Which Claimer? Dis Claimer
I asked my lawyer, Mr Case, what video games he likes to play. He said he's into those ancient point-and-click adventure games that are mostly black screens with only four or five colors. He likes text. Lots and lots of text. No surprise because he reads legal documents everyday. But he won't play Ace Attorney. "Not even hell freezing over would make me play those," he said.

Episode 3
— A Bridge Rebuilt —
Investigation, Part One

– Present Day –

Athena cracked open a well-earned beverage. She scampered back to her room, clad in her yellow pajamas, and hopped onto her bed. She took a swig of the fruity alcoholic treat, ready for a relaxing and carefree night. Today had been a long day.

Her phone rested on the sheets, in speaker mode, a number rather than a name on the screen for she had yet to add it to her contacts. "Dios mío, I'm so glad it's finally over!" she spoke into it. "I'm exhausted! That was the farthest I've ever gone to get two people together, and I mean that literally."

"I'm told you're on some sort of matchmaking crusade?"

"That's a way to put it, I guess. Just call me the Cupid Crusader, or the Matchmaking Marauder! I don't know, which one sounds better?"

"How about the Valentine Vixen?"

"Ooh, not bad. Kind of a dark side to it, y'know?" Athena dragged her hand through her long locks, tugging away the stress she endured over the last week and a half. She had never met two people so stubborn to admit their feelings for each other.

She flipped onto her stomach and took another swig. "I'm gonna treat myself because I've earned it. Haven't decided how, yet."

"Why not let someone else treat you?"

"And just who would offer to do that?" Athena responded playfully. "My warning label says 'not easy to please', so they'd have an uphill struggle."

"I'm sure they have an idea or two up their sleeve."

Athena's face reddened. "M-maybe some other time," she said apprehensively.

There was no response for an uncomfortable amount of time, and Athena feared her tone may have been too dismissive and ended the conversation prematurely.

"Tell me about your latest crusade," she finally heard, bringing about a smile.

"You want the abridged version or the not-so-abridged version?"

"The whole shebang. Don't leave out a single detail."

Athena looked at the time—10:04 PM. "Okay, but there's a lot of backstory to it. You're gonna be up all night."

"I'm not working tomorrow."

"Really? Nice to know." She chugged the rest of the beverage, hopped off her bed, and went to the kitchen to fetch another one. "Okay, so the stupidest thing happened at work—"

– 11 Days Ago –

Athena emerged from the bathroom of the Wright Anything Agency, leaving in her wake the cleanest, shiniest toilet and sink the world had ever seen. All the gunk in the tiniest crevices was scrubbed away, and the porcelain was whiter than the tiny tuft of Simon's hair. A lit candle sat on the toilet tank lid, expelling any lingering impurities with its fresh seaside serenity. There was a spring in her step on the way back to her desk, and there was a certain kind of joy radiating off her, the kind that screamed good riddance. And the reason for that was simple—

Today marked the last day of her month-long toilet cleaning duty. Mr Wright had doled out the detestable chore as punishment for the impermissible spending of his money, an act Athena never repeated with anyone else for the rest of her life. She was in high spirits and would surely remain that way for the day's entirety, absolutely nothing muddying her spotless cheer.

Nope. It was going to be one of those days. She shouldn't have been surprised by this point.

When Athena sat down at her desk, Apollo said, "You realize we're going back to alternating toilet duty, right? You're not done with it forever."

"Can you please not remind me? I've never flushed a toilet that many times without having used it first. Can't you take it over for a while? I've done enough."

"I don't think you understand what a punishment is."

Junie, who had dropped by and was sitting on Apollo's desk, interjected, "I'm proud of you, Thena. You had a responsibility and you stuck to it. Do you think you can apply those same cleaning skills at home, though?"

Athena pleaded the fifth on that. "I can't wait to celebrate on Friday!"

"You have plans?" asked Apollo.

"You bet! Junie and I are camping in the mountains that night! I can't wait to taste those s'mores!"

