Age Twenty-Four

He has certainly not expected to die today.

To be honest, the possibility that he could die has never even crossed his mind. It's foolish, he knows this now; as a revolutionary and number one of the country's most wanted criminals, he has led a very dangerous life after all – but after decades of going on risky missions and yet somehow managing to never get into real mortal danger, Dhurke has gotten used to always escaping unscathed.

Well, it seems that he has finally run out of luck. He has been so unbelievably blind. Minister Inga has wanted him dead for such a long time, he really should have anticipated that at some point, he would try to take matters into his own hands. He should have known something like this could happen someday.

But there is no use crying over spilled milk.

At least, there is no pain, as the only thing he feels right now is the warmth of his own blood flowing from the wounds on his chest and soaking his shirt. He doesn't want to die yet. He wants to see the revolution succeed, wants to see freedom return to the people of Khura'in. He wants to save Nahyuta whose soul is still in the clutches of the queen.

And he wants to see Apollo again. Apollo, whom he has not contacted for fifteen years – he so wishes he could tell him he loves him and how proud he is of him…

His vision dims around the edges, but Dhurke tries to fight it, though he knows that it will be in vain, that he cannot escape death anymore.

"Please, hang in there." The voice of the woman he has been trying to save sounds so far away now. "You can still make it…"

Apollo…

Even breathing is becoming difficult now. Perhaps… perhaps there is a way to see him again… just one more time…

"P… Promise… Promise me… o-one thing, young lady," he manages to whisper. "I-It's about… my son."

They say that when you die, your whole life flashes before your eyes, but he finds that it is not true. The only image that rises before Dhurke Sahdmadhi's eyes as he draws his last breath is that of his sons, when they are little, running towards him with outstretched arms and faces shining with happiness.

Apollo is so exhausted that he feels like he could fall asleep on the spot. This whole day just feels like a crazy dream, really. This morning, Dhurke has suddenly showed up in the Wright Anything Agency – completely out of the blue, acting as if nothing has ever happened. And of course, Apollo has immediately been dragged right into one of his little "adventures": going to Kurain Village to find the Founder's Orb which supposedly could help Dhurke's revolution, finding out that the man who was supposed to give it to the Defiant Dragons has died the night before and the Founder's Orb has disappeared, doing a lot of investigation, arguing with a posh politician guy, and eventually going on a not-so-voluntary cave expedition which has led to Apollo nearly drowning.

The result of all of this? Tomorrow, he will be facing Mr. Wright in court. His own boss, Mr. Wright.

He sighs softly, leans back in his seat and watches the landscape roll past the window. They are on the train back to the city. Datz is staying in Kurain Village tonight in order to keep an eye on the politician, while Trucy has gone back to the city together with Mr. Edgeworth and Mr. Wright earlier this afternoon, still desperately trying to talk her father into calling the trial off again, so it is just Dhurke and him now.

It still feels so surreal. Though deeply buried underneath the bitter resentment towards Dhurke, there has always been a small part of Apollo that has secretly wished to see him again, just once more. Even though he has felt betrayed to no end, there have been a few moments when he'd think about what it would be like if he would meet his family again one day. At that time, he has of course imagined the worst: Dhurke and Nahyuta both being dismissive and cold, either ignoring him or pretending to not know him at all. As it turns out, he has only been half wrong with that.

Nahyuta has behaved pretty much how he imagined he would. The only thing Apollo hasn't been prepared for is how much it would hurt to hear him say such words.

"I don't have a brother, Prosecutor Gavin."

It has been pure coincidence that Apollo has heard him say it at all. He has been at the Prosecutor's Building to meet up with Klavier in order to discuss the evidence of a current case when, on his way to Klavier's office, he passed the slightly open door of another office, and, hearing Nahyuta's and Klavier's voices behind it, stopped to listen in. True, Nahyuta has looked a bit horrified for a split second when Apollo has burst in right afterwards. But that has only been because he hasn't expected him to be there, and not because he regretted his words – he has made that very clear when they passed each other in a hallway the next day and he just looked right through him, stubbornly pretending that Apollo didn't exist.

And Dhurke… well, he thankfully still is the same old Dhurke, but his presence still feels foreign. It's almost as if there is an invisible barrier between them that hasn't been there when he was little. It is only natural that he feels so disconnected, Apollo supposes – after all, he hasn't seen Dhurke in fifteen years, and to be honest, even after everything that has happened today, there is still some distrust toward him left in Apollo. However, it somehow hurts – after all this time, he has finally been reunited with his family and yet, he cannot be happy about it, because there is so much distance between him and them that it doesn't really feel like they have been reunited at all.

And on top of all that, there is that trial tomorrow… Apollo bites his lip, trying to contain the anxiousness that rises within him. He really doesn't want to do this… if only there was another way…

"Are you alright, son?" he hears Dhurke ask.

"Huh? Y-Yeah, I'm fine." Apollo runs a hand through his hair. "Just worried about tomorrow."

"Ah." Dhurke suddenly looks a bit apologetic. "Apollo, I've been meaning to say… nasai mian'ha. I didn't want to get you into such a mess. I certainly did not imagine our little trip to Kurain Village to go this way."

