Turnabout Spring Break
P. S. Slight spoilers for Phoenix Wright: Spirit of Justice here in the chapter. It involves a miscellaneous fact about Apollo here. If you can spot it, then good for you. You got the joke. Either you played the game or not, you won't think it's a big deal. But it'll still be funny either way. Anyways, enjoy!
Part 2: Camping Begins! Day 1: Daytime
It was Monday morning. It was an early morning as the Wright Anything Agency crew are up at 7 AM. It was earlier than their normal opening hours starting at 9 AM. Phoenix had helped packing the supplies for the trip over the weekend. He and Trucy went shopping for food and for tools for the trip. Phoenix will admit that it was a bit costly, but at least, he could afford it. He only ordered Apollo and Athena to pack nothing but their clothes and health products. Phoenix and Trucy also packed their clothes and health products too. They even brought their first-aid kits for the trip because you never know when something could go wrong. Phoenix then took out the old tent from his closet in his office and brought it to the living room. He could see that Apollo, Athena, and Trucy got all of their stuff, their baskets, and their first-aid kits ready to go. All they need to do now is wait for Edgeworth to come here and drive them to their destination.
"(Yawn) Is it always necessary to leave early in the morning whenever you go camping?" Apollo asked as he yawned and stretched. He was not a morning person unlike the two girls in the room.
"Of coarse it is, Polly! It's like tradition to leave in the morning! How else will you ever appreciate the beauty of nature without the morning sunrise?" Trucy said with enthusiasm.
"Well, fine. If you guys want to watch the sunrise, then do it when I'm sleeping. Besides, wouldn't it be easier to travel if we left at around noon?" Apollo said with an annoyed look.
"And miss a great day of camping?! No way! Besides, the trip to our camping spot is at least four hours, right, Boss?" Athena exclaimed with slight anger.
"F-F-Four hours?!" Apollo exclaimed in surprise.
"Yep, that's right. It's far away from the city. It's even longer than the trip to Kurain Village by train which is two hours by the way. It would be nice to see what is beyond our city by seeing the vast nature of the woods," Phoenix said with a calm smile.
"Trust me, Boss. I've had already seen what is beyond our city. It's not as great as it sounds," Apollo objected with an annoyed look as sweat came down on his face.
"Hahahahahahaha! Oh, we'll see about that! Maybe this will be trip that will change your mind about camping," Phoenix replied with a laugh.
"Oh, believe me. It won't. I'm telling you right now. It won't," Apollo countered back with a frown.
Athena, Trucy, and Phoenix laughed together after hearing that. Why is Apollo's misery the source for their entertainment? Can't he just have nice things for once?
A few seconds later, the gang all heard the honking of the horn outside. It appears that Edgeworth had made it in time for their trip.
"Well guys, there's our ride. Gather your things and let us pack them into Edgeworth's car. Hopefully, there will be enough room considering he brought his own stuff as well as some emergency supplies in case something goes wrong," Phoenix said calmly as he lifted up his suitcase which is full of his clothes.
"'In case something goes wrong'? Boss, I hate to break it to you, but I think you're the walking, talking definition of 'unlucky'. Something will go wrong during this trip. It happens every time we go somewhere for fun," Apollo said with skepticism.
"O-Oh? Uh...name one time," Phoenix replied out of uncertainty.
"Like the time we went to that amusement park. I ended up getting very sick and started throwing up, and it wasn't just because of the rides. Athena also got into an accident involving trying to move closer in line when she pushed a person but ended up getting her nose broken by the guy hitting her out of surprise. On top of all of that, there was a murder that was assumed to have happened in one of the bathroom stalls at the park," Apollo replied with annoyance as he recalled the memory.
Phoenix scratched his chin in thought. He then said awkwardly, "Uhhh...doesn't ring a bell".
"You know. The case where one of your long-time acquaintances, Will Powers, got accused again?" Apollo said while rolling his eyes.
"Hmmmm...nope. Still doesn't ring any bells for me," Phoenix replied with a sheepish grin.
Apollo sighed. "The one where the victim actually got killed on a roller coaster where the real killer pushed him off while going around a loop-de-loop," Apollo said with a dead-pan tone. The case was so absurd it actually makes him cringe every time he recalls it.
"...! Ohhhhhhhhh. That's what you meant. Yeah...that was a weird case. No wonder I had forgotten about the trip," Phoenix said while smiling awkwardly as he put a hand behind his head.
"Ugh. See? Exactly my point," Apollo replied with annoyance.
"Oh, come on, Apollo. It won't be that bad. Just because that happened, doesn't mean it will happen again," Athena said with an optimistic expression.
"Famous last words before a murder case," Apollo replied with a pessimistic expression.
"Geez, Apollo. You really sound like Edgeworth sometimes," Phoenix replied with a grin.
"That's because he has common sense," Apollo replied feeling tired.
"Exactly. And if you guys don't get your things to my car, I might have more common sense to go back home and stay there until I'm called back to work," Edgeworth said as he stood at the door with an impatient expression. He had his arms crossed and had his finger tapping his arm.
The group nodded their heads and started to carry their things to his bright red sports car. Luckily for them, there was enough room in the truck to carry their bags and baskets of food along with Edgeworth's. When Phoenix put the tent in the trunk, he closed the trunk and turned his head towards Edgeworth.
"Are you sure that you want to go with this? It's not too late to back down now. You might even have a chance to escape this," Phoenix teased with a devious grin.
Edgeworth sighed and shook his head. "Why are you asking me that even though I had already agreed to it? Do you want me there or not?" Edgeworth replied dully.
"Don't get me wrong. I do want you there. However...it depends on how long you'll last with us for a few days," Phoenix said with a grin.
"I'll be just fine. If you're thinking that I'll be driven to insanity during this trip, trust me, my sanity was lost ever since you came back to my life," Edgeworth said with a frown and a glare.
Phoenix laughed at that. "Hahahahahahaha! Oh, don't be like that, Miles. I couldn't possibly be the one that had driven you to insanity. Wouldn't Larry count as a possible suspect to your missing sanity?" Phoenix said while chuckling.
"At least he wasn't the one who dredged up my bad memories of my childhood and made me question my life choices!" Edgeworth countered while growling a bit.
"Edgeworth...you and I both know that is for the greater good in the end. You wouldn't be any more happier than you are now if you had stayed chained up by your ex-mentor, Manfred Von Karma. You know that you needed help, and as a good friend, I helped you get out of that mess you were in. Am I really the reason that you've lost your mind?" Phoenix said with a knowing smile.
Edgeworth smirked as he replied, "Hmph. Of coarse you are. You were the one who changed my life. Only someone as naïve as you could change a cold-hearted prosecutor as me and just laugh it off as nothing special".
Phoenix can't tell if Edgeworth is being sincere or is hiding his appreciation with his snark. Instread, Phoenix shrugged as he replied, "Well, life keeps moving forward. We can't just keep looking back in the past and feel regret for our choices. It's better to laugh at the memories than to keep on brooding in our self-pity".
Edgeworth smiled a bit as he said, "You know what, Wright? You have a point. So, I'm glad that the past is over and done with".
"Yeah, now, let's leave already. I could tell that the kids are getting fussy based on how they are acting in the car," Phoenix said with a genuine smile as he turned and looked at Apollo, Athena, and Trucy having an argument in the back of the car.
Edgeworth smirked as he looked at the back of the car too. "Yeah, this is going to be a long trip if those three keep that up," Edgeworth said while smirking.
"It might. But don't worry. I'll set them straight," Phoenix replied with a smile.
"I hope that you won't devolve into their level. I fear that I will be dealing with four kids instead of three," Edgeworth teased as he looked back at Phoenix.
Phoenix looked back at Edgeworth with an annoyed look on his face. His silence was proof enough that he can't refute that argument. Edgeworth kept on smirking as he walked to the driver's side of the car. Phoenix sighed and walked to the passenger's side. They both got in and put on their seatbelts. They could finally hear what Apollo, Athena, and Trucy were arguing about.
