June 22, 3:13 PM
District Court~ Defendant Lobby No. 3
"We did it! We won!" Iris cheered, hugging Diego tightly and jumping up and down like a child being taken to a candy store, only to stop when she felt a stinging pain in her chest. "Oww…"
Diego chuckled as he held Iris close as she clutched her stomach in pain. "Easy there, Flower, you had one hell of a beating from von Karma after all."
"You have no idea," Iris said with an exasperated groan. "Not to mention the case in general. Its convoluted nature, dealing with Morgan and Dahlia..." she snarled those two names with gritted teeth but calmed down. "But now it's all done, and we've managed to saved Mystic Maya.
"And I got to avenge you, Sir..." she murmured, looking up to her dear mentor, who smiled warmly to her.
"Ha! I didn't need avenging, Flower," he said, crossing his arms. "I just wanted to see you stand on your own two feet. To use your own skills to solve this case. To always chase a riddle down to the end. That's one of my rules and I got to say...when you chase down a riddle, you are tenacious."
"Morgan and Dahlia were hurting Pearl and Mystic Maya, Sir," Iris said silently, glancing at Maya for a moment. "I...I couldn't stand by and let them...break them as they did me."
Diego chuckled and gently placed his hand on Iris' shoulder, giving her a warm smile. "You're far from broken, Flower," he assured her. "The way you presented yourself in court shows that."
Iris blushed, smiling back at her dear mentor. "T-thank you, Sir..."
"H-hey, guys," Maya said nervously, stepping forward to Diego and Iris.
"Ah, our little bird's free from her cage," Diego said with a hearty laugh. "How are you feeling, Kid?"
"Well, I..." Maya paused, trying to think of words. "I didn't kill you, did I?"
"No, you didn't Mystic Maya. It was just Morgan and Dahlia. All of it was..." Iris said, saying the two names venomously. Maya flinched at that, unused to hearing Iris talk so negatively about her own mother.
Diego noticed this and stepped forward., "You didn't do anything wrong, Kid. It was all just a dream...a really bad one."
"You know, Diego," Maya said, "in my dream, I smelled a really familiar scent."
Diego raised his brow. "A familiar scent?" he repeated.
"I was inside that clothing box, right?" Maya said. "That box...that was the box Mia used to store her clothes in a long time ago..."
Diego perked up, before letting out a melancholic sigh. "Kitten..."
"There's still one thing I don't get," Iris said. "What if you hadn't screamed when Dahlia stabbed you, Sir? I mean, Ini and I broke in because we heard you scream."
Diego rubbed his chin, pondering for a few seconds, before turning Iris with a frown. "I think Dahlia had planned to open the door to the Chamber herself. And then, you and Ini would have witnessed quite a scene; a 'possessed' Maya Fey, who had just committed a murder."
Iris felt her hands trembling from that information, so she balled them into fists. "Morgan and Dahlia really planned it down to the smallest detail, huh?" she hissed. "Venomous snakes...!"
Iris cursed herself for the lack of tact with her wording, as Maya's lips quivered and her hands shook as she was on the verge of crying.
"I still...I still can't believe it..." Maya said, tearing up. "Your mother...my own aunt...Morgan took part in all this...just so she can be in charge of the Fey Clan!? I thought we were family!"
"Such naivety, Mystic Maya," an all too familiar voice said. "That's what made you unfit to be the head in the first place..."
Iris, Diego, and Maya turned and saw Morgan Fey, whose hands were cuffed, and behind her were two bailiffs that eyed at her carefully in case she would try to escape. Despite this, Morgan gave Iris, Diego, and Maya each a look of contempt.
"Aunt Morgan..." Maya whispered solemnly, while Iris and Diego said nothing, glaring back at Morgan.
"I was one step away...just one step!" Morgan said. "My side of the family would have finally taken their rightful place as the true heads of Kurain! I would have finally obtained my birthright...Pearl would have become the head, just as she was destined to be! But you..."
"YOU RUINED EVERYTHING!" Morgan cried out as she tried to lunge at Iris, the bailiffs' grip stopping her. "I've raised you and your twin, you worthless brat! I've trained you and made you strong! And this is how you repay me? Sending your own mother to prison? Denying your sister Pearl her true birthright!? Well, I hope you're happy, Iris...YOU RUINED YOUR OWN FAMILY!"
"I ruined the family!?" Iris snapped, stepping forward to her mother.
"Flower, get back," Diego said.
"Iris, what are you doing?!" Maya asked, but Iris ignored her and Diego and jabbed her finger at Morgan's chest.
