Chapter Text
APRIL 30 – 11:15 AM
TRAIN TO KURAIN VILLAGE
Phoenix Wright leaned his head against the window of the train, idly watching the densely forested mountains and cliffsides pass by in a blur.
He was currently en route to Kurain Village – a trip he’d taken a countless number of times in the decade since he'd become privy to the village’s existence – though this was his first time doing so in quite a while.
Well, it hadn't been that long -- about half a year, maybe. But considering that he rarely went more than a month or so without paying Kurain a visit throughout his period of disbarment (usually with Trucy in tow), it felt like an eternity since he'd last set foot in his best friends' hometown.
It made sense that he hadn't managed to find an opportunity to visit in that time, though, as Phoenix had become INSANELY busy recently, his life a whirlwind of heading a jurist system test, preparing the newly christened Wright Anything Agency for the new attorney who was set to join, having his name cleared and studying to retake the bar exam, and subsequently dealing with the resurgence of the Phantom of the UR-1 incident.
All that to say, he'd had a TON on his plate over the past year, having to mostly settle for phone calls and letters to keep in touch with the Feys rather than visiting in person as they’d grown accustomed to.
Nowadays though, with his attorney’s badge reclaimed, Kristoph Gavin behind bars, Simon Blackquill rightfully acquitted, and Athena firmly established at the agency, things seemed to be finally settling down for Phoenix.
For the Feys, though, things were only just getting started.
Maya and Pearl had both been extremely busy as well as of late, with Maya having fully ascended to the title of Master of Kurain and wasting no time in leveraging her newfound authority to institute a variety of sweeping reforms to both the village, as well as the structure of the Kurain School itself.
Much to the village elders’ chagrin, Maya was determined to break from tradition in almost every conceivable fashion during her tenure as master. The Kurain School had a reputation for being stuffy, strict, and unwelcoming-- all tenets of the status quo she sought to completely upend.
Phoenix didn’t really have words to describe how proud he was of how gracefully Maya had handled her ascent to the position of Master, one that he knew she’d never really wanted to take up in the first place. Seeing how far she’d come from the brash, impulsive teenage girl he’d met her as was indescribable, really.
And although Maya had already made a ton of substantial progress towards her ultimate goal of reforming the Kurain School, her largest, most ambitious project thus far was only just beginning --
The Kurain Village Cultural Festival.
Maya had told him about her idea to hold a festival in Kurain years ago, probably not long after he was disbarred; of course, even after she became the Master in full, she decided to focus on smaller, more incremental changes at first before diving headfirst into a massive undertaking like a festival.
Well, that was part of the reason it’d taken so long for the festival to come to fruition. The main hurdle Maya faced was the fierce resistance the concept was met with from the powers that were (something she’d complained about endlessly at the time); though, in classic Maya fashion, she kept on stubbornly pushing, eventually succeeding in wearing the village elders down enough to get them to greenlight the project.
The Kurain Cultural Festival was to be a celebration of Kurain Village, the Fey clan, and the art of spirit channeling itself. There would be food, games, shopping, entertainment... all the usual festival stuff. With the village far more modernized and her tenure as Master several years in, the timing finally seemed right for her to pursue the project in earnest.
One of the festival’s primary goals was to aid in repairing the Kurain School’s less-than-stellar reputation it had garnered over the years, as well as help the general public understand spirit channeling; most laypeople still believed it to be nothing more than a myth, after all.
Phoenix knew that, if it went well, Maya hoped to turn it into an annual event. And there was presently nothing indicating that it would do anything OTHER than well – everything Phoenix had seen of what Maya was planning had absolutely blown him away.
*BZZZT!!*
Phoenix was snapped out of his train of thought by his phone buzzing in his pocket.
Maya
NICK! where are u :(
the piece of ham i left out for you is gonna get cold
I’m on the train, Maya.
still??!
Yes? You know that it always takes a good two hours at minimum to get here
yeah but i thought >:( maybe >:( the train would be fast this time >:(
Well, it isn’t.
bitch
Patience is a virtue, my dear Miss Fey
Don’t worry, I’ll be there before you know it.
YOUD DAMN WELL BETTER!! cant have you missing my fest after all
love you bestie see u soon :)
<3333
Phoenix sighed, replacing his phone in his pocket and leaning his head back.
(Shouldn’t be too much longer, now…)
==
APRIL 30 – 12:33 PM
KURAIN VILLAGE – TRAIN STATION
The train up to Kurain was never particularly busy, all things considered, but this time around numerous visitors from the city filtered out alongside Phoenix as the train doors slid open and he disembarked onto the platform.
The energy surrounding the village was vastly different that it’d ever been at any of his previous visits, Kurain's usual subdued atmosphere giving way to a restless sort of electricity in the air.
The village, while not MOBBED, was far more crowded than it usually was, almost certainly a result of the festival. A small clearing near the train station had been converted into a makeshift parking lot for the few people who chose to drive up, with several acolytes (somewhat frantically) directing traffic.
Tourists puttered around the immediate area, with signs placed liberally around the vicinity guiding them towards where the festival was being held. In the distance, peeking over the treetops, Phoenix could see Kurain Village itself, nearly buried in decorations.
(This is incredible...even from here, I can really tell that Maya went all-out with this.)
Phoenix put his hands in the pockets of his gray hoodie as he began to walk towards the village's main entrance. Although this outfit of his got much less use than it did when he’d been disbarred, he’d grown accustomed to wearing it casually. It was comfortable, after all. Plus, despite what Maya liked to say, he DID own casual clothes. Wearing a full three-piece suit to a festival would be a bizarre choice even for him.
Phoenix shot a quick text to Maya to let her know he’d arrived, almost immediately getting a string of squares in response since Maya apparently STILL couldn’t remember his phone was ancient and didn’t support emojis. Or maybe she did remember and just liked to make him mad.
“NICK!!!”
Phoenix’s eyes flicked upwards upon hearing his name called, just in time to see a teenage girl running towards him, her familiar two loops of chestnut hair bobbing up and down as she waved enthusiastically.
“Oh, Pearls!!”
Her momentum not slowing down as she grew closer, Pearl barreled into Phoenix with a massive hug, Phoenix stumbling slightly as the tiny yet still very powerful medium crashed into him at full speed.
“OOFGH---haha, hey there!” Even if he wanted to, Phoenix couldn’t fight the grin that spread across his face as he gladly returned her hug.
