107 King Of Pain

A/N There are two sides to every story. This chapter, at last, explains Phoenix’s POV from the time he visited Iris in chapter 73 “If I Could Turn Back Time” to the last time he saw Maya in THAT scene, chapter 74 “Suddenly These Changes”. I hope things make more sense now, and hopefully, poor Nick is now seen as somewhat less of a dick! 😊

There’s a little black spot on the sun today
It’s the same old thing as yesterday
There’s a black hat caught in a high tree top
There’s a flag pole rag and the wind won’t stop

I have stood here before inside the pouring rain
With the world turning circles running ’round my brain
I guess I’m always hoping that you’ll end this reign
But it’s my destiny to be the king of pain

There’s a little black spot on the sun today
(That’s my soul up there)
It’s the same old thing as yesterday
(That’s my soul up there)
There’s a black hat caught in a high tree top
(That’s my soul up there)
There’s a flag pole rag and the wind won’t stop
(That’s my soul up there)

I have stood here before inside the pouring rain
With the world turning circles running ’round my brain
I guess I’m always hoping that you’ll end this reign
But it’s my destiny to be the king of pain

There’s a fossil that’s trapped in a high cliff wall
(That’s my soul up there)
There’s a dead salmon frozen in a waterfall
(That’s my soul up there)
There’s a blue whale beached by a springtime’s ebb
(That’s my soul up there)
There’s a butterfly trapped in a spider’s web
(That’s my soul up there)

I’ve stood here before inside the pouring rain
With the world turning circles running ’round my brain
I guess I’m always hoping that you’ll end this reign
But it’s my destiny to be the king of pain

There’s a king on a throne with his eyes torn out
There’s a blind man looking for a shadow of doubt
There’s a rich man sleeping on a golden bed
There’s a skeleton choking on a crust of bread

King of pain

There’s a red fox torn by a huntsman’s pack
(That’s my soul up there)
There’s a black-winged gull with a broken back
(That’s my soul up there)

There’s a little black spot on the sun today
It’s the same old thing as yesterday

I’ve stood here before inside the pouring rain
With the world turning circles running ’round my brain
I guess I’m always hoping that you’ll end this reign
But it’s my destiny to be the king of pain

King of pain
King of pain
King of pain
I’ll always be king of pain
I’ll always be king of pain
I’ll always be king of pain

Phoenix Wright and Iris Hawthorne
Detention Center
February 21, 2025, 2:00 PM

There was so much riding on this visit. Today he’d need to ante up and play the most high-stake gamble of all time.

However, he wouldn’t be able to do it alone.

The biggest mistake I ever made was underestimating Kristoph Gavin. Sneaking around obviously didn’t work. He’s not only every bit the twisted, psychotic man Edgeworth warned me that he is, but moreover, he is shrewd enough to sense my associations with him are not motivated merely by friendship. Therefore, he’s always been watching me and stalking everyone I care about. This man’s life motto is ‘keep your friends close, and your enemies closer.’ Now that he knows I’ve lied to him, no matter how much I try to act like his friend, he will never be duped again and will always see me as his enemy. Therefore, he will mercilessly and ruthlessly destroy anyone and everyone that I love, just to get to me.

Phoenix knew he should’ve visited Iris ages ago. He hated that he looked like a shameless opportunist because his premier visit would be accompanied by an imploration of such magnitude. There was always the disquieting possibility that upon hearing what he had to say, his ex-girlfriend would simply tell him to drop dead. Or even worse, start crying. So much had changed for both and what he was about to say to her would have such a monumental impact on them and so many parties involved. He had no way of predicting how she was going to react.

Holy sweet baby of Mary, please let her say yes. I’ll beg her if I have to. There’s no other way.

Seeing Iris again made him wish he’d taken the plunge and come to see her sooner. She was still as gracious and sweet as ever. Moreover, she almost immediately squelched his previous fears of being angry or disappointed that he hadn’t been unable to get her paroled sooner, due to losing his badge.

He could see the unmasked affection on her enchanting face as she blushingly confessed to him how she’d purposely delayed retrieving the necklace because she’d loved him so dearly, and had enjoyed the intimacy that they’d shared in their months together.

While Phoenix was extremely touched and moved by the sentiment, he was loath to want to give his ex false hope about his feelings towards her now. He took a long moment to mull over his next words, choosing them carefully, so as not to lead her on. He cared about her far too much.

Iris was my first love. Were it not for her, I never would have known what love was in the first place. Aside from the fact I’ll always be grateful to her for that, she deserves so much better than for me to mislead her.

“I think I understand now.” The hobo scratched the back of his neck. “Though I have to admit I’m…conflicted, you must understand. I thought you were gone. I thought you were Dahlia, the woman who tried to murder me and was in prison at one point. I don’t know if I can just jump back to over a decade ago…”

He cringed inwardly the moment he finished speaking.

Subtle, Phoenix. Very subtle. Why not just hit her over the head with it? I may as well just scream: “It’s too late for us, it’s been far too long, and too much has changed. I’ve moved on and I’m in love with your cousin now… But could you be a peach and help me out anyway?!”

“I do understand, Feenie. And I’m willing to give you the time, and the distance if you need it. Just know that in all these years I’ve never stopped loving you.” She pressed her hand against the glass.

He lifted his hand to match hers. It meant so much to him that she loved him. A part of him would always love her – he just wasn’t in love with her anymore. Although their time had passed, he still wanted her to be in his life. In the end, Iris Hawthorne was not a bad person. She’d merely been an innocent and naïve girl who’d been easily swayed into making regretful decisions because she had put her faith and trust in the wrong people. He could no longer fault her for that. To do so would be hypocritical. Hadn’t he been guilty of erroneous judgement as well? Wasn’t the reason Phoenix was in his current predicament due to the very same thing?

“And a part of me has always had a special place for you in my heart as well, and always will, Iris.” His heartfelt words were spoken with the utmost sincerity. “It’s because of this soft spot I have for you that I did whatever I could for you to help you out…so I’m pleased to tell you that despite my grievous misfortune, I have some good news for you.”

He then proceeded to tell her how Edgeworth had followed through with her early release request on his behalf and that she would be a free woman within a fortnight.

Tears of gratitude filled her doe eyes.