"You abused me and Dahlia throughout our childhoods, you threw us out the moment you found out we couldn't channel spirits..." Iris began, her voice trembling as she glared at her mother hatefully. "You faked having spiritual powers just to obtain personal gratification, you abused Pearl and made her a pawn to your schemes, and planned this insane scheme that killed Diego and nearly sent Maya to prison...AND YOU SAY I RUINED THE FAMILY!?"
"Watch your tongue-!" Morgan began, but Iris would have none of it.
"No! I am tired of hearing whatever you have to say! I am sick of you using me, Dahlia, and Pearl as tools for your desire to be the Kurain Head! From here on out, you are nothing more than an unpleasant memory. You're going to stay away from Mystic Maya and never set foot on Kurain Village again. And most of all..."
Suddenly, Iris grabbed Morgan by the collar of her black kimono and delivered to her mother the same demonic glare that she used on Iris for so many years.
"You are going to stay away from Pearl," Iris declared hatefully. "If somehow you get out of prison...and you try to worm your way back into her life, I will kill you, Morgan Fey. And that is not a threat. It's a promise. Is that clear...?"
Morgan didn't respond as the look of pure terror on her face was the best answer to Iris' question. Glancing back at Diego and Maya, Iris sighed and let Morgan go.
"Just get her out of here..." Iris said to the bailiffs, who nodded and dragged Morgan away. There was a moment of silence as Iris stood there, watching the door where the bailiffs dragged her mother away.
"Flower?" Diego asked, he and Maya approaching Iris with concern.
"Are you okay?" Maya asked, wiping the tears from her cheeks.
Within a few seconds, Iris slowly turned to her two companions with a sad smile on her face.
"I'll be alright..." she mumbled, tearing up a bit. "It's over now, after all..."
Diego hummed and rubbed his chin, thinking of whether or not she should ask Iris his request. The case was over and he was now a dead man. He knew he didn't have much time left, so he felt it would be best to request it now; but it didn't seem the appropriate time, given how much Morgan was affecting Iris and Maya. However, if handled carefully, it might help alleviate the tension.
"Girls?" he said. "Why don't we go see how Kitten's doing?"
. . .
June 22, 4:00 PM
General Hospital
"Sis...!" Maya said happily as she saw Mia. Even though her older sister was in a coma, Maya was happy to see her again and instantly sat by her side. "You're not going to believe what just happened!"
Diego chuckled at the sight of Maya conversing with Mia. It was a routine he and Maya often did, making sure they'd visit the comatose woman whenever they had the available time. While it was painful to see Mia in this unconscious state, talking to her helped alleviate the stress of it all.
"The Kid hasn't seen Kitten in a while," Diego said to Iris. "You can tell she's gonna talk up a storm with her."
Diego turned to Iris and saw an uncomfortable expression on her face. "Flower? You okay?"
"This...this is the first time I've seen her, Sir..." Iris said, her eyes focused on Mia's motionless body. While she didn't know much about Mia Fey, it was still unnerving seeing her like this, especially given how much Maya and Diego revered her. Seeing Mia in this deathly state, Iris felt a pang of guilt as she saw the comatose woman before her. This was what Dahlia, her sister, had done to Mia Fey...
"Flower, you've got nothing to do with what happened to her," Diego assured his student.
"But if I had just done something and-"
"Flower, blaming yourself for other's sins will only bring you down," he said. "That's one of my rules."
"I...I see," Iris said, taking his words to heart. An awkward moment of silence happened between the two of them, both of them unsure of what to say next as they watched Maya having an enthusiastic yet one-sided conversation with Mia.
Diego sighed. "There's no stalling this any longer...Flower?"
"Yes, Sir?" Iris asked.
"I wasn't sure on how to say it to you, but...can you take care of Kitten for me?" he asked pleadingly. Iris blinked in surprise, seeing her mentor like this. Usually, she saw him as the suave, confident man who always kept his cool no matter how the odds were stacked against him. Even in the times when he visibly showed stress, he always found a way to brush it off quickly or hide it with a cocky grin. Now, all Iris saw was a pleading man with worry and anxiety in him, nervous as he gave off his final request.
"Sir...?" Iris repeated slowly.
"I'm...I'm gone now, Flower," Diego said, gritting his teeth as if he was unable to say he was dead. "Pearl and Maya can channel me all they want, but when it comes to watching Kitten...I can't watch over her like this."
He sighed as he solemnly gestured to his current state, to which Iris frowned sympathetically.