>Pearl Fey 's profile added to Court Record.
Pearl pulled away and beamed up at Phoenix, her big brown eyes practically sparkling. “It’s so good to see you! it’s been so long!!”
Phoenix ruffled Pearl’s hair slightly. “Haha, not that long, Pearls. It’s been what, a few months or so…?”
“Well, that feels like a long time to me!!” Pearl puffed out her cheeks, reaching up to fix her mussed-up hair.
Phoenix laughed. “Y’know, I gotta say, I wasn’t expecting to find you all the way out here. I thought you’d be hanging out somewhere in the village.”
“I’ve been waiting here for your train to arrive!” Pearl announced proudly, putting her hands on her hips.
“Wait, really? Aw, Pearls, you didn’t have to do that!"
“Oh, don't be silly, Nick, it was my pleasure!” Pearl waved her hand dismissively.
“Well, in any case, I really appreciate it,” Phoenix smiled at her. “I like your jacket, by the way,” he commented, pointing at the green hoodie Pearl was currently sporting. “Is it new? I don’t think I’ve seen you wearing that before.”
“Aah, thank you so much!” Pearl blushed, shyly cupping her face with her hands. “It is, yes, thank you for noticing! Last time I was in the city, Athena and Juniper took me shopping to help build out my admittedly lackluster wardrobe.”
“Hm. It does occur to me that you’ve tended to stick with your acolyte robes most of the time I’ve known you.”
“Well, that’s all in the past now!! I’ve gotten a taste of something different, and now I can’t EVER go back!” Pearl declared enthusiastically. “The world of fashion is beyond your wildest dreams, Nick! There’s so much variety, I don’t even know where to begin!!” she gushed. “It’s…very overwhelming to think about, to be honest. But in a good way!”
“Well, I wouldn’t know the first thing about fashion, so I’ll have to take your word for it.” Phoenix joked, gesturing down at his hoodie and jeans combo, earning a giggle from Pearl.
“It makes me happy, though…! Being cooped up in the village for so long made me feel super out of touch with other people my age, so it’s nice to feel like I’m making up for lost time, y’know?" Pearl pumped her fist in the air. “You’re witnessing the birth of a brand-new Pearl Fey, Nick!!”
Phoenix smiled. (It’s good to see Pearls this psyched up….)
“Well, hey. Aside from your massive leap forward in fashion, how’ve you been doing, Pearls?”
“Ah! I’ve been doing well, thank you very much for asking!” Pearl clapped her hands together. “But also SO busy, lately, too, with the buildup to the festival and everything…it feels like no one in the village has managed to get a moment’s rest in months! Especially not Maya…”
“So I’ve gathered,” Phoenix winced. “Speaking of your cousin, do you know where she is? I know she was looking forward to seeing me.”
“Oh! I think I do, yes!” Pearl said enthusiastically, bouncing up and down on the balls of her feet. “Follow me, Nick, I’ll lead you towards the main festival grounds! It’s SO incredible, you’re not gonna believe your eyes!”
Looking around as he and Pearl walked along the road leading towards Kurain Village proper, Phoenix couldn’t help but note the myriad of differences in the surrounding area since Maya had assumed the role of Master, some slight and others less slight.
It was hard to tell how much of the changes were permanent and how much were temporary additions for the festival, but either way, it was insanely impressive considering what Kurain looked like when Phoenix had last been here, let alone when he’d first visited it a decade ago.
A cell tower haphazardly disguised as a tree rose up near one of the mountains surrounding the village; it was a familiar sight at this point, being one of the first things Maya pushed for upon her ascent to Master-- understandably, of course, as prior to its installment, Kurain’s cell reception was infamously shoddy-to-nonexistent.
Several of Kurain’s buildings appeared to have undergone extensive renovations to modernize them, with a handful of brand-new structures peppered around as well. The village's central street, formerly a dirt road, was now partially paved with asphalt, though it was quite doubtful it was wide enough to accommodate more than a single lane of car traffic.
Ahead of them, the heart of the festival itself came into view as Phoenix and Pearl moved further along the path, signs proclaiming “youkoso!” welcoming them to the official entrance of the Kurain Cultural Festival.
“Damn…” Phoenix mumbled as he took in his surroundings, hands in the pockets of his jacket. “Maya really went all out with this, huh...?”
“Right, right?! The village has a FERRIS WHEEL now!!” Pearl gushed. “We should go on it later, Nick! The view is incredible!”
Phoenix grimaced. “Ah, Might have to pass on that one, Pearls...” he said sheepishly, rubbing the back of his neck. “I don’t think I ever told you about the time I went on a Ferris wheel with Trucy and basically clung to her for dear life the entire time. I’m…not great with heights.”
“Oh, I see…” Pearl bit her thumbnail. “Um…speaking of, where IS Trucy, by the way? I was sorta expecting her to be with you today…”
Phoenix smirked. “Ah, I see…so you had an ulterior motive in coming to greet me.”
“AH!! N-no, th-that’s not it at all!!” Pearl clarified hastily, waving her hands back and forth in front of herself. “I was just looking forward to seeing her, is all…!!”
“Haha, don’t worry, Pearls, I’m only teasing you,” Phoenix said, ruffling Pearl's hair. “Truce had a show today, actually. She should be able to make it up tomorrow, though.”
Pearl’s face lit up. “Oh! That’s good, I’m glad to hear that! Its been so long since she and I been able to meet in person…maybe SHE’LL be able to go on the Ferris wheel with me, at least...”
Phoenix chuckled. "Well, I can at least appreciate it being here, even if I’d rather do literally anything else besides go on it. I assume it’s only here for the festival, right?”
“Sadly, yes,” Pearl sulked. “I tried to persuade Maya into keeping it permanently, but she said it’d be an irresponsible use of money because of maintenance costs, and also the fact that she and I would probably be the only people to use it. Her words.”
“Wow, Maya’s really grown up, huh? As a teenager she would have bought the Ferris wheel and probably a dozen more carnival rides to boot.”
“You don’t have much room to be impulsive when you’re running a village, unfortunately,” Pearl sighed, crossing her arms. "Especially not when you’re organizing an event as big as the cultural festival.”
“Hope Maya hasn’t been pushing herself too hard getting all this set up…she’s been taking care of herself, right?”
