Chapter Text
"Okay, I think that's everything." You said, wiping your forehead with the back of your hand. You gazed down at the luggage by your feet, then up at your fellow companions. A sigh left your lips as you leaned against your suitcase, mind wandering as you stopped to recollect the events that had taken place over the last several days. 4 days to be exact.
But it had felt a lot longer than that.
You knew what you would be getting yourself into once you started working in the legal field. You knew of the literal trials and tribulations that defense attorneys and prosecutors went through when it came to handling clients. All of the details, information, events, lies, and mind boggling truths that would make any normal person's brain explode.
The last 4 days had been a near perfect example of that.
If someone had told you that at some point in your career you would have to fly to a completely different country called Khura'in in order to defend the leader of a group of rebels named Dhurke from murder who was also the adopted father of one of your colleagues named Apollo only to find out that he too was murdered without warning and had come back to the states to reunite with his son through the body of a spirit medium to seek help in order to bring a revolution to a country where lawyers were deemed horrid beings due to something called the "Defense Culpability Act" that was put in place by a vile woman named Ga'ran who had also wrongfully succeeded as the Queen of Khura'in, and was raising a daughter who wasn't her's, but her sister Amara's who should have been the real queen but had disappeared one day after the royal residence had caught fire which caused the death of Apollo's real father named Jove who had been visiting Khura'in during the time leaving him to be taken in by the rebel Dhurke himself since the two men had been friends, but was sent to the states for his own safety once he was older leaving mass amounts of confusion and secrets for you and your colleagues to uncover about Apollo's past and his family so many years later...
You wouldn't have believed them.
It was obvious that there was much to uncover when you had first arrived at the Wright Anything Agency. The name alone raised red flags and a bit of confusion, but it had also piqued your interest quite a bit.
However, upon your arrival, what greeted you was... something that you'd never thought you'd see.
Four people, two males and two females, all tangled over each other, the male's screaming and the females laughing, spouting randomness you didn't understand. Something about "Polly", "magic show", and "assistant", before one of the male's had been pushed a little too far by a girl wearing a top hat, causing him to fall face first at your feet.
Everyone had gone silent, mostly because they had realized your presence, including the male on the floor, for even despite the events, he was looking up at you, face pinched in a grimace.
You had no idea what was going on, but your good nature immediately took over and you had bent down to assist him, asking if he was okay and making sure he wasn't hurt, to which he claimed he was fine.
You offered your hand, and he grabbed it, using it to pull himself up to sit on his knees, and it was then that you got a good look at him.
He was a young man, mid twenties you'd say, dressed in a white collared shirt and red vest with a dark, aqua blue tie around his neck. He had tanned skin, deep brown eyes, and brown hair, all slicked back save for two strands that were sticking straight up in the air, resembling that of horns. And when had grabbed your hand, you took notice of the thick, golden bracelet that adorned his wrist.
He was still looking at you from both of your crouched positions on the ground, lips formed in a subtle, grateful smile.
Dare you say…he was kinda cute.
Wait, wait, wait. What the hell were you doing?!
Your eyes had widened upon the realization that you were sitting there like an idiot while a bunch of strangers gawked at you, so in great haste, you stood up, dusted yourself off, and bowed your head forward.
"H-hello! My name is F/N L/N and I would like to join your agency!"
And before you knew it, they were all welcoming you with open arms. Phoenix Wright, his adopted daughter Trucy, Athena Cykes…and Apollo Justice.
A team of incredible individuals, and though the events of the last few days had been tiring and draining, you wouldn't have had it any other way.
The recollection made you smile as you lifted your head, watching Athena's auburn hair and clothes rustle in the wind as she stared off into the distance. After a minute, she turned, both hands planted on her hips.
"The bus to the airport should be here any minute."
You acknowledged the statement and nodded, taking notice on how Trucy was looking down at the ground, a noticeable frown on her face.
"I wonder where Apollo is…." She murmured, grasping onto her magician's cape, "Do you think he decided to stay here in Khura'in?"
