Chapter One

The Waking Dream

Athena ran home, crying happiness.

It should be a contradiction, but it wasn't. At the end of the UR-1 retrial, she'd never been more excited and exhausted in her life. If she went to sleep now, her dreams would go for a run. They'd race around the broken courthouse, dancing in glee.

And Simon would be there, feather in his mouth and a smile on his face. Enjoying the wind and sun and simple joy of being alive.

Being alive. A joy too many took for granted.

Unbidden, her mind flew to scenes of death. Innocents, stabbed and killed. The guilty, chained and executed.

Was it really different, in the end? Did the human spirit travel to another place, if their circumstances were different? Did the afterlife care about human judgements? Or did they have their own system?

Athena gnawed on the question, tossing and turning in her bed. She was forestalling sleep. Why?

If I wake up... What if I wake up, and this is all gone? Everything I worked for, fought for, sold my soul and hoped to die for. When I wake up, will my dreams be real?

She'd just had the happiest day of her life. But every day needed to end somewhere.

"Good night, Athena!" Widget chirped as she turned him off for the night. "Sweet dreams."

She really thought she was going to have sweet dreams tonight.

Instead, he showed up.

"My, my, my, how far you've come," the man before her offered a smile, which just made her more uneasy.

"W-who are you?" Athena fell out of her bed, fully dressed in her court attire. Widget rested around her neck, a tentative dark blue.

That's how she knew it was a dream. But not just any dream. She'd had this experience before. Several years ago, when all her working and hoping and praying took a... different turn.

Last time, she'd met with a demon. He was a larger man, with white hair and tan skin and a fondness for swimming. He wore the stereotypical red, and didn't beat around the bush even once. He knew what she wanted, and so did she. A business deal, through and through.

But this man... he wore light blue, with a pink tie. His long, blonde hair was coiled to the side, like a prosecutor she'd met in October. The light from outside shone off his fair skin, making him look almost angelic.

But Athena had heard him speak. The voice of his heart was something no angel should ever possess.

She repeated her question. "Who are you?"

"Hmph. I am but a single member of the recently departed. Does it matter? Since my passing, I have become yet another member of the lower angels, with contracts for miracles any mortal can obtain. I am here to discuss a deal you signed with my colleagueseveral years prior."

"That was a miracle?" Athena questioned. She remembered the meeting, of course. But it didn't make sense. "...I made it. I became a lawyer-"

"Most of that was your own work, yes. Only the initial acceptance was altered. Though if you were curious, your deal guaranteed you the minimal passing grade regardless of action on your part."

Athena tried not to think about the implications of that. Or where she could have seen this man before. Gott, he looked like Klavier's twin.

"Okay, but how do you explain the Phantom being Fulbright? Wasn't that just coincidence?"

"Really? How do you explain a well sought after spy choosing to assume the identity of a year-dead officer? His body was found, his DNA well documented... It would he so foolish, to take that gamble.

"Unless, of course, he had a little push."

Athena gasped. "What are you saying?"

"My organization convinced him of his chosen identity. It wasn't hard: he was a shell of a man. Easily molded. We prevented Fulbright's body from being recognized and tricked the fingerprint scanners on the man's police locker," the demon laughed. "We even gave him the insane belief that the moon rock could be used to identify him. In truth, it would have been useless."

Athena stepped back, realizing something. "Wait, does that mean- Clay Terran-?"

"Yes, Miss Cykes. It's part of the price you pay for a miracle. My boss is a fair man: he will assist any mortal who makes a deal with him. But he also won't deny his gates a soul, for any reason. Any party a miracle saved must be paid with another's life."

"I killed Clay Terran..."

"Not technically, no. You did no killing with your own hands, nor did your wish request death. By your laws and mine, you are blameless," he paused, smiling at his own thoughts. "That said... I wouldn't mention this detail to Justice, if I were you."

That tone of familiarity, when he mentioned Apollo's name. She didn't miss it.

He knew Apollo. She could tell.

Dios, who was he?