“She has, but mostly just because me and Franziska have basically forced her to,” Pearl pouted. “You know how she is, once Maya sets her mind on something, she pretty much pursues it single-mindedly. it can be REALLY hard to get her to take a break sometimes...”
“Mm-hmm…” Phoenix knew that much from experience. “At least her hard work looks like it’s really paid off.”
Pearl twirled a lock of hair around her finger absentmindedly. “It HAS been hard work. But it’s also been pretty thankless work. I mean…I know you’ve heard her complain about this before, but Maya’s been consistently met with resistance from the elders whenever she wants to do literally anything to improve things around here.
“Like, I’m all for preserving tradition, but there comes a point where you just become stuck in the past, you know? It sucks that they can’t seem to understand that.”
“Mm-hmm...”
Pearl's expression brightened. “But anyway, despite all that, Maya’s still managed to bring a TON of welcome changes to the village! Not even just for the festival!
“For example, there’s a vending machine here now that sells caffeinated drinks! I’ve even had some late at night, when I knew it would keep me up late!”
“Wow, living life on the edge,” Phoenix smirked.
“You bet!” Pearl pumped her fists. “You’d better say goodbye to the Pearl Fey who plays things safe, Nick!”
“You ran all the way from the village to the city as an eight-year-old, have I EVER known the Pearl Fey who plays things safe?”
“I’m playing them even LESS safe now!”
“YOOOOOOO!!” Phoenix heard an all too familiar voice call out from off to his and Pearl’s left.
Barreling her way through the crowd was the Master of Kurain herself, a stupid grin plastered on her face as she ran towards him and Pearl.
“NIIIICK!!!” Maya yelled as she barreled into Phoenix.
“OOFGH, MAYA—“ Phoenix grunted. “My back’s not what it used to be, y’know….!”
(Is trying to injure me with hugs a Fey thing or something…?)
“Yeah, yeah, we all know you’re old,” Maya rolled her eyes, mercifully releasing Phoenix from her iron grip.
>Maya Fey ’s profile added to Court Record.
“Maya!!” Pearl said happily. “We were just coming to find you!”
“Oh, you were greeting Nick, huh Pearly? I was wondering where you’d scampered off to,” Maya grinned. “I hightailed it over here as soon as I got your text, Nick! I’m so glad that you were able to make it today!”
“Of course! Wouldn’t miss this for the world.”
Maya was wearing her usual Master’s robes, which were decidedly less ostentatious than that of previous Masters, being more similar in appearance to those the acolytes wore, except with an added white hood.
Pearl clapped her hands together excitedly. “Nick and I were just talking about how amazing the festival looks so far! Right, right?!”
“That’s right,” Phoenix affirmed with a lopsided smile.
“AWW, YOU GUYS…” Maya’s lower lip quivered as she punched Phoenix as hard as she could in his shoulder.
“WHA--OW?!”
“Well, I couldn’t have done it alone!” Maya said proudly, placing her hands on her hips. “They say it takes a village to raise a child, and this festival is sort of like a giant child to me! A child that sells cotton candy.”
“…I suppose so?” Phoenix mumbled, rubbing his shoulder where Maya had punched it.
“Oh hey, did Trucy not come with you today, Nick? Or did she run off on her own, as usual?”
“Nah, she had a show today.”
“Aw, WHAT?! Man, I can’t believe I had to miss a Trucy show!!” Maya grumbled. “NOW who’s gonna hoot and holler when she pulls off something amazing?”
“Trust me, Truce was just as bummed about having to miss out on the festival’s first day,” Phoenix said. “Still, she told me to say hi and wish you the best.”
“Wait, you came HERE instead of your own daughter’s show?” Maya held her hand up to her chest in mock-scorn. “Nicholas! For shame! I’m very disappointed in you!”
“L-LISTEN…I was going to skip today to go to her show, but Truce pretty much DEMANDED that I come here instead. She was worried you’d be sad if no one you knew showed up because of scheduling conflicts….”
“AWWWW, WHAT?!” Maya cried, her mood doing a complete 180 into genuine weepiness. “Man, Trucy’s the best! Next time I see that girl I’m LAUDING her in gifts. Money, or candy, or whatever teenagers these days are into. Pearly, you’re a teen, what do you think?”
“Eep!! Ah m-me?!” Pearl startled. “Um!! Yes!! I’m quite plugged into the trends these days, after all!” she said, biting her thumbnail anxiously. “I believe that um...sports...? Are very popular at the moment…?”
Maya leaned against Pearl’s shoulder. “Pearly, your word is as good as gospel, next time I see Truce she’s getting a football.”
“…Right on!”
“Well hey, how 'bout your lawyer kids, Nick, you know if they’re coming today, at least?” Maya asked.
“That’s also a negative. Those two have a case, hence the aforementioned scheduling conflicts,” Phoenix replied. “Talk about being distraught over not being able to make it...Athena basically jogged around the block all day yesterday to vent her frustrations.”
“Tch...come on!” Maya pouted, crossing her arms. “Can’t the members of this agency go ONE day without some sort of terrible fate befalling them?!”
“…I don’t think missing out on one day of a weeklong festival counts as a terrible fate, Maya.”
“Trust me, it does when the festival rocks this hard!”
Phoenix rolled his eyes at her.
“Well, hey, SPEAKING of the festival!!” Maya clapped her hands together. “I gotta give you the grand tour, Nick! It’s my duty as host!"
“Oh, yes! I was just doing that before you got here!” Pearl said happily, putting the palms of her hands together.
“Hell yeah! OOH, Pearly, did you tell him about the vending machines?””
“I did!”
“Atta girl! Way to sell him on it.”
“We've been friends for over a decade, Maya, you don't have to ‘sell’ things to me...” Phoenix said.
“Don’t have to, but I’m going to,” Maya smirked. “Gotta keep ya on your toes, after all! Now c'mon, enough dillying, time's a-wastin'!!”
Pearl bounced up and down excitedly as the three walked across the festival square. “Even all of this is only scratching the surface of what Maya’s done to improve Kurain since she became Master!" she chirped. "C’mon, c’mon, tell him, Maya!”
“Right!” Maya nodded. “Well, first off, there’s...ah…..uh….”
A pause.
“Shit, what the hell am I doing to this place again….” Maya muttered under her breath. “OH, YEAH!!” she snapped her fingers.