“Oh, Feenie, thank you,” she whispered. “I can’t believe after what I’ve done, you still went and did this for me. I am forever in your debt, love. If there’s ever anything I can do for you at all…”

Give me strength, he silently prayed, to whatever forces that might have been listening. He didn’t want to come across as capitalizing on Iris’ current vulnerable state while being incarcerated or appear to be taking advantage of the fact that she still had feelings for him.

However, he couldn’t help how he felt, or whom he loved.

Phoenix Wright loved Maya Fey enough to sacrifice his personal happiness. As much as it gutted him, he would remove her from his life, if in the end, it meant saving her life. Moreover, he needed to hope and pray that if Iris truly loved him, in the selfless, noble way it appeared that she did, she would find in her heart to help him.

But in the end, this wasn’t for him, or even about him. He desperately needed to convey that this was bigger than both of them; make Iris see this was ultimately not only the right thing to do but also the only option they had.

This wasn’t merely about imploring for the aid of a former lover because she was made to feel like she owed him due to all he’d done for her; that was a trump card he refused to play.

This was not a case of tit-for-tat.

This was about protecting an innocent bystander. The love of his life – and Iris’ kinswoman.

This was about a solemn vow he’d made seven years ago, to a longtime dead woman who’d meant the world to him. An avowal he intended to keep until the day he drew his last breath.

“Actually, Iris, there is something that would make me a very happy man,” Phoenix began awkwardly. “I know this is sudden and unexpected but I really hope the answer will be yes…”

Her gentle orbs were filled with a kindness that seemed so innocuous and earnest so endless; as big as the sea.

“Go on,” she urged gently.

“Iris, for your safety, I will not disclose names, but I need you to believe me when I tell you everything I’m about to disclose is God’s honest truth.”

Phoenix gathered up all his wits and then let it all out in one breath.

“For reasons, I still cannot completely fathom, I have somehow made it into the bad books of a very dangerous, sinister man out there, who would do anything to see me suffer. Besides, it’s no longer limited to just me, but anybody I love. It makes no difference to him whether or not his target is a good person, who has never so much as harmed a fly in their life, and that the sole mistake they have ever been guilty of is having known me. He doesn’t care. To ruin me, to torture me, he will destroy, and possibly even kill, if it so pleases him, without recourse or remorse.”

He closed his eyes and had to swallow hard before he could continue

“You mean a lot to me, Iris, and I wouldn’t ever try to endanger your life in exchange for another’s. Please be assured that I authentically believe you wouldn’t be in any sort of peril should you agree to this; partially because of how far away and remote you will be up at the temple, which I know you rarely leave. Hence, you will be safe there. Furthermore, I’ll ensure you and I are never seen together in the meantime. Essentially, I will stay away from you, as well, until this all blows over, just to err on the side of caution.”

The former lawyer gazed beseechingly into her confounded visage.

“I have zero alternatives remaining. I have tried to sneak around these past six years, but the devil has eyes in the back of his head. He drifts in and out of our lives, never giving us rest, threatening us and those around us, with death. We are on the run without moving and even if we tried to skedaddle, that demon would still somehow bring us down. The evil one is satisfied to let us live as long as we stay where we are and do not challenge him. We are his playthings, nothing more than puppets for his sadistic amusement.”

Tears of sympathy glistened in those Bambi orbs as she saw the twin sapphires beginning to mist over.

“Iris, you need to understand just how stubborn and tenacious your cousin is. There are no bounds to her loyalty and love, which would make her insist on remaining at my side, even if it potentially costs Maya her own life. However, I love her too damned much to let that happen! She’s essentially the mother of your baby sister now, and I cannot, even unwittingly, be responsible for taking away another parent from that little girl – not again!”

His hands began to shake.

“Truth be known, you may not need to even do anything at all. Once his stalker Arsch finds out that Maya and I have legitimately severed ties this time, I know he’ll leave her alone. And he will know – due to the whole forged channeling fiasco from years ago, any of the Kurain Master’s personal associations are still decisively in the public eye.”

“I understand,” she nodded.

“You need to comprehend that this is my final resort,” he implored, affixing her with a pleading expression. “At this point, I have exhausted all options. I can’t think of any other way to keep Maya safe, except to keep her as far away from me as possible. Iris, please forgive me for even thinking of asking you what I’m about to do.”

“Feenie, it’s all right,” she assured him. “I owe you the world. Ask me for anything and it’s yours.”

“Iris,” he whispered hoarsely. “Should it comes down to it, and only if  I have to, I will tell your cousin that I’m leaving her… for you. The favor is if she, or anyone else, should ask you for confirmation about this, I’m begging you to go along with the ruse as if it were true and tell them that yes, it is.”

The shrine maiden’s eyes widened in surprise as she listened. Then they began to shine with the limpid adoration and affection of a woman who still loved a man desperately, even a decade later. Before she could reply though, fate once again decided to be the bitch that it always had been, in the form of the warden, who chose that exact moment to announce that their time was up. He barely restrained from pounding at the glass in agitation.

“Iris, I promise I’ll be back soon. I’ll bring Trucy next time so you can meet her,” he vowed, rising from his seat. “And I’ll be there the day you’re released to pick you up, I swear.”

I hope the suspense doesn’t kill me in the meantime while I await her answer…

“Feenie, anything for you.” Iris smiled softly.

She once again placed her hand on the glass that kept them apart. Then, a small smile playing upon her lips, she surreptitiously gave a tiny nod of her head. His intense eyes betraying a myriad of emotions as he looked at her, Phoenix met with her hand for one last time, before his former love had to be led away.

He then slowly headed out, his mind racing with the events that had just happened, as he contemplated what his next steps would be now that he knew that Iris had said yes.

Maya, my love, I will sacrifice my own life to keep you safe, but to me, sacrifice can only ever be a personal decision about oneself to be noble. I will never ask you for the same in return because I trust in your ability to think and make decisions for yourself. If what appeared to be God Himself demanded that I sacrifice you, I would tell Him to go straight to hell, for I know that such a command could never come from God. He would never demand a betrayal of love, and that is what it would be. He would never approach me through fear because that is not His way. I pray the day will come when I will no longer feel fear and I will know my path, but in the meantime, I can only pray I’m choosing the right one.

Phoenix Wright and Maya Fey
March 2, 2025, 2:29 AM

That night’s shift at the bar had seemed particularly endless for him, although part of him hadn’t cared whether it finally ended or not. What did it matter anymore? What exactly was left for him to anticipate when he got out of there, aside from breaking the heart of the woman he loved, while simultaneously ripping his still-beating heart out of his chest in the process?

