There was a weighty pause in the room as the Fey sisters stared after Phoenix, both confused and slightly concerned about his impromptu hasty retreat.
The patient was the first to speak, seizing the opportunity to delay the inevitable lecture she was about to receive, thanks to her boyfriend, The Big Mouth! She still couldn’t believe he’d tattled on her to Mia! As if she were some recalcitrant child who needed discipline, rather than a grown woman, who oversaw a whole village!
On the other hand, though, from the recesses of her mind, Maya could vaguely remember faint snippets of the loving things Nick had whispered to her while she’d been unconscious. Apparently, all the while she’d been comatose, he’d remained devotedly by her side – ergo, who in Richard the Lionheart’s trousers could’ve called and possessed the power to tear her dedicated swain away from her? Especially in such a hasty and abrupt manner?
“I hope everything’s all right and nothing happened to Trucy or something…” The Master murmured, her fingers grazing her lips, as though lost in thought. “He sure took off like a bat out of hell when he got that phone call!”
“Maybe it was an emergency call from work?” Mia suggested. “Or…” she flashed a wry grin. “He may have just been grateful for the opportunity to escape that death glare you shot him when he told me your completely nonsensical plans to try to leave this place already!”
“That rat fink snitch is supposed to be my boyfriend!” The ebony-haired girl pouted, crossing her arms across her chest. “He’s supposed to be on my side and support me, as well as my decisions, not narc on me to my big sister!”
Mia raised an eyebrow in a derisive semaphore at her kinswoman.
“Sometimes to protect the people you love, you must hurt them, Maya. Did you really expect Phoenix to stand by idly and do nothing when his girlfriend’s said decisions are completely harebrained, not to mention moronic?”
The psychic flushed at the reprimand, mild though it’d been – thus far.
“Siiiiiis…” She whined. “Don’t talk to me like I’m five and don’t know what I’m doing! This isn’t about just me…it’s about being the best Master I can be! How much did Nick tell you about what’s been going on in Kurain?”
“Enough, sweetie, enough.” Mia tenderly brushed a stray strand of hair out of her baby sister’s eyes. “I know a lot of this has to do with Mom – how you’re trying to prove something to the elders because of what happened with her, and that you don’t want to let her down. But Maya,” her tone softened. “You can’t keep doing this to yourself! Our mother didn’t sacrifice herself only to have you kill yourself and join us in the afterlife amidst your attempts at trying to follow in her footsteps!”
The necromancer was immensely touched by Mia’s perceptible faith in her; that she’d preserved the belief that Maya’s performance as Kurain Master could be suitably acceptable.
“I don’t think I’m the type of person Mom thought she was saving,” she admitted miserably, her shoulders dropping, her downcast gaze on her lap. “She didn’t even know me.”Mia shook her head.
“Any mother in the world would have done the same thing had her child’s life been at stake. She must have known something. She knew that she loved you. I think that’s why she saved you. Not because she wanted you to be a prodigious Kurain Master.”
“I’m not very good though, Sis. Not like you were. Not like Pearly, who channeling comes to as naturally as breathing!” Maya cried. “That’s why I was trying so hard! But I feel as if I’m living a gigantic lie – that I’m a gigantic fraud! – because ultimately, I utterly loathe and despise this accursed position!”
Tears of frustration burned her eyes.
“I never wanted this title – or anything connected to it! Yet feeling like this … just makes me feel so guilty! Mom died so I could take it over, as it was my birthright, and yet, lately, I can’t even do the bare essentials, like charming a magatama! Hell, despite all my valiant efforts, I couldn’t even channel you, never mind our mother!”
A teardrop rolled down her cheek.
“It’s like Misty Fey doesn’t want to have anything to do with me whether she’s alive or dead.”
The brunette beauty winced internally at the tragic attitudes of shame and dishonor which had torn her mother and Maya apart – outlooks that still appeared to distort and tarnish the relationship even from beyond the grave. She had to try to remedy this. Her mind raced through the vast amount of information her sister’s beau had relayed to her, trying to locate the fragment of it that might remedy things, even marginally.
“Sister Bikini was the one to contact Pearly after you collapsed,” Mia informed her sister. “She told Pearly something that she wanted to be conveyed to you, probably when our cousin must have wailed to her that you did all this to prove yourself to mom.”
The elder Fey sibling rapidly searched her memory for what Phoenix had told her about Misty Fey.
“Bikini was told, and I quote: ‘I don’t have the right to face my daughter after the stigma of disgrace I’ve left her with but no matter what path she takes in life, I will always love her and keep her in my heart.’ Those were Mom’s last words to the good nun before she passed.”
“Really?” Maya raised her head to meet that steady amber gaze, her eyes still sparkling with tears. “Mom actually told Bikini that?”
“Nuns aren’t generally known to be liars, silly girl,” Mia smiled. “A mother’s love just like a big sister’s – everlasting and utterly unconditional.”
“Be that as it may – ”
“I’m sure she saved you for being you, Maya,” she asserted resolutely. “It was not contingent on training yourself to collapse or become something that you’re not. I don’t think Mom would have wanted that from you.”