"It's alright, it's not your fault."

"Mr. Wright is your boss, right? I really hope this dispute won't put your job in danger, son. I could always find another lawyer."

"Don't worry, Mr. Wright isn't like that. I'll be fine. It will all be fine. …I think."

His adoptive father doesn't look convinced at all.

"You can trust me on this," Apollo adds quickly. "I already have experience with a situation like this." He tries his best to sound confident, but the slight trembling in his voice gives him away. Fortunately, Dhurke doesn't comment on it, but instead asks: "You mean you already faced a superior of yours in court before, son?"

"Yeah, I have."

Apollo starts to feel cold as memories of the first time he has had to go up against a boss of him float through his head. Mr. Gavin's cool smile, his furious glare, the complete lack of any remorse in his eyes as he talks about his crimes, his insane laugh at the end that has scared Apollo so much it has haunted him in his dreams for months… Apollo shivers slightly. Maybe that's the real reason why he is so scared of the upcoming trial against Mr. Wright – maybe he secretly fears that the second time of him facing a superior in court will end just like the first has.

Suddenly, he grows aware that Dhurke has been watching him closely the whole time he's been in his thoughts, and can probably also guess what those thoughts have been about.

"What happened back then, son?" he asks quietly.

Apollo shakes his head and looks out the window again. "Nothing. It's nothing."

He can still feel Dhurke's gaze on him, but his adoptive father doesn't press the matter any further.

They spend the rest of the train ride plus the walk from the station to where Apollo lives almost completely in silence. Upon arriving in his apartment, Apollo immediately disappears into his bedroom to change into clean and dry clothes. He still has to get used to his son being an adult, Dhurke muses while looking around the little flat. He somehow has never thought about that – that it would be a little shock to see the nine-year-old boy he remembers suddenly all grown up. He has grown into the very image of Jove, like Dhurke has expected, and he can still see traces of the child he has sent away so many years ago in his now adult son's features. But Apollo's eyes have lost the shine of curiosity and optimism they've always had when he has been little. Instead, they are serious and focused now, and also somewhat weary, like the eyes of someone who has led a hard life so far and has already been through painful losses. His apartment is very tidy though and overall, it looks like it's not being lived in very much. Apollo doesn't seem to spend much time here; maybe he is working very often and very long. Several framed photographs are hanging on the wall, a few older looking case files are lying on the small table, a guitar is leaned against the wall – Dhurke smiles at this, Apollo really is Jove's son through and through – , a small plant sits on the windowsill and next to it a small, old looking, wooden box which looks… kind of familiar, almost exactly like the music box he has given Apollo for his fifth or sixth birthday.

Dhurke crosses the room and carefully picks it up. It really is the music box he has made for his son, he can clearly see the little dragon he has carved onto the cover. To think that his son has really held onto this for all those years…

Behind him, he hears a door open and Apollo comes walking back into the room, his arms laden with a bedsheet, a blanket and a pillow.

"I didn't know you kept this old thing all this time, son."

"Huh?" Apollo throws the sheet, blanket and the pillow onto the sofa and glances at the music box in Dhurke's hands. "Oh, that… yeah, I couldn't throw it away. It was the only thing I had left of… of Khura'in. And I still like to listen to the music." He bends down and pulls hard on the front of the couch, until it kind of extends itself into a small bed. It seems that in the States, they sell far more practical and useful couches than they do in Khura'in, Dhurke thinks, putting the box back onto the windowsill. "I believe I never told you, Apollo, but that song… it's the same one your father used to sing to you to put you to sleep."

Apollo looks at the wooden box thoughtfully. "I… I knew," he says softly. "Somehow, I always knew."

"He would be very proud of you." Dhurke glances over to the instrument leaning in the corner. "Especially if he would learn that you play the guitar."

Apollo follows his gaze. "Oh, that's not my guitar. It's my boyfriend's, he forgot it here. I can't play."

"Oh, I see… Well, Jove would be proud of you either way!" He grins. "And what was that about a boyfriend just now, son?"

Apollo's cheeks turn bright red and he quickly lowers his head. "N-Nothing."

"Oh come on, son, at least tell me his name. Or better, introduce me to him, I need to give him the If-you-break-my-son's-heart-I'll-kill-you-talk. Hah-ha ha ha ha ha!"

"Very funny," Apollo mutters under his breath. "Okay, fine, his name's Klavier. He's the prosecutor I told you about, the one that gave me the nickname 'Herr Forehead'. But I'm not going to introduce you, at least not yet. He's away now anyway, visiting his aunt and uncle in Germany. But I have a photo of him." He walks over to the framed photographs hanging on the wall, Dhurke following him.

"That's him." Apollo points at one of the pictures. It shows him next to a tall, tan man with platinum blonde hair which is styled into a peculiar braid.

"Hm… well, he certainly looks like a rock star!"

"Yeah. But trust me, you don't want to hear his music, it's horrible."

"Is it? That's sad." Dhurke's gaze falls onto another picture where seemingly the same man, now also wearing glasses, is standing next to Apollo with an arm around his shoulders. Apollo looks a bit younger than in the other picture though.