"Look, I don't want to go on a hike when we get to the woods. I would like to just stay in my tent and survive thank you!" Apollo argued while crossing his arms. Sadly, he was in the middle seat of the back row of the car. Trucy was on his right side while Athena was at his left. Edgeworth got the engine started and started to pull away from the agency as the group argued more.
"Why would you want to stay at your tent all day when there are plenty of opportunities to go hikes into the woods? That is what you do on camping trips! Explore! Not stay at one place for a week!" Athena argued feeling irked that Apollo refused to participate with their plans.
"I'm not good at hiking! I don't exercise that often! So, I wouldn't be able to enjoy it if it's a long hike," Apollo argued back while looking exasperated.
"But you got to at least try, Apollo! It could be good for your body to exercise a little! You would also enjoy the soothing beauty of the outdoors! How could you not enjoy it?" Trucy argued with her fists up while glaring at her step-brother.
"One, we could get lost along the way. Two, we could get injured during the hike. Three, there might be dangerous bugs or animals that could hurt us during the hike. And four, we could possibly die due to accidental causes like falling down off a cliff or drown in a lake if there is one," Apollo argued while lifting up his fingers as he listed off the possibilities.
Trucy frowned as she saw that Apollo isn't changing his mind about the hike. Although she wondered how Apollo listed of the possibilities so quickly. She wondered until she grinned really wide as she figured out the reason why.
"Why are you smiling like that, Trucy," Apollo said while sweating.
"Is it because you were the one who experienced all of that during your previous camping trips as a teenager?" Trucy said with a playful grin.
Apollo immediately blushed in embarrassment after Trucy said that. Athena also caught on what Trucy is getting at and smiled mischievously as well.
"Yeeeeeaaaah, Apollo. Is it because you had such a sucky time in your camping trips as a teenager that you hated hikes?" Athena teased as she got a little closer to Apollo.
"NO!" Apollo shouted in embarrassment. He bent down and covered his face in his hands out of humiliation.
The girls got into a laughing fit while Apollo groaned. It wasn't his fault that he almost drowned in a lake that one time. He had his arm broken at the time, and he lost sight of Clay while on the hike. He eventually had to run away from a bear as he had accidently gone near to its cave. He just tripped while running from the bear that made him fall into a lake. Luckily, one of the campers saw Apollo drowning in the lake and went in to save him. It was the most terrifying experience in his life and the most humiliating moment in his teenaged years.
Phoenix can't help but chuckle as he heard this silly argument. He then looked back as he said, "Alright, girls. Leave Apollo alone. Just because he doesn't want to go on a hike doesn't mean you have to make him".
"Thank you!" Apollo exclaimed while throwing his hands in the air. The girls groaned in disappointment.
Phoenix then added with a devious grin, "Besides, Apollo is only a scaredy-cat anyway. He wouldn't last very long in the woods alone".
"WHAT?!" Apollo shouted in anger. The girls laughed again.
"Ohohohohohohoh! BURN!" Athena yelled as she laughed very hard that she was banging her seat in laughter.
"Ahahahahahahahahaha! He got you there, Polly!" Trucy exclaimed while laughing with tears in her eyes.
"Grrrrrrrr!" Apollo growled in anger. Oh, that's it! If he thinks I'm going to let that slide, then he got another thing coming! Apollo thought as he felt determined now to prove him wrong.
"You know what, Boss? You're wrong. I can do it! I can survive a hike if I go! It's not a problem to me! In fact, I can go on one tomorrow!" Apollo yelled with passion in his tone.
"Really then? Well, good luck then. Enjoy your hike tomorrow, Apollo!" Phoenix said with a grin.
"...Wait. I take it back. I-" Apollo muttered quietly as he suddenly regretted his decision.
"Yes! Now it will be fun hike with you around, Polly! I'm so glad that you gave it a chance!" Trucy exclaimed happily.
"Yeah! It'll be a blast!" Athena exclaimed as she bumped her fist into her palm in eagerness.
"Greeeeeeaaaaat," Apollo replied sarcastically while sweating.
Phoenix looked back on the road as he chucked to himself.
"You are a terrible mentor, Wright," Edgeworth said as he glanced at Phoenix with a smirk.
"Heh, heh, heh, heh, I know. I know," Phoenix replied while chuckling.
The drive soon became quiet since Apollo, Athena, and Trucy fell asleep within ten minutes. They didn't get enough sleep since they got up at an early time and ate their breakfast while they packed their things for the trip. Even Phoenix eventually took a nap as the drive went on. Edgeworth was grateful that the drive was quiet for the rest of the way through.
It was around 12: 30 PM when they had arrived at their camping place. It was in the quiet woods, far away from civilization. Edgeworth parked the car alongside the road where the dirt path leads to their desired camping spot. He then shook Phoenix awake.
"Wright. Wright, wake up. We're here," Edgeworth said as he shook Phoenix gently.
Phoenix had a soft snort as he soon woke up from his dream. "Oh. Uh...um...we're here already?" Phoenix said in confusion as he looked out from his window to see the forest.
"Yes, we're here now. You had fallen asleep like the rest of your crew. You probably hadn't had enough rest it seems," Edgeworth stated calmly.
"Yeah...I don't usually get up early. I'm not an early bird," Phoenix said sheepishly.
Edgeworth smirked as he replied, "So, I've noticed. You could never live a day as me since I get up early for work".
Phoenix started to sweat as then replied, "Maybe it is a good thing that I had pursued my career as a defense lawyer".
"I'll never understand why you would pursue it since you always get stuck in a corner for every case you get involved in. To be honest, it is a bit admirable to pursue a career that is damaging to your mental health. I wouldn't want your job for the world since I had finally experienced what you go through each case," Edgeworth replied as he shook his head.
"Heheheheh, yeah, I wouldn't blame you for thinking like that. It's a struggle every time, but it's worth the hard labor at the end of the day," Phoenix said as he chuckled a bit.
Edgeworth nodded with a smile. "Hmph. The same could be said about prosecutors though. But I agree with you on that," Edgeworth replied.
"Wow, you agreeing on something with me. Stop the presses because this the biggest news of the century," Phoenix teased with a grin.
"Your sarcastic remarks never fail to astound me on how little you have faith in me," Edgeworth said as he shook his head.
"Hahahahaha," Phoenix laughed as he then unlocked the door. Edgeworth then unlocked his door too. They went towards the back doors and opened them. Apollo was the first to wake up once he heard the doors opening and see the sunlight shining onto his eyes. He rubbed his eyes and said to Phoenix, "Have we made it yet?".
"Yes, Apollo. We're here now," Phoenix said. He then shook his daughter awake.
"Sweetie, wake up. We're at the forest," Phoenix said gently. Apollo rolled his eyes at that. She's not a little kid you know. Apollo thought feeling slightly annoyed.
Trucy then woke up and accidently hit Apollo in the face as she stretched.
"Ow!" Apollo yelped as he felt his forehead getting whacked by Trucy's hand.
"Oh? We're here? …...We're here! Oh, I can't wait!" Trucy asked in confusion until she exclaimed in excitement. She quickly unbuckled her seatbelt and got out of the car to stretch her legs a bit. She was amazed on how peaceful the forest is. She is already in love with the place. Apollo soon got out of the car too. Athena was still sleeping. Edgeworth gently shook her awake as well.
"Athena. Athena. Wake up. Please," Edgeworth said quietly as he shook her.
"Come on, Simon. I want to play on the swing some more," Athena muttered in her sleep.
Edgeworth sighed as he said to Phoenix, "It seems that Athena is a heavy sleeper. I can't wake her up".
"Oh, don't worry. I know how to wake her up," Phoenix replied as he walked around the car to help Edgeworth wake Athena up.
He soon stood before the left side of the back door. He cleared his throat and then yelled, "OBJECTION!".
"ACK! OKAY, SIMON! YOU CAN PLAY ON THE SWING!" Athena shouted as loud as she could when she was jolted awake. Athena then blinked a bit and looked around. She wasn't at the park with Simon at all. She was in the car alone with both car sides open. She slowly looked toward her left and saw both lawyers looking both confused and amused by what they heard.
