing in their place in his chest, it caused him to wince. Then the black void returned, engulfing Phoenix completely as he hit the floor.
The Hospital monitor bleeped endlessly, the pain was unbearable. All Phoenix could feel was a horrible ache in his chest and arm, his throat was burning from what felt like a tube being forced down to his stomach and his nose burned from the scent of medication. His eyes fluttered open weakly and he found himself eye to eye with a blank wall. The nurses hovered by their station talking aimlessly amongst themselves. Phoenix blinked. Edgeworth had seemed awfully angry hadn't he? He recalled how for some instance he'd been riding in the ambulance, with Franziska nearby…
Now that he remembered, where was she? He leaned forward in his bed, not caring for the wires around him and hissing when it signaled a machine to announce his now unsuccessful escape. The nurse came in and checked the wires before tapping a button on the machine, "Mr. Wright, what on earth made you want to get up, especially after only just waking up?" she asked as if scolding a small child. He glared at her though the tube in his throat before making a writing motion. The nurse quirked an eyebrow, and handed him a piece of paper and a pen from the side of the bed.
Phoenix wrote quietly without looking at the nurse who was now staring at him like he was supposed to come down with Nightingale syndrome. He handed back the piece of paper and tapped the edge as she prepared to read it. 'Where is Franziska Von Karma? Is she injured? Is she in the hospital?' The nurse glared at the paper before stating all too sweetly, "I'm sorry dear, this scrawl is hard to read, did you want some water?" Phoenix snarled angrily and tapped the paper harder, nearly knocking it out of her hand. "Excuse me Mr. Wright, I cannot read this okay? What do you want?" Phoenix snarled through the tube and tried his best to talk, but all that came out was mumbled gibberish. The nurse grinned. "You know, Mr. Wright, you could just ask for an interpreter."
Phoenix snarled again and this time he yelled his voice ringing loudly in the room, muffled only slightly by the tube, "Where the heck is Franziska!?" the nurse jumped at the anger that sounded itself clear as a bell as he yelled, "Where is she? Is she injured?! WHY AM I TIED DOWN!?" his yelling was probably being heard by the whole hospital but his seething kept him from thinking clearly.
"Ms. Von Karma?" another nurse had poked her head in, catching Phoenix's attention. "You didn't hear did you? Her brother Miles Edgeworth wanted her to go back to Germany, he claimed she's uneducated in certain fields of prosecution. She ran away from her home. Sad really, poor girl doesn't want to leave and she has every right to stay. Yet she was chased out of her own home." Phoenix stared, stunned.
The nurse who had run in when he had tried to get up snarled, "Why on earth do you want to talk to that girl? She's as self absorbed as her father was." Phoenix turned back to her and looked about ready to slap her.
The second nurse scolded her lightly, "You don't know that Natalie, she may be hiding her insecurities behind that whip. It's probably why she left it behind along with that note." Phoenix tried again to get up but the wires and things kept him from doing so.
"I know it very well Janice, that stupid girl never had a heart, do you hear me!?" Natalie shouted from Phoenix's bedside, "She's Heartless and she always will be!" she finished. Phoenix then snarled and once again attempted to sit up, this time succeeding much to both the nurses shock, he stared at Natalie angrily and snarled.
"Franziska Von Karma has more heart than you ever will." The tube in his throat muffled his words, but he couldn't have made himself more clear with those words, Natalie snarled and pushed him back down onto his bed as Janice stifled her giggles. Phoenix continued from his now laying down state, "You, you think you know everything about everyone simply because you read a tabloid? You're worse of a monster than she is if you believe that crap."
Natalie paled and stated darkly, "Do remember Mr. Wright, as long as you are stuck in this hospital, there is nothing you can do to prove whether or not she's heartless."
"Neither can you." Phoenix countered.
Natalie scoffed and exited the room, Janice shook her head and said quietly "That girl needs a lesson in manners."
Phoenix snarled in response, "No objections here."
Phoenix watched to T.V. Screen without thinking, he simply sat there, at some unknown hours early in the morning. His heart pounded frantically as he looked out his window. The wind and rain that had followed the snow storm was still flooding the area, resulting in many people fleeing their homes and offices for higher ground. The news showed no interest in the fact Franziska von Karma was missing. Only their opinions of how she deserved to be missing, and how many of the news' fan base hoped she'd never be found. The mere thought of how She'd be found made Phoenix sick and thus, he found himself unable to sleep. He glanced out the window again as a flash of lightning lit up the city with a ghastly terrifying light. In desperation he whispered, "Where are you, Franziska?"