“Okay, so this isn’t directly related to the festival, but it IS related to Operation Make Kurain Less Of A Hellhole, of which the festival is a part,” she began. “So you remember Fey Manor, right Nick? Well, I’m having it converted into a museum!!”
"Oh!" Phoenix frowned. “Hang on, isn’t Fey Manor where you and Pearls have lived like, your entire lives? Where are you two gonna go?”
Maya waved her hand dismissively. “Oh, come ON, Nick, what do we need a mansion for, we’re literally two people. That building’s practically oozing history out of its floorboards, the general public’ll get way more enjoyment out of it than we ever could! Not to mention…I think both of us have more bad memories than good associated with that place.”
Pearl nodded solemnly. “As for our current arrangements, I live in the village’s new acolyte dorms now! Have for a while,” she said. “Though, when I go off to college later this year, I’m going to move out of the village for the first time and live on campus!”
“And we’re all SO proud of her for it!” Maya squeezed Pearl’s cheek.
“Mmrph—Mayaaaa!!” Pearl complained.
“Oh come on, not my fault you still have your baby fat at age eighteen, Pearly,” Maya smirked before turning her attention back to Phoenix, proudly putting her hands on her hips. “As for me, I’m finally taking the plunge and moving in permanently with Franzy!”
“Oh, wow!” Phoenix said, surprised. “Finally cohabiting after being married for three years, huh? Have you two held hands yet, or would that be moving too fast for you?”
“Shut up, asshole,” Maya laughed, playfully shoving him to the side. “We’ve been WANTING to settle down for years, but life just kept on kicking us in the dick. Luckily things have FINALLY started to get less insane for us, so moving in together on a long-term basis is finally feasible.”
“Well, I’m really happy for you guys. Genuinely.”
“Aw, thanks bestie!” Maya chirped. “I’m happy for us too! "Fran was FINALLY able to move permanently to the States recently, and it’s been incredible being able to see her every day. This whole 'living with your spouse thing' fuckin’ owns.”
Phoenix furrowed his brow as he thought the situation through a bit more. “Wait, you’re living with Franziska NOW? Are you, like, commuting here from the city every day or something?”
Maya shot Phoenix her best “are you fucking kidding me” look. “C’mon, Nick, you can puzzle this one out, Franziska’s been living here in Kurain with me.”
“Wh--Wait, Franziska’s been living HERE!?” Phoenix yelped. “You never told me THAT!”
“Why is that so surprising to you?”
“I mean, I just never would’ve pictured Franziska living somewhere like THIS. She feels like such a…city slicker.”
“People do weird things for the people they love, Nick! I ate celery for Fran once,” Maya bubbled. “Plus, it’s by no means long-term, just a temporary sorta deal before we can get something more permanent going. Even if Fran loved this place, which I KNOW for a fact she doesn’t, it’s so remote that it really wouldn’t work in the long run, what with her line of work and such. Still, she’s at least gonna hang out for a little while until I’m able to move out of here for good.”
“So you’re gonna move out of Kurain?” Phoenix asked. “Elders probably aren’t going to like that, huh.”
“Those windbags hate everything, Nick,” Maya deadpanned. “They hate the fact that this festival exists, and they’re the ones who approved it. It’ll be fine, though. I trained abroad for years, so me being away from the village isn’t exactly anything new. This place is able to take care of itself without me here in person at this point. Plus, wife.”
“Wife,” Phoenix nodded.
“Come to think of it, where is Franziska, actually…?” Pearl asked. “I saw her earlier this morning, but haven’t since then…”
“Eh who knows, she’s always off doing her own thing,” Maya shrugged. “She just comes and goes as she pleases. Sorta like a cat. Y’know, I have a working theory that Fran is a cat who got turned into a human because of some sort of wizard’s curse. It’d explain a lot, yeah?”
“…You’ve lost me.”
Suddenly, an unfamiliar, gravelly voice rang out from behind them -- “Ah-hnm, roight then, a mom’nt of yer time, Madam Fey.”
The group was stopped as an unfamiliar person approached them; he was a stocky man, looking old enough to be recently retired, with gray hair receding upwards into a sharp widow’s peak. A pair of tiny Morpheus glasses sat on the bridge of his nose, and he was wearing a truly ostentatiously ugly tie, which he seemed to be continuously adjusting. His height fluctuated up and down slightly as he repeatedly bent and straightened his knees to the beat of nonexistent music.
(Who the heck is THIS guy…?)
“AAH!!” Maya startled. “Oh!! Gh---h-hey!! It’s…you! That guy I hired! Whose, um...name I definitely remember!
“But, ummmm...uhhhh...” Maya continued with a grin, “How ‘bout you introduce yourself to these two people who DON'T know your name? Unlike me, of course, who does.”
(Maya, you're such a terrible liar....)
“Errwh, ah, but o’ course!” the strange man started visibly sweating. “Well, ze name's Clatt Ehrel, y'see. I am ah, employed in this 'ere village o'Kurain, wot.”
"Ah....Phoenix Wright, attorney at law."
“Pearl Fey,” she said in a small voice.
>Clatt Ehrel’s profile added to Court Record.
“Urkgh, ehhh, attorney 't law, je say...." Ehrel became visibly uncomfortable as he continued to awkwardly adjust his tie around his neck. "Mmn, *ahem* well, eet’s a plæsure to meet-a ze lot o'y'all, n'such. Chormed n' all o’ zat, mm yeas.”
“Nick, I can't quite place the accent this man is speaking with,” Pearl whispered to Phoenix.
"Probably best not to pry...."
“Well, anyway, did you, ah, need something, Mr. Ehrel?” Maya frowned.
“Hmn, ah! Quite so, zen, Mademoiselle Fey.” Ehrel ran a hand through his hair. “I've a-come 'ere to ask o’ you, ahhh…..vot err, ahh, sorts-a booby’s traps n' such do y'all 'ave a-set up 'round de village?"
“Booby traps?” Maya frowned. “Hmm, uhhh…” She thought for a moment before turning towards Phoenix.
“Hey Nick, you're a lawyer. Does me doing the old bucket of water over the doorway trap count as a booby trap, legally speaking?"
“…I don’t think there’s a legal definition of booby traps, Maya.”
“Then, no!” Maya told Ehrel cheerily.
“Mhnn, hoh, I see....yeehaw, zees is most smashing," Ehrel broke out into a wide grin, continuing to bounce up and down.
