Note: *Sigh* well this chapter was a tough one. I wish I'd never used a prompt off the PWKMeme to write this fic. Hard not to make things seem 'bad' or 'cheap drama'. But instructions are instructions. Forgive me!

*If I obsessed over it too long it'd never get posted either... mutter mutter*

~ACT 2~

CHAPTER 7

KURAIN

PHOENIX:

I charge frenetically, scouring and scanning the whole mountain. Evidence, evidence, something, anything!

"MAYA? MAYA?"

I even peer down those scary crevasses and climb the highest peaks, my legs shaking for reasons totally apart from the snow. I'm petrified of heights!

But losing Maya is far more petrifying.

I haven't found her yet. The only good thing is I haven't found her dead body fallen into a crevasse somewhere either...

I keep my hand clamped on my Magatama. Pearls didn't know what Maya was doing. She said she thought she was just training, not pursuing that 'gaki', but she also claimed she had no right to instruct or question the Master so she couldn't know for sure. I tried to ask further about the gaki but Pearls was very evasive and I sure didn't have time to waste on breaking her psyche-locks once I finally got back here!

The other Kurain residents aren't helping me search. Pearls said Maya forced her to vow to keep her activities a secret. "If she does not want them knowing she is training or pursuing the gaki, she certainly does not want them knowing if she has failed or gotten lost!"

A battery of sleet begins to fall. I dump the hood of the black Mystic outer cloak over my head to save my hair and grit my teeth as I entwine myself in it, grateful for its warmth. It'd be great camouflage... if my entire surrounds weren't white and mush-grey. But darkness will soon fall. I can see the prick of a retreating sun down near my toes, like being viewed from a distant planet. An atmosphere of nasty clouds loom above it, like poisoned wadding.

I'm NOT up high.

There wasn't a storm earlier. I extracted as much information as I could by phone with Pearls on my tortured trip back over. W-well, until my sweaty palms dropped the phone and it broke, b-but never mind. The weather was good in the days where she'd left. Nonetheless, when I get to the huts for bad weather, I check in them anyway.

Totally deserted. No sign of recent use.

Even all the food is there. Though granted, that stuff looks inedible. Even for her.

Some vestige of sanity memorises useful contents of the room - first aid kit, fireplace - in case I - WE- return after the w-worst... I've got to find her!

I try to remember where I haven't been, and round a long winding track and series of crags that are definitely new, and persist for seeming hours. Some intuition makes it seem logical, though it's probably just my desperation speaking...

Then my eyes spot several loose and rather familiar pearls, and leading me further along, the scattered and shattered shards of those purple orbs Maya likes to wear, an evidence trail to -what the hell happened here?

"MAYA!" The guttural cry heaves from some deep pit in me. I've lost control of my actions, but I think my instincts have trailed the clues, because I'm falling upon her, terrified of what I'll find. No horrific wounds or blood pouring forth. But cold. So cold. And still.

The silence is unbearable. I take her in my arms, hug her tight, then hitch my breath as I learn my head against her back, sinking in relief into her heartbeat. She's 'just' unconscious. I think.

Some curious instinct causes me to glance up, doing so, I notice something glinting in the snow. "Wait here," I direct Maya. She doesn't reply. I'm uneasy releasing my grip on her, but my hunch is correct, it's her magatama, and a few boulders over that Master's talisman of hers. She'll be wanting them. Since her usual necklace arrangement has been flung to the four corners of the Earth, I knot the Magatama into the necklace-string of the talisman and thankfully return.

I take her in my arms again, sink in the snow and wrap myself around her silent form. Perhaps I should go for help, but I'm not sure what anyone could do. For all I know she's suffered some weird supernatural accident - I haven't seen a 3rd party attacker... I hope a vigorous massage will help.

It's a long time, but eventually my hands feel a shudder and a little whimpering noise

"N...Nick?"