The concern in Mia’s eyes confirmed the sincerity of her commitment to the younger Fey’s well-being, and Maya slowly began to concede the logic of the stance.
“You really think so, Sis?” The village leader sniffled, eyeing her sibling hopefully.
“I do. But Maya, regardless of everything, in the end, the choice is ultimately yours,” Mia reminded her. “It’s your life, not mom’s. You’re not just Master of that village – you’re master of your own destiny.”
Even if nobody else did, at least Mia still had confidence in Maya and her ability to succeed as Kurain Master on her terms – without having to morph into some unachievable superior incarnation to her former self. That was a great comfort.
“According to Mystic Mildred, I’m destined for failure,” the Master muttered gloomily, somewhat placated by her sister’s words but now consumed with disturbing thoughts about the rest of her village’s woes. “Or worse, to bring even more shame and disgrace to the village due to my alleged wayward and rebellious ways!”
“Forget about Mildew! She’s just a crusty, miserable old bag!” Mia’s lip curled in disgust. “God, I hated that woman! The feeling was entirely mutual, too. She was always up in my face too, about my lack of conformity. She thoroughly despised that I never backed away or bowed down to her. On top of that, she used to call me a bimbo!”
“You’re kidding!” Maya choked back a horrified laugh. “Oh no, she didn’t!”
“She most certainly did,” Mia affirmed, a scowl marring her pretty face as she crossed her arms across her chest. “Like I could help the way I was built! It’s not my fault they didn’t have any robes that properly fit the Fey Twins! Ugh, it was half the reason I left that godforsaken place!”
“That’s terrible,” Maya commiserated, even as she swallowed back another bout of laughter. “Still, it’s hard to feel sorry for you when you hogged all the good genes, Sis! I was a carpenter’s dream right up until I was about 19 when Mother Nature finally took pity on me and gave me a small sprinkling of the booby dust!”
“A carpenter’s dream?” Mia echoed; her brow furrowed in confusion.
“You know,” Maya giggled. “Flat as a board and never been nailed!”
“Hmmm, I see,” the one-time legal legend smirked. “As much as I can see that Ma Nature has so graciously taken care of the former issue so you’re no longer head chairwoman of the Itty-Bitty Titty Committee… can I safely assume that Phoenix has seen to it that the latter is no longer applicable, either?”
“Oh, my giddy God’s pyjamas, Sis!” Maya’s cheeks turned crimson and she buried her mortified face in her hands. “We are so not having this conversation!”
“You’re what, 22 now, right?” Mia harangued relentlessly. “Do you seriously still want to try to play the virtuously outraged hymenally challenged card with me?”
“I am going to die,” Maya groaned, her burning face still hidden in her palms. “I came out of a coma, only to have you ensure that I effectively die of embarrassment right afterward!”
“So, based on the evidence of your reaction to my allegation, little sis…” The goading grin was evident in Mia’s cadence despite her sibling’s refusal to make eye contact – the dearly departed was obviously enjoying herself, immensely. “I’m going to conclude that I was correct and that my speculation was not baseless conjecture about Phoenix being responsible for you now being a fallen woman?”
“Ahhhhh!”
Phoenix Wright
Hickfield Clinic, Visitors Lounge
September 8, 2020, 5:00 PM
Phoenix sat rigidly on the edge of his chair in the visitor lounge, where he seemed to have spent so much time in the last few days with various Fey family members. As usual, the room was completely isolated. This was a very good thing because there was nobody around to see him nervously sweat-dropping as he spoke on the phone to the unexpected caller who had completely thrown him for a loop when they’d rang a moment ago.
“H – Hello?”
“Wright. We need to talk. Now.”
Edgeworth?!
Phoenix’s mind went numb from shock. He’d not spoken to his best friend, except via email, since that fateful day when he’d come to visit at his home a year and a half ago. To say he was surprised by the call would have been the understatement of the millennium, never mind a century!
Normally, he would have been merely pleasantly astonished to hear from the other man after so long. However, there was something not quite right in his friend’s tone of voice, which made Phoenix feel jumpier than a virgin at a prison rodeo!
Barely able to make his suddenly dry mouth form the words, he mumbled his excuses to Maya and Mia and hightailed it to the waiting room down the hall, not raising the phone back to his ear again until he was seated and had ensured he was adequate distance out of ear-shot.
“I’m alone now,” he said nervously, hating the slight tremble in his voice that always made it evident when he was completely shaken out of the norm. “I can talk.”
“Good. There is much that needs to be said.”
Again with that tone! Edgeworth had always possessed a succinct, even curt, manner of speaking in general, making few exceptions for anyone, not even the hobo himself, for the most part. But this time he sounded even more so than usual! Edgeworth sounded … edgier. Even more brusque, if that were even possible! As if he were angry with him, and for the life of him, Phoenix couldn’t fathom why!