“Um…excuse me, sir…?” Pearl piped up, anxiously biting her thumbnail, “What do you do here in the village, exactly? I don’t recall having seen you around before.”
"Hrnnm..... aah.... ogfhn...." Ehrel continued to sweat and nervously adjust his tie. “Eah, ye'know, I've a got-a th' odded yob here n' thar. Can't get into the full sp'cifics as Oi'm at præsent under investy-gation by th' feds, innit."
(This guy couldn't be more suspicious if he tried....)
“Nick. I don't believe this man could be more suspicious if he tried," Pearl said.
(Oh, she just said it to his face.)
“WHAT!!” Ehrel shouted, his eyes bugging out of his head. “Now you lissen'ere, li'l missy. I am ze least-a suspëcious man who's e'er lived!!” he pointed at her accostingly. “Oi have a Social S'curity number. The gov'ment knows about ze fact dat I exist. ‘N' all of me organs vere-a obtained through comple'ly legitty-mitt means.”
(He’s just digging himself deeper….)
Ehrel turned up his nose at Pearl. “Hmbn, hnn, welle, if that's all ye and yer menagerie have for me, Madam Fey, I vill a-be on m'way then," he huffed. "Z'it was a dang pleasure to-a meet y'all. Ehm...Blue man. Hair loops.”
(He already forgot our names.)
“Mmn, tally'o, zen.” And with that, Ehrel scurried off, quickly vanishing into the crowd of the festival.
“….”
“….”
"Aww, there he goes....off towards new adventures,” Maya was the one to break the awkward silence that settled over the three of them after Ehrel’s departure.
Phoenix looked over at her. “Uh, Maya…not to tell you how to run your own village, but...why the hell did you hire that guy? He seems a bit..how do I put this?”
“Suspicious?” Pearl offered.
“Among other things, yes.”
“I mean, okay, LOOK,” Maya puffed out her cheeks. “The village needed a bunch of extra hands on deck to get the festival up and running, so I didn't really have the luxury of being picky. Plus, what's-his-face offered to work for dirt-cheap, which is good, because I blew the village's budget on the fest!”
“Maya…”
“Okay, in my defense. He sorta sucks. So you don’t have to feel bad for him or anything.”
“That isn’t the issue here?!”
"Oh, come onnnn, don't be such a Nick in the mud!" Maya rolled her eyes, gently shoving Phoenix. “Hey, hey, I know what’ll lift those spirits of yours! Checking out our acolytes’ stands! While we’re there, I can get a big bowl of yummy ramen!!”
“...Whose spirits are we trying to lift here, exactly?”
==
APRIL 30 - 1:09 PM
KURAIN VILLAGE - KURAIN CULTURAL FESTIVAL GROUNDS
A significant portion of the festival’s grounds had been set aside for rows upon rows of stalls, offering food, games, toys, and various other things to spend money on. Phoenix, Maya, and Pearl walked through the aisles, taking in the various goods and services the festival had to offer.
“I didn’t know your acolytes were the ones running the stands here, Maya,” Phoenix commented as he took note of the young women running the stands; judging by the way they were dressed, most of them seemed to be acolytes of Kurain.
“Of course! wouldn’t be a Kurain Cultural Festival without some of Kurain's culture, after all!” Maya boasted through a mouthful of chocolate banana. “The village has gotten a TON of new students ever since I opened it up to anyone who wants to join! As long as they've got spiritual powers, anyone’s welcome to train here at the school of Kurain!”
Phoenix frowned. “Hang on, your acolytes have spiritual powers too?! I thought that was just a Fey thing.”
"Spiritual powers aren’t actually as uncommon as you might think, Nick," Maya elucidated. “Sure, it’s a rare gift to have, but it’s not like it’s exclusive to one single family or anything. For a long time, the Feys were pretty much the only ones who used our powers for spirit channeling.
“But it’s stupid to keep the Kurain Channeling Technique a family secret,” she huffed. “That’s a big part of the reason why there’s been so much infighting within the Fey clan for basically as long as it’s existed. More people knowing how to channel spirits can only benefit the school. Takes a lot of the pressure off of the Feys to know that someone else can run the show should the need arise. Of course, the elders don’t agree with me on that, but when do they ever.”
Maya grumpily took a bite out of her banana. “But trust me, I’ve seen these girls’ power firsthand, there’s a LOT of potential in these acolytes. They’re all young and inexperienced, ‘cause aside from Pearly none of them have really been training here for long, but still though, sometimes you can just tell, ya know? It’s sorta like YOU when you meet a lawyer who bullshits their way through everything and immediately move to take them under your wing."
“H-hey….I only did that twice….”
Maya glanced over at a stand, and her eyes lit up. She lightly elbowed Phoenix in the side.
“Hey. Speaking of acolytes with potential…you gotta meet these two, Nick, they’re an absolute riot. As a teacher, I’m not supposed to play favorites, but I may be doing it a little bit.”
The stand Maya gestured at with her banana stick was manned by two acolytes who couldn’t have been much older than Pearl. One was tall and muscular with a broad frame, a red streak dyed into her messy blonde hair; the other, a more mousy girl, with thick glasses and dark, shoulder-length black hair. The two made quite an odd pair next to each other, though Phoenix supposed he wasn’t one to judge considering the company he tended to keep.
As he, Maya and Pearl approached their stand, he caught the tail-end of something the blonde acolyte was apparently ranting about to her companion.
“…just don’t know why they’re so uptight about not lettin’ me eat raw cookie dough, like, come ON, what’s the risk?!”
“Literally the salmonella, Addie.”
The blonde girl frowned. “Salmon…wha? Like the fish? What does that have to do with cookies?”
“Afternoon, girls!” Maya shouted, enthusiastically pounding the palm of her hand on the stand’s counter.
“EEP!!!” the blonde acolyte blanched, gesticulating wildly for a moment before getting her bearings. “M-M-MYSTIC MAYA!!” her eyes began to sparkle in awe. “It’s an honor to have the Master of Kurain herself visit our humble stand!” she said excitedly.
“Welcome, ma’am,” the dark-haired girl said far more nonchalantly, glancing up from her book to nod at Maya.
Maya chuckled haughtily. “Heh heh...oh, go on.”
Maya looked behind herself, waving Phoenix over. “Nick, c’mere, c’mere, these are two of the Kurain School’s newest acolytes! Girls, you wanna introduce yourselves?”