All week long, he’d been playing dodgeball with his girlfriend’s phone calls while she’d been away in Louisiana, opting to shoot her a quick text in reply whenever possible. Phoenix fully admitted that it was a horrible act of cowardice on his behalf, but considering what he now had to do, he knew that if he were to hear her voice again before the time arrived, he wasn’t entirely sure he would legitimately be able to go through with it. Maya was his soulmate after all, and even over the phone would be able to read him like a book. He would have to do everything he could to keep his voice level, and at least have the courtesy to perform the necessary means in person – after all these years, she surely at least deserved that much.

The voicemail she had left him earlier that evening, the sobs evident in her voice even though she was struggling to sound normal, had nearly consumed him.

“Hey, it’s me. Please call me as soon as you get this message. It doesn’t matter what time it is. It’s very important, and I really need to talk to you. I’ll be waiting for your call. And Nick, baby, I love you.”

The pianist had never before felt so helpless and at a complete loss of what to do. He knew a call of such obvious importance would take much longer than the standard 15-minute break he was normally allowed, yet warranted much more than a mere text in reply. Surely, it was a borderline emergency, considering that in the last six years, the psychic had very rarely called him when she knew he was at work.

Besides, what in the blueberry muffin fuck could he possibly do to help her at this point in the game? Console her, hold her in his arms, try to soothe her about whatever had caused her such distress… And then later break up with her ten minutes later, rather than five? That would be too cruel, and he’d be then going about this all wrong. He would need to approach this in the same manner that one would pull a Band-Aid; quickly and in one go.

Not slowly and painstakingly, which would only unnecessarily prolong the agony.

Tyler gave him a ride from the bar and he’d been home for about five minutes before he finally summoned up the courage to return the diviner’s call.

“Nick, thank God you called!” She puled by way of greeting. “I’ve nearly been losing my mind!”

The card shark had to take the world’s most pregnant pause to steady his voice before he could speak. Maya was normally the cheeriest, sunny person he’d ever known, but right now, he could hear the tremor in her voice, and the tears threatening to fall just beneath the surface. It made a lump form in his own throat. He hated it when she cried.

“I got your message, and here I am, returning your call,” he finally answered, in his best matter-of-fact tone while trying not to sound too emotionally invested. Nothing good could come from giving Maya a false sense of security while attempting to comfort her, only to end things right afterward! The last thing he wanted to do was entirely blindside her! Maybe it wouldn’t be so bad to allude that something was possibly awry. “What’s gotten you so worked up, Maya?”

There was an uncomfortable silence on the phone before his girlfriend finally spoke at last. Through barely suppressed tears, Phoenix listened with a heavy heart as she haltingly explained to him the devastating chain of events that had occurred in Kurain earlier that evening. He could hear the lachrymose in her words as she poured out her myriad of fears over the arrangement, the fact that it was such an important strategic tactical alliance and that she was supposed to be fulfilling her duty as Kurain Master, otherwise the old crones would give and make her life a living hell. He listened, with a heavy heart, as she broke down into tears at the idea of being coerced to align her future with another man when her heart already belonged to him.

Phoenix listened in silent sympathy, all the while struggling not to break down and cry along with her, something he had been forcing himself not to do from the moment he’d first heard her voice.

Perhaps this was a blessing in disguise, however. Mildew was a diabolical fiend in her own right, but compared to Kristoph, she was like a fart in a hurricane. He would just have to convince Maya to agree to the matchmaking, for the better good of her people, and to simply forget about him henceforth. Yes, it would still sting, but ultimately cause her much less pain in the long run if he played the card of being an advocate to the whole premise of it being ‘for a greater good.’

Steeling himself, he heard his own cadence, mild, calm, and neutral, offering to come up and see her the next night after he was finished work.

“Y-You want to come up here to Kurain, t-tomorrow?” She stammered. “I mean, you can – everyone will have long since gone to bed as you get off so late. Um, except, of course, for me. So there are no issues with sneaking you in. I mean, this is so nice of you, Nick – but it will be about 4:00 in the morning when you get up here, won’t you be too tired?”

I will undoubtedly be beyond drained, but that’s because I haven’t slept a wink since this whole nightmare with Gavin began. The key thing, my love, is that since you wake up so early in the morning, I know that you will be tired as well, and if I time this just right, you’ll have undoubtedly already gone to bed much earlier that night, before you wake up to come to meet me. I’m a gambling man, and this is the ultimate bet to make, but the last decade of knowing you have made me fully aware of the fact there will be a very specific item that will be missing, which you never wear when you go to bed.

“Well, desperate times call for desperate measures. These are extenuating circumstances, after all. I’ll see if I can duck out of work a bit early and if I can borrow Gumshoe’s car. Driving-wise, Kurain is only about 90 minutes away, possibly faster at that time of night since there’s no traffic.”

It was a premature promise on his behalf of course. There was no guarantee at all that Gumshoe would loan him the car, but just as he’d had to wager on Iris willing to help him, he would once again have to hope that the deck was stacked in his favor, two for two.

“Nick, I don’t want you to go through so much trouble and risk –”

He quickly brushed aside her concerns about the illegality of driving without a license, refusing to let her believe he was acting like a selfless hero on her behalf when all he was ensuring was that he could expedite her heartache, and curtly interrupted her protests.

“I’ll see you tomorrow night, Maya, even if I have to walk there.” He abruptly cut his lover off, silencing any further objections she’d been about to make. “It’s getting late and I’m sure you’ve had a draining evening. I know I sure am beat! Goodnight.”

He clicked off before the love of his life could even respond with what she always said before letting him go.

“I love you, Nick.”

Phoenix didn’t want to hear it. He had numbed himself so thoroughly for these past few weeks, preparing to brace himself for the inevitable impact, that very few things at this point could have torn him apart even more than he already was. Nevertheless, he couldn’t bear to hear those words come from her lips, ever again.

Because he already knew that would have been his undoing.

Phoenix Wright and Maya Fey
Kurain Village
March 3, 2025, 3:15 AM

Maya was waiting at the main entrance of the village when she saw a set of headlights flash on her, bathing her in its glaring brightness as an enormous dark car pulled up. Turning off the engine and pocketing his keys, Phoenix exited the car swiftly and looked at her, a slight smile on his lips.