She almost didn't want to ask. "What about the retrial? How did you have a hand in that?"

"Me personally? I did nothing to help you. My organization, however, did several things."

"What?"

"First and foremost, we extended Mr. Blackquill's execution date beyond the intended timespan. I don't know of you are aware, but most death-row inmates die within five years. We had to give you a chance to save him, after all."

"Were you all responsible for Simon prosecuting again?"

"Believe it or not, no. That was all Mr. Edgeworth's doing. But my organization's work was still in progress at this point. Second for us was the matter of his sister, Aura Blackquill. With her mind obscured in grief and hate, she was already close to violence. It didn't take much to give her an idea."

"This plan seems really complicated," she commented.

He shrugged. "The original plan was to forge new evidence that implicated a new party, but that went against your contract." The man sighed. "I don't see why such a matter was relevant to you. You'd have never been caught for it in this world."

He knew Apollo... he forged evidence...

"You're Kristoph Gavin," she whispered. Then, with more force. "I have heard of you."

He shook his head. "I am but a new member of the lower order of angels. The order that helps humans in fair trade. Every miracle is delivered and paid for, with the ultimate guarantee."

Loss of individual identity, huh? Was it a choice, or something they had to do? The last demon she met did it, as well. Maybe it was a demon thing?

"Uh- ultimate guarantee?"

He smiled at that. "Why, don't tell me you didn't read your contract?"

"It's been a few years." And she hadn't taken it seriously at the time. Back then, it had all been a dream.

Maybe it still was.

"The 'ultimate guarantee' is the failsafe signed into every contract my order creates. It states that, if a mortal either can not or will not pay the price of the miracle they requested, they will pay instead with their soul. Contrary to popular perception, the party in question dies the same way they would have otherwise. But no matter what they do or believe in life, their soul is my boss's to own. He does with it as he wishes.

"There is no escape, no redemption from this condition, and it is only invoked when a mortal refuses or is rendered incapable of paying for a service they willingly bought," he adjusted his glasses while speaking. "And that, Miss Cykes, is what makes the ultimate guarantee infallible."

Athena swallowed. This couldn't be real... But what if it was?

"So what do I have to pay for this? I remember it being in the contract, but I didn't fully understand it all meant."

Athena was fifteen, just applying to law school when it all went awry. Her uncle was a man of faith, and promised if she was a good person and prayed to the right place, her every need would be taken care of.

She tried praying to every "place" until one responded. For better or worse.

Mr. Gavin smirked at those words, almost like he's been hearing her thoughts. "You agreed to leave the payment up to the demon who collected their due, if any only if you save Simon Blackquill successfully."

He smiled, genuinely this time. It warmed her, if only the slightest bit. "I must say, that was clever of you. Your contract stated only the wish for the chance and ability to save him. Not to save him, necessarily. The distinction seems slight, but it prevented members of my order from merely possessing you and carrying out your wish with whatever methods they saw fit. You had to work for it yourself, and mostly on your terms," he laughed. "No, the only party I got to possess was Justice, that day. It was pleasant, until I had to leave."

She felt sick, remembering more about this man. He'd gotten the boss disbarred out of simple envy, manipulated his brother into condemning him, forged evidence without shame, and killed two men. Kristoph Gavin, the man who was praised for a paper thin facade when she heard in every inflection of his voice how ruthless her was. Kristoph Gavin, a name of pettiness and cruelty.

Athena shuddered to think of what this man would ask from her. But she had to know.

"So. What do you want from me?"

He smiled, approaching her. She tried to back away, but failed. He got closer and closer to her until there was no space between them.

And not in metaphorical terms. Kristoph Gavin was standing inside her. She couldn't see his spirit anywhere. Then she looked into the mirror.

His cold stone eyes shone through her sockets, squinting in an expression out of place. "I want myself back. To be a lawyer again."

His eyes landed on her lapel, "You're a new lawyer, no?"

Her breath hitched, in her mind. When she watched in the mirror, it didn't happen.

She wasn't sure he could hear her thoughts, so she spoke out loud. "You want to possess me. In court."

