Phoenix and Maya were just about to walk into the building of the Fey & Co. Law Offices when they heard the clacking of wooden sandals pounding the pavement.
"Pearly?" Maya said.
Pearl caught up to them. "Mr. Nick, Mystic Maya!"
"What's up Pearls?" Phoenix said.
"Would you mind helping me with something?" Pearl said. "I'm trying to help Mystic Dahlia, but I need to find something."
"What?" Maya said.
"Her diary," Pearl said.
"Dahlia keeps a diary?" Phoenix said. To him, she didn't seem like the type.
"Yes, she's had one for as long as I can remember," Pearl said.
"So wait, you want to read her diary?" Phoenix said.
Pearl nodded. "She won't mind. I remember her reading some of her entries to me when I was little."
"Why do you want to find it all of a sudden?" Maya said.
"I thought maybe it could give us some kind of clue," Pearl said, putting her thumb to her mouth. "She writes everything in her diary."
"That's a great idea!" Maya said.
"Yeah, not bad," Phoenix said. "But let's just get something straight right now. I am not even going to glance at those pages, and no one is going to tell Dahlia otherwise. Okay?"
"We weren't going to let you read it Nick," Maya said. She smiled slyly. "No matter how tomboyish Dahlia is, this is girl stuff."
"So, do we know where this diary is?" Phoenix said. "Maya, you live with Dahlia."
"Actually, I'm kind of on break from training at Kurain Village," Maya said, tapping her chin thoughtfully. "Anyway, I'm not sure where she keeps it. Probably in her room, or maybe her office."
"So you'll help?" Pearl said.
"Yeah, let's go look," Phoenix said.
"Thank you!" Pearl said, bouncing up and down. "I knew you'd help! I'm sure your special someone will be very happy!"
"Pearls, Dahlia really is just my friend," Phoenix said, blushing.
Maya tapped her chin again. "But Sis told me that you once-"
"Hey look! A distraction!" Phoenix said, pointing behind the Fey cousins. That was before I actually started working with her!
"Huh?" Maya turned around, as did Pearl.
"It's gone now," Phoenix said. "Well, let's get going."
Once inside the Fey & Co. Law Offices, the threesome split up to search Dahlia's bedroom and office. Pearl and Maya checked Dahlia's room and Phoenix looked through her office. He opened the drawers in his partner's desk. One was filled with basic office supplies, tape, staples, paper clips, and more pens than any one person should ever need. The second one had a bunch of documents, which Phoenix skimmed through out of curiosity. To his surprise, he found a book.
"Is this… No, that's not her diary," Phoenix pulled it out anyway. It was a book on botany. "I didn't know Dahlia was into this kind of stuff."
He placed the book on the desk and flipped through it absentmindedly. It was filled with all kinds of facts and pictures. Healing properties in herbs… The language of flowers… Facts on poison?
Phoenix closed the book. "Okay… let's not show that to the police."
As he searched through the drawers, it dawned on Phoenix that Dahlia's office was surprisingly professional. A little messy, but it actually had office related things in it. Guess there's more to her than meets the eye. He pulled the handle on another drawer and found it was stuck. Not willing to give up, he pulled harder. Finally, the drawer gave way and something popped out of it.
Phoenix picked it. "A… Pokémon manga?"
He looked inside the drawer, and found it completely stuffed with manga books and game cartridges. He chuckled, shaking his head. Never mind.
Just as he was forcing the drawer closed again, Maya and Pearl came into the office.
"Find anything?" Pearl said.
"Lots of things, just not a diary," Phoenix said.
"Ditto," Maya said.
Phoenix stood back up, scratching his chin. "Strange. Where else would it be?"
He leaned on the windowsill, looking outside. Across the street, he saw the Gatewater Hotel. Pearl and Maya joined him.
"I can see Mother!" Pearl said, pointing to the left.
"Oh yeah, there she is," Phoenix said. "Looks like she's reading something."
"You're right," Maya said, squinting. "What book is that?"
"Well… It's red," Phoenix said. "With some kind of gold thing on the cover."
Pearl gasped. "That's a Magatama!"
"It is?" Maya said.
"It's Mystic Dahlia's diary!" Pearl said.
"Are you sure?" Phoenix said, surprised.
"It has to be!" Pearl said.
"But why would Morgan have it?" Maya said.
"Let's ask her," Pearl said, sprinting out the door.
"Wait, Pearls!" Phoenix called out.
"Let's go after her," Maya said.
Phoenix burst into the lobby of the Gatewater Hotel, panting. "That… girl… has… good… legs…"
"I'm going to… pretend you… didn't just say that," Maya said, breathing heavily beside him.
A little ways ahead, Pearl held the elevator door open for Maya and Phoenix to enter. They went up to the 12th floor together, and began walking down the hall with Pearl in the lead.
"Glad we took the elevator," Phoenix commented as they passed by the staircase.
"Tell me about it," Maya said. "Who in their right mind would want to walk up 12 flights of stairs?"
"This is the one," Pearl said, standing next to one of the doors and taking out a key card.
Unlocking the door, she opened it and stepped inside with Phoenix and Maya in tow.
"Mother! I'm back!" Pearl said.