"That's why I need you to watch over her for me..." he said. "To look after her and be there when if she...no, WHEN she wakes up. Can you do that for me, Flower? Please..."
Iris went silent, pondering for a full minute, giving Diego some tension. But after that, she turned to her dear mentor and smiled.
"A promise is something you have to keep, especially if it's for a loved one," she began, gently pointing at him. "That's one of my rules."
"Ha...you really did take everything I taught you to heart, didn't you?" Diego said with a small smile, tears beginning to spill from his eyes. Without warning, he wrapped his arms around Iris and enveloped her in a warm, affectionate hug. "You're gonna do great, Flower...you're gonna do great..."
Iris was shocked by the hug, but upon hearing those words, broke down in tears as well. "I promise, Sir..." she said as she cried, hugging her dear mentor back. "I promise to look after Mia Fey for you..."
"Don't forget your own promise, Flower," he said as he slowly let Iris go. "You have two promises to keep now, but I know you can handle that."
It was then Iris noticed that Diego had begun to fade from existence, becoming transparent by the second. Diego saw this as well and chuckled. "Guess it's time for me to go, Flower..."
"Sir-" she began to protest, not wanting him to go, but she stopped herself. Wiping her tears away, she gave her mentor a sad smile. "Goodbye, Sir. Thank you for everything."
After that tearful goodbye, Diego Armando disappeared into the afterlife, and standing in his place was Iris' little sister Pearl, who appeared to be in a trance. Drowsily, Pearl wiped her eyes before slowly opening them.
"M-Mystic Iris...?" the little girl asked. "Where are we?"
"We're in the General Hospital, Pearl," Iris said, kneeling to Pearl's size. "The trial ended an hour ago. We won."
"O-oh...that's great," Pearl said softly with a cute yet sad smile, which Iris saw and looked concerned.
"Are you alright, Pearl?" Iris asked gently. "You're not thinking of Morgan, are you?"
Pearl flinched at the mention of Morgan but nodded. "I-I still...I..." she paused, her voice trembling as she began to cry. "Why...? Why would she...?"
Suddenly, Pearl bawled her eyes out, crying loudly and sorrowfully as she hugged her older sister tightly.
"W-why d-did s-she do it...!?" Pearl said in anguish. "Why...!?"
"Shh...it's okay, Pearl..." Iris whispered gently as she hugged Pearl, cradling the poor girl. "It's okay, just let it out..."
"Hey, Iris, is everything-?" Maya asked, stopping herself when she saw Iris tending to the crying Pearl. Maya frowned, resisting the urge to cry as well.
Poor Pearl, she thought. Out of all the people who had been hurt by this whole ordeal, Pearl was probably the one who suffered through it the most. From getting involved in a murder case to being abused severely and treated as a pawn by her own mother, not to mention the fact that said mother helped stage a scheme that killed a family friend and nearly sent her beloved cousin to jail! It was no surprise that after all of this, she'd breakdown from the stress and despair of it all.
At the very least, she wasn't facing this tragedy alone, as Iris and Maya comforted Pearl in her darkest hour.
. . .
June 22, 8:30 PM
Iris' Apartment
After visiting Mia at the hospital and enjoying a nice burger dinner (at Maya's insistence), Iris, Maya, and Pearl decided to stay the night at Iris' apartment, too physically and emotionally exhausted from today's events to take the train ride back to Kurain Village. After everything that happened today, all the three girls wanted to do was rest.
"Oh man, this feels great..." Maya whispered in bliss as she laid down on the large, soft, cushy bed Iris had set up for her and Pearl. "So much better than the beds at home. You gotta try this, Pearly..."
Iris smiled, satisfied that the bed she set up pleased Maya. "I'm glad you enjoy the bed, Mystic Maya. Now, if you excuse me, I'll be taking my leave."
Maya giggled. "Always so formal, Iris. So comfy..." she said, outstretching her arms and legs and lying them on the bed.
Iris sighed with a playful smile, bowed to Maya, and made her leave, not noticing that Pearl was looking directly at her the whole time, a thoughtful expression on her face.
"Mystic Iris..." Pearl murmured. She needed to do this. It was the only way. Taking a deep breath, she began to take several steps to the door.
"Pearly, where are you going?" Maya asked, but to her surprise, Pearl ignored her and stepped out of the bedroom.
Pearl then made her way to the living room and saw Iris, now wearing a purple tank top and a pair of white pajama pants instead of her business attire, setting up the couch as a makeshift bed.
"M-Mystic Iris?" Pearl asked, causing Iris to jump in surprise.