A voice from the door startled him, "I'm right here" The woman was heavily cloaked, but her voice was altogether familiar. She walked into the room slowly, her heels being the only things unhidden by the cloak draped over her shoulders. She sat in the chair next to his bed as he stared quietly at her. Carefully, she pulled back the hood revealing her soaked hair and sullen eyes. She noticed he had been watching the news. "Liars, all of them. No one will understand I think, but it was not Schooling that Miles wanted to send me home for."
Phoenix carefully chose his wording as he spoke, knowing this was more delicate of a situation than he wanted to believe, "Where did you run to, when you first ran away?" His voice was kept low and quiet, only to the point where no one outside the room could hear.
Franziska blushed as she answered him, "Your office." She looked away in embarrassment when he chuckled.
"Somehow I figured you'd be hiding there." He looked straight at her, the T.V. announcing a flash flood warning, Phoenix quietly shifted in his bed turning onto his side and turning off the T.V. He turned to Franziska and asked, "Why did you run away?" She closed her eyes and turned away, it was evident she had been crying and a fading bruise revealed that Edgeworth had hit her for some reason.
"He doesn't…." she sighed and stopped, fiddling with the cloak nervously and biting her lower lip, she sighed to regain her composure and tried again, "Phoenix, He doesn't want me to go back for more of an education." She breathed deeply and Phoenix realized that whatever she'd say next must've been something that kept her from wanting to go back. "H-He had me betrothed to someone I've never met, and he wants to go back to Germany to marry this man."
Franziska was shaking, tears were slowly presenting themselves and sliding down her face. Phoenix took a deep breath and sighed before asking, "Why did he promise you to this person?"
She shook her head again before whispering something Phoenix could barely make out above the Heart Monitor, "I-It's complicated." His eyebrow raised slightly in confusion. She sighed, almost painfully, and whispered, more to herself than anyone else, "He found out." She looked slightly embarrassed before finishing her sentence, "He found out just how much I care for you." She looked away, blushing. "You're friend was right, I am just a little girl without my whip. I can barely keep myself from breaking down!" she cried out softly so as not to alert the nurses. "I'm not fit to be a Von Karma." She said with finality before looking out the window.
Phoenix sighed gently, "Good." Franziska looked at him almost in shock he simply looked back at her, his eyes burning with determination, "for you to be a von Karma was stupid, to think a person would depend purely on their own perfection, and throw away all else that seemed to matter to them in the world! It's idiotic and dumb that someone would think that perfection was all that mattered in life when you've lived so little of it! Perfection is only seen by those around you, and whether or not you are perfect doesn't matter to them. When they see you as a human being, that's when you know who you are, but never depend on that fact, unless you want to ruin what chance of life you had left." During Phoenix's speech, Franziska had been fighting back tears, but they spilled over as soon as he stopped speaking.
She had carefully pulled the hood of the cloak back over her head when a loud amount of noise outside the room alerted both of them Franziska stood quickly as if in a hurry, "I have to leave, before they find me." She looked at him warily, a look he returned with worry. She quietly walked over and kissed him fully on the lips, causing the all too obnoxious heart monitor to jump. Phoenix quietly watched as she swiftly pulled away and bolted from the room with a curt, "Goodbye, Phoenix." as the nurse soon ran in, the ruckus outside seemed to fade out, and Phoenix felt his head hit the pillow dully. The nurse fiddled with the machinery for a few moments before running out of the room quietly.
Phoenix looked out the window again fear clenching in his heart. "Please." He pleaded quietly, "Just let her be safe."
The next two days passed without much happening, save for the fact Phoenix was no longer stuck in intensive care and was allowed to be visited by whoever came along, he found himself even happier when they allowed him to wear his own clothes. Little did he know his happiness would be short lived with his next visit. Pearl Fey ran into the room looking almost angry, Maya was right behind her insisting on something. "What's wrong Pearls?" Phoenix asked as soon as he saw Pearl had tear trails on her cheeks.
She shook her head and simply pointed to Maya. "Did something happen that I should know about?" he asked, she simply shrugged, almost in disinterest. Pearl sat down next to Phoenix looking incredibly saddened, Phoenix sighed darkly before glaring at Maya, "What Happened?" his voice seemed to shock Pearl out of her reverie.
"Don't be angry with her! After all Mr. Nick you are supposed to be---" she was cut off when Phoenix glared lightly at her.