Just as he had hoped, his girlfriend looked as though she’d just woken up. Her glorious onyx hair that he so loved was tousled from bedhead, tumbling freely around her delicate face, down her back, and past her hips. Over her nightgown, she wore a light cloak to protect her from the slightly chilly night air, although it wasn’t fully buttoned up. He could make out the delicate, exposed skin of her pale throat, free from any sort of telltale, mystic gemstone, just as he’d hoped and planned, so that was no surprise.

What did surprise him, however, was that she was wearing the locket he’d given her on her 21^st birthday. Maya hadn’t been kidding when told him that she rarely ever took the cherished item off! It seemed just dumb luck then, that he had been correct in assuming that the other neck adornment she always wore wasn’t present!

Wait, there was something else hidden under the chain that held the locket. The hobo stopped breathing for a moment, wondering if he had been wrong in his gamble, after all. He exhaled a silent sigh of relief to note that wasn’t the magatama, but only a secondary silver chain, thinner than the gold one, on which she wore the promise ring that he had gifted her for Christmas.

It was always cooler up in Kurain than it was in Los Angeles, and Phoenix was grateful that he had kept on his beanie to at least protect his head from the draft, despite knowing how much his girlfriend hated the hat, figuring soon enough, that wouldn’t matter anyway.

There must’ve been something in his expression that kept her from making one of her playful attempts to pull it off of his head or make one of her usual jokes about her aversion because she did neither.

It felt strange not to hug or kiss her by way of greeting, but he wisely kept his distance, knowing that if he were to so much as lay a hand upon her, he would never, ever let her go.

“Brutus drives like a dream,” he told her, deliberately keeping his voice casual. “Handles great even on sharp turns. I have to admit, I’m going to be mighty sad handing him back to his owner.”

“I’m surprised being a cop again, that Gumshoe loaned it to you – considering you don’t have a license.”

“He didn’t ask.” Phoenix shrugged. “My motto – don’t ask, don’t tell.”

Maya looked startled by his reply, but said nothing, opting instead to mimic his action of jamming his hands into his sweatshirt pockets by placing her own into the pockets of her cloak. They continued to stare at one another, and he realized, with a pang, that for the first time in 10 years, his little chatterbox was at a loss for words with him. She knew something wasn’t right and didn’t know what to say, any more than he did at that moment.

“Does this thing have wings? Because you must have flown it to get up here just after 3:00 when you left the bar at 2:00,” she asked lightly, at last breaking the silence. “How lead was that driving foot of yours coming up here, Nick?”

“I got time off for good behavior,” the pianist smirked. “So I got to leave about fifteen minutes earlier than planned. Also, since Gumshoe uses Brutus for work and home, that baby’s got an inner light bar in the back that silently flashes when going, ah, high speeds on the roads…you’d be surprised how fast folks in other cars get out of your way!”

He caught Maya’s disapproving frown at that, and a spark of hope flared within him. Maybe he could convince her that he was little more than a no-goodnik and reckless individual! One who dabbled in borderline criminal behavior and hence was beneath her, ergo, she truly would be better without him! After all, he’d already confessed to driving without a license, as well as speeding in a policeman’s borrowed car. Perhaps, at last, finding out he was a lowlife poker shark would be enough to make her see that she’d unknowingly been slumming for the past six years and that there had been some true validation in the elder’s disapproval of him. The question was, how the hell to bring all this up into the presently stilted conversation?!

“So, what did you tell Trucy this time?” The psychic inquired, looking uncomfortable.

Perfect! Full-blown occupational confession time coming right up!

“The kid worked tonight, and I sent her a text telling her I was in a late-night poker game and might not be back until she’s in her first-morning class. Luckily, she’s old enough now to be home alone and can get herself dressed and to school without my help anymore. Still, I hate having to lie to her.”

Unfortunately, upon hearing this, Maya nonetheless appeared more confused than unimpressed, which he’d hoped she would be.

“A poker game? I’m lost here. I thought you played piano at The Borscht Bowl?”

“Oh, yeah, I guess I haven’t mentioned my stealthy accompanying role to the gig, have I? My bad.” Phoenix smirked. “I’m a double agent at the bar – I play a lousy night of piano till about 11:00, then I go downstairs to the Hydeout in the basement and let the wannabe five-card studs take a crack at the reigning, undefeated poker champion.”

“Undefeated poker champion?” Her eyes were wide with disbelief. “Nick, you’re gambling?”

Here we go! One scummy, seedy, underground card shark and ex-boyfriend, coming right up!

“For the past six years,” he affirmed smugly, not appearing even remotely contrite at this admission, despite her stupefied reaction to the news. “The piano playing is a front, Maya. I’ve been making a living playing poker right from the start. But relax, it’s nothing illegal. We play for glory, not money. I’m the reigning, undefeated Baron of Bluffing. It turns out those years of bullshitting my way through court made for a transferable skill.”

“It still sounds sort of shady…” Maya said tentatively. “I don’t mean to sound so pious! It’s just that…”

Dammit, woman! Stop making this so hard! Don’t try to be understanding about the fact that you are miles above me in stature and could do so much better! Why the hell can’t you just be like the rest of the world and gaze upon me with disgust and disapproval for what I have become?! You’re just going to force me to be a completely heartless asshole, aren’t you?

“It doesn’t sound too prudent for a prestigious village master to be associating with a shady, lowlife con artist, is that it?” Phoenix sneered, using a contemptuous tone that he’d had no idea he was capable of until then.”Is that what you meant?”

Maya drew back and stared at him, liquid beads filling her beautiful eyes.

Tears. Already. His stomach sank. He hadn’t even been there five minutes.

“How could you say such a thing to me, Nick? I’ve always stood by you, even when you told me not to! I’ve never looked down on you! Do you really think something as trivial as you playing underground cards is all it’d take to make me start now?”

Phoenix didn’t know how he was going to be able to go through with this, but one thing was for sure – there was no way in hell he’d be able to if it meant he had to keep looking at her – especially not while she had that thunderstruck expression on her lovely face.

He kept his eyes focused on the ground as he mumbled his next words.

“Maybe not. But it’s just another black mark against me in the minds of the elders if they ever get wind of this. Someday, Maya, you’ll wise up and see me the way they do – as a derelict, worthless bum who is beneath you and unworthy of you in every way possible.”

“Why are we on this again, Nick?” Maya’s hurt expression evaporated and was replaced by the familiar one of exasperation. “Did someone build a time machine and put us back in the year 2020 for a second time? I’m not a snob, and I never have nor will ever care what occupation you have. What does it take to convince you that I couldn’t care less what those capricious hags think of you!”