Apollo's eyebrow rose, and that marked the start of the stupidest argument that ever transpired at the Wright Anything Agency. "I'm sorry, did you say you're doing this Friday night? Juniper and I are supposed to see a movie."

It was at this point that Junie froze up, but neither of them noticed.

"What are you talking about?" said Athena. "We already made plans. You must be confusing the day."

"No, she and I agreed to Friday night," Apollo stated firmly.

"You sure you're not mistaken? I've seen your planner get pretty chaotic. You probably wrote something down wrong."

"Athena, between the two of us, I'm the neat one who keeps his desk in an orderly fashion. If anyone's gonna mistake the day, it's you. And don't attack my planner or my notetaking skills."

Athena huffed and crossed her arms. She turned to Junie, only to find that she was no longer on Apollo's desk—she was tiptoeing her way to the front door.

"Junie!"

The meek girl jumped, quivering, an adorable yelp escaping her lips.

"What gives? You made plans with both of us at the same time? How could you let that happen?!"

"I-I'm sorry! *cough, cough*! I didn't realize it! I was excited to spend time with both of you, s-so it slipped—*cough, cough, cough*! Wh-what should I do?"

To Athena there was only one solution. "Easy. Cancel your plans with Apollo."

"Wait, what?!" And to Apollo there was any other solution. "Why not cancel her plans with you?"

Athena ran over to Junie and latched onto her arm the way a five-year-old would. "Hello, because I'm her best friend. I get dibs over you."

Apollo came over and grabbed Junie's other arm, but more like how a ten-year-old would. "Excuse you, I'm her boyfriend."

And then they started bickering like two siblings who couldn't decide who got to use the tv first.

"So? You've only been dating for a month. We've been friends since childhood."

"Exactly. You've already had plenty of time with her. I should get priority."

It was at this point that Junie's light quivering turned into a turbulent tremble, but again neither of them noticed. They only had eyes for each other—wild, searing, scathing eyes. Their grips on the poor girl's arms tightened.

"I'm not canceling!" cried Athena. "Junie would rather go camping with me! Isn't that right, Junie?"

"O-ow, you guys, you're hurting—"

"You don't get to decide what she wants!" yelled Apollo. "She'd prefer a relaxing night in with me!"

Athena tugged Junie toward herself, hoping to rip her from Apollo's hold. "She wants to be with me!"

And Apollo tugged right back. "No, she doesn't!"

It was at this point that Junie began hyperventilating, her head dizzying from being volleyed back and forth like a tennis ball. But once again neither of them noticed.

"P-please, sto—" she tried to call out, but her voice was far too soft to hear over their Chords of Steel.

"She's mine!" went Athena.

"No, she's not!" went Apollo.

"Sisters before misters!"

"Guys before gals!"

"That doesn't make sense, idiota!"

"I'm the guy, you're the gal! I come first!"

"Worst! Defense! Ever!"

Junie was now on the verge of a full-on panic attack, her heart and lungs ready to explode at any moment. But still neither of them noticed.

"What is going on here?"

All of them froze on the spot. They turned around, and in the entryway they saw a very concerned Mr Wright and a very perplexed Trucy. Junie took this opportunity to escape their clutches and scamper away, hiding behind Mr Wright and still shaking.

"Care to explain why Juniper looks frightened?" said Mr Wright with an authoritative tone, his brows furrowed deeply.

"Apollo is trying to hog her!"

"No, I wasn't! You were the one doing the hogging!"

"Yeah, right! Look at your pig face, ya big fat hogger—"

"Enough, enough!" yelled Mr Wright, squeezing his forehead in frustration. "I could hear your voices from outside. You're seriously arguing over who gets to spend time with her?"

"Th-they kept pulling me," whimpered Junie.

Mr Wright placed a comforting arm around Junie. "I'm sorry, what? You were pulling her? Like a rope? Does my office look like a grade school playground to you? You're adults and you're lawyers. Find a civilized way to settle your disputes."

Athena and Apollo gulped, looking like they had been caught stealing from a cookie jar.

"Are you okay, Juniper?" Mr Wright asked softly. She nodded, but she started coughing again. "Trucy, bring her in my office and make some tea, please."