“Oh, sure!” the blonde-haired girl grinned toothily with an enthusiastic pump of her fist. “Name’s Addie Spear! I’m a cross-country runner! Not to brag, but I’ve been told my lung capacity rivals that of a blue whale’s!”
The dark-haired girl closed her book, turning her attention fully towards Phoenix; she pushed her glasses up her face slightly. “Cheryn Meadi. Part-time acolyte, part-time college student, full-time scholar. Nice to meet you.”
“Phoenix Wright, attorney at law. Nice to meet you both.”
>Addie Spear and Cheryn Meadi’s profiles added to Court Record.
“OH DAMN, you’re THE Phoenix Wright?!” Addie gaped. “Wowwwww, Mystic Maya talks about you all the time!!”
“She does?” Phoenix frowned, glancing over at Maya.
“Often,” Cheryn said, her face once again buried in her book.
“Yeah! You’re that guy who ate a glass necklace full of poison, right?” Addie asked earnestly.
“And who accidentally called the judge ‘mom’ during a trial once,” Cheryn added with a small smile.
(Why has Maya only told her students about the embarrassing things I’ve done?!)
“Well, uh, anyway….” Phoenix awkwardly cleared his throat, and tried changing the subject. “What’s this stand you two are running?”
Cheryn’s face lit up, and she shut her book closed with a grin. “Oh! I’m so glad you asked!!”
(She sure perked up fast…)
“We’re sell--”
“WE’RE SELLING MAGATAMAS!!” Addie interrupted her, and wow, Phoenix was beginning to suspect Apollo’s Chords of Steel had some legitimate competition. “Along with various other trinkets and baubles!”
Cheryn shot her friend a withering glare. “I was gonna say that…”
“Hehe, beat you to the punch, Chers!” Addie beamed. “Gotta stay on your toes next time!”
“Why are you like this…” Cheryn mumbled.
Phoenix laughed. “Haha. You two seem close.”
“Aw, hell yeah, we are!” Addie pulled Cheryn into a side hug. “Cheryn and I have been best buds ever since we were little kids! She’s sooooo smart!”
“Augh, Adddiiieee...” Cheryn blushed furiously. “You’re gonna embarrass me, n-not in front of Mystic Maya….”
“Hehe! Aw, c’mon, Chers, you gotta let me hype you up every once in a while! Bottlin’ up your emotions is bad for your stamina, y’know!”
“It’s always about stamina with you...” Cheryn muttered, somewhat regaining her composure as she pushed her glasses up the bridge of her nose.
“Ooh, Nick, check it out!” Pearl called over from the other side of the stand, where she and Maya were perusing Cheryn and Addie’s wares. Pearl held up a somewhat misshapen magatama, glittery colors painted on its surface.
“It’s a rainbow magatama!” Pearl said excitedly. “You don’t see stones like this in real life all too often!”
“I’m not sure you see stones like that in real life at all, Pearls….”
“Ooh, you interested in the rainbow ‘tama, Mystic Pearl?” Addie grinned as she gravitated over towards Pearl. “It’s only two bucks, if ya want it!”
“In the interest of full disclosure, these aren’t genuine magatamas capable of focusing spiritual energy,” Cheryn explained. “They’re for fashion purposes only.”
“Yep! Real magatamas are made from like, rocks or whatever,” Addie said, leaning against the counter of the stall. “This is modeling clay that we kilned up the other day!”
“Then painted.”
“Yep!” Addie winked. “Y’know, I may be an athlete, but I’m not too good for some old fashioned arts n’ crafts every once in a while. Good for the soul, y’know?”
“Does a magatama that can't focus spiritual energy even have any use…?” Phoenix frowned.
“Didn’t you hear, Nick? It’s for fashion purposes! And I’m a very fashionable girl!!” Pearl said determinedly. “Nick, I need to borrow two dollars, quick!!”
“Wh—do I look like a cash dispenser to you?!”
Pearl sulked, puffing out her cheeks. “Fine. I guess you don’t really love me all that much, then.”
“Oh my GOD, you and Maya really are related, aren’t you?”
“Well, don’t worry, Pearly! Unlike Mr. Cheapskate over here, I’ve gotcha covered!” Maya cut in, waving around a two-dollar bill. “Two buckaroos right here! Here ya go, Addie.”
“WOOOWWW, paid by the Master of Kurain herself!!” Addie cooed as she took the bill from Maya. “I’d frame this bill if I wasn’t flat broke! Cha-CHING!!” She imitated a cash register as she pulled open the booth’s cash drawer.
“Here you are, Mystic Pearl,” Cheryn said, glancing up from her book as she handed the rainbow-colored magatama back over to Pearl. “Pleasure doing business, and et cetera.”
“Thank you!!” Pearl smiled.
>Rainbow magatama added to Court Record.
“Oh hey, Mystic Maya, long as you’re here...!” Addie said, “I just wanna say that this festival is AMAZING so far!!”
Cheryn nodded in agreement. “Wholeheartedly agreed. The blend of traditional Kurainese culture with western flourishes means there’s something here for everyone.”
“WWWWWWEEEEHHHHH….” Phoenix looked to the side in alarm to see Maya with tears in her eyes. “THANK YOU, GIRLS...I can’t tell you how much that means to me!!” she sniffled.
“Seems like the festival is a big hit so far,” Phoenix said.
“Heh heh heh!!” Maya smugly put her hands on her hips. “Well, with yours truly at the helm, is it really any surprise?”
“A little bit, yeah!” Addie said cheerily.
“ACHGHCK--!!!”
“Um, Nick?” Phoenix looked down to see Pearl demurely tugging at his sleeve. “Much as I hate to be impatient…do you think you could help nudge Maya along? We’ve been here for a while, and my social interaction batteries are almost totally drained. Plus, I’m getting hungry…”
“Oh, sure thing, Pearls. One sec.”
Phoenix turned towards Maya, who was animatedly talking with Addie about something. “Hey, My. We still heading off for ramen soon?”
Maya immediately snapped to attention like someone just fired off a bullet. “OH, SHIT!!! RAMEN!!” she gaped. “I can’t believe I forgot about ramen of all things! Geez, what the hell are we still doing here then, let’s GO GO GO!!” she bolted from the stand and began to jog in place, gesturing Nick and Pearl to follow her.
“Heheh...you sure know how to get her attention, Nick,” Pearl said.
“It’s an acquired skill.”