"Hey." I feel like I could fall on her and crush her to death in gratitude, but someone's already done a number on her so I manage to back off. Her dazed eyes blink open. We stare a moment. She sinks back into me and I scoop her up again.

"Nick, w-what are you doing here?"

"Huh?"

"I thought - thought you weren't due back yet."

"What? So you're not pleased to see me?"

"Of course I am! I just.. never thought you'd come f.." A tear suddenly escapes her eye.

"H-hey... Of course I'd come for you!" I wrap my arms tighter around her until her back stops heaving. "Now, tell... tell me what happened."

Maya starts shaking.

"W-well, maybe later." I can't bear her petrified eyes. "This is important - are you hurt?"

"I'm f-fine!" I shoot her an incredulous look "I mean – well, it's not a serious injury..."

"I can c-carry you.."

"N-no!" Maya suddenly winces backwards. "I m-mean. I can walk. Sorry, Nick," she adds, to the sudden wince that must have flashed in my own eyes.

"I-it's fine." Maya... I feel faint.

"H-here's your Master Talisman thingy."

"Oh." She takes the offered object limply, disoriented eyes fixated on seeming nothing.

Damn it! Is that concussion? You'd think I'd have had the sense to memorise first aid better by now... Wright, you jerk!

"I can call an a-ambulance..."

"N-no! Please don't."

"But Maya, you ARE hurt. I can see that blood there on the ground!"

"Huh? That? Oh that's... someone else's..."

"Then that means someone else attacked you and I'm calling police."

"No use! I mean..."

"Besides, you're a poor liar. That blood is too fresh to be someone else's'. In fact, you're bleeding right now. No no," I preempt, "the 'snow didn't keep it fresh'. But there was someone else, wasn't there."

Her eyes affirm.

Someone attacked her. The temporary sanity from going into crime investigation mode suddenly runs out and the world is wavering and pixellating darkly. I find myself sinking into the mushy snow in emotional exhaustion. I'm not sure how many moments I remain spaced out for, but I'm roused by Maya's concerned hand against me.

The fact I can't ever prosecute this attacker myself and retaliate for this injustice lurches to anger.

"Did someone hurt you? I'll...I'll KILL them!"

"Um, Nick..." Maya's suddenly tentative in face of my pointed finger, "you... already did."

Sanity. Sanity. I w-will not black out, Maya needs me. "Oh ha ha ha," my mouth blabbers cynically like some tasteless jerk. "I will have three guesses! Three! Was it... Dahlia Hawthorne?"

"No."

"Morgan Fey?"

"No."

I think I might vomit. "K-Kristoph Gavin?"

Maya doesn't reply. There's no need.

"Nick, Nick!" Suddenly Maya's arms clutch around me, comforting me. What? B-but you're the one... I'm hopeless. I fight for consciousness, through wavers of confusion, nausea, blinding anger...

"Wait. He was channelled. I'm c-calling police!" They can still jail that jerk who channelled h-him. I have precedent!

"N-no! Stop, it wasn't like that! It wasn't the n-normal channelling, it was more like an uncontrolled hijack possession! I think it's one of the senile retired mediums here, one who's too old and weak to control things any more. I mean, she had grey hair! You-you'll just jail another innocent victim, please d-don't!"

That's my little Maya, not a vengeant bone in her body. Not that I'm the same. I t-think I'm in shock, 'cause I can't seem to function. Maya seems to have buried her head in my shoulder, so I can't leap up and point or throw things or obey any useful impulse. My sane part realises belatedly that the attacker being a channelling rather than some freaking disembodied gaki was just an assumption, but Maya's already confirmed it. We're a great team.

I lift a frozen hand toward her. It's like lead.

"S-so what did he do?" I hear my distant voice enquiring. Something 'jail-worthy'.

"Um, I..."

Maya doesn't reply further but I can feel my shoulder start to dampen. I think I may cry myself.

That or smash something.