Concern etched on her face, Trucy did as instructed, supporting the poor girl by the shoulders and guiding her through the doorway.

It was now Athena and Apollo's turn to freeze up, the towering form of their boss directly before them. He had the broad shoulders of a seasoned football player, and hair as pointed as the glower he was giving them. Had Simon challenged him to a staring contest this very second, he would actually stand a chance at winning.

"I step out for half an hour and this is what I come back to. If a client came in and saw this, it would be the end of my business. I'm very disappointed in you two. I trust you to handle things while I'm away, but clearly I have to reconsider that."

Athena piped up, "We're sorry, Mr—"

"Don't apologize to me. Apologize to Juniper when she comes out." With a shake of his head, he uttered an exasperated "God, kids," before going into his office and shutting the door.

Athena and Apollo looked at each other, both forcing big smiles that quickly turned to hollow frowns.

"Um, sorry about that," she whispered to him.

"Me, too."

They sat behind their desks, and not a word was exchanged between them over the next hour. During that time, they could hear muffled voices coming from Mr Wright's office, and Trucy was kind enough to bring them both cups of hot tea. Athena recalled a time when Mr Edgeworth stopped by to visit, and she had challenged him to a chess match, only to reveal she thought the game was merely a fancier version of checkers. Trying to explain to her how a knight moved was like trying to explain to the elderly judge how a smartphone operated. Athena kept mixing up the pieces (the pawns were the only ones she could truly grasp), and she kept declaring checkmate prematurely. Mr Edgeworth wrote her off as a lost cause after two failed games, and she was relentlessly made fun of after that. Yet despite that, it was still far less embarrassing than this debacle.

Eventually Mr Wright's office door opened and out stepped its three occupants. Athena and Apollo apologized to Junie, but she understandably decided to leave immediately, not even kissing Apollo before doing so—his cry of "I'll call you later!" fell on deaf ears.

"I didn't think this was a lesson you two needed to learn," said Mr Wright. "Don't ever repeat that conduct again, both in and out of this office. Do you understand?"

"Yes, Mr Wright," they both said.

Now that the discipline was finished, Athena shifted back to the sunnier atmosphere that made the agency a joy to work for. "I don't think I've ever seen you get that tough, Boss. Not with us, at least. You went full on dad mode."

Trucy hugged her father's side. "I know, right? Sometimes daddy can be a real dad."

"If you act like kids, you'll be treated like kids," said Mr Wright.

"Maybe we should start calling you Papa Phoenix," said Athena, giggling.

"Don't make me sound old. I'm not even forty yet," Mr Wright jested. "Though my hair seems to be graying already because I have to put up with you three on a daily basis. Sometimes I wonder how I haven't lost my mind yet."

"Having trouble reining in your children, Papa Phoenix?" mocked Athena. "Is this rambunctious family too much for you? Sounds to me like you could use a partner—a mama, if you will."

"I've been down this road many times with him," said Trucy. "I've been asking for a mommy for years, but daddy's super stubborn."

"All this time, I kinda thought that was Maya," mused Apollo. "Y'know, Mama Maya? But she's with Prosecutor Blackquill now."

"Nah, Maya's more of a big sister than a mother," said Athena. "I think Papa Phoenix needs someone more on his maturity level, someone who can be a wise female role model for Trucy."

Apollo poked his forehead, his brows creased in thought. "That's a good point. Have you ever dated before, Mr Wright?"

"Of course I have," he said. "I've met people over the years, both before and after adopting Trucy, but none of them stuck. Either the chemistry wasn't there or we were just too busy with our lives. And as I got older, it only became harder. It's easier to find someone when you're younger. My longest relationship was back in college and—" He stopped abruptly, and for a brief moment he appeared troubled, as if he were about to say something he would regret. "Anyway, it eventually became a burden. It's been several years since I last put myself out there."

Athena eyed him curiously. What was that about? Was it cause for concern? Every fiber of her lawyerly self was telling her to press the issue as she would a witness, but she knew she shouldn't. Not yet, at least.