That kind, beautiful heart which I have always loved about you will be your undoing, my love. It will only make this more difficult. Why must you make this so hard?! Why must you be such a saint?!

“Well, you should. Because they’re right about me, Maya.” The excruciation he held within was reflected in his eyes as he forced himself to give her a hard stare then. “Trust me, the day will come, when one day, you’ll hate me.”

“Why would you say such a thing?” He heard her take a sharp inward breath. “I love you. I can’t live without you.”

Yes, you can, love of my life. Because you’re the strongest woman I’ve ever known and you’re tougher than you think. Also, because I’m not going to leave you any other choice.

“It’s what happens to a great love when the expectations are too high.” Phoenix focused on ensuring that his inflection matched the intensity of his expression. “We’ll be fine for a while, then the monotony of having a lover who is nothing more than a vagrant hobo will kick in. And you’ll realize you’re a woman of great power and prestige who has been wasting her life slumming it with a poker shark, a fake pianist. A borderline criminal, with no name or money. One whose stigma of being a disbarred forging attorney will forever plague us wherever we go.”

“Nick, where is all this coming from?” She wailed. She went on with counter-arguments for every reason he gave her about his unworthiness, stating that they would find solutions to all their problems if they worked together, while he contradicted each statement with steadfast rebuttals about how not all problems were able to be solved.

“I can’t do this any longer, can’t you see that?” He cried, jumping to his feet, and placing his hands on her shoulders. “Being with me is going to tear you apart! These elders don’t have the wrong idea! You should try to find a better man than me, who can give you the future, the love, and the family you deserve! If you stay with me, I’ll be sucking the life out of you like a parasitic leech, bit by bit. That’s what I do to those who love me.”

“Nick, don’t –”

“I’m not entirely sure why I’ll end up doing it, but when you’re soaring high, I’ll only hold you back. I’ll stir up your anxieties just so I can be the one to calm you down and help you find fault with anyone who competes for your attention. This is about as reasonable as I can be, so consider this your warning. You’re settling by being with me, choosing this path! Pay attention to my words, Maya! If you know me at all, you’ll realize I’m not joking.”

Phoenix grabbed her face in his hands, tilting it up and watching as the tears filled her beautiful eyes and swallowed hard.

“So, my smitten lover, you have some serious thinking to do.”

“How can you say these awful things about yourself? It doesn’t matter what the world or society thinks!” She shouted, the droplets beginning to trickle down her face as she frantically grasped his hands and clasped them to her cheeks, needing to feel his touch. “I don’t want another husband! I only want you! I love you, Nick! I’ll wait for you! Being with you raises me up and gives me a reason for being. You could never drag me down!”

“But I’ve already begun to, Maya. I heard it in your voice when you told me what the Dragon Lady was planning for you.” His voice was raw with emotion. She wants better for you, even though her methods might be unorthodox, and so do I! Being a woman of your stature, being forced to be with a nobody like me has been killing you softly all these years! You just can’t admit it, even though I’ve seen it!”

She started shaking her head in denial, but he shook her gently, trying desperately to make her comprehend.

Your love for me is profound, expressed through your willingness to sacrifice yourself without hesitation or remorse. You are prepared to face the flames and give me what I need, even if it comes at the expense of your own well-being. Now, it is time for you to prove your love, my dear. Walk into the jaws of certain death and do it all for me. In doing so, you will forever be etched in my memory as someone who loved me unconditionally. I will be protected, while you will be laid to rest. Is that truly what you desire? Do you truly love me? If not, then perhaps your love is absent, and in that case, I cannot reciprocate such feelings either.

Was that the sort of monstrous thing he’d have to say to make her finally understand?!

Phoenix tried to turn deaf ears to her heart-wrenching cries that she didn’t want another husband; she only wanted him. She stood directly in his path when he tried to walk around her and put her face so close to his that they were nearly lip to lip, but with great effort, he shook his head and pulled away. Then, with the few remaining shards of willpower he had left within him, he hardened his heart. Putting on his best poker face, he slouched his shoulders, jammed his hands into his pockets, and turned to leave.

“Please, let’s just say to hell with the elders, to everything, Nick!” She pleaded. Slow, desolate liquid beads ran from her unblinking, flooded orbs, and dripped steadily into her nightshirt. “We’ve talked about this before, let’s just grab Trucy and Pearly and just run away! To Canada! To Connecticut! To anywhere but here! We can find a place where nobody can trace our whereabouts! Where no one can find us and give us orders or tell us what the rules are…”

It was no use. There was no scapegoat he could possibly use to get out of this. It was just as he had feared – she loved him too damn much to listen to logic or reason. Phoenix barely choked back a sob. Maya was going to force him to do it. He was going to have to use the ultimate trump card, which he had silently been praying would be a last resort and one that he had never wanted to utilize.

Parting ways is akin to a slow demise, akin to a dagger piercing my still-beating heart. Departure, even when it appears to be the sole, inevitable recourse, is a formidable task. If there was any hope at all, I would stay by your side and choose to die in the darkness, because without your love I won’t be able to survive. If I stay, I’ll lose you for sure. If I go, there won’t be a chance for us to be together, but someday, with someone else, you’ll find a peaceful life with love. I pray that someday you’ll understand and that you’ll keep the memory of our love alive in your soul. I hope that one day you’ll be able to think of me with a little less hatred than you’re feeling right now.

One second passed. Two seconds passed. Three seconds passed. Already the guilt for what he was about to do was slowly burning him within. A fire burned in his mind and throat. Remorse hit him like a sledgehammer before he even forced his lips to form the ugly words to pull off the ultimate bluff of his entire life. Bile rose in his throat as he steeled himself.

Summoning up his former courtroom persona, Phoenix spoke with as much conviction as he possibly could, just as he had in his attorney days. He affixed his best poker face in full effect, looking and sounding as though he believed the virulent bullshit about to spew from his mouth, despite the heavy nausea building within his gut, making him feel like he was going to vomit at any moment.

“Maya please stop this.” It sounded like ground glass, not his vocal cords, that formed the words, and he even managed to pull off what he hoped was a pitying expression as he made himself meet those rich as molasses orbs, which were still glistening. “I didn’t want to have to tell you this – I was hoping I could just let things end with a clean break between us, but it looks like you’ve left me with no choice but to tell you the entire, terrible truth.”

He took a deep breath.