"W-we should find out which old witch channelled and force them all to be more CAREFUL!" I snarl, eager to enact 'justice' on SOMEONE. Who cares if I'm a hypocrite, hurting Maya is UNFORGIVABLE. I-It's all my fault.

"N-no! They c-can't find out what happened!"

"Why?" No, I don't need to be told. I know all about manifesting an outward illusion. 'The Kurain Master' is some kind of figurehead, much like Phoenix Wright the Unbeaten Poker Player Evidence Forger. But you can tell me. "Did he HIT you?"

"That and worse."

"W-worse?"

"Please don't tell!"

"O-of course not," I agree. Conflicting fury of impotence surges through me. Why was I too wimp to even attempt the Bar Exam? But I c-can't bring anyone to justice for this injustice any more.

My mind turns to the 'criminal' in question. I think I may literally go insane. I force focus back on Maya alone, the present blinkered moment... "Maya, you're still bleeding, y-you'll freeze to death with us sitting in the s-snow, I think we might be cold," (I can't even tell) "I think I know where you're bleeding," gotta love the logic of C.S.I...

Oh. My. AMI!

Consciousness outgoing.

###

MAYA:

"Nick? Nick?"

I knew Nick wouldn't take this very well, but I didn't expect him to full scale pass out.

I should have just told him, b-but I can't even bear to form a d-description in my mind myself of words...

I don't think Nick wants gory detail. Anyway, I can't bear to think about it!

I huddle against Nick. He's really pale. Apart from that he just looks asleep, except that his jaw is slacked and if his eyes were open they'd be bugging. But I can feel his heartbeat, and it's kinda comforting. Yeah, he has to know.

Well g-guess I gotta try.

I-it's like this. I sensed the gaki - I m-mean it's a ghost, really I'm sure it's a ghost! It's posessing surrounding boulders. It's throwing them, trying to trip me up, smash my skull...

S-so I prep my psychic defenses a-and I'm totally not expecting a physical attack. But this channelled body then ambushes me from behind!

I try everything against channellings I can think of, but none work out (am I too weak or something?) All I can think i-is he going to kill me? And who it is, 'cause he said s-something...

Yeah, he wants me to know who it is. I remember the talking vividly. "Who's losing face now, Master?"

My face does indeed seem to be rammed into some snowmushed boulder. I'm cornered, trapped underneath him with no exit.

I kick out at him, but it's pretty ineffectual. He seems to be armed with a sword or something. He keeps poking me with it. I'm too damed weak. I've been seeing stars since I think a rock hit me earlier and I used up all my energy on my stupid attempts to break the ghost then the channelling psychically. As for my magatamas, talisman... I think they're gone.

Why? I wonder. What did I do? The answer comes immediately. 'Cause he's totally crazy! Yeah. I am going to die.

"No, I won't give you the 'honour' of killing you too!" His hiss breaks into my train of thought. Instinctively I writhe a last futile struggle anyway, and feel a claw momentarily slip.

"Urghh!" He expulses disgust. "Good thing you haven't broken my nails!"

'Too'?

He's still ranting insanely. C-cheap, mundane insults..."You think you won, Master! Well no! Having a mortal body is nothing but a weakness!" I manage a final kick and he emits an oddly high piched squeal. "I...I am a" *shriek* "god now! So you won't win with your silly magic powers. You'd do well to remember just how powerless you are!"

Then, ...

No, I don't wanna remember. I'm almost grateful I passed out somewhere along the line. It was almost like watching it happen to someone else, like I wasn't in there. I wish I had left, but I know I didn't. Maybe I can convince myself I did.

Oh good, Nick's awake...

"Nick?"

"Maya?"

Ugh, not the r-word. I robotically stammer out a brief description anyway. Nick's so torn up about secrets, why bother waiting till we draw it out?

