NOTE: PLEASE TELL ME ABOUT ANY GRAMMAR ERRORS MADE. THANK YOU.
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Apollo Justice was never one to actively involve others in his seemingly meaningless affairs. This was especially true when it came to his co-workers, Athena Cykes and Phoenix Wright. Well, former co-workers anyway. Their jobs required great mental fortitude and the possibility of having them linger on his issues when their clients needed far more help, vexed his already taxed mind. He knew that battling his inner demons alone would just debilitate his overall consistency of work but he just couldn't help it.
The mere thought of having someone close to him agonize over his worries diminished his long tarnished pride and psyche.
Why should he ask for help when there are hundreds of thousands of people around him who required solace more so than he?
The world is a cruel place and Apollo knows that quite well. Having grown up as an orphan with his father being dead and his mother's whereabouts being unknown, he was adopted by Dhurke who sadly met his end not too long ago.
Apollo knew that he still had Nahyuta and his mom could possibly be alive somewhere but he still felt more alone than ever.
That might be due to the intricate amount of thought he's put into this subject lately though. Ever since choosing to stay in Khura'in and help fortify the legal system after the literally deadly trial with the former queen, Apollo's had a lot of alone time. More than you would think anyway.
Sure, he was the only defense attorney really doing anything, but that was all merely for formality's sake.
Most if not all of the trials so far have been filled with wrongly accused defendants who've had their names cleared. While progress was being made, it would still take hundreds of more trials to give everyone in Khura'in their deserved place.
And more often than not, Apollo would find himself doing paperwork at the Justice Law Office since once again; he was the only available defense attorney. No one else was viable for the majority of the paperwork that he had to fill out.
For 4 months, it's been a life of dull and monotonous tedium. Apollo knew that he was making a difference but at what cost? His own life? He could've been back home at the Wright Anything Agency living the bizarre yet fulfilling lifestyle he loved so much.
Back to being the only worker who bothered to be on time.
Back to cleaning the toilet weekly.
Back to dealing with Trucy's magic show shenanigans.
Back to taking cases with his partner Athena.
'Wait, what the hell am I thinking about? This isn't right… I didn't stay behind in Khura'in to just regret my determination! I wanted to make a difference! I wanted to help guide the people of this country to a legal system where all would be judged fairly. A system they all deserved. But most of all, I wanted to honor the wishes of Dhurke.'
When Apollo thought of Dhurke, the memory of the water filled cavern shook him to his core.
"Horn-Head, are you okay?" Rayfa looked up to the lawyer whose face had gone pale as they waited for dinner to arrive.
"H-huh? Oh uh yeah. Sorry, just tired. I had to resolve a lot more cases than usual today." Apollo answered.
"…If you say so." Rayfa said in an unconvinced tone as one of the palace's servants came with their food.
"Anyway, why did you call me here Your Benevolence? It's not often that I'm invited to your room."
"It's about you actually."
"Me?"
Apollo gave Rayfa a confused stare which was met with a sly grin.
"Many of us in the palace have been thinking of making a holiday dedicated to you Horn-Head." Rayfa said smirking as Apollo spat out the Khura'ineese drink he was starting to gulp down.
"W-WHAT?! A holiday?!" Apollo stood up from his chair as the 'horns' on his head dropped down.
"Yes, it was actually mother's idea."
"B-but why? It seems kind of unnecessary don't you think?!" Apollo said in rejection but Rayfa merely shook her head.
"It seems you don't understand." Rayfa shook her head disappointingly. "Don't you see? The people of Khura'in practically worship you Horn-Head. Every time you walk into the streets, the citizens cheer and mob you! Women fawn for you, men shake your hand, children beg for your autograph….the list goes on and on Horn-Head."
"But..." Apollo couldn't exactly deny those claims. "But, the holiday thing is a bit much isn't it?"
"Come on AJ! Lighten up!" Datz suddenly appeared behind Apollo while peeling an apple.
"Y-you! How did you-!"
"Calm down princess." Datz interrupted Rayfa who looked just about ready to bonk the unwelcome patron's head.
"I was just delivering a package to some of the on duty guards when I just happened to hear this prospect you're proposing to our favorite little lawyer!"
"Datz not you too-"
"Come on AJ! Doesn't the thought of having holiday named after you make you all giddy?" Datz laughed while Apollo just shook his head in annoyance.
"We don't have time for that! There are still hundreds of cases that have to be handl-"
"Everyone needs a break AJ and now seems like the perfect time."
As much as I hate to admit it…I agree with Datz." Rayfa admitted, putting Apollo into a bigger spiral of confusion.