“I got an email from Edgeworth a few weeks ago. The motion plea we put through requesting an early release for Godot and Iris has been granted. He got out in December – he’s been the one sending me those gourmet coffees in the mail that I’ve been telling you about. And Iris … has been granted parole as well. She’s being released from prison this Friday.”

Maya stayed silent as her pooling, deep brown orbs stared deep into his soul. The betrayed expression already forming on her ethereal visage almost made him lose the nerve to continue.

The dread of this final nail he had to drive into the coffin felt like an invisible demon sitting heavily on his shoulders and only he could hear the sharpening of its knives. He felt himself sweat-dropping and becoming pale, then the tremor in his hands began. His head felt dizzy and the bilious feeling in his stomach intensified.

“I went to go see her two weeks ago.” The card shark’s mien was twisted in torment. “Seeing Iris again, after so long…it was as though the years had stood still – as if no time had passed for us at all.”

As the cascading rivulets raced down her cheeks, he felt his will almost caving thoroughly as he noted the pain in those expressive jeweled orbs. Pain that he had caused.

Lord split me into two whole halves but fuck all this shit and my goddamned, so-called poker face! Once upon a time, I could bluff and lie to anyone’s face in the courtroom. I still can on the poker table, but there’s no way in hell I can look this woman in the eye and say what I’m about to say. Maybe I can look anyone else in the eye and lie, but not her. I can’t. I just can’t.

“Iris – she never stopped loving me.” He dropped his gaze then, so she could no longer see his tormented expression. If she did, it would all be over.  “And when I saw her again … I realized I felt the same way. I never stopped loving her, either. Sh – She was my first love. We were each other’s, first love. You never forget your first, Maya. We have another rare chance to try again … and I have to take it.”

His despairing gaze was still on the ground as he mumbled his next words, which nearly got stuck in his throat, but somehow, he forced them out.

“I hate to do this to you but I can’t go on lying to you any longer.”

“You’re kidding, right?” The anger and hurt in her cadence were beyond torturous to hear.

“No, Maya, it’s over.” He slowly turned away, biting his lower lip as hard as he could combat the burning sensation prickling behind his lids. He tried to blink them away and when he realized that he couldn’t, he pulled up the hood of his jacket and continued staring at the ground. “I – I’m sorry.”

“You’re – sorry?!” She screamed, her cadence barely recognizable to him because it was so shrill with incredulity. “I was gone away for one week … and in that time you’re telling me you secretly met, fell in love with, and now are leaving me, not for all the bullshit excuses you just spewed at me about not being good enough, or because of the elders, but for my cousin? Because she was your first?! Well, you were my first! Does that not matter at all to you, you soulless son of a bitch?! I gave you my heart… my body… my virginity …”

She broke down then, the rivulets now pouring down her cheeks in unending streams, unable to go on.

With shattering remorse, Phoenix listened as the bereft spirit medium wept her heart out; tremulous sobs that wracked her tiny frame so fiercely he feared they would tear her apart. He lambasted himself with the sound of her uncontrolled sobbing and flayed himself with the endless torrent of liquid beads that cascaded from her eyes.

“It wasn’t bullshit, Maya.” He finally managed to choke out, somehow managing to sound somewhat controlled, even though a part of him had officially died inside.

She glared at him with red-rimmed eyes.

“I meant what I said. You are too far above me in stature.” His voice was no longer his own. This deadened, soulless monotone emitting from his mouth sounded like a stranger’s while belying his inner turmoil. It just wouldn’t work in the long run. As it is, we only see one another a couple of times a month, and only in hiding! That’s no way to live your life. With Iris, there’s no need to sneak around, deal with any drama from the elders, or worry about societal expectations. I’m a low-life poker player. She’s been to prison. We’re two peas in a pod when you think about it. Both on the bottom rung of society – two of a kind in that sense.”

From somewhere within him, he managed to conjure up a short, dry laugh. It was a harsh sound, utterly devoid of mirth, and made him sound every bit the heartless son of a bitch he wanted her to think he was.

“Aside from our shared history, we genuinely can relate to and understand one another, don’t you see?”

“You’ve been plotting this all along, haven’t you?” Maya wept, wrapping her arms around herself in a vain effort to contain the sobs that wracked her slender body. “Was I just your filler girlfriend until she was released? Was Iris the one you truly loved all this time, even while you were singing songs to me and giving me jewelry and making love to me …?”

Phoenix hadn’t seen her look so shattered and grief-struck since Mia had died. He had to somehow make her channel that sadness into anger. Rage, he could deal with. It was the tears that were stabbing daggers into his heart; killing him softly, with every passing moment.

“No,” he denied flatly, his mask back in full effect now that the worst part of the lie was over. He purposely kept his expression unreadable. “I hadn’t realized that I’d never gotten over Iris until I laid eyes on her again. And – I really did care about you, Maya. I still do. Please know that.”

Mercifully, his intended acerbic verbal darts, at last, seemed to have the desired effect he had been seeking, as her heartbroken expression slowly became replaced by one of righteous fury.

“You care for me?” She shouted, glaring at him with outraged indignation even as the droplets continued to fall. “You care for a cat, or a dog, or for your … clients! Me … I gave you my virtue … my soul… my all … and you tell me … you care for me?!”

I can’t take this anymore! She’s tearing me apart…

Try as he might, the hobo couldn’t bear looking at that tear-streaked face another minute. He expelled a ragged breath as he reached out his palm in a final attempt to comfort her.

“No! Don’t touch me!” She shrieked, slapping at his hand. “Don’t you dare touch me, Phoenix Gryphon Wright! Never, ever again!”

As she glared at him, with a combination of sorrow and betrayal etched on her face, Maya’s body was wracked with barely repressed sobs, until the strain of holding them back was more than she could bear. As much as she obviously wanted to be held and comforted, she knew better than to seek this consoling from her own browbeater. Trembling on a forlorn, overwrought cry, she wrapped her arms around herself and wept.

Phoenix stood there, staring helplessly at the only woman he had ever truly loved, powerless either to console or regain her.

How could the day have come that I had to do this to the love of my life, whom I’ve valued and cherished more than my very own existence? He wondered achingly. All I’ve ever wanted to do was love and protect her. Instead, I’ve just coldly and deliberately broken her heart.

Maya’s hands were trembling as she reached behind her neck then and undid the clasp of the gold chain that held the locket, which she never took off. She was alone, scared, and devastated. Her heart now felt butchered, her love taken away bit by bit. Her voice quivered as she spoke.