His voice echoed in her head. The bastard was laughing. "And the occasional investigation. Don't worry, it won't be every case. Only those that interest me. You can even have any that put your personal friends in the defendant's seat."

A smirk. It looked so unusual on her face. "Isn't that generous?"

A shudder. "How long?"

A scoff. "For as long as I want, Miss Cykes. Don't worry: I won't draw attention to myself. I'll do everything I can to ensure you remain believable. I'm good at fooling an audience. But if you see rumors you've developed an alter ego, don't be surprised."

Please let this be a dream.

"Will you keep up your... usual tactics?" Will you forge evidence?

He answered both her questions, moving his -no, her- hands across her body, lingering on her chest just a second too long. She could have sworn he squeezed them, if only for a second. "Not in a way that implicates you. Calm down, Miss Cykes. Phoenix won't suspect a thing. You're like another daughter to him. Sentimental fool."

Hey! Don't talk about the boss like that!

He just laughed. The demon really could hear everything, couldn't he?

Athena wished she could flip him onto the ground. "And if I say no?"

"The ultimate guarantee goes into effect. Either cohabitate with a demon for some of your days, or become one. You'll do things just like me, for all eternity. All the good you can accomplish in your life and more will cancel out after centuries and centuries of making contracts, taking an eye for an eye and an extra coin for your purse. Your feelings of helpless anger, right now? You will inflict that, on thousands of mortals. And they will join you in mutual suffering. In comparison, this is a small price to pay."

He hesitated, then added. "Oh, and don't even try to remove your badge early. I'll just ask for your body one week of every month to do as I please."

Athena gulped. She knew she couldn't say no. But she couldn't go down without a fight!

She had to minimize this. She wasn't just about to hand over court privileges to a murderer. Not with her body.

So she steeled herself, thinking in her feet. "I have three conditions. Agree to them, or I'll suck it up, and the real devil gets everything."

The prospect didn't faze him. "I like you already, Miss Cykes. What are your conditions?"

"Before that... if you violate my rules at any time, I refuse to keep paying and take the guarantee."

She was bluffing (for the most part), but he didn't need to know that. All he had to do was behave.

"First, you can only possess me on a case. The actual investigation, talking to our client, and court itself. Not during trial break, not when I consider taking a case, and never in my personal life. The second you take a case and the verdict is declared, you go back to whichever hellhole you came from." Maybe if she limited the time he could possess her, it would prevent him from doing anything shady.

"Second, I have to be aware of what's happening while you possess me at all times. If I find out I defended in court and don't have an accurate and distinct memory of it, that's a contract breach.

"Third, you can only use my body for defending. If you use me for anything else, say, to get revenge on people or murder or... Whatever else you might be inclined to do, you lose your deal. I am only a medium for business. Got it?"

For a second, all was silent. Athena couldn't hear him anymore.

Then her hands moved on their own accord, up to cup her face tenderly, lowering to her neck and towards her badge.

Her heart pounded in fear. Her mouth didn't move down the words she heard. The cold lightness disappeared from her eyes.

"You have a deal."

A/N's: So this is a little... Out of my depth. I may have taken a few liberties with the following prompt:

"After his execution, Kristoph becomes a demon, serving under the real devil and tempting mortals into making deals with him. He goes all around the AA cast, signing people up for miracles they can't afford. The rest is up to anon."

I didn't follow it exactly, but when author and OP are one, that doesn't really matter.

Anyway, the more I read my fill, the more I want to know what's next. This fic is for me to know if anyone feels the same. Updates will be sporadic, as AAI3 comes first (the rough copy of the first case is near complete. I want the first chapter up this week. It may not all be posted this month, but I promise it will be out before my school year starts (mid-August)),l but this story is for whenever I'm burnt out and need something else to do.

Feedback is welcome and encouraged. I need to know... Is this a premise worth continuing? I've seen possession fics before, and some with Kristoph, but Athena's never been involved. Did I do her justice?

Please leave a review below, and I'll see you on the far side!