"Pearl," his voice still had a light edge to it when he spoke to her, "Let's the 'adults' resolve this matter, this doesn't concern you." Pearl sank back in her seat in alarm, she had seen him angry before but if he didn't know something it simply made him angrier, and she knew better than to mess with him when he talked like this.
"It's none of you're business first of all, Pearly was snooping around when she shouldn't have." Phoenix shook his head as she spoke, This was not like Maya at all, "Nick, it was nothing ok?! So she saw me kissing Miles it's no big deal!" Phoenix froze as Pearl let out a sob from behind him.
"You mean to tell me, that Pearls saw you kissing Miles Edgeworth?" Phoenix asked, Maya nodded and Phoenix sighed before turning to face Pearl who was still crying softly.
He grabbed a tissue box from the counter next to the bed and took a tissue from the box, he then dabbed away her tears and she looked up at him, "You and Mystic Maya," she whispered while still crying. "You were supposed to end up together!" she cried out with a sob, Maya looked away slightly ashamed.
Phoenix sat down next to Pearl and sighed, "You know what Pearls?" she looked up at him almost curiously as he continued, "Life, is not a Fairy Tale." Pearl was about to protest her knowledge of that when he continued again stopping her in her tracks, "Just because, you believe Mystic Maya and I are meant to be together, doesn't automatically mean we'll end up together, it's simply your hope that it happens, nothing on this earth is forcing us together Except you." She sniffled in response, "and just because you want us to be together, won't make it happen. It simply makes it harder for us, do you know why?" she shook her head 'no', tears were still trailing from her eyes Phoenix quietly finished as she listened, "It's because we are not meant to be together. Pearls, we don't love one another, and you thinking we are, is only making it worse for us to even think."
"So, you're not mad at Mystic Maya?" she asked, Phoenix turned back to Maya, the look in his eyes betrayed him, he was beyond angry, he was downright pissed.
"I'm actually more than angry with her, not because she kissed another guy, but because of who she kissed." Maya looked angry as well, while Pearl looked alarmed,
"First of all, 'Nick'." she spat crossly, "I can kiss whoever I want, and there really is nothing you can do about it. Second, you have no right to judge me! I'm Nineteen! I can do whatever I please!" Pearl had broken down again, as Phoenix began to pace back and forth from his bed to the opposite wall where the T.V. was mounted, now reporting a car accident nearby.
Phoenix sighed darkly, "First of all 'Maya'." He countered. His voice was quite horrifying to hear. "It's my apartment, therefore you abide by my rules." Maya snarled and shook her head in defiance. "Second, if you throw that crap at me again, then I will send you back to Kurain village and you can just damn well stay there." He snarled angrily, after all, Miles had been the one to drive Franziska out onto the street by herself. "and Third, if I catch You and Miles together, ever, then you best start running, because trust me, after what that asshole did I'm not willing to treat him kindly anytime soon."
Maya gulped lightly, having been driven into a corner, she asked in desperation, "You two used to be friends! What happened to make you hate him so much?!" Phoenix shook his head and picked up the paper with the article about Miles chasing Franziska from her home and tossed it carelessly at Maya who read the article before quietly looking up at him as he sat down on his bed. "oh." She whispered, "I didn't know things had gotten that bad, all he said was he wanted to send her back for schooling."
Phoenix scoffed, "and you believed him?" He sighed, "He was planning to send her back to force her to get married." Both Pearl, and Maya looked shocked, "Franziska came by in disguise and told me that herself."
"I'm sorry, Nick." Maya said sincerely, now that she understood the gravity of the situation she realized why Phoenix objected to her and Edgeworth being together. "but it won't stop me you know, "she said with finality while placing the paper back on his bed, "All I can do is wish you luck." Phoenix nodded, " C'mon Pearly."
Pearl quietly got off the chair and smiled, "Bye Mr. Nick, hope you find the special someone you're looking for." She said happily as she walked out the door with Maya, Phoenix quietly closed his eyes and sighed. It was amazing how someone could change so quickly, and in such little time.
He opened his eyes and stared at his hands, clenched tightly into fists. He sighed again and tried not to yell, it was getting late and he was tired, and besides, the nurses wouldn't release him the next day if he acted like he'd hurt himself. So he lay his head down on the pillow next to him, climbed into the bed and turned off the lights, before slowly closing his eyes. Though he looked peaceful, the heart monitor continued to show just how unsettled he really was.
Next chapter is 'Monsoons'