Morgan Fey walked into the room, surrounded by an air of wisdom. "Hello Mystic Pearl. I see you've brought Mystic Maya and Mr. Wright with you."
"Hi Aunt Morgan," Maya said.
"Hello Ms. Fey," Phoenix said. "Or is it Mystic?"
"Ms. Fey will be fine, good sir," Morgan said. "I am but a branch family member. Can I ask what brings you here?"
"Mother, do you have Mystic Dahlia's diary?" Pearl said.
"Oh, you mean this?" Morgan said, presenting a red book with a golden Magatama painted on it.
"Yes!" Pearl said. "Can we see it?"
"Hmm," Morgan put her sleeve to her face.
"Why do you have it anyway?" Maya said.
"I thought that perhaps reading her diary would help me to understand my daughter better," Morgan said. "Though, I must admit there are some things I wish I hadn't read."
"Like what?" Pearl said. "She wrote some really nice things about you. Like calling you a princess!"
"Oh, is that what she told you?" Morgan said.
"So, can we please see it?" Pearl said.
"No dear, I need to hold on to it," Morgan said.
"Please Mother?" Pearl said.
"It really would be helpful," Phoenix said.
"I'm sorry, but my answer is final," Morgan said, and walked away.
"I wonder why she doesn't want us to read that," Maya said.
"But… we need to help Mystic Dahlia," Pearl hung her head sadly.
"Hey, don't get so down," Phoenix said. "We'll figure something else out."
"But, I need to know," Pearl said glumly.
"It's alright Pearly," Maya said. "Maybe there's something else in her that with give us a clue."
"Might as well look around while we're here," Phoenix said.
They wandered around the hotel room, examining anything that caught their eye. Phoenix noticed a dresser and stepped over to it.
"I seem to have a thing with drawers today," Phoenix commented, opening one of the compartments.
"You're really not doing this on purpose, are you?" Maya said.
"Hmm?" Phoenix rifled through the drawer.
Pearl climbed onto a chair and looked at the papers on the table. Maya glanced at her, noticing the white fury in her eyes.
"Oh, Pearly looks mad," Maya said.
Pearl hopped off the chair, hugged Maya, and stormed off.
"Hey I found something!" Phoenix said.
Phoenix came into the room, holding a photograph.
"What is it?" Maya said.
"It's a picture of a girl. She looks really familiar," Phoenix said, staring at the photo.
Maya looked at the picture. "That's Dahlia as a kid."
"Dahlia?" Phoenix said, perplexed. "But this girl has black hair."
"This was taken before she dyed it red," Maya said.
"She dyes it?" Phoenix said. "Wait… At Gourd Lake that time…"
"She told you about it then?" Maya said.
"Kind of," Phoenix said. "Something about not wanting to look like…"
"Her sister," Maya said.
"Yeah, that's kind of confusing," Phoenix said. "I mean, they have similar facial features sure, but Pearls doesn't really look like Dahlia."
"Not Pearly!" Maya said.
"She has another sister?" Phoenix said.
"Yes, she doesn't really like to talk about it though," Maya said. "She gets really mad, and Diego usually gets hurt in the end."
"So they don't get along then?" Phoenix said.
"No, Dahlia was always sick of her," Maya said, dipping her head. "And her mom, and her dad. Before Pearly was born, she used to say me and Sis were the only family she really had."
"Wow, I never knew," Phoenix said.
"Yeah, not everyone gets along in the family," Maya said. "I didn't realize it though until I saw Dahlia and Iris."
"Iris? Is that Dahlia's sister?" Phoenix said.
Maya nodded. "Like I said though, we don't really talk about it. You can ask Dahlia though if you want."
"Well, I guess if I need to," Phoenix said.
"Where'd you find this picture anyway?" Maya said.
"It was on top of a newspaper in the other room over there," Phoenix said. "The article was something about a prisoner I think."
"Were there scissors nearby?" Maya said.
"I think there might have been. Why?" Phoenix said.
"It's just, I recognize this picture," Maya said. "It's the Winding Way of Kurain Village, and I can see urn pieces."
"Urn pieces?" Phoenix said.
"Yeah. This was when Dahlia, Mia and I freed Mystic Ami's spirit," Maya said.
"You know, this is actually making less sense as you go," Phoenix said. "Who's Mystic Ami, and if you and your sister were there why aren't you in the picture?"
"Mystic Ami was the founder of the Kurain Channeling Technique," Maya said. "And it looks like this photo was cut in half."
"Who would do that?" Phoenix said.
"Well, Morgan and Pearly are the only ones in this room," Maya said.
"Pearls wouldn't do that," Phoenix said. "But why-"
"Not everyone gets along in the Fey family," Maya said.
Before Phoenix could say anything else, Pearl came bounding into the room.
"We have to go!" Pearl said.
"Why?" Phoenix said.
Pearl held up Dahlia's diary. "Mystic Dahlia needs help, Mother will understand later. But I don't want her to get mad!"
"Pearls, you shouldn't stea-" Phoenix stopped talking when he realized Maya had grabbed Pearl and they were now both running down the hall.
Wait, I don't want to get caught here alone! Phoenix ran out the door and closed it behind him.