“Oh, catch you later, girls, keep up the good work!” Maya called over to Addie and Cheryn.
“AAAH…PRAISED BY MYSTIC MAYA HERSELF...” Addie’s eyes were practically glowing “It’s an honor, ma’am!!” Addie went into a deep bow, immediately slamming her head into the counter. “FUCK—”
“Thank you very much, Mystic Maya,” Cheryn said coolly, not even reacting to Addie’s outburst. “It was good to meet you, Mr. Wright. And to talk again, Mystic Pearl.”
“Likewise,” Phoenix said.
Pearl bounced on the balls of her feet. “Yeah!”
“NIIIICKK!! PEARLY!!” Maya’s voice called from a solid twenty feet away. “RAMEN!!”
“WE’RE COMING!!” Phoenix called back as he and Pearl made their way over towards Maya. “Sheesh….”
==
APRIL 30 – 1:44 PM
KURAIN VILLAGE – FESTIVAL OUTSKIRTS
“Maya, not to tell you how to run your own fair, but do you really need SEVEN different ramen stands?” Phoenix asked.
The three of them had settled down on a bench in a quiet area of the festival, away from most of the hustle and bustle, hearty bowls of ramen in tow. Maya was practically inhaling hers.
“One for each day of the week, Nick!” Maya replied cheerily. “C’mon, that’s basic rameisseur knowledge.”
Phoenix shot his friend a bewildered look. “I’m sorry...WHAT kind of knowledge?”
“Rameisseur!” Maya repeated through a mouthful of noodles. “That’s 'ramen connoisseur.' Of which I am one.”
“Oh, you’ve GOT to be kidding me.”
Maya gestured towards Phoenix’s bowl with her chopsticks. “Hey, you can’t deny I know how to pick ‘em, Nick. Tell me that’s not one of the best bowls of ramen you’ve ever had.”
Phoenix, unlike Maya, waited until his mouth was no longer full to respond. “...It is, but I don’t want to prove you right.”
“TOO LATE!!! Maya wins again!!” She nudged him lightly, though not lightly enough that he didn’t have to quickly recover to prevent broth from spilling over his jeans.
“Oh, here, take a bite of Pearly’s ramen too, Nick!” Maya reached her utensils over Nick’s lap and grabbed some noodles out of Pearl’s bowl. “Sampling a wide variety is crucial for a budding rameisseur!”
“Wha—you can’t just steal other people’s food, Maya…!”
“It’s okay, I don’t mind, Nick!” Pearl said.
“Seee, Pearly doesn’t mind!"
"I'm still gonna pass," Phoenix said exasperatedly. "Unlike you, Maya, I don't particularly have any desire to be a....'rameisseur.'"
Maya shrugged. “More for me then, I guess,” she said, shoving the portion she’d stolen from Pearl into her mouth before continuing to hastily inhale her own ramen.
“Geez, don’t eat so fast, Maya, you’re gonna make yourself sick,” Phoenix grimaced.
“Pfft. Alright, DAD,” Maya scoffed. “I have to eat fast if we wanna make good use of time, my schedule is basically jam-packed today outside of the little period I carved out for bestie hours. C’mon, you knew that!
“...I didn’t know that, actually. Do you have a lot going on today?”
Maya looked at Phoenix in shock. “WHAT?! Wait, are you serious, how do you not know?! I sent you the festival’s schedule for the entire week!”
“What? No you didn’t...!”
“Yes, I literally did?! I texted you a link to the festival’s website like a week ago!”
“A...a link?” Phoenix faltered. “To a website…?”
“Phoenix Wright,” Maya glared at him. “Did you not follow the link I sent you?"
“I- I meant to, honest!!" Phoenix said, rubbing the back of his neck sheepishly. " But...Trucy wasn’t around to help me with the computer, and I sorta...forgot to ask her.”
Maya crossed her arms and let out an overly dramatic sigh. “Alright, well that one’s on me, I forgot you’re an octogenarian stuck in a forty year old’s body.”
“Wh--I’m not FORTY, Maya!!”
“Well, I mean, you’re not NOT forty.”
“I literally AM not forty.”
“Semantics, semantics.” Maya blew a puff of breath upwards, blowing her bangs out of her face.
“A-anyway, the point is, I never got on your website so you’ll have to fill me in manually."
Maya rolled her eyes at him. “‘Manually.’ Alright gramps. Well, let’s see...there’s the Kurain Relics Exhibition, which you can consider sort of a sneak preview of the Fey Manor museum still in progress. The ramen stands, of course. I have a meeting with the elders today, which I’d sorta literally rather die than do but it’s fine.
“OH, and there’s also the fireworks display later, too, you gotta make sure you don’t miss that, Nick. I mean it’ll be sorta HARD to miss, but….”
“MMPH--OH, crap!!” Pearl, who up until this point had been quietly eating her ramen, startled in the middle of slurping up noodles, hastily placing her bowl down on the bench next to her as she stood up.
“Pearly? What’s up?” Maya frowned.
“I, um-- I sorta forgot that I’d agreed to help some of the other acolytes set up for the fireworks today,” Pearl winced. “I promise I didn’t mean to, I was just really excited to see Nick again, so I guess it sort of...slipped my mind.”
Pearl bowed apologetically. “I’m really, really sorry, Maya...”
Maya smiled at her. “Aw, Pearly, it’s fine, I totally understand. Still though, probably best not to keep the other acolytes any longer, yeah? They’re probably missing you right about now.”
Pearl brightened up slightly. “Y-yeah!
“I’m really sorry to have to cut things short here, though...hopefully we’ll be all able to see each other again sometime later today.”
Maya gasped. “OOOH, NICK NICK NICK---” she stage-whispered, shaking Phoenix by his shoulder.
“...Yes, Maya, something on your mind?”
“The three of us should meet back up here for the fireworks later!” Maya beamed. “Pearly’s gotta head off, and much as I wish I could dick around with you all day I have...UGH...obligations to deal with,” Maya scowled.
“That works for me,” Phoenix said, turning towards the younger Fey. “Pearls?”
Pearl clasped her hands together. “Oh, yes!! That sounds lovely!!”
“Alright!! It’s a plan then!” Maya said, currently in the process of scavenging Pearl’s leftover ramen. “Anyway, catch ya later, Pearly!”
“See ya, Pearls.”
“Ah! B-bye, see you guys later! Love you both!!”
