A/N- Warning, this contains spoilers for Dual Destinies. A rather big spoiler too. Well, it came as a shock to me when I learned this in the game, so...
"Come on Simon!" Athena urged, pulling the pale teen off the sofa. Simon stumbled slightly.
"Athena, what are you doing?" Simon mumbled, a tad sleepily. After all, he had just been woken up from his slumber that had evaded him for two days. Athena grinned, her face shining.
"I've got something to show you Simon! But first, you have to undergo a series of tests." Athena said happily. The 17 year old in the black coat groaned quietly, but got up nonetheless, much to Athena's pleasure. The little 7 year old jumped up and down happily, and hugged Simon.
"You won't regret it! Okay, the first test is a test of trust, and how well you can obey things. I'll put this blindfold on you," She brandished a black scarf, "And I'll tell you how to get to the first checkpoint, okay?" She explained. Simon banished all thoughts of worry to the back of his head, and nodded. She went behind him and attempted to reach up to his eyes, but failed, even on her tiptoes. Simon was rather tall, after all. Simon chuckled softly and knelt down so she could fasten the scarf around his eyes and temporarily blind him. She did so, and Simon couldn't see a single thing. Everything was black, his favourite colour. I guess that happened when he was called Blackquill, and wore black all the time.
"How many fingers am I holding up?" She asked. Simon shrugged.
"Nine?" He guessed. It was her favourite number, after all.
"Nope! Two! Now, take two steps forward, and three steps to the right." Athena commanded, staying behind him at all times incase he fell. Simon obeyed, but remembered to take Athena-sized steps. One of his steps would equal about two of hers, believe it or not.
Five commands later Simon and Athena appeared in the robotics lab, where Metis Cykes and Aura Blackquill were currently working on a robot. Metis looked slightly bemused at her daughter and her student's little game, whilst Aura was sniggering at her brother stepping cautiously, occasionally bumping into a desk or a chair.
"You look like a complete fool Simon! What are you hoping to accomplish with this little game?" Aura snickered. Simon lifted his head up, as if he was looking down his nose at her.
"I happen to be playing a game with Athena. She wants to show me something, but I have to undergo a series of tests first. Furthermore, I like to play with Athena. I find her to be very good company, and she's a joy to play with, unlike your dolls." Simon rebutted. Aura raised her eyebrows.
"Look at you, all high and mighty beneath that blindfold." She said. Simon glared at her from beneath his blindfold. He still couldn't see her, but he acted like he could, so that he could creep her out. Simon and Aura were constantly at loggerheads, whether it be over the TV remote or over who had a better taste of spare time activities.
"You look stupid, you know that?" Aura said offensively. Simon shrugged, but Athena stepped in. She bit her nail for a bit, then stood up confidently.
"Simon-dono doesn't look stupid, he looks awesome! Like a samurai... covered in... colours of the... ethe...ether... colours of the everreal!" Athena defended proudly. Simon chuckled and lifted the little girl up onto his shoulders, trying to give her a fist bump. Aura shrugged.
"Got the little princess talking samurai language now? Isn't she too young for katanas and that stuff?" Aura asked.
"Not my fault Athena likes watching my samurai films with me." Simon said bluntly. Then Metis stepped in.
"Come on guys, we don't want an argument. Athena, lead Simon out of here, and Aura, come on, let's go get a coffee." Metis said, taking Aura out of the robotics lab.
Athena patted Simon's head.
"Back to the test! Okay, take five steps forward..." Athena ordered, and soon enough, the two were out of the robotics lab and at the first checkpoint. Athena cheered when they arrived.
"Well done Simon! I'll take the blindfold off now!" Athena said, unfastening the knot, letting Simon see light again. He thanked her, and knelt down so that she could get off his shoulders. Whilst he was bending down he noticed a piece of paper on the floor. After Athena got off he inspected it. There was writing on it, which he deduced to be Athena's writing.
"You found the riddle! Right, you've got to answer it to get the first piece of the big prize at the end!" Athena explained happily. Simon smiled at her. She's really put lots of time and energy into this. Simon read the riddle out loud.
"There are four moods in a matrix.
Happy, sad, surprised and angry.
But someone in the world has very little emotion.
He is devoid of the knowledge of normal humans.
Who is he?"
"I made it up myself, it might not be very good..." Athena trailed off. Simon patted her head.
"It's a good riddle. So good that I'm kinda stuck. Hmm... let's see..." Simon thought. Athena giggled.
"It can't be a ghost, ghosts have lots of feelings. A spirit? No, they're practically the same... Ah, I've got it! A phantom!" Simon said. He turned to Athena, who nodded her head.
"Now, here's the first part of our prize. Don't open it though!" She warned, and placed a manila envelope in Simon's hands.
"Thank you Athena-dono. Now, where should I put this?" Simon wondered. Athena thought for a bit, then came up with an idea.
"I know! Why don't you ask Taka to take it to the finish?" Athena suggested, her orange ponytail bouncing up and down. Simon nodded approvingly, and whistled for Taka to come. When Taka came Simon gave him the envelope, and told Athena to tell him where to go, which she did, but in a whisper, so that Simon wouldn't hear. Taka flew off, leaving Simon and Athena with a whole load of tiny brown baby hawk feathers.
End of the first test
A/N- Hey! Thanks for reading!
Oh my God, I'm actually writing something! And now I've got a headache. But I've got to update 'The First Heist', 'The Magical Turnabout' and 'Death By' too! And post the next chapter of 'Trucy Justice: Ace Attorney' too first! I've got my work cut out for me! 0_0'
In my opinion, Simon and Athena's relationship before UR-1 was really nice, and it kinda made my fangirl mode go into overdrive. Just ask UnderThePureMoon for details! The way Simon protected Athena, and the way Athena became a lawyer to free Simon... utter awesomeness.
Anyway, tell me what you think in your reviews and what you think the big prize for Simon is going to be!
Oh, and I give my thanks to UnderThePureMoon for inspiring me to write this with her story 'in loving memory of'!
