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"So... Nick, there's something I need to talk to you about."
"Huh?" Phoenix asked, looking up from his meal and at Maya, who was currently sitting across from him in their booth at a local family restaurant that was a favorite for their burgers. The noises of utensils and the chatter of other patrons ensured somewhat of a degree of privacy.
It had been a few days since the completion of their latest trial, an ordeal they were still recovering from. From Phoenix having been in a hospital to Maya channeling Dahlia Hawthorne for two days straight, they'd been very tired the past few days. In fact, they'd both slept for around 24 hours the first day after the trial.
Maya was putting off her return to Kurain before she would have to officially take the title of Master of the village. Maya claimed it was to recover physically from the past days events, but Phoenix suspected a deeper reason. Master of Kurain was a heavy title, and he believed it only natural for her to be scared of her late mother's legacy. Though he had a feeling she'd enjoy that she wouldn't need to personally rub it in her aunt's face for it to piss her off.
Fingers were snapping in front of Phoenix's face. "Nick? Hellooooo, Earth to Phoenix Wright!"
Phoenix startled, grimacing a bit. "Sorry, sorry. Zoning out. Still tired."
"I feel ya there." Maya had her chin resting in her hand, leaning on her elbow rested on the table. "But this is something kiiiinda serious, so..."
"Right, serious." Phoenix attempted to sit up straighter, only to slump over in defeat. "Nope. Still tired."
Maya laughed, likely at how pathetic he looked. "It's just. Okay, I don't really know how to ease you into this, so just don't freak out too much, okay?"
"I cross-examined my dead ex-girlfriend in a murder trial four days ago. I've cross-examined a parrot. I managed to convince an assassin that his client betrayed him. I don't know if anything can freak me out anymore."
"Great, time to shake that up then!" Maya clapped her hands together, nodding to herself with a mischievous smile on her face.
Phoenix swallowed air nervously. That look on Maya's face was never good. Usually it was when she wanted to commit larceny or destruction of property.
"So, remember the magatama I gave you? During the first case with Morgan?"
"You mean the one that I carry with me at all times?" Smiling, Phoenix pulled the green magatama stone out from his jeans pocket and placed it on the table. "You and Pearl are life savers for this thing, honestly."
"Yeah, that's... the thing..." Maya trailed off and started twirling her hair around her index finger. She suddenly seemed very nervous. "Pearl's power ran out on it around a year ago."
It took a moment for Phoenix to put together what she was saying.
Pearl is young, so it's plausible that whatever she charges with spiritual energy will run out fairly quickly. Pearl charged the magatama. The magatama lets me see psych locks. The magatama ran out of Pearl's energy a year ago. I have used the magatama recently, without Pearl's power. Therefore...
For a moment, the restaurant noise faded away, and Phoenix could hear his blood rushing past his ears, could hear his breath as loud as a hurricane.
Then everything came rushing back, along with a crushing realization.
"Oh my God."
As Maya quietly squealed with delight, Phoenix was staring at his burger, wondering what the hell his life was now.
Maya chuckled at Phoenix's existential crisis. "Nick, you look like you're trying to burn a hole in your burger with your eyes."
"No, I'm trying to move it with my mind."
Maya's giggles turned into full guffaws, leaning over the table in an attempt to control her laughter. "Nick, that's not a thing!"
"How was I supposed to know that!"
This time when Maya continued laughing, Phoenix joined in. They were able to calm themselves after a few minutes, though still with some snickers and giggles here and there.
"Okay, I have-" Phoenix attempted to smother a laugh- "some questions."
"Shoot!" Maya was having about as much success as him in concealing her last giggles.
"Isn't it supposed to only be women with psychic or spiritual powers?"
"Nope!" Maya was once again casually leaning on her elbow. "Anyone could potentially have powers. What's specific to Kurain women is our spirit channeling technique. Only Kurain women can directly channel spirits like that. That, and we tend to be more powerful because of it."
"... huh. That actually makes sense." Phoenix also began to lean on his elbow, because his brain needed some support. "I know I haven't always had them though, so how does that work?"
"Well... you're actually the first case I know of like this." Cue her hair-twirling again. "The way I understand it, Pearl's power was acting as a sort of crutch while you worked out how to do it on your own. Like training wheels! Take the training wheels off a bike once you're used to it, and..."
"And you can do it on your own." Phoenix finished her sentence for her. "So by using the magatama, I was sort of training my own powers- specifically, the psyche locks- into muscle memory?"
"Exactly! And you could probably do a bunch of other things, too! We just have to figure out what!" Maya looked probably the happiest Phoenix had ever seen her, right then. She way she was looking at him, he could see the pride in her eyes...
... she looked a lot like her sister.
But then the mischievous glint returned. "Soooo~ you know what this means?"
Phoenix could swear he felt a bead of sweat run down the back of his neck. "What?"
"It means you have to do the Special Course with me!"
As Phoenix planted his head on the table and groaned while Maya laughed, he contemplated what his life had become. Though, honestly, he'd already attempted to run across a burning bridge for her. A waterfall was nothing, if it would make Maya happy.