"Ummm...what was that about you and Simon playing on a swing?" Phoenix asked with an amused grin on his face. Edgeworth looked away as he tried to not let his smile show. Of all the ridiculous images I could imagine. That is definitely one of them. Edgeworth thought as he put a hand over his mouth to hide his smile.
Athena blushed in embarrassment. She shook her hands to object to say anything. "It's not what it looks like!" Athena yelled feeling red in her cheeks. "It's a misunderstanding!" Widget added.
"Uh huh. Sure. Now, I think it's time for you to get out and grab your things in the trunk. We have to walk for a bit to find our spot," Phoenix replied with a dismissive wave of the hand.
"Uhhhh...sure," Athena muttered quietly as she finally got out of the car. Edgeworth closed the door after Athena got out. Apollo did the same thing with the right side of the back door. He was smiling to himself as he finally caught Athena in one of her embarrassing moments. Heh, now there is some perfect blackmail material I could work with if Athena tries to coerce me into doing something stupid. Apollo thought with a smirk. Revenge may be just around the corner for him.
The gang soon took out their bags, picnic baskets, first-aid kits, and the tents and carried them through the forest. It was a calm walk as the group took the time to breath the fresh air and see the lovely greenery of the forest. There were a lot of redwood trees in the forests as well as fir trees. Makes sense since they were in California ( or Japanifornia to some people). They could see the redwood trees in the forest. They could hear the birds chirping and see them flying around in the forest.
"See? Isn't it great, Polly? Look at how peaceful this place is! How can you say that this is bad? Look around you! Mother Nature at her finest with the plants and the animals coexisting in harmony. It's relaxing," Trucy said happily while walking next to Apollo.
"...Well, I'll admit that it can be soothing without the fuss and labor that camping usually gives. But I'm still not convinced that it's a pleasurable experience," Apollo replied honestly.
"Oooh! Will you ever try to be positive for once?!" Trucy snapped back with a pout.
Apollo smirked once he saw Trucy's pout. He couldn't help himself but to give her a hard time sometimes. He then simply said, "Never".
"Trust me, Apollo! You will have a good time on this trip! I can guarantee it!" Trucy said with conviction.
"Well then, good luck in trying because I'm not that easily persuaded by other people's opinions," Apollo replied back with a shrug.
"You mean that when I told you that 'you're a scaredy-cat', you immediatedly decided to prove me wrong despite my opinion?" Phoenix teased with a smirk as he looked behind his back at Apollo.
"...Shut up," Apollo replied as he sweated with an annoyed look on his face.
"Hahahaha, I thought so," Phoenix said with a chuckle.
"Well, anyways, I think this is a wonderful idea, Boss. This does set the mood for a fun, adventuous time out here in the wild! So, what do you guys think that we should do for these few days? Going on a hike is the obvious one, but what about fishing? Sight-seeing? Animal observations? Star-gazing? Oooh, how about telling ghost stories at the campfire?!" Athena spoke up cheerfully.
"No! No ghost stories!" Apollo objected as he turned his head toward his left to look angrily at Athena.
"Awww, is little, baby, Apollo scared of ghosts? It looks like he is!" Athena teased with a big grin. She playfully pulled on his cheek to further tease him. Apollo swatted her hand off his face and glared at her.
"This is no laughing matter! Why can't you be more nicer to me, Athena?!" Apollo exclaimed with frustration.
"Aww, but where's the fun in that?" Athena asked playfully.
"Yeah, Polly. It will be less fun if we don't tease you. It's like a game where only one of us could make you the most embarrassed. It's fun and hilarious," Trucy agreed with Athena as she smiled at her.
"So far, I'm the one who's winning," Phoenix said as he smirked at the group behind them.
"By a lot," Apollo muttered feeling annoyed. He blushed as he still had a difficult time recovering from his embarrassing declaration into taking a hike with the girls tomorrow.
The girls giggled as they kept on walking with Apollo while following behind Phoenix and Edgeworth.
"Boy, this is going to be a long trip due to how well the interactions your employees and your daughter are having," Edgeworth said as he shook his head.
"Oh, relax, Edgeworth. This is pretty much up to standard on how they usually interact every day. You'll learn to tolerate it," Phoenix replied with a smile.
"Somehow, I doubt that," Edgeworth countered with a smirk.
Phoenix just shrugged as he kept on walking forward. A few minutes later, they had found a perfect place to pitch their tents in. It was a wide open area where there are multiple pathways leading to different parts of the forest. In the distance, they could see a river leading to a lake. Apollo cringed a little as he saw the river and possibly the lake in the distance. He really hoped that he wouldn't drown again by accident this time.
"Well, guys. Let's get started in setting up the tents. Now, I have one. So, I'm setting up mine...right here!" Phoenix said casually as he walked toward the right side of the area. He put down his bag, picnic basket, and first aid kit on the ground at his spot. He then put down his blue tent and knelt down to try to start working on it. He looked back at the group and said to Trucy, "So, do you have your tent, Trucy? You and Athena could stay in your tent. I know how important a girl's privacy is. So...".
"Thanks, Daddy! Come on, Athena! Help me set up this tent!" Trucy exclaimed as she held up her purple tent.
"Awesome! Oh, and don't worry Trucy! I'm an expert in tent-making! Since this is your first time camping, I'll teach you how to set up a tent!" Athena exclaimed happily while flashing a peace sign at her.
The girls soon ran to the north part of the area near to one of the dirt pathways. Apollo rubbed the back of his head as he watched both the girls and Phoenix making their tents. Phoenix looked back and grinned at Apollo as he asked with a teasing grin, "Oh, Apollo! Don't you want to reside in my tent for the trip? It could be a lot of fun!".
"No! Way!" Apollo yelled the two words with such repulsion in his voice. He does not want to deal with Phoenix's snoring for the trip. He would like to get some sleep if that's possible. He could also tell by the devious look in his eyes that he wanted to mess with him during the trip too.
"Aw well. Suite yourself then. Hey, Edgeworth? What about-" Phoenix replied with a shrug as he then looked at Edgeworth for his decision.
"No," Edgeworth stated in his monotone voice and with his cold glare at Phoenix. So, even Edgeworth doesn't want to deal with Phoenix's crazy antics either, huh? Looks like we have something to agree upon at least. Apollo thought with an annoyed look as his face sweated.
"Oh, come on, Edgeworth. We hadn't had some good old-fashioned bonding time ever since we were kids. Why can't you just stop being a grouch and start bridging the gap that we have by staying in my tent for the trip?" Phoenix said as he frowned in disappointment. He also started to sweat in annoyance.
"I like to have my space, thank you very much. Also, I'm not being 'a grouch' as you claimed me to be. I'm just being assertive here. Besides, we don't need to be that close to make our friendship work, Wright. Don't be such a child and insist that we should stay together just like the old days of our youth. Grow up, Wright," Edgeworth argued back with his arms crossed.
"Aww, coooome oooon!" Phoenix whined as he pleaded with his eyes at Edgeworth. Unfortunately, they were ineffective with Edgeworth's steel cold eyes.
"No," Edgeworth said again.
"Are you sure?" Phoenix asked.
"Yes," Edgeworth stated quickly and firmly.
Phoenix sighed as he said, "Fine. You two could be 'Team Indoors' like I had said to you on Friday, Edgeworth. Meanwhile, Trucy, Athena, and I will be 'Team Outdoors' since we have such a positive attitude about the outdoors and...about bonding together as a family. Go be such sticks-in-the-mud together on that side of the area for all I care! Clearly, that is what you want, Chief Prosecutor Edgeworth!".
With a huff, Phoenix went back to work on his tent. Meanwhile, the girls were almost done making their tent to care about the conversation between Phoenix and Edgeworth. Edgeworth sighed and shook his head. Hmph. How childish. Edgeworth thought as he walked to the far-left side of the wide area of their camping site. Apollo just turned his head to watch Edgeworth kneel down and put down his magenta tent. He also put down his stuff too on the side of the tent. Apollo rubbed his arm awkwardly as he shifted to one side to the other. He really felt clueless on what to do. He turned his head to see Trucy and Athena talking and laughing to each other as they worked on their tent. He could see Phoenix struggling to set up his tent and failing as it fell down many times over. He then finally looked at Edgeworth as he was quietly yet calmly setting up his tent carefully and precisely like he knows what he's doing. Apollo gulped as he tried to work up the courage to walk up to Edgeworth and ask him to stay in his tent. After taking a few breaths, Apollo walked up to the prosecutor quietly.
