"De-er Duh... Dairy?"

Dahlia paused outside her bedroom door. Confused, she opened the door.

"To... Too-dey I..." Pearl sat before a book, clearly struggling to read.

"Pearly?" Dahlia said.

Pearl gasped and looked up. "Mystic Dahlia!"

"Are you reading my diary?" Dahlia said, smiling knowingly.

"No!" Pearl said. "... Dylan was."

"And why is that?" Dahlia said.

"She was curious," Pearl said. "And Mystic Maya told me little sisters are supposed to read their big sister's diary."

"Dylan's not my little sister," Dahlia said.

Defeated, Pearl hung her head. "I know. I am very sorry Mystic Dahlia."

"Aw, don't be like that," Dahlia said, joining her baby sister on the floor. "I'm not mad."

"You're not?" Pearl said, innocent eyes shining with hope and respect.

"Would you like me to read it to you?" Dahlia said.

"Really?" Pearl said. "You'd read me your diary?"

"It's more of a journal really," Dahlia said.

In her diary, Dahlia had written much about her life. Some things were a little too deep for a baby like Pearl, so she made sure to skip over those bits. As she read, Dahlia reflected on her past. Her visions, her family, her life.

"Um, Mystic Dahlia?" Pearl said. "What does that mean?"

Dahlia looked back at the sentence she had just read aloud. Mother was such a... Oh.

"It means... Princess," Dahlia said.

"Oh!" Pearl said. "Can I be a-"

"Hey look, another page!" Dahlia said.

The sisters read together peacefully, cuddled together on the floor.

"Sis! You're home!"

"That was Mystic Maya," Pearl said.

Dahlia lit up like a Christmas tree. "Pearly, I've told you about Maya's sister haven't I?"

Pearl nodded her head excitedly, influenced by her sister's enthusiasm.

"Time you met her," Dahlia said, standing up. "Let's go!"

Dahlia picked her baby sister off the floor and sped outside. On the porch down the road was Mia. Her life was being squeezed out of her by Maya.

"It's good to see you too Maya," Mia wheezed. "But my vision's starting to black out."

"I don't care I'm so glad you're home Sis!" Maya said, but she did let go.

"Mia!" Dahlia shouted as she ran.

"Hi!" Pearl said, waving her arm. She started struggling, so Dahlia put her down and they ran together.

Maya grinned like the Cheshire Cat.

Mia noticed. "Maya don't say it-"

"Dog pile on Mia!" Maya said, tackling her sister again. Dahlia finally made it and joined in.

Mia groaned, but she was smiling. "Good to see you 2."

Dahlia felt something flop on her back and wiggle its way next to her head.

"Hi," Pearl said.

"Oh, hello there," Mia said. "Make that 3."

"This is Pearly, my baby sister," Dahlia said.

"Nice to meet you," Mia said.

"Nice to meet you too Mystic Mia," Pearl said. "Mystic Dahlia and Mystic Maya have told me so much about you."

"Aw, aren't you polite," Mia said. "It's really great to see you guys but could you please get off me? I don't want Diego to see me like this."

"Diego?' Maya said, grinning again.

"Yes," Mia said, rolling her eyes. "My boyfriend."

"Ew, a boy," Dahlia said, standing up. "Pearly, boys are weird."

"Okay," Pearl said, nodding her head.

"No they aren't Pearl," Mia said. "Boys are great, if you find the right one."

"That's right," Maya said, reminding Dahlia of when the young acolyte was a toddler. "You just have to find that special one to be with forever. Dahlia only said that because she's a lost cause."

"I prefer enlightened," Dahlia said.

"No, you're enlightened when you've found the one that's special," Mia said. She obvious believed Pearl needed to know this stuff. She folded her arms. "Although, sometimes that one can be a little confusing."

"Aw, are you bragging about me again Kitten?"

Dahlia looked past Mia to see a man with wild black hair holding a coffee mug.

"I take it you're Diego?" Maya said.

"Skin the color of cream and eyes that could melt the bitterness out of coffee. You must be Maya," Diego said.

"Uh, thanks," Maya said, pretending to understand.

"So, you're Mia's boyfriend?" Dahlia said.

"No, he's a figment of your imagination and cows are over taking Canada," Mia said.

"They are?" Dahlia and Pearl said.