"O-Oh, Pearl," Iris said, blushing in surprise. "Shouldn't you be in bed?"
"I know, but..." Pearl paused in hesitation, looking down.
"What is it, Pearl?" Iris asked, sitting on the couch before offering Pearl a seat as well. Pearl silently thanked her older sister and sat beside her. "Is something wrong?"
"It's just..." Pearl stopped herself. She shouldn't be afraid to say it, but why was she? It was her sister, she can trust her!
"I...I don't want to go back to Kurain Village?" Pearl finally said it, relieved that she finally let it out.
Iris blinked in surprise. "What?" she said before realizing it herself. "After what's happened...with mother and Dahlia...that's why you don't want to go back?"
Pearl nodded. "At least, not yet. Mystic Maya's a great person, but without Mother, I...I don't know where else to go...so please, can I stay with you, Mystic Iris?"
"..." Iris remained silent, pondering for a moment, which made Pearl nervous. Was she going to accept? Would she not?
"I-I won't be a burden, I swear!" Pearl shouted frantically. "I'll be a good girl!"
"Pearl..."
"I'll help cook meals!"
"Pearl."
"I'll clean the house while you're away!"
"Pearl-"
"I'll even help you in your cases! I can-"
"Pearl!" Iris shouted, placing her hand on her little sister's shoulder. "I'm not our mother, Pearl. You don't need to 'behave' or prove your worth to stay here."
"Mystic Iris..." Pearl whispered, tears welling up her eyes.
"It's just Iris, Pearl. We're family and unlike what Mother keeps telling you, family won't abandon you if you do something wrong," she said. "They stick with you 'till the bitter end. So, as long as you want, feel free to stay."
Then that's where the waterworks hit as Pearl cried once again, hugging her sister tightly. "Thank you so much, Big Sis! I love you so much!"
Iris chuckled nervously but hugged her sister back. "You know, we've been hugging each other a lot this day, haven't we?"
"Shut up..." Pearl said with a tearful laugh. "You're ruining the moment, Big Sis."
Iris just grinned, affectionately patting Pearl's head. "I guess I am, little sister..."
As the two sisters embraced each other lovingly, they didn't notice that Maya Fey was watching them from behind a wall, touched and happy for both of them.
Originally, Maya had begun to worry for Pearl's sake due to the events of today's trial. She worried that the whole ordeal would've broken the poor girl, but seeing her and Iris embracing each other, she realized that everything was alright now.
Maya laughed. At the same time though, she couldn't help but feel jealous of Pearl. She had found her big sister, while Maya still lost hers because of that coma. But that jealously was overpowered by happiness and relief for her dear cousin.
You're in good hands now, Pearly, Maya thought with a satisfied and warm smile.
. . .
?, 9:00 PM
Today had been like the rest of the past days. Wake up, breakfast, then back in the cell, maybe some exercise and harassment from some inmates here and there, lunch, back to the cell, dinner, then night time. It was an organized routine, but a painful one that he had to go through every single day ever since he stepped into this godforsaken prison. There was nothing to do, except that painful, horrible routine.
Sure, there had been moments to help lighten up the terrible aspects of prison life. There were the books and television he was allowed to have for "good behavior", but he knew it was given to him due to the influence of his sister, who kept visiting him every day even if it hindered her work. He didn't know why she bothered to keep visiting him. He deserved to be here after all. He deserved to rot for everything he did. He-
"Edgeworth, your sister's here to see you," the warden said, approaching Edgeworth's cell.
"What?" Edgeworth asked. "But aren't visiting hours finished?"
"They are, but she wants to see you," the warden said, showing the freshly made wounds on his face, courtesy of a certain whip-wielding prosecutor. "And she won't leave until she does."
Edgeworth winced at the guard's wounds before nodding in understanding. Standing up from his cold prison bed, he stepped out of his cell and followed the warden to the detention center, where Franziska was waiting for her.
"Franziska, what are you doing here this-" he began but stopped as he noticed something off about his sister. Franziska looked the same as ever, but her body was trembling, she gripped her whip too tightly, and from the look on her face, she was holding back tears. "Franziska, what's wrong? What happened?"
Franziska tried to stay strong, but it only took a few seconds for her to break down, sobbing in anguish at her first-ever defeat.
AUTHOR'S NOTE: And Turnabout Family is over! It took me a long while, but it's finally finished. I'll go back to work on the grammar errors soon. So what do you guys think of this case? Was it good? Was it bad? Please feel free to tell me in the reviews. I hope you enjoyed it and I'll be working on the next Turnabout story as soon as I can. Thank you!