"Ummm...Mr. Edgeworth, sir?" Apollo asked meekly.
"Hmm?" Edgeworth said as he stopped working and turned his head back to look at Apollo.
"Say...will there be any more room in that tent?" Apollo asked sheepishly as he rubbed his head nervously.
"Oh. Uhh...I think?" Edgeworth replied awkwardly. He hadn't thought that Apollo would want to sleep with him in his tent. He thought he would be alone at night.
"W-Well, what I'm asking is...um...can I join you?" Apollo asked with a sheepish grin.
"Oh! Uh...um...(Well, this is awkward.)…...okay," Edgeworth replied as he muttered to himself halfway through.
"Oh, thank goodness! I thought that I was going to sleep outside again on this camping trip!" Apollo exclaimed as he sighed in relief.
"W-Well, we can't have that, now do we? Very well, Mr. Justice. You may sleep in my tent. Now, please help me set up my tent," Edgeworth replied as he nodded his head.
"Oh. Um...about that...ummm...I don't have a clue onto how to set up those tents. I...er...may have gone on to multiple camping trips before, but...I could never get setting up those tents right. I had others make my tents for me since I was so bad at it," Apollo replied with an embarrassed look as he sweated again.
Edgeworth smiled a little at that, but he didn't laugh as Apollo had expected him to do. Edgeworth was much nicer than he made himself to be Apollo realized. Edgeworth then nodded as he said, "That's okay, Mr. Justice. I can teach you. It's no problem for me".
"Oh, thank you, Mr. Edgeworth! I promise that I will do my best!" Apollo exclaimed as he pointed his finger with more dignity than before.
"That's good then. Now, put your stuff down, and I'll help you in what to do," Edgeworth said calmly with a smile.
Apollo quickly put his stuff down next to Edgeworth's stuff. He then went on the other side of the tent and listened to Edgeworth's guidaince. Slowly, Apollo learned on how to balance the tent onto some firm stakes underneath it. He focused on how to make enough room on the inside of the tent while listening to Edgeworth's instructions. It was a few minutes later that Apollo and Edgeworth had finished setting up their tent. They soon placed their sleeping bags inside the tent once they had finished. Apollo then smiled at Edgeworth as he said, "Wow, so that's how these tents work? Man, that was much easier than I thought!".
Edgeworth smiled as he added, "Agreed. It is a very simple process. You have to be an idiot into not getting it right".
"ARRRRGH! WHY IS THIS SO HARD?!" Phoenix shouted in frustration as his tent fell down again. Both Edgeworth and Apollo looked back to seeing Phoenix failing to set up his tent...badly they might add. They could also see that the girls are already done with their tent and are now looking out inside of it. The girls were watching Phoenix while giggling to themselves.
"Hehehehehe! Come on, Dad! Just a little more to the right, and you would've got it that time!" Trucy exclaimed as she giggled happily.
"I know!" Phoenix yelled back in frustration and in humiliation.
"Ahahahahahaha! Seriously, Boss! You're really overthinking this! Hahahahaha! You can solve the most difficult cases, but you can't figure out how a tent works?! Hehehehehehehe! You really are showing your brilliance to your daughter, Boss!" Athena exclaimed while giggling silly.
Apollo can't help but laugh too as he saw how embarrassed and frustrated Phoenix was at the moment. Ooooh, sweet, sweet karma. Apollo thought as he remembered all the times that he had failed to make his tents in the past. Now that Phoenix is suffering the same humiliation he had felt, he can relax knowing that maybe Phoenix wouldn't be so cocky if he brought this up. Edgeworth shook his head in disappointment. He did smile a little as he saw the hilarious attempts that Phoenix is making as he tries to make the tent. Maybe I should intervene to stop this embarrassing display of foolishness. Edgeworth thought as he got up from his kneeling position and walked over to Phoenix.
Phoenix was grunting a little as he tried to push the two stakes down on the tent. Almost got it. Phoenix thought with hope. Before he could finally finish his tent, he accidently let the stakes slip and made the tent fall down again.
"Darn it!" Phoenix yelled as he banged his fist onto the fallen tent.
"Calm yourself down, Wright. The tent did nothing to deserve this," Edgeworth stated calmly as he stood behind Phoenix.
Phoenix turned around and frowned at Edgeworth. "Oh, what now, Edgeworth? Come to mock me since I'm still working on this?" Phoenix asked feeling his pride hurt.
"No, I'm here to help you. I think you need practice on your tent-making skills," Edgeworth replied as he knelt down beside Phoenix.
"Oh, gee. Thanks Edgeworth. I really couldn't tell," Phoenix replied sarcastically as he rolled his eyes.
"Don't be such a spoilsport now just because you couldn't make your tent by yourself," Edgeworth replied with a smirk.
"Grrrrr," Phoenix growled in frustration.
"Oh, come now, Wright. Are you really that insulted that I've came to help you? If you don't want my help, then you can tell me to leave," Edgeworth replied calmly as he narrowed his eyes at Phoenix.
"...(Sigh)…...Fine. I do need your help, Edgeworth," Phoenix replied as he sighed with a defeated look he usually wears at court most of the time.
Edgeworth smirked seeing Phoenix's defeat. And another win for me. Edgeworth thought as he smiled victoriously.
"Alright, Wright. Here's what you should do. You should start by-" Edgeworth said as he took the two ends of the tent while looking at Phoenix.
"Hold it! I just realized something!" Phoenix interjected as he interrupted Edgeworth.
"(Sigh) What is it, Wright?" Edgeworth asked with a sigh.
"How did you acquire the knowledge of tent-making? You said that you prefer the indoors, however, if that's the case..." Phoenix said confidently as he discovered a possible contradiction. He then pointed at Edgeworth's chest as he exclaimed with confidence, "Then how would you know all about this?!".
Edgeworth shook his head as he sighed. He put down Phoenix's hand as he explained in exasperation, "Von Karma, Wright".
Phoenix looked surprised at first then confused. "...Wait. What?" Phoenix asked in confusion.
Edgeworth explained more in detail. "When I was in Germany during my teenaged years, there was a program in my private, prestiged school that required students to go to summer camps during their middle school and high school years. Since my mentor strived for perfection, he forced me to attend those camps to enhance my knowledge in the practical world. Also, those camps also allow students to focus on their studies to their future careers before they go to college. So, it is also during the time that I studied law more. I did get taught by my mentor during and after school, but he also made me partake in studies during the summer. So, I didn't have time for leisure during my teenaged years like you did," Edgeworth explained calmly.
"O-Oh," Phoenix said feeling caught off guard. He didn't know that Edgeworth had gone camping before. Maybe that would have explained why he was so prepared in going once Phoenix saw the emergency supplies. Edgeworth was prepared as usual.
Edgeworth then narrowed his eyes as he added, "Also, Manfred von Karma forced me and Franziska to take several camping trips together as a family because his bosses forced him to. And trust me...it's just as bad as you had imagined it".
"OH!" Phoenix exclaimed in surprise. He then had a huge grin on his face. Edgeworth saw that mischievous smile and interjected, "Don't. You. Dare. Ask. Me. What. Had. Happened. During. Those. Trips".
"Awww, come oooon, Edgeworth! Couldn't you tell me what had happened just a little bit? I'm sure it wasn't that bad," Phoenix said with a smile.
"Don't you even dare say it wasn't bad! It was a nightmare! A horrible, horrible, nightmare! I'll never forget those experiences for the rest of my life!" Edgeworth yelled as he pointed his finger at Phoenix's chest.
Phoenix laughed out loud. This might be enough to make him feel better for not being able to make the tent all by himself. Edgeworth growled at him while his forehead furrowed deeper in irritation. How dare Phoenix mock him in his apparent agony! If he had at least a taste on how much Edgeworth had gone through during those trips, he wouldn't be laughing this hard. He would most likely cry at those painful memories because of how embarrassing they were.