"No, you're gullible," Mia said.

Dahlia stuck her tongue at her cousin.

"And I'm the confusing one?" Diego said.

Pearl gasped excitedly. "You are perfect for each other."

"Heh," Diego took a sip from his mug. "And who might you be, cutie?"

"Pearl Fey," the little girl said.

"Lovely," Diego said. "That leaves you, Red Riding Hood."

"Personally I prefer Dahlia," the teenage redhead said.

"Dahlia it is then," Diego said. "You're Kitten's cousin, as I recall."

"Kitten? Oh, you mean…" Dahlia pressed a hand on her head.

"Are you alright?" Maya said.

Dahlia fought back the pain. She didn't want to deal with a headache or a vision right now. "Yeah."

"Promise?" Pearl said.

"Yeah," Dahlia said. For some reason, the name 'Melissa Foster' rung through her head. "So, you're Kitten?"

"Yeah, that's me," Mia said. "I'm Kitten."

"So you are," Dahlia said, a stab of pain shot through her head.

"Um, Madame?" she said. "Who are you?"

"I'm Mia Fey," Mia said.

She smiled. "So you are."

"Okay, that made no sense," Dahlia grumbled.

"What?" Pearl said.

"Uh, forget it," Dahlia said. "So Mia how was your trial?"

Mia's face fell. "Um, Maya why don't you and Pearl go do something. I'll catch up with you in a minute."

"Alright," Maya said. "Come on Pearly, let's go read."

"Okay!" Pearl said.

Dahlia smiled. She had a feeling about what they would be reading.

Mia, Diego and Dahlia stepped inside, and Mia flopped on the sofa.

"Okay, what's up?" Dahlia said.

"Okay, you know how I had my first trial recently?" Mia said.

"Did you lose?" Dahlia said.

"No one won that," Mia said. "Except one."

"What happened?" Dahlia said.

"Well, my client…" Mia shuddered. "He died."

"What?" Dahlia said, wrapping her arms around Mia.

"He was poisoned," Mia said. "The trial ended, and the real culprit got away."

"Did the culprit poison him?" Dahlia said.

"She set it up," Mia said.

"Who?" Dahlia said.

"Well, at first I thought her name was Melissa Foster," Mia said.

Dahlia almost choked. "But what was her real name?"

"You know her well," Mia said. "It was Iris."

"… Hawthorne?" Dahlia said, in a daze.

Mia nodded. "I'm so sorry."

"Iris… did that," Dahlia said. Her eyes burned with a white hot intensity. She didn't even know what was going on, and she didn't care.

She couldn't believe Iris would do something like. "Why didn't you tell me?"

"It seemed like something that should be said in person," Mia said. "And I knew you'd act like this."

"Like what?" Dahlia said.

"Diego's got bruises," Mia said.

"She's quite the fiery redhead," Diego said.

"Oh, sorry Mr…. what was your last name again?" Dahlia said.

"Armando, but just call me Diego," Diego said, brushing off the fact that he just got pounded.

Alright," Dahlia said. She turned back to Mia. "But why would she..."

"I think Iris wanted something," Mia said. "My client had been in on the plan, being her boyfriend."

"She killed her boyfriend?" Dahlia said.

Mia buried her face in her hands. "Ex-boyfriend, I guess. But she gave him a bottle of poison. She knew the day would come when he drank it; she had him wrapped around her little finger. That poor man, she drove him insane."

"I can't believe, actually I can totally believe it!" Dahlia said, angry again. "Iris… I hate her!"

"Please Dahlia, calm down," Mia said.

"I can't believe she got away with that!" Dahlia said.

"Now, now, now," Diego said. "Who said she was getting away with it?"

"What?" Dahlia said.

"We're not finished here, right Kitten?" Diego said.

Mia nodded, putting on a face of determination. "That's right. We're going to get Iris convicted for the crimes she committed. It's not over yet."

"That's why we're here, one reason anyway," Diego said. "Kitten wanted to see her family again, and we wanted to see if there was anything here that could give us some kind insight on this evil twin of yours."

Dahlia shook her head. "I doubt you'll find anything. Iris is a Hawthorne, not a Fey. When she left, she took all her stuff with her. And I haven't heard one word of her until you guys came. Iris doesn't even know about Pearly."