"I know dating is hard, Boss," she said, "but don't let that stop you from finding someone now. I think you should give it another shot. You're an eligible bachelor."

"First Apollo and then Maya. Am I your newest target, Athena?"

"Since you're gonna call me out like that, then yes." She held up her clenched fist. "Mr Wright, mon ami, I won't rest until you find your perfect match! And I already have an idea! You should go to a single's mixer!"

"Oh, I would love to see daddy work his magic at one of those," said Trucy. "Can you imagine his pick up lines?"

"Hey baby, dating me would be the Wright choice," mocked Apollo.

"The name's Phoenix, and I'll rise to the occasion," added Athena.

"Reaching for the low-hanging fruit, aren't you?" remarked Mr Wright. "I'm not sure, Athena. I've never been to one of those. I wouldn't know what to do."

"All you do is talk to people. If there's a connection, then go with it, and if not, then try again with someone else. The best part is that everyone's there for the same reason. No games, no miscommunication, no drama. Who knows, you might meet the one provided you don't use any awful pick up lines."

Mr Wright covered his face in shame. "My subordinates are giving me dating advice. What has this world come to? Fine, I'll give it a try, but I better not meet any weirdos."

"Don't worry, Athena won't be there," said Apollo.

"Hey!"

Phoenix could say that not everyone who attended the mixer was a complete weirdo. Some of the women he spoke to seemed relatively normal. Relatively. But what bothered him was the fact that he was by far the most normal person there—down to earth, hardly outlandish, and maybe a little overdressed for the type of bar they were at. He was doing his best not to chase anyone away with his usual courtroom antics.

"Really, a flight attendant? That's interesting," Phoenix said to one woman.

"Head flight attendant," she corrected. "My title is Manager of Consumer Satisfaction. I've spent many years climbing the corporate ladder, and I can say it was absolutely worth it."

There was something odd about the smile she cracked. Phoenix spotted a very noticeable twitch at the corner of her mouth as well as in her eye. Her hands started clutching her glass rather tightly, and she took an awfully long sip of her drink. She was putting minimal effort into hiding the agitation behind her cheerful demeanor. Phoenix envisioned the field of eggshells before him.

"So what exactly does a Manager of…" He had already forgotten her title. "… someone like you do?"

"My duties are to convey proper safety measures before takeoff, coordinate with the pilot and co-pilot for all up-to-date matters, and make sure our passengers are comfortable and their exact needs met during the flight."

That… sounded exactly like a regular flight attendant. Was her title even real, because it reminded Phoenix of when Apollo requested to be called "Senior Consulting Assistant", a title containing absolutely no increased responsibilities or pay. He believed it was merely an attempt to flex his seniority over Athena.

Unfortunately, the Manager of Consummate Sobriety picked up on his quiet skepticism, and she once again took a long sip of her drink, avoiding eye contact the whole time.

"I am also the airline's Director of Artistic Affairs," she hastily added. "All of our planes, pamphlets, and suitcases were given my unique artistic makeover. My post-modern design has garnered much praise."

For the first time since the conversation began, Phoenix actually took interest. "Oh? I actually went to school for art. Can I see them?"

"Of course!"

She pulled out her phone and showed him some samples, and his eyes inflated for all the wrong reasons. Horrid would be a nice way of putting it. Apocalyptic rainbow vomit would be a bit more accurate. No matter how long ago Phoenix's days in the arts were, he at least remembered the basics of color theory. This woman had likely never heard of color theory and may be colorblind to boot. Those shades of yellow and pink do not go together, those jagged shapes and swirls add nothing to the whole, and she definitely shouldn't be parading this around like it was an achievement. Who exactly was praising her artistic abilities? Buckets of paint thrown haphazardly at a wall would be closer to da Vinci than this.

"These are… really nice."

"Just… nice?" Her fake twitchy smile returned, larger and more uncomfortable than before. She took another drawn out sip of her drink. Phoenix could feel the eggshells shredding his feet, so he finished off his own drink and used that as an excuse to go to the bar and get away from her. She was definitely not the one.