"Okay, Edgeworth. Hahahahaha, let's start working on this tent. Man, that was a good laugh," Phoenix said as he laughed a bit more before he calmed down.
Edgeworth said nothing but stared at Phoenix in spite. Phoenix looked at him and said, "What?".
"Wright...I hate you sometimes," Edgeworth said dully.
Phoenix smiled as he shook his head. "You always say that, but we both know that isn't true," Phoenix replied casually.
"It might become a reality soon though if you keep that smarmy attitude up," Edgeworth countered with a glare.
"Umm...aren't you the one with the smarmy attitude?" Phoenix asked sheepishly.
"Wright!" Edgeworth yelled feeling more irritated.
"Alright! Alright! Geez! Calm down, Edgeworth! It's just a joke!" Phoenix exclaimed
"Then stop making jokes, Wright! I could stop helping you, you know!" Edgeworth yelled as he felt impatient.
"Alright! Easy, Edgeworth! I'll stop with the jokes! Just please help me get this tent up!" Phoenix yelled back as he felt irritated too.
"...(Sigh)…...Finally. Now, where was I? …..Ah, yes. Now, here is what you should start on, Wright. First, start taking this side of the tent and then..." Edgeworth said as he calmed down and grabbed the fabric of the tent again. He then furthered his explanation to Phoenix. While the two of them were working together, Apollo watched and heard their entire discussion earlier.
W-Wow. Going on a trip with the most sinister, terrifying prosecutor in the world...that must be life scarring. …...Huh. It looks like we have another thing in common. We both had bad experiences with camping it seems. Apollo pondered as he had his finger pushed into his forehead.
He soon heard Edgeworth shouting at Phoenix. "NO! NO! NO! WRIGHT! THAT'S NOT WHAT I HAD SAID! YOU'RE SUPPOSED TO SPREAD THE SHEET OF THE TENT VERY WIDE SO THAT YOU CAN HAVE ROOM TO SLEEP IN! IT'S NOT SUPPOSED TO BE THIS NARROW!" Edgeworth shouted in frustration. He was on the other side of the tent as he tried to fix Phoenix's mistake.
"Come on, Edgeworth! I know what I am doing now! This part of the tent should go this way!" Phoenix yelled back as he looked irritated at Edgeworth for trying make the tent himself. He pulled on the tent to grab it away from Edgeworth.
"Be serious, Wright! You don't know what you're doing! Haven't you been to camp before?! Or had gone camping with your parents?!" Edgeworth argued back as he pulled on the tent to his side.
"I did gone to camp before! It's just that I've only been to one at least once in my life! And it was when I was in fourth grade! How was I supposed to remember how tents work?! Just let me try this and I'll be able to-!" Phoenix yelled in his defense.
"No! You are going to mess things up again like you usually do! Now, stop being stubborn and let me-!" Edgeworth yelled as he interrupted Phoenix as he pulled harder on the tent.
"Objection! I want to do this!" Phoenix objected pulling the tent at his side.
"Objection! No! Me! Let me do this, Wright! I could do this more professionally than you!" Edgeworth objected as he pulled the tent even harder. He started to sweat and grunt as he pulled away from Phoenix.
"Oh yeah?!" Phoenix yelled challenging Edgeworth.
"Yeah!" Edgeworth yelled back while gritting his teeth. They both kept on pulling their sides of the tent back and forth while grunting and objecting each other.
Apollo just watched this childish fight in silence. He face-palmed himself while looking embarrassed as he watched his mentor fighting against his friend and rival in this pathetic tug-of-war battle. Siiiiiiggghh. This is the man I had looked up to in my youth. Oh, how the times had changed. Apollo thought in exhaustion. If his teenaged-self had seen what he is seeing right now, he really would've been disappointed. Maybe seeing Phoenix's hobo look wasn't as disappointing as he thought it was in retrospect.
The girls were also feeling embarrassed seeing Phoenix fighting Edgeworth like this. Athena was the first to speak up about it. "Okay. This is embarrassing. I know that he and Mr. Edgeworth were rivals in the past and still had their battles in court. But...this is ridiculous," Athena said quietly to Trucy while sweating.
"Yeah, Daddy and Mr. Edgeworth usually fight like this all the time when I was younger. It seems that some things never change," Trucy said as she blushed in embarrassment for her Dad.
"You're telling me," Athena agreed as she wiped her brow.
"Nrgh!" Phoenix grunted as he pulled back.
"Nrgh!" Edgeworth grunted as he pulled back too.
They kept on like this until...
RIIIIIIIIIPPPPPP!
The tent tore in half. Phoenix and Edgeworth sat frozen still with their halves of the torn tent in their hands. They stared at each other in stunned silence. Apollo and the girls also stared in silence out of awkwardness of the situation. Phoenix and Edgeworth soon stared down at the ground and their hands as they saw how ruined the tent was by their tug-of-war battle.
"..." Phoenix said nothing.
"..." Edgeworth also said nothing.
…...
Everyone said nothing for a minute.
…...
"Sooooo...who wants lunch?" Trucy asked as she broke the silence.
A few minutes later, the gang all sat down together in circle while eating their lunches from their baskets. Athena and Trucy brought some logs from the forest an put them in the middle of the camping site. It was around 1 PM as they ate lunch. They were only here for about thirty minutes and already something went wrong. Phoenix and Edgeworth sat by each other on their logs while Apollo, Athena, and Trucy sat across from them on their own logs. Apollo, Athena, and Trucy were eating some sandwiches while Phoenix and Edgeworth ate some fruit.
"Do we have something to drink, Mr. Edgeworth?" Trucy asked politely
"Oh, here. Have a look into this cooler," Edgeworth said as he dragged the cooler out from behind him and pushed it towards Trucy.
Trucy then opened the cooler and grabbed a water bottle. She asked the others if they wanted one. Apollo took one, but Athena declined saying that she's good. Trucy then closed the lid of the cooler and gave it back to Edgeworth.
"Thank you, Mr. Edgeworth!" Trucy thanked Edgeworth.
"No problem," Edgeworth replied with a small smile.
"So, you only brought us water bottles? What about some juice boxes or milk or even soda?" Phoenix asked with a quirked eyebrow.
"Oh, please, Wright. Water is necessary for camping. It helps you to stay hydrated. I'm trying to help you all to stay healthy. Isn't personal health important to you, Wright?" Edgeworth replied with a frown while looking at Phoenix.
"Of coarse, I care for my health! It's just that couldn't you at least get some grape juice along with water?!" Phoenix exclaimed with annoyance in his tone.
"Don't be such a baby, Wright. You make it sound like the water is poisonous to you or something," Edgeworth replied with a deeper frown.
"Look, I'm just saying! Couldn't you at least try to be a little fun for once? It wouldn't kill you to be a little unhealthy in bringing some less than healthy products like juice and milk. You know something that isn't water," Phoenix replied with some sass in his tone.
"You are really making this seem like a big deal or something. I really don't understand what it is about water that got you so upset about," Edgeworth replied with irritation in his tone.
"I just want some grape juice, okay?!" Phoenix exclaimed with a pout.
"Man, Boss. You are really stubborn, aren't you?" Apollo said with some sweat on his face.
"Don't start, Apollo!" Phoenix replied with an annoyed look. Edgeworth smirked.
"Oh, look. Even your employees agree with me," Edgeworth said as he looked at Apollo with a smirk.
Apollo smirked back before he bit into bit into his sandwich.
"Well, I personally wouldn't mind having some milk during the trip. Having chocolate milk sounds pretty good right about now," Athena interjected with a thoughtful look while holding her sandwich.
Phoenix grinned as he looked at Edgeworth with triumphant smirk he usually wore at court.
"HA! In your FACE, Edgeworth!" Phoenix exclaimed childishly.
"Hmph!" Edgeworth grunted back before he ate into his orange. Phoenix then looked at his daughter to confirm if she wanted something other than water or not. After all, two out of three equals a win for Phoenix, and he wanted to prove his point to Edgeworth that he's right.