You pressed your lips into a thin line, gaze averting to direct itself to the immaculate anterior of Tehm'pul Temple.
Right. You almost forgot.
After the trial that had overthrown Ga'ran, the five of you had visited what had been Dhurke's secret hideout with Datz and Dhurke's son Nahyuta, Apollo's half brother, and they had told Apollo to consider staying in Khura'in to honor Dhurke's legacy and assist in the movement of the revolution.
The proposal had... shocked you to say the least.
You were fairly new to the Wright Anything Agency, having only arrived a few weeks after Athena, bringing your time at the agency to a little over a year and you have already created very close bonds with everyone.
Especially Apollo.
Working with him was always...fun. And you enjoyed his presence and he was always up and willing to help you when you needed it. In a sense, he was almost more of a mentor to you than Mr.Wright.
He was an amazing person, a great...friend. And if he chose to stay…
You honestly didn't know what you would do.
The thought made you sick to your stomach and you knew it was selfish, but you didn't want him to stay in Khura'in. You wanted him to come home with you so you could stay by his side. And so he could stay by yours.
He had the Wright Anything Agency. He had his friends. He had you.
That should be enough...right?
You hoped it would be, but time was running out. Like Athena has said, your bus would be arriving any minute, but there was still no sign of the attorney that you cared for so much.
Athena sighed, and you watched as Widget, her necklace that also served as a tool to perform her analytical psychology, turned a saddened shade of purple.
"I guess this means no more courtroom battles alongside him…" she said, eyes averting to look at the ground.
You shook your head in defiance, "Come on, don't say that ! I'm sure he-"
"Heeeeeeey ! Guuuuuuuys !"
Trucy gasped, "I'd know that booming voice anywhere !"
You immediately whipped your head around, as did everyone else, to see a familiar individual jogging towards you, huffing and puffing, his two spikes of hair hanging low in exhaustion near his forehead.
"Apollo…" you whispered as he slowed his jogging once he was standing next to you.
"Whew…" he panted, wiping his forehead, "I made it…"
You opened your mouth to say something, but Athena beat you to it as she jumped forward with her hands clasped together, a happy smile on her face.
"Apollo ! You're here ! Does that mean you're coming home with us !?"
He stood up straighter, arms folded across his chest, but his gaze was directed off to the side.
"Well...about that…"
Your breath hitched in your throat.
"Please…" you thought, "Please say that you are…"
Apollo didn't say anything for another few seconds, but then, he averted his eyes so that he was making direct eye contact with Mr. Wright, who had, unbeknownst to you, stepped forward.
"Um...Mr.Wright!"
"Y-yes?" he said, face straight and focused, but his voice had been a little shaky.
You had your sight set between them, anticipation eating away at you on how this conversation was going to play out.
Apollo spoke up again, fists clenched at his sides.
"I've...I've made up my mind."
You swallowed thickly, jaw clenched so hard that you thought your teeth would break.
"I…" he trailed, his bit of hesitation increasing your nervousness that much more. You were biting your lip now, and you swore you could taste blood.
But his silence didn't last long (even though to you it felt like forever) and he continued, his voice clear, and confident.
"I still have so many things to learn from you!"
Because of how hard your heart was beating, you almost didn't hear him. But the slow acknowledgement of what he said ceased your worry a bit.
"He still wants to learn from Mr.Wright. Good. He can't if he's on the other side of the world. So he has to come with us." You clenched your fist, "He will come with us."
However, he wasn't finished, and you felt your throat go tight from how he began his next sentence.
"But…"
"No. No, no, no." You begged inwardly, "No "buts". Please Apollo...don't do this. I...I…"
"...I've decided to stay in Khura'in."
The world came to a standstill.
No.
There was no way.
He was lying.
He had to be lying.
But you knew him. From his determined face, the tone of his voice. There were no weird mannerisms or underlying sensation that he was lying.
As an attorney, you dug out lies. It was your job to burn them to the ground and seek out the truth, no matter how big or small.
Apollo was telling the truth. And you could tell.
How?
Because it's been proven that more often than naught…
That the truth...can hurt.