The next woman he chatted with was strikingly beautiful and the curator of an art gallery. Phoenix had no desire to discuss art again, and thankfully she took interest in his career as a lawyer. This may have gone somewhere, but her energy was a bit too high for him—that and she kept breaking out into song at random intervals and drawing everyone's attention. It was weird—very, very weird. The next woman was overly nervous, could barely look him in the eyes, and constantly pulled at her hair. She spent more time muttering to herself than talking to him, saying things like "he's really good looking" but then following with "you can't fall for him" and "he'll break your heart". After her came a nurse who kept using those awful pick up lines Athena had warned him about. She asked if she could touch his forehead because she wanted to "feel the heat" between them, then suggested injecting him with "love IV" and wrapping his heart in her bandages. Phoenix was pretty sure he wasn't into that kind of roleplay.

The one didn't seem to be at this bar. Phoenix was getting mentally exhausted and was just about to call it a night. But when he went to get his final drink, someone approached him.

"Excuse me, handsome, is anyone sitting here?" Without waiting for a response, the woman claimed the seat next to him. She had long curly purple hair and a smile that spelled trouble. She was certainly beautiful. "I can't shake the feeling I've seen you before. You're Phoenix Wright, right?"

He displayed a cautious optimism. "I am. Have we met?"

"Not personally, but how could I pass up the chance to chat with a local celebrity? The name's Aura Blackquill."

Curse him for taking a swig at that moment. "Blackqui—?" He coughed and beat his chest. "Sorry. Are you related to Prosecutor Simon Blackquill?"

"My, you're awfully formal even when at a social event. Remind me never to invite you to my parties." She sipped her drink rather cheekily. "I'm Simon's older sister. I saw you at one of his trials."

"Ah, Athena told me about you. It's nice to meet you, Ms Blackquill."

"Drop the formalities. Just call me Aura. I get enough Ms Blackquill at work." She leaned back and tapped her chin. "Hmm, but what should I call you? 'Phoenix' is a bit too stuffy for me, and I can't go with 'Wright-dono' because I'm not a dork like Simon."

Phoenix laughed softly. "I also go by Nick, if that pleases you."

"It does," said Aura. "That's what Simon's new girlfriend calls you. She's a close friend of yours, I'm told. I guess that means you and I now share a special connection."

Phoenix laughed a little louder. "Honestly, it boggles my mind that Maya's actually dating someone, and your brother of all people—no offense, Aura."

She waved him off. "None taken, Nicky. I know how Simon can come across. Funny he was able to bag someone even though I inherited all the social skills. So tell me, why is the city's ace attorney looking for a date at a shabby bar? I never imagined you as the desperate sort."

Phoenix raised a finger. "First of all, coming here was Athena's idea." He raised another finger. "Second, you're also here. What does that say about you?"

Aura scoffed. "Please, I know what I'm doing. I thrive on the desperate ones. They're such easy targets. Just validate everything they say and they're butter. You could learn a thing or two from me—I saw you striking out all night."

"I wasn't striking out," said Phoenix, surprisingly defensive about it. "The conversations just weren't great."

"You're telling me you couldn't bluff your way into their hearts? I'm disappointed, Nicky." She flashed a devious smile, her resemblance to Prosecutor Blackquill now uncanny. "Who was your favorite one?"

Phoenix glanced around the bar. "I wouldn't use the word 'favorite', more like 'least intolerable'. That Russian woman was alright."

"You think she's actually Russian?" said Aura. "I could hear right through that fake accent. I respect the gamble, though. The 'exotic foreigner' is always enticing. I would've gone for her myself if it was the real deal."

Phoenix raised his eyebrows—that was a piece of info he wasn't expecting to learn tonight. "Ah, I didn't know you… went that way."

"Aww, did you think I was trying to pick you up? Think you'd get a romp in the sack with Mama Aura? Sorry to disappoint you, Nicky, but I don't play for your team."

Phoenix had no objections to being passed up by a Blackquill. In fact, he felt himself loosening up in her presence. "Alright, so who's your favorite?"