"Well, if you want my honest opinion, I'm fine if I have either water or juice. It's not a big deal if I have one or the other. I'm just content about what I have now since we're on this trip together!" Trucy replied with a thoughtful look until she beamed at her daddy and her adopted uncle.
Both Phoenix and Edgeworth stopped eating as they looked stunned at Trucy. They both have one point for their little argument but were stopped by Trucy. It seems that Trucy is the adult in this situation. Trucy noticed this and asked the two of them, "Um...did you two really wanted my opinion so that you can win your argument?".
"YES! HE STARTED IT!" Phoenix and Edgeworth shouted together as they pointed at each other for emphasis.
"(Sigh) And to think that we had already forgotten about the fight with the tent earlier," Apollo said with a sigh and a annoyed look.
"HE STARTED IT!" Phoenix and Edgeworth repeated again while still pointing at each other.
"Guys...can we please move on about this? Who cares if the tent is destroyed?" Athena said while looking annoyed as sweat came down on her face.
"I care! It's my tent! Where will I sleep tonight?!" Phoenix exclaimed with sweat on his face.
"Maybe you will be the brave one of the group as you brace the outdoors by sleeping outside tonight, Wright. You might bring inspiration us all, Mr. 'Team Outdoors'," Edgeworth replied sarcastically with a devious smirk. This the perfect revenge for bringing him along for the trip.
Phoenix growled at Edgeworth until he stopped and thought for a moment. Wait. He was the one who tried to help me with my tent. With that logic, there is only one answer to this predicament.
Phoenix then had a wide smirk on his face. He kept that look while staring at Edgeworth. Edgeworth quirked an eyebrow at Phoenix as he said, "What?".
"Edgeworth...you're going to have make space in your tent tonight. Because I'm sleeping with you," Phoenix said with a devious smirk. Oh, sweet, sweet karma. Phoenix pondered as he is so looking forward to mess with Edgeworth this week. That should be enough revenge for ripping my tent!
Edgeworth nearly choked onto his food while Apollo did a spit take on his water. Their faces look pale as they dreaded spending the night sleeping with Phoenix. They both yelled, "WHAT?! NO WAY!".
"Huh? I expected Edgeworth to yell that, but what got you so flustered Apollo?" Phoenix asked in confusion.
"Because I had already asked Mr. Edgeworth to sleep with him! There couldn't possibly any more room in the tent!" Apollo exclaimed in shock. It looked like his fears were realized. It might be possible that he's going to sleep outside again on this camping trip.
Phoenix scratched his chin as he then smiled, "Well, even if there appears to be no room left, we can still try to sleep together. We are just going to do it while being squished together. It might be a little tight, but hey, you've already been into tight situations, right? Hahahahaha!".
"This is no time to be laughing, Wright!" Edgeworth exclaimed as he recovered from shock. He then looked very displeased with this. Sadly, he will have to admit that there is a tiny bit of room left in his tent. Unfortunately, it is just as Phoenix had said. They are going to be cramped together in his tent. Ohhhhhhh...the horror. Edgeworth brooded as he shuddered at the thought.
"I agree completely with Mr. Edgeworth on this! How is this going to work?!" Apollo exclaimed while sweating as he a look of despair on his face.
"Hmm..." Phoenix mused as he had a thoughtful look on his face. He then teased Apollo as he answered vaguely, "You'll never know if you don't try!".
"Uuuuuuugggggghhhhhh!" Apollo and Edgeworth both groaned loudly at they face-palmed simultaneously. They put their food away and just bent down with their hands covering their faces. Athena and Trucy felt bad for Apollo and Edgeworth. In some ways, they were grateful that they don't have share their tent with Phoenix. Not because they don't like him but for privacy reasons. Also, it is because they don't want to stay up all night listening to Phoenix's snoring. Athena gently stroked Apollo's back as a comforting gesture.
"Thanks..." Apollo muttered as he felt Athena's hand rubbing his back.
"Just...try to get some sleep tonight, okay?" Athena suggested gently with a comforting smile.
"(Sigh) I'll try," Apollo replied weakly.
"You know what? I'm done eating. I'm...going to go in my tent now. Have fun you guys," Edgeworth said as he got up, put the remains of his food into his basket, and walked to his tent.
"Um...okay. See you later, Mr. Edgeworth! Get some rest!" Trucy exclaimed happily.
"Get some rest," she says. Trust me. I'll need it. Edgeworth brooded as he shook his head. He then looked back as at Trucy and did his best to smile at her. He then replied, "I'll try. Thank you, Trucy".
He then walked toward his tent. He bent down to his knees and crawled inside of it. He pulled the zipper down and grabbed his magenta bag. He opened it and brought his book out of the bag. It was a history book involving the events that led to the making of the Constitution of the United States of America. He was interested in how their nation desired to create their government to be separate yet similar to the British government that they had been a part of. He was curious on how far the law in his country had grown since that time and how important it is to remember what had started it. In his quest for knowledge of the law, he is recently studying history in his country. He had already studied the courts of other countries by traveling to them in his younger years. Now, he is wondering how much law has changed over the years in his own country. To see the judicial system devolve into this messy state outside of the Dark Age of The Law, it is quite fascinating on how humans had changed their views on the law and on the government as a whole.
As he started to read where he had left off, he could hear someone banging his tent door.
"Ummm...Mr. Edgeworth? Can I come in too?" Apollo politely asked.
"Oh..." Edgeworth muttered awkwardly as he then moved toward the zipper and pulled it down so that Apollo could get in. Apollo soon crawled into the tent and sat at his sleeping bag. He then decided to lay down on his back to rest. Edgeworth then zipped the tent door back up as he quirked an eyebrow at him.
"Um...any reason why you are deciding to rest here? Do you not want to spend time with Ms. Cykes, Mr. Wright, or even Trucy?" Edgeworth asked with confusion.
"They all agreed to want to go swimming in the lake together. Apparently, they brought their swim gear with them just in case they are near a body of water like a lake. I didn't brought mine because...well...I can't swim. So, I excused myself into going by wanting to take a nap in your tent," Apollo explained while stretching his arms out and then put them behind his head.
O-Oh. I-I see. Well, I guess that's understandable. I hope you sleep well, Mr. Justice," Edgeworth replied awkwardly as he adjusted his glasses.
"Hmm? You okay, Mr. Edgeworth? You've adjusted your glasses when you had mentioned 'sleep'. Is something wrong with that?" Apollo replied as he looked at Edgeworth with a discerning look. His bracelet had acted up again.
Ack! I forgot that Mr. Justice could do that! Edgeworth cringed as he remembered Apollo's secret power. "Actually, to tell you the truth, I was hoping that I will get some peace and quiet as I read this book about history. I only wanted to read without any disturbances. If you wanted to sleep, then I won't stop you. But I just hope that you don't snore too loudly that I have to leave this tent," Edgeworth answered with a frown.
"Oh? Really?" Apollo asked as he focused to make sure Edgeworth wasn't hiding anything or looking nervous about something.
"Yes. Really," Edgeworth replied confidently and calmly.
Apollo looked at Edgeworth for a few more seconds until he shrugged and laid back down on his sleeping bag once he saw no more nervous twitches. "Okay, that makes sense then. Don't worry. I won't make much noise when I'm asleep. Trucy sees me sleeping all the time at the office whenever I had studied my cases all night. She says that I don't snore like her father. I'm practically a quiet sleeper," Apollo said as he relaxed a bit.
"Huh. Funny. I had thought that you would be a loud sleeper considering how often you use your lungs at court. Or so I hear from Wright," Edgeworth replied with a smirk.
"Oh, ha ha ha. Very funny indeed. Stupid Boss. He had to tell you that detail, didn't he?" Apollo replied sarcastically as he frowned a bit.
"Heheheheh, it seems that Wright always gives you a hard time, doesn't he?" Edgeworth replied with a chuckle.
"Oh yeah? Well, try working under him, and you'll see how agonizing it is!" Apollo replied with some irk in his voice.
"Hahahahahaha, no thanks! Hahahahaha!" Edgeworth laughed as he shook his head. Apollo smiled at Edgeworth. He was grateful to have someone who has some common sense in his crazy group of friends. It made him feel less alone in this world. He knew that he isn't going insane, and this is proof of this.