"Oh." I think he's turned grey. I dunno, my own eyes are seizing up again. I hear my torn voice pleading. No one can ever know. It's not his fault. Though of course he keeps insisting it is...

###

PHOENIX:

No! That can't be happening now! I can feel myself coming unhinged. It's my worst nightmare, for 7 long years was my worst nightmare, that Kristoph would hurt Maya as vengeance on or to get at me. It's one of the main reasons I wasted 7 years of our lives pushing her away, seven years we can never get back. All wasted, for nothing, futile, because he did it anyway. Did it when I was sure the nightmare was finally over. My body shakes uncontrollably and the world begins to blur. Oh hell, what to do? I feel an all too familiar pooling in my mouth, the urge for the sickly distraction of grape juice, even though I quit over a year previously...

No! Stay focused. I remember how poor Maya put on a fake smile and herself together for the sake of Pearl after that hideous murder of her mother. Maya needs you! It's only your second worst nightmare, at least he didn't murder her as well. (Though certainly looks like he tried.)

He probably did it *precisely* to get at *me*.

Nausea churns my internals.

He *definitely* did it precisely to get at me.

Yeah, it's all my fault. I stagger over and throw up behind a rock, wish I could shatter it with the derange of my will, then somehow drag myself upward and return to her side. Unfortunately, it doesn't seem to pass uncommented.

"Do I disgust you, Nick?"

Feenie, you disgust me! "No! 'Course you don't!" I open my arms invitingly and after a moment she sinks herself back into them. It's making me balanced, enough to be able to hold my anger at arms length, temporarily. I have to.

"Now, do you need a doctor?"

"No! No one can know! I can't..."

"Then we need to get home so I can look after you."

"I'll b-be okay.."

"I'm not! I have frostbite and I think I'm going to freeze to death."

"Are you m-mad at me?"

"Whaaaaaaaaaaaat? Maya, none of this was your fault!" I'm mad at myself. And I disgust me. "C-can you walk?"

"Y-yeah! J-just give me your arm..." The way Maya leans into me, I'm hoping she did believe I'm not mad at HER. Why would I be? I focus on the complex navigation and the stones on the ground. Go through the motions. Don't think. I finally notice the incline ceasing, we're almost down.

"Let go," Maya suddenly commands, pushing me away.

"Wha? Maya, you're dead on your f.."

"The people can't see me this way!" She suddenly straightens and feigns an approximation of a Masterly power and grace strut. I feel my eyes bulge, then dutifully drop to an inscrutable expression as I fall in step a pace behind, 'cause someone's coming!

"Greetings, Master. I see you have *finally* returned from your training expedition." Mystic Miranda's approaching token bow does not extend past a head-waver.

"Why, hello, Mystic. Yes, it was very productive," Maya intones politely. I see Mystic Miranda grabs her in an eye-lock.

I hit the Mystic with my own death glare when she's not looking.

"Well, I can't keep you from your *ahem* backlog of pressing work," the Mystic finally snarms, eyes wavering ever so slightly and pointedly in the direction of me. "Good day."

We press on.

Pearl's distant face latches onto us and delightedly rushes forward.

"Mystic Maya! You are ba.. I me…"

Her awkward eyes retreat.

"Hi, Pearly! I'm back!" Maya's mouth smiles warmly. "I'm fine, just a little tired…"

Pearls edges back to disappear as we enter Fey Manor, tactfully departed. I think. I barely notice, blindly crushing all in our path as I thundercloud-shadow Maya directly to the Master's Wing, my slam cascading archaic wall-dust. Robotically I wrench the psyche-lock, in some random tangle nobody (even us) will break. The smile plastered to Maya's face wilts and she drops against the floor and door, a pool of pain.

"Maya, you are hurt! A doctor! The hospit…"

"NO! N-nobody can know! You don't get how they treat something like this h-he.. I… I'm okay, really! It's nothing."

"B..but why, you didn't do anything wro.."