He wracked his brain, trying to figure out the reason, and drew a complete blank, which was only making him feel antsier! He was certain it had nothing to do with the disastrous way things had been left between them when they’d last seen each other. Phoenix had been beyond touched and humbled when Trucy relayed the message to him that his friend wouldn’t stop believing in him. Therefore, he had ensured that he contacted Edgeworth before he jetted off to Europe the next morning, and the two had smoothed things over between them so that their parting had been a sweet sorrow, not a hostile one filled with regret. Any hostile feelings or hurts, Phoenix had assured himself, were now water under the bridge.
Maybe they weren’t.
How else to explain the tone, the same disdainful one Edgeworth tended to use when he found something to be intolerable or disagreeable? The last time he’d used that voice with Phoenix had been at his girlfriend’s 21st birthday party when the prosecutor had been lecturing him (completely justifiably!) on his buffoonery that night, which had nearly ruined things with him and Maya permanently!
I haven’t done anything that stupid since! Well, not that Edgeworth knows of, anyway…
“Um, OK,” the hobo replied weakly, trying to infuse some of the familiar warmth they’d had in their last phone conversation into the present one. “Long time, no speak, Edgeworth! This is, ah, a most pleasant surprise! How have you been?”
“I did not call to make senseless chit-chat, Wright.” Edgeworth’s tone was clipped. “Before we proceed, however, I have but one pressing matter that I would like to address, and I would appreciate a straight answer.”
“S – Sure, Edgeworth!” Phoenix stammered. “Ask me anything you want! You should know that at this point you don’t need to ask permission before you enquire –”
“Fine. Then answer me this, Wright.” The next words sounded like they were being uttered through gritted teeth. “Why. In. God’s. Name … Did I have to find out from my manservant that Miss Fey was comatose in the hospital?”
Faith Hill – There You’ll Be
Well, I’d say this opening brings the familial relations full circle. You can be as annoyed as all with your siblings, heck maybe even want to kill them, then there’s hugging and comfort, followed by utter embarrassment. And then around it goes again. Of course, being that Mia is already dead, I’d say the chain is somewhat broken. But still.
I have to grin a bit a Maya’s thoughts here. Seeing as how Phoenix “tattled” on her like a child, all I can say is, “if the shoe fits.” The feeling was short lived though as poor Maya relayed her frustrations with the hand fate has dealt her. When you think about it, she really does have it rough. Oh, she does have a position of prestige and influence, but when you think of what comes with it, who can blame her for wanting nothing to do with it? Plus, there’s Misty’s legacy. Maya wants to honor her late mother, and clearly people like the much-despised Mildew want to drag her through the mud. And yet if Misty were still alive, she would undoubtedly shove that staff of hers right up the Dragon Lady’s caboose. Knowing the kind of woman Mildred is, it would probably be the only time anything ended up inside her.
Have I mentioned I still blame you for throwing my mind in the gutter? XD
Jokes aside, watching Mia comfort her sister and relay their mother’s final words is just pure sweetness. Even though they’re separated in life, Mia really is as good as gold to her little sister. She’s there to comfort her and even give her a stern and steady hand as needed. And she’s right. Misty didn’t give her life just so Maya could throw hers away. And she’s right – forget about the naysayers. Forget about people like Mildew. To put it in more modern terms, haters gonna hate.
And then I laugh as Mia thoroughly and completely embarrasses her. What’s a sibling relationship without some good old-fashioned ribbing?
And with that last scene, can I just remark that you know how to keep the readers on the hook. While we only get part of their conversation, it’s more than enough to keep me wondering what happens next. Yes, it’s the second time I’ve read this, but it’s nice to read it through again. Plus, considering how big this story was, surely you couldn’t begrudge me for forgetting a few details. So, it’s a pleasure to go back on this journey of rediscovering your work.
Well done as always.
Hey there, TheFreelancerSeal,
Wow, what an insightful review of Chapter 34! Your reflections on the dynamics of familial relations within the narrative truly encapsulate the rollercoaster of emotions that characters like Maya and Mia experience. It’s like a whirlwind of annoyance, comfort, embarrassment, and everything in between, all wrapped up in that unique bond shared between siblings.
Your musings on Maya’s inner struggles and her desire to honor Misty’s legacy are incredibly thought-provoking. It’s a testament to your keen observation skills to delve into the complexities of her character and the challenges she faces. And let’s not forget the clever quips and humorous observations scattered throughout your review – they add such a delightful burst of humor to the discussion!
I must admit, your comment about my knack for throwing minds into the gutter gave me quite a snigger. But hey, a little mischief now and then keeps things interesting, right? As for Mia’s comforting presence and her knack for embarrassing Maya, it’s those little moments of sibling banter that truly bring the story to life.
And as for keeping readers on the edge of their seats, well, I’m thrilled to hear that you’re still hooked even on the second read-through! Your enthusiasm for rediscovering the intricacies of the story is truly heartwarming and reminds me why I love sharing these tales with all of you.
Thank you so much for taking the time to share your thoughts and reflections. Your support and engagement mean the world to me, and I’m grateful to have readers like you who appreciate the journey as much as the destination.
Here’s to many more adventures together in the world of Turnabout Everlasting and beyond!
Warm regards,
JP