AN:Just an idea for a fic I got from Bruno Mars' song 'Talking to the Moon'. You should listen to it if you haven't heard it before, it's a great song! Contains massive spoilers for DD.

Disclaimer: I don't own Ace Attorney. If I did, Apollo wouldn't have lost Clay.

Everyone knew that Clay wanted to be an astronaut; it was a common fact at their school. But what no one – not even Apollo – knew, was why Clay wanted to be an astronaut so badly. Everyone had to get inspired by something.

~Flashback~

"Clay! Come clean your teeth!"

"Okay mum…."

Clay smiled at his mother through the mirror. He always looked like he had rabies when he brushed his teeth, because his toothpaste always foamed up so much. No-one else ever looked like that, and Clay often wondered if he was cleaning his teeth correctly. They were finished quickly, and rinsed their mouths before Clay ran to his room, his mum following him.

Clay's mum found him already tucked into bed when she got there, with a goofy smile on his face.

"Can I hear the story again, mum?" Clay asked enthusiastically.

"Sure" Clay's mother smiled at him warmly, before reaching for the handmade story book. She pulled open the blinds slightly, so that a sliver of moonlight could be seen in the room. Clay's face shone as he waited for his mum to start reading. Not that she needed to; he knew the story off by heart. As his mother turned the first page, his mother put on her story-telling voice, and began.

"Once, in a time not-so-very-long-ago, there lived a happy family, with a mummy and a daddy and two beautiful children. They played together and had fun and got along very well. One day, the youngest child got very sick. The doctor said that she would have to go soon, and the family was very sad. The mummy cooked all her favourite meals for her, and her daddy played tag with her a lot too. Her older brother even made her some origami stars and cranes to try to make her happy. The little girl was very happy, and before she left, her mummy told her family that the little girl was leaving to a place just beyond the moon. She would stay at a star's house, and would shine bright to give hope to her family left on Earth. 'But how do we know which star she is on?' The boy asked his mummy, and his sister asked too. 'We can talk to her through the moon.' The mother replied, smiling and pointing at the moon. 'We can't hear her on Earth, but she will be able to hear us because of the alien technology that is at the star's house' their mother explained. The children gaped in awe at their mother, feeling better about the little girl leaving. Only a month later, the little girl finally left to her new home with the star. Every night, the boy would talk to her through the moon, until one night, when the moon was gone. 'It's alright.' His mother explained gently, 'The star aliens have to update the signal once a month; otherwise it will get rusty and not work anymore.' The boy smiled, and continued to talk to his younger sister whenever the moon was out. Even when the boy grew older, he would never forget to talk to the moon."

Clay smiled as his mum finished. His mum gave a smile back, and patted Clay on the head. She closed his blinds completely and made her way to his door.

"It's time for bed now, mister." She told him as she turned off his light and shut his door. Clay fell asleep immediately, not noticing the sad smile his mother wore as she shut the door.

A few years later, when Clay had begun school, Clay's mother passed away. Clay was devastated, and he couldn't control himself. Three days after her death, he found an old storybook that he had long forgotten. He sat down on the floor, carefully turning each page as he read the book. That night, Clay opened his blinds a crack to see the moon shining brightly in the sky. He looked down nervously as he began speaking.

"Hello, Mum…."

The conversation lasted almost all night, and Clay woke up in the morning leaning on the windowsill. He felt better about his mother's passing, but he still was sad. He went back to school that day, and found himself staying back looking at the stars. He never would have thought that his mum would give him a friend to help him where she could no longer. But even though he had Apollo, Clay continued to secretly talk to the moon.

~End Flashback ~

Clay was in training for his first launch, which was scheduled to be within the next 2-3 years. Clay was becoming more fit each day, and he found himself getting more excited as the launch date drew closer. Apollo was always there to support him; to remind him that he really is fine, but it was his mum's silent encouragement that kept him going. She was the one who made him fall in love with the stars and the moon. He knew now that the stars were most likely not alien planets where dead people went, and that the moon might not be a giant communications device. But he continued to talk to the moon, just in case. Even if she wasn't a star, he was certain that his mother could hear him from somewhere.

~ 2 Years in the future ~

It was a month from the launch, and Clay was informed about the phone call from the terrorist/spy/person. He was devastated about not going to the moon, but a small part of him understood.

At the launch, Clay was putting his grade 8 acting skills to the test as he tried not to let on to Starbuck that anything was wrong. It all went smoothly, up until they had to fake the escape. Clay began to whisper silently to himself as he walked through the entrance to the boarding lounge.

"Maybe mum is really up there, protecting and watching me?" Clay spoke softly to himself, and a smile graced his face, before he felt a pain in his chest. The world went black, his last thought him finally joining his mum and of the pain he would cause Apollo. "I'm sor…" Clay half-said as he fell to the floor.

AN: I am planning on doing another chapter basing it on Clay sharing his story with Apollo. Thanks for reading!

Review question: What is your favourite constellation that you can see in the sky? Mine is the southern cross