"The ultimate shame and dishonour!" She screeches impassioned impersonation. "'To be overpowered and defiled by a spirit! Not fit to be Master!'"

My fledgling E.S.P. spontaneously tries to manifest, a murder spell on those hypothetical crones. Instead my mouth just swears audibly.

Maya's lying on the floor in her pool of tears, totally defeated.

Incensed rage consumes me, burning insanity so intense I can barely form coherent words in my mind, my negative affect screaming out on all concept of Gavin, the situation, myself. INJUSTICE! Worse than injustice – I have no words.

"Nick, Nick, c..calm down. Don't get so upset!" She angles forward, her tearing, tortured eyes brimming concern for me, of all people. Her arms are going to fling themselves around me, but she checks herself back. Just a moment.

"I…I…" Her face limps back in the corner.

Huh? There's a vague scent of blood, blood other than Maya's. It seems that my own nails are digging into my palms.

I try to unlock my fists, to limited success. I want to smash something. Sue his ass! The death penalty! Maya's eyes are pooled with shame.

B-but Maya, I'm not mad at *you*. You know that! I don't get it…

'Feenie, you disgust me!'

N…no!

"Maya…"

I wanted to protect you. And I d…didn't.

My voice and fists break. My arms reach out to her, now limpened with emotion.

I won't hurt you. Ever…ever again…

Maya, all reticence gone, throws herself deep into my chest.

###

MAYA:

I'm sitting here staring at the wall. It's a bit pathetic, I know, but I can't seem to do much but that or cry.

I shove my face against the Master Wing door, screwing up my splintered eyes. Maybe it will stop those useless tears falling.

I droop.

At least now I seem to be too exhausted for those stupid sobs.

I don't know how long passes, but my listless ears increasingly register the wood scattered tones of Pearly's voice.

"Is Mystic Maya s-sick?"

"I dunno." Nick's not-hushed-enough whispers are awkward and halting. "Uh, kinda. I… er, Maya should be telling you herself…"

"The Elders keep asking where she is."

"Oh great… You could say she caught a cold on the mountain, but she doesn't like to sound weak…"

Damn it, how long have I been languishing here anyway?

It looks bad. My smell-radar suddenly spots a procession of dead burgers, their edges in increasing states of curl and desiccation, maybe some kind of love offering from Nick. I grasp the nearest and open my mouth, but my stomach churns and my fingers limply lose their grip. No use.

I'm not hungry.

I become aware of the familiar sounds of Nick's flails with the door handle and with difficulty woodenly crawl over a pace to avoid crush; my legs are all numb. Hope I don't gotta undo the lock, I don't think I can stand to reach.. But a glance upward shows something weird, it's like that scene in Pink Princess 2:63 where the Chromium Samurai slashed the ropes with a katana….

I think I'm getting a headache.

The door creaks a crack and Nick lumbers through (muttering something inaudible as he crushes himself in his haste to shudder it closed.)

"Maya! Heyyyy." His face is cheerfully encouraging, but it doesn't quite meet his eyes.

I sense him sinking down next to me. "Hey. W-what can I do?" His hand has found mine.

I press my face into his shoulder.

There's a few minutes' silence as I desperately absorb the sense of his arms encircling me, the strength from his caress.

"Maya, your hair! Here, l-let me help you do it, you'll feel better…"

I raise a lacklustre finger to it exploratorially. I can tell without even looking it's all matted and tangled and can't find it in myself to care. "Nah. It doesn't matter," I sigh.

Nick sounds as if he'll cry. "No! I m-mean, it's a bad sign when you lose the will to keep up your hair, I know, I…" He checks himself and reverts back to that fake positivety-voice. "Well! I, um..."

"It's okay, Nick. Don't pretend." This is worse than the tearful apologies! "I'm sorry. You can do it if you want."

As I speak the words guilt increasingly chokes my throat. Here was poor Nick, trying so hard to help! And it's past time I got my act together! I gotta work on the ..'Problem'!