“I invented every excuse for staying. I have to admit, and I think you’ll agree, I got pretty creative over time. But you kept giving me every reason to leave. And I still tried to ignore them, like a lovesick fool or a drug addict dying from an overdose. It seemed like in those days, even if I’d died if I’d have let you kill me, I still would have made an apology for you to use. You should have given me something to hold on to, like a false hope or a beautiful lie. Maybe then things would have gone differently. Maybe you would have changed and we could have grown into something beautiful together, instead of opting for Iris. We both know it’s because she’s the easier choice and no other reason than that!”

Maya gripped the locket in her hand for the last time before flinging it at him, not caring as it bounced harmlessly off his chest and onto the ground.

Phoenix didn’t make a move to pick it up; he couldn’t let her know that the strike of that weightless object, the one bearing the initial promise of his eternal love for her, had walloped him with the same damage as an actual bullet wound. The love that had nestled in his soul and made him a better man now reached out with its clawed hand and tore at his chest, taking his own ravaged heart in its relentless clasp as a decade of memories swirled through the melancholic recesses of his mind.

There was the moment when he’d realized he had been complacent for far too long and he now had to make a grand gesture to let Maya know how much she meant to him or risk losing her forever…

Phoenix stared after her, completely disheartened. This time, he had screwed things up so badly beyond probable repair that it would take a bloody miracle. Because Maya Fey wasn’t his assistant or roommate any longer. She didn’t have to come back the next day.

She didn’t have to come back at all.

That dawning realization made Phoenix feel a panic building inside him unlike any he’d ever experienced; even worse than when he’d crossed that burning bridge. Because the fear of losing his life hadn’t even come close to the terrifying concept of losing the love of his life.

Without Maya Fey, life had no meaning.

He had to do something drastic, now. And do it fast.

That had been the night he’d thrown Willie Effastop, the unsuspecting, frog-mouthed pianist off the piano bench, and commenced his piano playing debut by singing “I Would Break Every Law For You.”

Because Phoenix loved Maya Fey more than anything in the world and hadn’t given a damn who knew it.

Because love is a friendship set to music.

Because I could watch you for a minute and find a thousand things I love about you.

He would never forget the first time they had finally said they loved each other, after her birthday party at The Borscht Bowl.

His eyes locked on hers. Sapphire against topaz. He leaned forward and kissed her, slowly, reverently, no longer quite so surprised that this was happening, that he needed her so badly. She responded in kind, letting him know now in all certainty that his ardor was most definitely not one-sided. When they finally parted, both were breathless and panting. Phoenix rested his forehead against Maya’s, pulling her so tightly against him she could feel his rapid heartbeat against hers.

“I love you,” she whispered against his chest.

“What was that? I didn’t hear you.”

“Don’t push me.”

“I love you, too,” he said. He put his cheek against hers. “So much.”

Forever seared into his memories was the night of her 21^st birthday, when she had so sweetly, innocently, given herself to him, body, and soul. She had been a virgin, and afraid, yet so trusting and alacritous that it had ended up being one of the most intense, passionate, unforgettable nights of both their lives.

“My love,” he breathed. “Tell me this is what you want.”

“At this moment, what I want, more than anything in the world, Nick is for us to be connected in every way possible; heart, mind, body, and soul. I want to be your woman, and only yours. Make me yours. Please.”  

Lifting himself over her, he, at last, did as she’d yearned him to, and made her his. During their whole union, they held on to each other as if the world would burst apart if they let go.

Only then did Phoenix lift his gaze to her face and saw the tears trickling from Maya’s eyes. Only then, did he realize his own eyes were wet as well.

There was great beauty in being joined with your soulmate. Simultaneously, they both cried out as they soared over the edge and to the far side of paradise together.

He remembered how jumpy and nervous he’d been before presenting her with that ring at Christmas. He’d been so anxious about whether or not she would like it, or understand the intended profound meaning behind the simple token that represented his love everlasting. If she’d even accept it.

“It’s only a silver one right now,” he said shyly. “I promise you someday when I have more money, to get you one of white gold, or any gold you like, and a bigger rock when I’m able to get you a proper betrothal ring. In the meantime, consider this the prelude to your someday-hopefully-soon engagement ring.”

“It’s beautiful!” Her eyes sparkled with delight as she admired the intricate design, and when she raised her shining gaze to meet his, she saw Phoenix was studying her with profound fervor.

With the heartfelt passion of a man who loved her as madly as she loved him.

“I love it,” she added meaningfully as she plucked it from the box. “I can’t believe you went through the trouble of getting it customized and everything!”

“Read the inscription.” His voice was thick with emotion as she read the words forever yours, faithfully engraved on the back, then took the shiny circle from her fingers and motioned for her to hold out her left hand. There were tears in her eyes as he then slipped it onto her ring finger. Then he lifted her adorned hand and kissed it tenderly.

“Maya Fey, I’m forever yours. Faithfully.” Then pulled her against his hard, broad chest and kissed her senseless.

Through everything, the good, and the bad, they had clung together like two sailors in a storm. He would have laid down his life for her and she would have for him. They were two halves that made a whole. He knew with all certainty that the love that had saved him till that point would now break him.

Maya was too busy sobbing to see that Phoenix’s head was thrown back, eyes clenched shut, his features a mask of tortured anguish as he remembered every detail of how he’d fallen for her eight years previously. How he had become her hero when she’d been captured, while at the same time, he’d finally realized that somewhere along the line, she had captured his heart. And for that reason, he had wanted to become a better man. Because of her.

“Or maybe I would have finally let you shatter me into a million pieces and end up as a broken photograph in an obituary. But for once, I would have listened to you, not just your lying eyes or false words. For once, I would have paid attention to the things that couldn’t be faked. Yes, you told me in so many ways that I should leave you, go far away, and never come back. I foolishly didn’t listen, because I’ve never given up on anyone in my life. But now it seems I have no choice.”

She yanked the silver chain the promise ring had been dangling from around her neck, didn’t even bother trying to undo the clasp, and felt some grim vindication as she felt it break in two. Just like her heart. She aimed and hurled that at him too. It hit him right in the face.

Only a lover such as you can cause pain as deep as this. Only one all the way inside a heart can shatter it with just a few words and actions.

Not even caring about how telling the motion was, this time, Phoenix caught the ring before it fell to the earth beneath them.