Aura motioned to a familiar woman across the bar. "I have my eye on that flight attendant. She's extremely worked up and could use some stress relief, if you know what I mean. One of my special massages oughta loosen her up."

"She's only been talking to men, Aura."

"That's always how it appears, but a few words from me and then they're walking out of my house in the morning. Never underestimate the persuasiveness of a Blackquill. Besides, her job takes her out of the city often, so I won't have to worry about bumping into her, and I'll know exactly which airline to avoid booking."

Phoenix smirked and shook his head. "You really are Prosecutor Blackquill's sister."

"Where do you think he gets it from?"

"You know what, have at her. Just tell her she's an amazing artist and she'll probably listen to anything you say."

"Thanks for the tip, Nicky. You're not so bad." Aura raised her glass, and he followed suit, clinking them together.

Maybe it was because he was buzzed, but Phoenix was no longer in a rush to go home. "Alright, pick someone out for me. Who here is my perfect match?"

Aura looked around for a moment before her eyes landed on a woman sitting in a booth. "Did you talk to that journalist with the funky accent?"

Phoenix slammed his glass down. "Dear god, don't get me started on who she reminds me of."

"Really? Not a single one, Mr Wright?" asked Athena the next day. "I find that hard to believe for someone like you."

"If you saw what I had to work with, you'd understand. I tried, I really did, but there wasn't a spark with anyone. Well, no, that's not entirely true. You'll probably get a kick out of this. I ran into Prosecutor Blackquill's sister there. She's a colorful one, I'll give her that."

"I'm sorry, wha—Aura was there?" remarked Athena. "She was looking for a date?"

"Not so much a date as a fling," said Mr Wright. "She was surprisingly the most enjoyable part of the night. She's very down to earth. I could just be myself around her."

Apollo made an awkward motion with his hands. "You didn't… y'know, with her—"

Mr Wright gave a loud, hearty laugh. "Oh no no no, I wouldn't dare. There's a myriad of reasons why that wouldn't work. I don't need Prosecutor Blackquill coming for my head. Plus, could you imagine her becoming Trucy's mother? No, thank you."

"I'm sorry it didn't work out, Mr Wright," said Athena. "Keep your spirits up and keep putting yourself out there. Someone'll come along."

"I appreciate your support, but once is enough," stated Mr Wright with a troubled tone. "I have a daughter to care for and my own firm to manage. I don't have the time to keep pursuing this."

"Come on, Mr Wright, don't you think that's too hasty?" Athena pleaded. "Trucy's nineteen and can look after herself, and the agency's a well-oiled machine. You can squeeze in some time to meet new people, you just need to try."

Mr Wright shook his head vehemently. "Athena, please. I understand you want to help, but let it go. I have more important things to consider."

"But you said you've tried to date before, so why not keep—"

"I said no, Athena!"

Her breath escaped her, her lips turned dry, her chest became heavy. She could no longer look her boss dead on, yielding to his rigid statue-like form. His jaw was clamped shut, his eyes a cold and empty canvas. Apollo stood by awkwardly, his gaze darting between the two of them, the discomforting silence striking like nails on a chalkboard. A quick turn on his heels, Mr Wright went into his office, shutting the door behind him.

Athena was startled by a hand on her shoulder. "Are you okay?" asked Apollo.

She sniffled a few times. "Y-yeah."

"Hey, look at me. Remember to smile," he said soothingly, his fingers squeezing her shoulder reassuringly. "Mr Wright isn't mad at you. You probably just caught him off guard. But if he says to let it go, then I think you should. Don't let it get you down, though. If it makes you feel better, I appreciate how you helped me with Juniper, and I'm sure Maya feels the same way."

Athena forced her biggest smile. "Thank you, Apollo. I'll let it go."

But Athena was very bad at letting things go, especially when she felt responsible, and the longer the day went on the longer she thought about it, until letting it go was no longer a possibility. That was a puzzlingly cross reaction from Mr Wright, and she cared about him too much to let whatever was bothering him continue to weigh him down. Based on the topic, it wasn't hard to figure out the root of the issue—("My longest relationship was back in college and—"). Those were Mr Wright's exact words just before his chatty demeanor fell away, and it was there she would find the lock and chain over his heart.