'Cause it hasn't gone away.

And I can't keep expecting poor Pearly and Nick to cover for me. If the Master doesn't make an appearance soon, they'll know something's up.

They Can't. Ever. Know.

Nick's presence wafts back into my headspace, clutching part of my kit of ancient Kurainian hair tools.

I force a jaded glance. His pained eyes are suddenly glinting interest.

"Y.. you usually use this one first, right?"

"OW!"

"S-sorry.."

"No SPIKES!" I chide.

"I w-wasn't. I mean, I didn't mean t.."

He works away, absorbed.

Wait, wait. If I've really been sitting here for… (how long is 6 burgers? Nick might not see that as one meal…) isn't this all a waste of time since I should be taking a BATH or something? (Ewwww…)

But no. I recall a fog of lethargy, perhaps the other day, through which I seemed to go through the motions of a bath or shower, Nick was there, somewhere…

Great, he's been looking after me like a little kid!

I definitely have to shape up. I have to look after Nick, and protect him from th-that 'ghost'.

"Maya…. Help! Your hair is hard! I m-mean… does this piece go that way?"

I wince as it's scrawled the wrong direction. Isn't it obvious? "No."

"B-but mine does.."

My scalp is brushed enthusiastically.

"Aggh! N-now I c-can't see!"

"B-but you said.."

"That piece goes forward, then THAT piece goes back, then…"

"What, hair origami? I wish I had a diagram."

"I guess I could draw one? There's a pen on my desk…"

"I was being sarcastic."

Huh?

I try to relax and concentrate on the experience, which is really quite pleasant - every stroke emanating the feel of his good intentions. (Except the parts where he rips my hair by accident.)

"A-and how do you attach these pearl things?" he eventually queries.

"Oh. I can do it." New ones. I sigh. No! I don't… won't think about that now.

"Well, I… guess we're done," I finally remark, trying to immerse my eyes in Nick rather than empty space.

"Feel better?"

"Y-yeah. I mean. I… I should go out."

"Okay." Nick falls to my side, and we start in the direction of the exit door.

I'm still not hungry, but I can't let all Nick's effort go to waste, I decide, swooping on the decaying burger pile.

"No, stop! It's all rotte.."

Nick trails off as my mouth gulps closed.

"Good cover, we can say you have food poisoning," he mutters stone-faced as we tentatively emerge from the Master's Wing.

"No. Mystic Maya does not get food poisoning. It is a sign of her strength as Master!"

"Pearly!"

Pearly clasps a hand to her opened mouth. "I love your new hairstyle, Mystic Maya! It makes you look so much more…"

"D-dignified." offers Nick.

I shoot him eye-katanas.

Damn it! My aching legs force to the mirror in the hall. What has…

Actually, it's not that bad. Nick didn't totally mess up, it's kinda just a variation on the theme. I peer into the mirror and mentally play a Pink Princess battle theme, the one where she reassembles to slaughter the Tomato Clan leader after the Evil Peons earlier dismembered her, a temporary setback.

A Hero Will Rise. Master Maya is back in the game!

Who am I kidding….?

###

Kristoph's 'logic':

Phoenix won a poker game and got to be lawyer where Kristoph lost - therefore ruin his entire career because he made Kristoph lose face.

Maya 'defeated' him at the end of OOTP, replayed at prologue of OOTP2, his execution is then upgraded ('Maya killed me'). - Kristoph fights dirty, - Kristoph taunts her weaknesses, subverting her strengths. He evades a supernatural contest entirely and her powers. HE doesn't have a physical body to exploit or harm any more. Rub it in her face.

Kristoph is also clearly insane. [If he wasn't before 4-4 he sure is shown to be after his 'breakdown', pretty canon with all that insanity like 'Kristoph Gavin laughed']

Oh dear, Phoenix's worst nightmare from 'One Last Night' 0_0