Apollo was speechless.
"It's been three months AJ… and everyone's tired. Didn't Dhurke teach you that all work and no play make you a dull boy?" Datz grinned.
"…I've always been dull." Apollo sighed and adjusted his tie. "So the concept of 'play' in this case doesn't make sense to me."
Apollo walked out of Rayfa's room to return to his office.
"Hmm… I knew something wasn't right with him." Datz said as discarded his apple.
"You seem to be right Datz. I wish that mother and I took your warning more seriously." Rayfa sighed as a wave of sadness washed over her.
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When Apollo arrived back at the Justice Law Offices, a pang of tiredness came over him so he moved a couple of papers from one of the sofas and laid down on it.
'Damn it, I should've gone back to my room at the palace. That bed is the most otherworldly thing in this country.'
Apollo shook his head and focused on matters he deemed 'more important'.
The matter of his 'worthless' love for Athena Cykes.
Well, he thought of it as love anyway.
He's had his share of crushes throughout public school but the way he felt towards his former female co-worker was… different.
He couldn't quite explain it but just the thought of Athena made him blush and feel a bit dizzy.
Was it the fact that they both dealt with severe loss in their life and that they can both sympathize with each other?
Or was it something far more rudimentary? Far more simple?
Apollo couldn't quite figure it out but those thoughts didn't matter now… and they never will.
He had a duty to honor Dhurke's memory and make Khura'in a place where its people can trust the legal system.
Humoring himself with impossible dreams like going out with Athena Cykes just wasn't worth the mental baggage. Especially since she seemed to have something going on with Prosecutor Blackquill.
Eventually though, the stress of the chaotic paper work day caught up to Apollo and sleep ambushed him.
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The sky was black and the ground was white. In front of Apollo was his former mentor, Kristoph Gavin.
"My my, if it isn't Justice." Kristoph remarked in a mocking tone.
"Why are you here?" Apollo demanded in a low voice.
"You should be asking yourself that question Justice." Kristoph clapped his hands and Jove Justice appeared before two of them.
"W-what?" Apollo instinctively backed up.
"We're inside of your ludicrously dull head Justice and everything that happens here is due to your pathetic excuse of cognition."
Kristoph snapped his fingers and Jove Justice burned before Apollo.
"N-NOOOO!" Apollo reached out towards the burning figure which just passed through him.
Kristoph clapped his hands again, this time summoning Dhurke to take his fall.
"What's your game ?" Apollo roared coldly.
"Ha…hahahaha! To think you still have it in you to refer to me so respectfully! I'm touched Justice!"
When Kristoph snapped his fingers, a gun appeared in his hands.
"W-WAIT!" Apollo ran up to Kristoph and attempted to punch him but once again, just like with Jove, he merely passed through him.
"Don't you see?! Don't you see how powerless you are in your own dreams Justice?!" Kristoph laughed manically as he shot Dhurke 3 times, causing him to fall to the ground.
Seeing Dhurke's corpse again made tears unconsciously run down Apollo's face.
"It's quite a shame. It really is." Kristoph clapped again and Clay appeared this time.
"S-stop…" Apollo demanded in a weak voice.
"Even in the realms of your subconscious you're still a miserable wretch could can do nothing but weep at the sight of your dead loved ones!" Kristoph snapped his fingers and summoned a dagger in his right hand.
"Why?! Why are you still haunting me?!" Apollo screamed in unbridled anguish.
"Because you're weak." Kristoph replied as he stabbed Clay in the heart.
The sight of Clay's dead body made Apollo clutch his head in agony but he still glared at Kristoph with an unrelenting fervor in his eyes.
"You've experienced an almost inhumane amount of loss Justice…" Kristoph clapped his hands, summoning Simon Blackquill and Athena Cykes.
"But in spite of that, you're still the same weak little boy I met years ago." Kristoph said disappointingly and walked away as Simon and Athena kissed.
This was the last straw for Apollo. He closed his eyes and screamed. When he opened his eyes, he saw himself sitting in his room in the palace.
Rather than questioning why he was even there, Apollo clenched his fists.
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At the Wright Anything Agency, the sight of what appeared on the news shocked everyone in the room.
"In Khura'in, the country which has recently been liberated from its tyrannical queen, there exists a hero by the name of Apollo Justice who is responsible for this positive change." The newscaster said. "And now, they are forming a brand new holiday called 'Justice Week' which is mean to celebrate the deeds of this young hero."
At those words, everyone in the Wright Anything Agency yelled out in pure astonishment.
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