Athena spent the rest of the day in silence, completing the minimum amount of work that her racing thoughts would allow. Mr Wright only stepped out of his office to use the restroom, and he always had a blank gaze, and he spared neither words nor a glance at his subordinates. After Apollo packed up and went home, Athena gently knocked on his door. Upon receiving the okay to enter, she found him standing by the window, staring out of it still with that same blank gaze.

She navigated his maze-like office, around magic props and slightly opened cabinets, until she stood beside him. "Mr Wright, are you okay?" she asked cautiously, as if any misspoken word would detonate a minefield.

It took him a moment to register that she had said anything. "I'm fine. I'm sorry for snapping at you earlier."

"I'm sorry for pushing you so hard. I didn't mean to upset you."

"You did nothing wrong," said Mr Wright, his sight still dead centered on the window despite nothing of interest happening outside. "I could've handled that better. You didn't deserve to be spoken to that way."

Athena eyed him with concern. "Can we talk about it?"

"Athena, you don't need to worry—"

"Please, Mr Wright?" she insisted. "It's obvious something's bothering you, and I don't want you to deal with it alone, especially since I'm the one who set you off."

"Alright, then," he said quietly.

"Great!" Athena faced the room, taking in how claustrophobic it felt; hardly any floor space existed. "Let's get out of here first. Why don't we go to the park?"

Mr Wright nodded, and they grabbed their things and took the short stroll over to People Park. The summer sun was still high in the sky, and families were out and about walking their dogs and tossing frisbees and playing catch. It served as a pleasant white noise. The two of them took to one of the trails.

"I'm guessing this has something to do with a past relationship," said Athena. "Am I right?"

"Yes," he said. She stared at him, waiting for him to continue, but his mouth stayed closed.

"Mr Wright, you can tell me what happened. I've dated too and I understand how it feels when it ends."

Mr Wright took a few slow breaths, apparently mustering up whatever courage laid dormant, and he finally began. "I was in college and I met someone special. We were together for eight months and I felt on top of the world. But it suddenly ended out of nowhere, and in one of the worst ways possible. It haunted me for years and I barely knew how to move on. It's still my longest and most significant relationship to this day, and… I honestly hate that."

"Did you love her?"

"I did. I truly did. And I thought she loved me. Maybe she did, but it was hard to tell afterwards."

"Did you ever think she was the one?"

Mr Wright shoved his hands into his pockets, taking another deep breath. "Yes… but I was naive." His mouth tightened shut, and Athena spied the subtle movements of him biting the inside of his lips. He looked extremely unnerved. She reached for his nearest hand, pulling it out and squeezing it gently.

"Would it help if I said I understand how you feel? I loved my boyfriend with all my heart. I thought it would last forever. But he broke my heart. Sometimes I still shut down when I think about him. I'm scared to date again because of it."

Mr Wright squeezed her hand back, and as they continued walking, he stared down the path with a thoughtful look.

"Can you tell me about her?" Athena asked. "Talking about my ex helped me a little bit."

His eyes widened somewhat, and his cheeks puffed out. "You have no idea how deep of a rabbit hole that is. I'll try to keep it simple." Another deep breath. "She was the sweetest person I ever met. She made me lunches and knit me clothes, and we spent almost everyday together. She's the type of person who would throw herself in front of a bus for anyone, for better and for worse. But it turned out she was lying to me the entire time, and the moment we were over, she vanished. I didn't see her again for five years."

Listening to his voice and watching his posture, Athena could tell that there were a plethora of details being left out. She could visualize just how deep that rabbit hole went, deep enough to fill a book. But right now wasn't the time to ask about it—it was clear he wouldn't budge no matter how much pressing she did.

Athena instead took a different approach. "How did you feel when you saw her all those years later?"

