Hey guys! I'm starting a new series… So unlike me, right? But this one isn't going to be too long. I hope. This isn't a request fic, but feel free to recommend characters. Like I said, it's in chronological order according to Apollo's life crises. So to start off... I was thinking about starting in Apollo's childhood, but I kind of want to start at the beginning of AA. BTW, this story will have absolutely no romance. Even in the one with Ema... *sobs* So here you go! :D
I don't own Capcom. And I'm too tired to say something witty about that.
(O)
Dingdongdingdongdingdongdingdongdingdongdingdongdingdong
Who the heck is ringing my doorbell in the middle of the night?!
I rolled over to look at the clock, exhausted. 2am. And someone was ringing my doorbell. I picked up a tissue box from beside my bed and chucked it at the door. The doorbell ringing paused for a second, only to come back in at a faster, more annoying pace.
"Go away," I groaned loudly. The ringing continued. I plopped out of my bed and stomped to the door, swinging it open as angrily as possible.
"Hey, Apollo! Long time no see!"
"Clay. I saw you six hours ago."
"That was yesterday!"
"What are you doing at my apartment at 2 in the morning?!"
"There's a meteor shower tonight! I thought you should come with me."
"I had a really long day yesterday. I really want to sleep."
"23 hours, 56 minutes and 4.091 seconds. Just like every other day of the year. The Earth doesn't slow down just because you have a bad day."
"It wasn't just a bad day."
"Come on, please come with me." He looked at me very seriously, and I rolled my eyes. I knew that if I argued, he would stand and ring the doorbell for 8 hours.
"Fine," I muttered. Clay's face lit up like a lightbulb, and he grabbed my wrist towards him. "Wait, I've got to get dressed."
"It's two in the morning! Nobody's going to laugh at you and your red footie pajamas except for me," he laughed. I glared at him, but eventually sighed, following him out the door.
(O)
"You awake?"
"Yeah." I stared up at the stars. Clay's "meteor shower" wasn't all that exciting. We were a decent half an hour away from Los Angeles, and the stars were clear enough, but none of them were falling. They were still pretty, though, but I still would've chosen to stay in bed.
"I'm sorry for what happened today."
"You don't know how it feels."
"Yeah, you're probably right. You were betrayed by the two people that you looked up to the most. That would be like Starbuck and Cosmos ending up as jerks."
"Cosmos already is a jerk."
"True. But he's kind of a nice jerk. Like deep down, I know he cares a lot about us."
"Deep, deep, deep, deep..."
"Yeah, pretty much. But you're right. That sucks."
"I don't even want to be a lawyer anymore."
"But that was your dream! You can't let a couple of jerks take that away from you."
"I wanted to defend innocent people, Clay. But the two people that I looked up to ended up being guiltier than anyone. My dream was never realistic."
"Look up."
"At what, the stars?"
"Yeah. Less than a century ago, people looked up into space, and they thought it was impossible to get there, and that the stars would always be beyond their reach. But look at us now. We wanted to go to space, so we worked as hard as we could to create a way to get there. But it took mathematicians, and engineers, and astrologists, and all kinds of other people to get there. On your own, you aren't going to just fly and make it to the stars. It's impossible. But impossible things become a reality once you can find a way to get there. You just need a team."
"I just lost a few of my team mates."
"You just need to find a new firm. One that isn't full of jerks."
"Nobody takes on rookies, Clay. The only person who would be halfway willing to take me would be Mr. Wright, and I wouldn't go back there if someone kidnapped me and dragged me there in a sack."
"Don't give up, Apollo. You're a lawyer now. You already achieved your dream."
"But now it's a nightmare!"
"Apollo... I know that you can do this. I know that it sucks. But look. The stars are right there. They aren't moving. You're already in space, and you've just got to stay there."
"Space hurts."
"Apollo... You're fine."
"No I'm not."
"You aren't right now, but you will be. You've just got to believe it."
"How?! If I'm in space, I must be on the Apollo 13. You know, the one where everyone ends up dying."
"You're fine."
"Clay... I don't want to do this anymore. Maybe I can get a job at the Space Center, cleaning the bathrooms or something. I just don't want to have to be surrounded by guilty people who want me to prove their innocence."
"There's a little innocence in everyone, I think. You just have to find it."
"Where's Kristoph's?" I spat. I felt a tear fall down my face, and I brushed it away furiously.
"You cared about him, Apollo. You didn't care about him for no reason. There's some good in there. You're fine." I let the words ring in my ears for a while, staring up at the sky. Suddenly, a light streaked across the sky, and Clay gasped. "Make a wish, Apollo."
"It's dumb to wish on a falling star. It's just a piece of space rock burning up. Just like your dreams."
"I think you need some of your problems to burn up with that space rock."
I wish that this whole lawyer thing will work out.
"Maybe."
"Apollo, you're fine. Just don't give up."
"Find me a law firm that takes rookies, and I'll be fine."
"Wright & co."
"Anywhere but there."
"I think that you need to defend yourself. Apollo, it's all going to work out ok, I swear. Someone will have to notice how amazing of a lawyer you are. The Beatles started out in shacks, you know."
"I'm not a singer."
"But you do have those chords of steel." Clay grinned. "I'M APOLLO JUSTICE AND I'M FINE!" he shouted.
"You aren't allowed to do that."
"Come on, defend yourself. Do what you do best."
"I'm Apollo Justice. And I'm not fine."
"You won't be if you keep that up! Come on."
"I'm Apollo Justice, and I'm fine."
"Come on, louder!"
"I'm Apollo Justice, and I'M FINE!"
"Louder."
"I'M APOLLO JUSTICE AND I'M FINE!"
"That's how you do it! Are you feeling better now?"
"A little."
"See? You're fine."
"Can I go home and sleep now?"
"We've got to see one more shooting star before we go. Just look at the spot where the last one was."
I looked up at the sky for a few minutes, and eventually turned to look at the fascinated expression on Clay's face. He smiled, and his eyes glittered with starlight. I looked back up, and mentally tried to draw dot-to-dot pictures with the points of light. I didn't know many constellations, after all. Eventually we gasped as a giant streak of light flew across the sky. I grinned.
"Did you make a wish?" he asked.
"I don't need to make a wish. I'm fine."
"Of course you are."