But still, he didn’t move. Didn’t even blink. He was slowly unraveling at the seams and if he had been capable of uttering anything at all, it would be to plead for her forgiveness.

“You were my life! Now you’re nothing more than a mere slither of worthlessness. I trusted you! I loved you! I prayed to God that you remained healthy, happy, and strong. And this is how you repay me! This! By telling me you loved me, taking my body whenever you pleased … and in the end, having the colossal nerve and audacity to tell me your heart lies with my cousin?!”

Then her hand moved, as if of its own volition, as she reached out and sharply slapped him cleanly across the face.

The sound of the blow was as loud as a clap and stung his cheek. It had been an open-handed smack, and it had left a red welt behind. Phoenix staggered backward, clutching the side of his afflicted mien as he gaped at her in shocked disbelief at what she’d just done, even though he knew he’d wholly deserved it.

He mentally ran through every coarse, discourteous, stinging barb he had been driven to say to her. Each damaging word he had spoken, and the humiliation it had caused her, paraded across his mind, bringing a sharp, agonizing pain as he punished himself by going over and over every vicious thing he had said and done.

“Now, you get the hell out of my village, you heartless, low-life, Godforsaken bastard! You are nothing to me anymore, Phoenix Wright, do you hear me? Nothing! You’ve lost all my trust and weakened your status to the point where you are now dead to me. Get out. Get out! The very sight of you makes me sick!”

In his life, Phoenix had endured pain and torture that would have brought most other men to their knees, if not their graves. He’d ingested poisoned glass, been whipped until he was conscious, been struck with a fire extinguisher, and had scalding coffee thrown at his face. All of these incidences had been a cakewalk compared to the sting of that slap; what had spurned the actual gesture, and what it represented, for that was what had wounded him more than the actual force of the strike itself.

As my heart breaks, so do I, dying a little more with each passing moment, because I’ve forced you to treat me like an enemy.

Moreover, in doing so, he had lost even more than she had, for he had managed to lose the only thing he had ever really wanted in his entire life: this one headstrong, gorgeous firecracker of a girl, who had just slapped him. And was now loathing him.

He knew this be the last time he would ever be able to set sights upon Maya Fey. This was his final farewell. The trees bent and sighed in the wind, bowing deeply to her as she strode away into the cold night, which was as bleak and dreary as his soul. He would curse his luck every day from today onward for having let her go. But there was nothing he could do to atone for the irreverent activity he’d committed. Nothing.

And just like that, Maya Fey, Master of Kurain, lifted her head like a dignified queen looking down at a peasant she no longer deemed worthy of her presence. Her robes flew about her as she walked away and the wind caught her hair, tumbling wildly about her. He would have given anything to have been able, one last time, to stretch his hand out and glide his knuckles over her soft cheek. Finally, Maya lifted her head in that regal way of hers, gave it to defiant toss, and without looking back, walked out of his life forever.

Better she remained alive and hated him than died for loving him.

Phoenix Wright
Wright Talent Agency
December 25, 2025, 10:15 AM

The water poured down, dripping by his side, while his mind faded into dullness and everything became a foggy illusion. The sensation of the steamy water calmed him; it momentarily took his mind off things. All the trivial things he honestly didn’t care about.

It’s the water. My mind swirls, and it’s like I’m standing under an everlasting waterfall. Ever so beckoning, but it can never last, I know that now. Nothing ever does.

It seemed unfair that no matter how much he strived to be the man his conscience wanted him to be, it would keep taunting him with his failures. Each time the regrets reemerged, he would diligently analyze them again, hoping that this time his mind would be satisfied with his self-professed remorse, but it never was. Like an unforgiving specter, it would be back tomorrow to haunt him all over again.

Phoenix stood there under the trickling water, eyes squeezed tightly shut as he silently tortured himself by thinking of the way he’d said the things he had.

I want you to know that even though we don’t talk anymore I still think about you and the way things ended, and some nights I still cry about it.

“I hurt her!” He groaned agonizingly, banging his head against the cool tiles, wishing he could do so hard enough to obliterate these wretched memories.

Phoenix dragged his thoughts from that awful night and opted for the favored and more cultivated torment of reminiscing about the pocketful of sunshine that was Maya Fey. The unadulterated love in her eyes whenever she’d looked at him; the sweetness of those rosebud lips, ever beckoning for the touch of his. He could still envision her exactly as she was up until that last fateful night, her exquisite face always reflecting the radiance of that beautiful, heart-melting, contagious smile. He recalled all the fiery, white-hot nights they’d shared, along with the countless days of joy and laughter. She was the woman/child, zany girl of his dreams, even when she was driving him mad, either with her endless rebelliousness, repartee …or passion, unlike he’d any he’d ever known, or would ever know again.

“I had no choice!” He covered his face with his hands, his voice a horse, ravaged whisper in the silent room around him.

The lament would come to him at the most unexpected moments, such as when he was going to sleep or stopped to take a lunch break. It would seep into the foreground of his mind and demand to be re-examined again. However, he was tired of thinking about it; no amount of analysis was going to turn back the clock. He had to get on with the here and now and make better choices next time around.

“But I hurt her so much!” He choked brokenly. “I can still hear her crying…”

Phoenix had known that to love deeply meant to risk great pain. He wished at times he was the callous sort of man who could pursue superficial relationships and one-night stands; find the oblivion he’d been seeking in another’s temporary arms and completely lose himself. Alas, he was not. He had never looked at another, nor wanted another. This was his cross to bear alone.

He stood there under the mist, silent tears dropping and mingling with the water jets. The tears were not quiet and controlled, they fell as fast as the falling stream and he sobbed to draw breath. His lungs heaved, and he knew there was no cure for his heart. Via his own hand, albeit not his own will, the love of his life was gone and he had to find a way to move forward, just as she had.

Maya was alive but gone for good.

He remained with his head bowed under the jets long after the hot water and runoff began pulsing him with a cold spray, welcoming the painful sting as the iciness hit his body. This was his pain and he would keep it, it was the intensity of this heartache that proved the strength of his and Maya’s bond and he could not bear to feel less.

They say the pain dulls with time, and that things will get better. But how can things be better when the reason the pain isn’t as bad anymore, is because it means that I’ve forgotten? Over time, the memory of your presence still hasn’t escaped my mind. I can still see your face in strangers, and the things we once shared still bring tears to my eyes. If getting past the pain means forgetting you, Maya Fey, then I choose to suffer my entire life.

The Police – King Of Pain