"Mr. Edgeworth?" Apollo said with a smile.
"Yes? Mr. Justice?" Edgeworth said with a smile too.
"I think we're going to get along great during this crazy trip," Apollo said with optimism.
Edgeworth nodded as he replied with a smile of his own, "You know what? You're right...Apollo".
Edgeworth supposed that he made a new friend and so did Apollo.
-Meanwhile with Athena , Trucy, and Phoenix-
"Come on, Daddy! We're almost there! I could see the beautiful lake out here!" Trucy exclaimed enthusiatically as she ran toward the lake a few yards away.
"Hang on! I'm coming! I'm coming!" Phoenix yelled as he ran to catch up with her daughter. Athena was already ahead of the two of them as she was standing near the lake. She was putting down her bag and her towel on the grass and looked at the serene view of the lake. The lake was sparkling as the light reflected on it. They had walked for almost about an hour on this trail. They did saw the lake when they got to their camping site. So, Athena and Trucy begged Phoenix to go swimming with them for the day. He agreed. He brought out a map of the area they were staying at and led them to the lake. They finally reached the place at around 2: 15 PM.
Athena then exclaimed loudly, "This is awesome! Look how beautiful this place is!".
"Yeah...tell me about it," Phoenix said in awe as he finally walked near Trucy and Athena at the lake.
"Ooh! Let's change, Athena! I want to get into the lake right now!" Trucy exclaimed excitedly as she grabbed her bag and dragged Athena's hand to one of the trees.
"H-Hey! Ahahahaha! Let me get my bag first!" Athena replied with a laugh as she quickly broke free of Trucy's grip to grab her own bag. She then ran with Trucy to get changed into their swimsuits.
"Hahahaha! They have so much energy. It's just like whenever Maya and Pearls get together to do some fun activities, and I get dragged along with them. Hahahaha," Phoenix said to himself as he chuckled. He shook his head and bent down to open his bag to get changed into his blue swim trunks. As he took off his clothes, he then thought to himself. Hmmm...I wonder what Maya is doing right now? She is still training in a faraway country. I haven't seen her in years ever since she left the country for her training as she is going to be the Master of The Kurain Channeling Technique when she gets back. I hope she will be okay. I might call her one of these days to check up on her to see if she's alright. I do miss her having her around at the office. Calling her will lift up my mood a bit.
He smiled as he then finished getting dressed for swimming. He then took out his sunscreen and rubbed it onto himself. He then waited for the girls to finish changing to their swim gear. A few minutes pass and the two girls got out in their swim gear. Athena was wearing a yellow two-piece swimsuit and Trucy...is also wearing a two-piece swimsuit. Phoenix frowned as he brooded. Uh oh. Who gave her the idea to dress like that? Athena, I can understand since she is like a big sister to her. But if some guy gave her the idea to look like that, well then, I'm going to give that loser a Phoenix-style punch in the face. Those fighting moves I had learned years ago is about to pay off.
The girls happily went up to the lake and meet up with Phoenix. "Okay! We're ready to swim, Daddy!" Trucy exclaimed as she was covered in her sunscreen.
"Trucy..." Phoenix said with stern tone that a father has for their children.
Trucy flinched as she heard her name spoken like this. Uh oh. Trucy thought as she looked down.
"Why are you wearing that?" Phoenix said calmly yet sternly.
"Ummm...to go swimming? What else?" Trucy replied with a nervous smile.
"Don't play innocent now, young lady. You know why you wanted to wear that. Now, tell me why you wore that so that I could know," Phoenix said with a frown. Despite being in his swim trunks, he still looked serious with that stern expression on his face.
"(Sigh) Well, it's because...I wanted to look older already! Every girl at my high school kept on saying that they are now making their own choices on what to wear and being in a bikini is one of the topics they're excited about because they wanted to attract some boys at the beach during the summer. I'm not doing this to attract some boys or anything, Dad! I just think that I should prepare myself for my adulthood since I'm almost eighteen. I won't be a little girl anymore, Dad! You're going to have to deal with me being a grown-up now! …...I...I'm sorry," Trucy answered honestly while looking sad and angry at the same time. She looked down as she felt upset. She didn't want to be treated as a child anymore.
Phoenix frowned as he saw how upset her daughter is right now. Athena stood there awkwardly as she stared at the lake as she tried to not listen at the turmoil in Trucy's heart. Phoenix sighed as he walked over to Trucy and grabbed her shoulders.
He then said calmly and quietly, "Trucy...you're lucky that we're the only ones here and that there are no boys staring at you. But more importantly, why didn't you tell me this earlier? We could've discussed this. I know that you're not going to be my baby girl anymore, but I want some confirmation on what you want to do with yourself as an adult. I want to know what your values are and your opinions so that I could prepare myself for some choices that you will make in the future. I know that there are going to be some choices that I am against with, but...at the very least I could understand you as you make these choices. Good or bad. I'll do my best to support you. Now, about those girls you've been hearing about. Don't listen to them. You don't have to grow up fast just to appear older. You are already an adult in my eyes as you are still trying to figure things out on your own without my help. You can grow up at your own time. Just relax and have fun during the rest of your teenaged years, okay?".
Trucy wiped a few tears as she listened to her father's instruction. She swallowed as she looked up at him. Phoenix smiled gently at her to show that he forgave her. Trucy weakly smiled as she said, "Thank you Daddy. Um...can I still swim in this?".
Phoenix smiled evilly as he said, "Nope!".
"Daddy! You're the worst!" Trucy exclaimed with a pout.
"Ahahahahahahaha!" Phoenix let go of Trucy's shoulders as he laughed very hard. He placed a hand over his eyes as he laughed.
"Hmph! I can't believe that you would say that! Especially since you said that you would support my decisions now!" Trucy exclaimed as she placed her hands on her hips and pouted at him.
"Oh, I will support your decisions! AFTER you turn eighteen! Ahahahahahahahahaha!" Phoenix laughed as he clutched his stomach.
"Grrrrr!" Trucy growled.
Athena placed a hand on Trucy's shoulder as she comforted Trucy. "I'm sorry, Trucy. It looks like you will have to wait until next time. I guess you should've brought your purple one-piece with you instead of your new one," Athena said while trying very hard not to smile.
"(Sigh) Yeah, you think?" Trucy replied with a bit of sass.
Athena shook her head as she then took off her hand on Trucy's shoulder. Athena then exclaimed, "Well then, Boss? Do you think that you can beat me in a swimming competition?! Because I'll warn you that I'm a pro at swimming!".
"Oh? Isn't that so? Well, I'll like to beat you then! But hey...aren't you wearing any sunscreen? You did bring some with you, didn't you?" Phoenix asked as he put a finger under his chin as he looked at her.
"Oh! Uh...um...I forgot to bring some for the trip," Athena replied awkwardly while looking down.
"Hmm...I see. Well, I can help you by giving you some of mine," Phoenix said as he gave Athena his sunscreen. However, as Athena tried to push out the sunscreen from the bottle, it wouldn't come out.
"Whoops! Looks like it had already run out when I had used it," Phoenix replied with a sheepish smile as he rubbed the back of his head.
"Here, Athena. You can use mine," Trucy said as she gave her sunscreen to Athena. Athena tried to get some sunscreen out, but yet again, the sunscreen couldn't come out because it's empty.
Trucy gave Athena a nervous smile. She then replied, "Ah heh heh heh heh, s-sorry, Athena. I think I had used too much sunscreen to cover my body. Uh...sorry about that. Teehee!".
"Awwwwww coooooome ooooooon! Is this seriously happening right now?! Great! Now I'm going to get sunburn today! This sucks! This sucks!" Athena exclaimed while looking upset as Widget also said the same thing with her.
Phoenix laughed as he replied, "Ahahahahahahahaha! I guess you're going to pay the consequences for not bringing your sunscreen, Athena! Hahahahaha! See, Trucy? You need to learn that you can make your own choices if you want, but you are going to bear the consequences by yourself! And no one is going to relieve you of your consequences, got it?".