"I was afraid of that," Mia said. "She wasn't even wearing her Magatama."

Dahlia gripped her hand into a fist. "Who was your client?"

"His name was Terry Fawles," Mia said.

"Terry Fawles…" Dahlia whispered.

"It was my coffee that killed him, in a way," Diego said, staring into his mug. "I didn't notice he put the poison in it. His last drink, and the pure bitterness had been tainted by the wicked sweetness of blood and death. By the time I figured out what was going on, that sweetness was already bleeding from the mouth."

"Poisoned coffee…" Dahlia stared at the steam wisps rising up from the mug. She got lost in the steam, and before she knew it…

"Thank you for meeting with me Little Lady," Diego said.

She giggled. "What did you want to talk about?"

"Well that's a silly question," Diego said, taking a sip from his coffee mug. "Because you know what."

She tilted her head innocently.

Diego reached into his pocket and pulled out a crystal bottle necklace. "Look familiar?"

She gasped. "Terry…"

"You look heartbroken," Diego said. "But it was beyond your grasp wasn't it? You just couldn't get the evidence back."

"What?" she said. "I never thought Terry would actually take the poison. It was just a ceremony."

"You obviously thought so," Diego said. "Otherwise you would have taken this poison long ago."

"Don't say that!" she said.

"Now now, don't cry," Diego said. "No one's buying it."

"Why are you so mean?" she said.

"Welcome to the real world Little Lady," Diego took another sip of his coffee. "I'm sure you're familiar with it."

He wasn't going to be swayed, she could tell. There was no other choice. Hiding her movements under the table, she slipped a vial out of the hidden pocket in her dress. She had to do it now.

"You have no proof that I did anything bad," she said, standing up.

"Are you sure about that?" Diego said.

She leaned forward, getting closer and closer to his face. He didn't have to be wooed, just distracted.

"I'm a good girl, I promise," she said.

Diego looked her in the eye. "You've caused a lot of pain. 2 people are dead, this case is going to end up lost and forgotten, and my Kitten has more claw marks than anyone should have in their first trial."

Discreetly, she poured the vial's contents into the mug.

"And here you are, cheerful as can be," Diego said.

She moved back and sat down again. "Terry is in a better place, I just have to keep telling myself that."

Diego took a sip from his mug. "I suppose he's safe from you now."

She pouted.

"Don't give me that," Diego said. "I'm here to find out everything you did, to keep everyone else safe from you. Innocent people, every gullible young man who passes your way, everyone who gets in your way, my Kitten…"

Diego coughed, wheezing and clutching his stomach. He looked at her, smiling sweetly with her red hair caressing her delicate face.

He closed his eyes, and slumped over on the table.

She took the bottle necklace, and walked away.

"Dahlia?" Mia said.

Dahlia blinked, her mind returning to Kurain Village.

"Would you like a taste?" Diego said.

She shook her head feverishly.

"Alright," Diego said, taking another swig.

"Hey, Diego. Mia," Dahlia said carefully. "What do you guys plan to do about Iris?"

"Well, I'm going to try and get some information out of her," Diego said. "We made an appointment set a few days from now."

Dahlia's eyes widened. "Don't bring your coffee!"

Diego cocked an eyebrow. "Pardon me?"

"It's a bad idea, leave your mug at home," Dahlia said.

"Uh… okay," Diego said. "We'll see."

"Dahlia, what's this about?" Mia said.

"Iris… Iris is dangerous!" Dahlia said. "She's insane! She'll do anything to get what she wants!"

"You sound as though you've met with her," Mia said.

"Just trust me, it'll end badly," Dahlia said, pleading to Diego.

"Is this some kind of twin thing?" Diego said. "You almost sound like her."

Dahlia choked. "What?"

"Diego!" Mia said.

"I am nothing like Iris Hawthorne!" Dahlia said. "I am Dahlia Fey."

"We know you are, Dahlia," Mia said.

"In fact…" Dahlia said. "I'm going to help you guys take her down!"

"What?" Mia said.

"I can't just do nothing while Iris runs around killing people!" Dahlia said, more sure of herself with every word. "We will make her pay for what she's done."

Diego drank from his mug. "Heh, my mistake."

"Huh?" Dahlia said.

"I was wrong," Diego said. "You are nothing like your sister."

Dahlia smirked. "You better believe it."