Disclaimer: I do not own Phoenix Wright in any way. Nor do i own The Hazards of Love by The Decemberists, which is where the title of this fic has been taken.
A/n: This is a vague idea i had many months ago and decided to put up. There will be seven 'chapters' and an epilogue, probably updated one a day.
2) Conspiracy
Iris lets go of the rope attached to the bell and rubs her hands together. She only has to close the temple doors for the night and then she can return to her room and sleep. It will be warmer in her room.
As she walks, her gaze flickers over her surroundings. It feels strange that everything which scared her when she was nine feels so homely now, even if she does dislike the idea of talking to the dead. Nevertheless, she smiles. She doesn't remember feeling so included when she lived anywhere else.
The door is frozen from the cold and she has to put some effort into pushing. As she strains, a voice speaks from the shadows outside.
"Iris, is that you?"
Iris lets go of the door in shock, and peers into the darkness.
"D-Dahlia?" she whispers. The figure walks forward and light hits the face. Iris squints and sees almost a mirror image. Dahlia, five years on. She smiles. "Dahlia!"
"It is you then."
Iris runs forward and hugs her sister. Dahlia hugs her back.
"It's good to see you again, Iris," Dahlia whispers as she moves backwards. Iris stares at her, scared to blink in case Dahlia disappears. They have sent each other a few letters. The occasional phone call. But they have not seen each other since the day Iris was abandoned.
"Would you like to come inside?" she asks. "It's warmer. You could meet Sister Bikini and-"
But Dahlia is shaking her head. "I can't stay long," she says. "I have to get back before Father does."
(A flash of pain. Five years on and Dahlia is eager to leave again)
"How is our father?" Iris asks politely. There are hundreds of more important questions in her mind but, somehow, she can't bring herself to ask them.
(They'll talk about a life Iris was not allowed to be a part of, because she wasn't wanted)
"Why do you care about him?" Dahlia asks and her voice is suddenly colder.
"I ... I don't know."
"Well, that's what I came here to speak to you about. Since you never come to visit us."
Iris doesn't argue with the last statement, even though she isn't sure how she could have visited. If Dahlia could manage the visit up the mountain, maybe she should have made it down the mountain. Instead, she asks whether he's ill. Contempt flickers over Dahlia's face before being replaced with the familiar sweet face.
"We have a plan to get revenge on him and I need your help."
There are so many things which startle Iris about that sentence that she doesn't know where to begin.
"Revenge?" she gets out eventually.
"For the way he is. The way he treats me, Valerie ... the way he treated Mother."
"Well, I-"
"And you, Iris," she adds carefully. "This is the man who left you in a temple when you were nine because he didn't want three children. If I were you, I would want revenge."
"I like it here," Iris replies quietly because she's uncomfortable with how true Dahlia's words sound. "It's my home now. Sister Bikini is almost like a mo-"
"He doesn't care about any of that. He didn't care about you, did he, Iris?" As always, Dahlia knows how to target Iris' weak spots.
(Iris is amazed to realise that there is something she didn't miss about Dahlia; her ability to speak hurtful truths)
"I-it still happened this way, though," Iris says meekly. "Whatever he wanted, I still like it here."
"And the rest of us, Iris? You don't know what it's like to live with him. Don't you care about any of us?"
"O-of course I do, Dahlia. You know I care about you."
"But you won't help us."
"Maybe you could tell me the plan?"
Dahlia nods, a slight smirk creeping onto her face. "Terry's going to pretend to ... what, Iris?"
"Um ... who's Terry?"
Dahlia rolls her eyes. "My boyfriend."
"Oh." The idea of Dahlia having a boyfriend seems weird to Iris but she can sense that there are more important things to be discussed here.
"Anyway, Terry is going to pretend to kidnap me and he's going to hold me to "ransom" for a two million dollar jewel. Valerie is going to convince our father to let her handle the swap, as a police officer. Then I'm going to run away and start a new life with the money."
Iris spots an opening to try and stop Dahlia from carrying out this plan (ignoring how strange it is to see her sister for the first time in five years and already try to be the voice of caution). "Why don't you run away here, Dahlia?" she asks. "Sister Bikini won't mind.
Her sister looks around. "I think Father would look here first."
(Dahlia doesn't want to live here and Iris can see that. After all, Mr. Hawthorne didn't like either of his daughters. He would never look for Dahlia. Maybe for his money...)
"OK," she replies meekly. "But why do you need my help?"
Dahlia smiles. "Valerie and I changed the plan without telling Terry."
"Why would you do that?"
"I have my reasons. Don't you trust your own sister?"
(Iris does but she can't help but wonder whether she should.)
"Sorry."
"We're going to fake my death. That's where you come in. I need you to swap places with me on the day. When Valerie gives the signal, you jump into Eagle River and I'll make sure you're safe."
Iris stares at her twin. "I'm sorry, Dahlia. Did you just say 'jump into the river'?"
"You'll be fine, Iris. I'll be near the bottom, ready to save you."
"I ... I don't think I can do it."
"Why not?"
(Because Iris is scared)
"Because it's wrong."
"Is it? Is it wrong to give Father a taste of his own medicine?"
"Sister Bikini would never let me-"
"Don't tell Sister Bikini, you idiot!"
"No, no, I wouldn't. I just don't think I could ever do something like that."
"Then don't see it as hurting Father. See it as saving me." Dahlia smiles her sweet smile. "You know I would do this for you, Iris."
"I know."
(She thinks she does anyway)
"And don't worry about Terry. The plan will work better if he doesn't know."
"But-"
Abruptly, Dahlia's face hardens and an expression of scorn creeps over it. "You won't help me, will you? You're too scared, too comfortable in your new life. You don't care about me at all."
"No, no, that isn't true, Dahlia. I'd do anything for you!"
"Then prove it. Help me with this plan. You can have some of the money."
(Would money appease Iris' guilt?)
"I-"
"Please, Iris," Dahlia adds. Iris has never heard her plead for anything before.
"I'll help you."
Dahlia embraces Iris. "Thank you," she says. "You're amazing. I love you so much."
It's the first time Iris has heard those words said to her for years. She hugs her sister back. "I love you too, Dahlia."
Dahlia breaks the embrace. "I have to go back now. I'll be in touch."
The girls check they have the right details. Iris tries again to convince Dahlia to stay but her twin is adamant about leaving.
"I'll speak to you soon," she says as she turns to leave. Then, softer, more vulnerable: "It was good to see you again, Iris."
"We shouldn't leave it so long," Iris replies. Dahlia nods before walking into the darkness. Iris watches and then, slowly, walks back into the grounds and finishes pulling the gates closed. As she returns to her room, her gaze flickers over her surroundings again.
For some reason, she can't help but feel that all the safety of her home has been taken away from her, again.