Trucy giggled while feeling bad for Athena. It might suck for her that she isn't going to swim, but she is grateful to have brought sunscreen so that she won't feel the pain of sunburn later. "Hehehehehe! Alright, Dad! You made your point! Athena, you don't have to swim you know. You could back out and put your clothes back on if you want! We could just sit down here in the grass and watch Dad swim in the lake by himself. We could talk for a while as Dad swims. So, what do you say, Athena?" Trucy said gently to Athena after agreeing with her dad.
Athena frowned as she then looked determined. She didn't care if she forgot her sunscreen. She is an adult, and she is going to enjoy herself in the water whether she gets sunburned or not! She is not going to suffer the same fate as Trucy.
She shook her head as she then exclaimed, "No! I will not back down on this! I'm going swimming, and none of you can't stop me!".
Phoenix smiled sheepishly as he replied, "Umm...Athena? It's okay to back down if you-".
"No way! I want to have fun on this trip! So, you can't stop me!" Athena interrupted as she pointed her finger at Phoenix.
"Athena, I don't it's safe for you to-" Trucy said as she tried to reconvince Athena to not swim.
"La la la la! I'm not listening! I'm going to the lake now!" Athena exclaimed as she plugged her ears with her fingers and walked to the lake.
"Seriously, Athena! I don't think it's a good idea to-" Phoenix exclaimed as he extended his hand forth to Athena.
SPLOOOOOOOOOOOSH!
Athena jumped forward and splashed into the cold lake water. She managed to get Phoenix and Trucy wet from that splash. Trucy yelped as she felt the cold water on her skin. Phoenix shook his head off to get some water off of him. Athena then emerged on top of the water as she smiled widely at the two of them.
"Woohoo! This is fantastic! Too bad you have to miss out, Trucy! Because this is what being an adult is like! Yeeeeeeeeaaaaaaaahhoooooooooo! Come on, Boss! Come in! Come in!" Athena yelled loudly as she swam backwards while smiling wide. She is having the time of her life, and Trucy was a bit jealous that she gets to enjoy herself like this. Phoenix scratched the back of his head as he looked at Athena for a bit. He would've interjected, but he shrugged and gave up as he saw that he can't change Athena's mind on this.
"Oh, well. Trucy, keep an eye out on our bags as we swim, okay?" Phoenix said as he looked at his daughter.
Trucy smiled as she then sat down on her towel and pulled Athena's, Phoenix's, and her own bags together with her. "Okay! I will! Have fun, Daddy!".
Phoenix smiled as he said, "I will. Thanks, sweetheart. Maybe next time you'll join with us if we go camping again".
Trucy nodded as she said, "Yeah! Maybe I will!".
"Alright then. Hey, Athena! I'm coming in! Let's have our races! Best three out of five will be our winner!" Phoenix said as he then exclaimed to Athena. He then jumped into the lake and swam towards Athena. Then, they decided to have their little competition together.
-A Few Hours Later-
Athena and Phoenix swam in the lake for a while now. Trucy watched the two of them swam their races. Athena won, of coarse. She and Phoenix then decided to swim some more for fun. They played with each other by having a water fight. They laughed as they splashed each other in the water. Phoenix tried to dunk Athena, but she kept dodging him. She actually managed to dunk her own boss into the water. She laughed that she was able to do that. Phoenix took it well as he laughed too. Trucy was disappointed that she wasn't able to swim with them, but she enjoyed watching them have fun together at least. She had a small smile on her face. In that time as Athena and Phoenix were swimming, Trucy had brought along her phone with her to play with. She knows that there is no reception or internet to where she's at, but she played some games on her phone to pass the time.
Hmm...I wonder what time it is now? Trucy thought as she played her phone game while looking up at Athena and Phoenix from time to time. She then got out from her game and checked the time. It was 4: 30 PM. It seems that Athena and Phoenix were swimming for two hours. Ah. I think it is time to go. We need to hurry back to our camping spot to get ready for dinner. The sun will go down soon in about two more hours at least. I better call the two of them to come back. Trucy pondered as she turned off her phone. She is also aware that there is no electricity at the outdoors, so, she's saving her phone's power by turning it off.
"Hey! You two! It's 4:30 PM! We need to leave!" Trucy yelled as she put her hands around her mouth to call them.
"What?! Already?! Aw man! I thought that we could go a lot longer!" Athena yelled back with disappointment in her tone.
"Welp. Sorry, Athena. You heard her. Let's go back and dry off. We need to get back to our spot, alright?" Phoenix replied with a smile.
"(Sigh) Alright, Boss," Athena replied with a sigh. The two of them then swam back to the shore. Trucy got up and went through her bag to get out her clothes to change. She then saw Athena step out of the lake all covered in red sunburn. Trucy gasped.
"Athena! Your body! It's-!" Trucy exclaimed in shock while pointing at Athena's body.
"Huh? …...Aw crud. I did got sunburn after all," Athena replied as she looked down at her body to check. She frowned in displeasure as she saw how red her skin is now.
"Hahahahaha! I told you! You should've brought your sunscreen when you needed it! Hahahahahaha!" Phoenix laughed as he grabbed his bag up.
"Don't laugh at me, Boss! Ooooh, now, what am I going to do?" Athena replied feeling upset as she kept looking at her red body.
"Hmm...I don't know. Maybe go inside a pan and boil more as a red lobster? Hahahahaha!" Phoenix teased as he had a playful grin at Athena.
"Boss! How can be so cruel?!" Athena exclaimed loudly as Widget also turned red to express her anger.
"Hey, calm down, Athena. It's not as bad as you're making it out to be. Sure, your skin is going to peel off, but you'll soon regrow your white skin just fine. Although...sometimes the peeling can be painful or so I've heard," Phoenix replied with a calm expression until he appeared sheepish in the end.
"Oooooh! I don't want to feel the stinging pain of peeling! Feeling the red sunburn is painful enough!" Athena exclaimed as she tried to not to cry.
"You mean this?" Trucy asked as she gently poked Athena's upper arm.
"Owwwwwww! Yes! That!" Athena yelped loudly as she retracted her arm from Trucy.
Trucy grinned widely as she looked playful. "Aw, don't be like that Athena! It can be kind of fun!" Trucy exclaimed happily.
"Fun?! How can this be any fun for me?!" Athena asked feeling angry and confused.
"Hmmm...well, it's more fun for me than for you I suppose. But in that case...you better watch out before I poke you!" Trucy replied with a sweet, wicked smile before she started poking Athena as much as she can.
Athena kept on walking away from Trucy as she does this. She yelped in pain as Trucy kept poking her red body. "Ow! OW! OW! Stop! Trucy! Stop! That is so uncool!" Athena yelled in pain.
"Trucy! Stop!" Phoenix yelled sternly as he looked serious.
Trucy immediately stopped poking Athena and looked at her father with guilty eyes. "I-I'm sorry, Dad. Oh...I'm also sorry to you too, Athena. I just trying to help you to have fun," Trucy apologized as she frowned with guilt in her face.
"(Sigh) It's okay, Trucy. I know you meant well. I forgive you," Athena said with a small frown. She can't stay mad at Trucy or with Phoenix any more than that.
Trucy beamed at Athena and said, "Thanks Athena! Now come on! Let's get changed and walk back to our campsite! I'm feeling hungry! And you guys are about to feel hungry on the way back! So, let's get moving!".
Athena and Phoenix smiled at each other and at Trucy. They both agreed that it's time to leave. They both nodded their heads at Trucy, and they soon went to separate places to dry off and change their clothes. After a few more minutes of drying and changing, they soon got back to their dry clothes. Trucy also had changed back to her dry clothes. They all soon picked up their towels, their bags, and got their shoes back on before they went back to the campsite.
It was certainly quite a day for the whole group, but their first night is about to begin.
Another part done! These parts are prepared in advance so that I can give them all to you guys in time during spring break! I hope you guys are enjoying this! The next part is also uploaded the same time as this one. So, for Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday, you'll be getting two parts instead of one! Hooray! More chapters! The last chapter will obviously be up on Thursday since it's the last part of the story! So, I hope you'll enjoy the rest! Your support is welcome!