There was the faintest trace of a smile on his lips. "Confused at first, sometimes angry, sometimes hopeful. But I'd say it was a good experience, all things considered. She came clean about all the lies and everything that had happened on her end. It turned out that behind the deceit she was the same loving and loyal person that I believed she was. I was very relieved after that. It cleared up a lot of the regrets I had about dating her."

It was interesting to listen to him reveal his history. Ever since Athena had met him, she had taken him for granted as "Mr Wright", her boss, a cheerful and witty and righteous pillar of strength. But right now, she finally saw "Phoenix", her friend, emotionally vulnerable, scared, and in need of a hug.

And that's exactly what she gave him, with such force that he was nearly knocked off his feet. Mr Wright seemed confused by the gesture at first, but he did return it. She could feel some of the tension leaving his body.

"That's incredible to hear," said Athena. "It sounds like you parted on good terms, which is almost unheard of for most couples, myself included. But one thing confuses me—if you got closure on the whole thing, why are you still upset about it?"

"Yes, she did wind up telling me the truth, but it took five years for that to happen. She still lied while we were together, so…"

"You think everyone you date will do the same thing?"

His silence spoke loudly enough.

"You're a smart guy, Mr Wright. You know for a fact that that's not how it works. Don't let what she did stop you from finding someone now."

"I know you're right, but it still stings when I think about her," he said.

"Can I give you a suggestion, Mr Wright?"

"You think I should talk to her, don't you?"

"Bingo bongo! You still have some lingering doubts, so seeing her again might clear them up. If there's no bad blood between you, and if she's really as sweet as you say, then you shouldn't have anything to fear. Who knows, maybe she's still affected by it, too."

Mr Wright gazed up to the clear blue sky. "It has been many years since I last saw her. I won't deny I've been curious about her. Plus—" he smiled warmly, "—it's not always bad when I think about her. There are some good memories. I guess it couldn't hurt to visit her."

Athena snapped her fingers. "Perfecto! I'm so proud of you for doing this, Mr Wright. Does she live around here?"

"Maya tells me she's still at that temple in the mountains," said Mr Wright. At Athena's quizzical expression, he added, "She's a nun."

"A nun who lied to you for eight months? She sounds like a real Mother Teresa."

At that, Mr Wright's laugh finally returned. It was a simple and delightful sound, like a large bell in a tall tower ringing in a new year.

"Let's make a plan to go visit," she said.

"Let's? You want to come along?" questioned Mr Wright.

Athena squeezed his hand. "Yes. I understand how you feel, so I'll be there to support you. Plus it's a crucial part of your history and I wanna learn more about it."

Mr Wright shook his head in a loving manner. "You have the persuasiveness of a Blackquill. Alright, it's a trip."

Athena leapt for joy. "Wunderbar! You won't regret this, Mr Wright. I'm sure it'll be super helpful."

"It better be or I'll have an even worse punishment for you than toilet duty."

— To Be Continued —

Pinkie's Thoughts
Have I mentioned that I love writing Athena/Apollo scenes, everypony? They're so playful and childish that it provides an endless amount of amusing content. Speaking of such, I hope you enjoyed the mixer with its many cameos—it was my favorite scene to write.

I replayed all of T&T to prepare for this episode. As I stated before, the first three games are canon in this story, and this is the first time that's come into play.

There's a scrapped scene at People Park where Athena points out random people for Phoenix to date. I didn't keep it because it broke the pacing, but I liked it enough that I'll include it as a bonus.

A: "What about her?"

P: "A bit young, don't you think?"

A: "Okay, what about her? She's beautiful."

P: "Far too wealthy for me. Do you see all that jewelry?"

A: "Come on, Mr Wright. Fine, what about her?"

P: "Way too old."

A: "Age is just a number."

P: "To a certain extent, Athena. I don't want someone thirty years older or younger than me."

A: "Ugh, fine. What about her?"

P: "She's with someone! Are you even trying anymore?"

A: "But maybe he's a real jerk who doesn't deserve her. You could swoop in and be the hero."

P: "Or I could be arrested for harassment, and I would force you to represent me without pay."