One more apologetic bow, and Pearl scampered off, soon vanishing out of sight as she hurried back to the main festival grounds.
“She’s such a sweet kid, y’know?” Maya said warmly. Phoenix looked over at her, a gentle smile gracing her face.
“For sure.”
“She’s been looking forward to this festival for YEARS. Ever since I first told her about it,” Maya continued. “I think she really needed something like this.”
Phoenix frowned at Maya’s phrasing.
(Pearls…needed something like this?)
He hesitated for a moment. “Uh, hey, Maya…” The Master of Kurain looked over upon being addressed, noodles hanging down from her mouth. “Sorry if this is a weird question, but…is Pearls is doing okay? She’s seemed a bit...off today.”
Maya’s eyebrows shot up. “Oh…!! Crap--” She hastily slurped up her mouthful of ramen, gingerly setting down her bowl next to her; Phoenix took note of how her posture immediately stiffened.
(Alright, seems like I was right on the mark...something’s DEFINITELY up here.)
“Y-yeah...I forgot you didn’t know, Nick….” Maya said quietly.
Phoenix set his jaw. “Know what? Did something happen?”
Maya hesitated, then let out a deep sigh. “Well, no use beating around the bush with it, I guess…”
She awkwardly patted her hands on her lap for a moment, before her gaze flickered upwards to meet Phoenix's, her dark, discerning eyes boring into his own.
“…Morgan was executed last month.”
Phoenix immediately startled. “WH---SHE WHAT?!”
“Mm-hm.” Maya nodded solemnly.
>Morgan Fey’s profile added to Court Record.
“S-sorry, I’m just...I was NOT expecting that.”
“Y-yeah...I’m really, REALLY sorry for not telling you sooner, Nick,” Maya said guiltily, looking down at her feet. “I just…there was just never a good time to bring it up, you know? I was helping Pearly through it, and preparations for the festival were taking up all my time, plus this was right around the time when you were dealing with that Phantom bullshit, so like...I dunno. There was just a lot going on around then. Not that that’s an excuse, though...it’s just hard to broach topics like that, I guess.”
Phoenix placed his hand over Maya’s, who, with her other hand, did the same to his with a squeeze. “Hey…it’s okay. I totally understand,” Phoenix said softly. “Things have been…weird, lately. For everyone, I think.” He paused, before continuing-- “Is…how’s Pearls taking it?”
Maya sighed. “It’s always hard to tell with her,” she replied. “Pearly’s a difficult person to read under the best of circumstances, but I can definitely tell she’s upset about it.
“She cut off all contact with Morgan after the Hazakura incident, so by the time she was executed the two hadn’t spoken in about a decade. I know Pearly resents Morgan a LOT for what she did to her – to ALL of us – but still, it’s her mother, you know? I think it’s just a big tangled mess of feelings for her to work through.”
“Poor Pearls…”
Maya nodded. “Anyway, I’ve noticed Pearly’s been acting a bit different lately, too. If I had to guess why, I think that...Morgan’s death made her start thinking about her own identity, and not the one that her mother tried to force on her.
"I mean, you know, Pearly was always kept on a really tight leash when she was little, and as much as I’ve tried to help her broaden her horizons and learn about the world outside the village, growing up so isolated for so long definitely had lasting effects on her. I've tried to make it clear to her that she can do whatever she wants, and that she doesn’t have to be a medium if she doesn’t want to, so I trust that she’s still an acolyte because she wants to be one, but...I still worry about her.”
“I do too.” Phoenix hesitated a moment, before asking -- “…I feel like I already know the answer to this question, but, I have to ask—how are YOU taking it, Maya? Morgan’s death, I mean. She was your aunt, after all.”
Maya growled out a sigh. “…Alright... you absolutely can’t tell Pearly I said this, Nick, but… I’m glad Morgan’s dead. I really, truly don’t feel a shred of remorse. That woman was an absolute monster. Whatever circle of hell she’s burning in, it still won’t be enough penance for everything she did. Good fucking riddance.”
Maya leaned up against the back of the bench, putting her arms up behind her head. “Was that the answer you were expecting?”
“More or less, yeah,” Phoenix nodded. “Now that the initial shock has worn off, I can’t say my feelings on the matter are that much different.”
“Yeah...” Maya said quietly, turning to weakly smile at him. “Um, Hey. Thanks, Nick. For being so understanding."
“Of course, Maya.”
"...Y’know, I’ve been dealt some pretty shit lots in life, but… I have you as a friend and Pearly as a cousin, so I think I’m pretty goddamn lucky, all things considered.”
Phoenix returned her smile, then pulled Maya into a quick hug. “Same here.”
Maya playfully batted Nick’s shoulder. “Well hey, enough gloomy serious talk, yeah? This is a festival! We’re supposed to be having fun!” Maya stood up and stretched her arms above her head. “C’mon, there’s still so much more to see!"
“Ah, r-right!”
(...I know I shouldn’t worry about Pearls...she’s a bright, capable person. But...she’s still just a kid.)
(Hell, more than that, she’s someone who’s had to shoulder more burdens than anyone should ever have to, and at such a young age. It certainly doesn’t help that the root of a good number of those burdens was Morgan herself.)
(....I can only hope that she’s doing okay.)
As promised, Maya wasted no time excitedly dragging Phoenix around the festival, proudly showing off all that it had to offer. The duo visited the Kurain relics exhibition Maya had mentioned, where numerous Fey clan artifacts from throughout its history were put on display. Maya described it to him as a sneak preview of the Fey Manor museum currently in progress. Included among the displayed items was the familiar sight of Mystic Ami’s urn, which appeared to have been broken several more times since Phoenix had seen it last.
Eventually, as predicted, Maya had to break off to go tend to her various Master duties, much to her obvious chagrin, leaving Phoenix to his own devices for a while. He took the lull in activity as an opportunity to field some advice over to Athena and Apollo concerning their case, and check in with Trucy, whose show apparently went well (though it wasn’t as if he’d ever had a shred of doubt in that regard.)
As he roamed the festival grounds, Phoenix found himself truly at ease for the first time in FAR too long. Seeing the Feys in person again had been enough of a delight, but the infectious energy of the festival around him only served to bolster his good mood. He hadn't really considered how sorely he'd needed a break until he finally managed to take one.
In spite of everything, the day, and the Kurain Cultural Festival itself, had gotten off to a wonderful start.