"Is that him as well, son?"

Apollo tenses when he follows his gaze. "No, that's… That's my previous boss. The picture was taken about two years ago on the day I got my attorney's badge. That's the only reason I kept this, I think. Because of the memory of getting my badge."

Dhurke watches his son thoughtfully. His previous boss… so he must also be the one he's had to face in court. Apparently, something has happened with him, something Apollo obviously does not want to talk about. It cannot be something good then. But as much as Dhurke wants to find out what exactly that man has done, he doesn't want to force Apollo to talk about it. Instead, he points at another photograph.

"And who's that behind you and young Miss Trucy? He does resemble Mr. Wright quite a bit."

"It is Mr. Wright, back when he was still unemployed. He lost his badge a few years back, but he has got it back since last year. Oh, and that's Athena." He points at another photo. "She's a co-worker of mine. You'll likely meet her tomorrow, she's going to assist me during the trial."

"I see. And who is that?" Dhurke points at a picture of Apollo arm in arm with a dark-haired young man wearing what looks like a spacesuit. "Is he an astronaut of some sort?"

"That's… that's Clay." There is a strange tone in Apollo's voice. "He's… my best friend. And… yes, he's an astronaut."

"Impressive! I would certainly like to meet him sometime."

Apollo gives a laugh – a laugh that sounds very forced, more like a supressed sob, really. "I'm afraid that won't be possible." He crosses his arms and bows his head a bit. "Clay's… Clay's gone to the Twilight Realm."

A cold feeling grabs Dhurke's heart. "You mean he's…?"

Apollo nods without meeting his gaze.

"But…" Dhurke glances at the photo again. "He looks so young, he's… was he sick or…?"

"He was murdered. About five months ago. Right… right before he was going to go to space for the first time."

"I… I'm so sorry…"

Dhurke looks at the picture, at the laughing, energetic-looking young man who has got an arm wrapped around the shoulders of a slightly younger Apollo who is also grinning from ear to ear. His best friend, dead, murdered only five months ago. Then, there's also his previous superior who too caused him pain in some way. And all this time, his son has been alone. Dhurke hasn't been there to give him strength and support he would have needed; he has never been there. He has never been a true father to either of his sons. There are no words that could possibly express this deep regret he feels and has been feeling throughout the years, in the short moments his mind hadn't fully been consumed by revolution.

The revolution… his great big dream. He has dedicated half his life to it… throughout all these years, it has practically been the main thing he lived for, and yet, he has not realized even once how big the consequences of dedicating his heart and soul to the cause really are. Only now, he understands that with deciding to always put the revolution first, he has also subconsciously chosen to always put his family second. He has chosen to put the revolution above his children's wellbeing, he has chosen to send his only nine-year-old son to a strange and faraway country all on his own, and has kept putting off visiting him countless times, because the revolution has mattered more to him than keeping the promise he has made to Jove so many years ago: "I'll look after him now." His entire life has consisted of wrong priorities.

Funny – he only realizes it now, after he has already died. Maybe that's the punishment of the Holy Mother for his selfishness in life: the agony of being faced with the pain he has brought the ones he loves with his wrong choices while knowing that he won't be able to set anything right ever again.

"You would have liked him." Apollo's voice tears him out of his thoughts. "Clay, I mean. I think you would have liked him a lot."

"I'm sure I would have."

Apollo gives him a small, hesitant smile.

"Son, I…" Dhurke clears his throat. "I'm sorry. I'm sorry for… leaving you."

"You already apologized back when we were exploring the caves," Apollo says, frowning. "And I said it's fine."

"But it isn't. I sent you away without ever considering or thinking about what it might mean for you because apparently back then, it mattered more to me that you were safe, rather than that you were happy." Dhurke sighs. "You deserved a much better father."

Apollo is silent for a few moments. "So… you mean you really did send me away because you thought Khura'in had become too dangerous?"

Dhurke frowns. "Of course, son. Why else?"

"I…" Apollo looks to the ground. "I thought… because you never came back for me, you know, I thought… never mind."

But Dhurke can already guess.

"Apollo," he says firmly. "I did not send you away because I didn't want you anymore or because I wanted to get rid of you or something. How could I? You're my son."

And finally, that last doubt, and with it the invisible barrier that has been between them all day, crumble down. Without any more thought, Apollo throws himself into his father's arms, who holds him tightly, letting him bury his head against his chest. For a moment, it feels like he is a child again, running to Dhurke for comfort after having a horrible nightmare.

"I missed you," he mumbles.

"I missed you too, son," Dhurke replies, his voice almost sounding like it's on the verge of breaking. "So much."

Apollo wraps his arms tighter around him, clinging to him the same way he has done when he has been little, and Dhurke knows he must tell him the truth, knows that he must tell him that the man he is holding on to right now is nothing but a shadow of an already dead soul. But the thought of the pain that will be in his son's eyes if he tells him, the thought of the last hours he will be able to spend with him being filled with grief… no, he cannot do it. He cannot say it. It would destroy him.

Dhurke closes his eyes, already feeling regret rise in him at the selfishness of this last choice he will make in this world.