This one is set in between AJ:AA and DD.
It all began a few weeks ago. Apollo had noticed Trucy was acting strangely; she didn't smile as much, she spent most of her time in her bedroom, she hardly looked anyone in the eye, and she didn't even want to show Apollo any new magic tricks anymore. At first, he had asked Phoenix about it and he simply brushed it off as normal teenage behaviour, which Apollo had found rather odd since he had always been very protective over his daughter. But he began to wonder if his boss was right. About a month ago, Apollo's landlord had sold his apartment out from underneath him and he probably would have become homeless if Phoenix hadn't offered for him to live with them for a while. This meant he saw a lot more of Trucy than he usually did so maybe this was just how she acted at home. But something about that idea didn't sit right with Apollo. So, after another couple of days of consideration, he decided to ask Trucy herself about what was going on. He waited until she came home from school and, predictably, went straight to her room without so much as a 'hello' to Apollo. Phoenix was still working at the office and it seemed like he was going to be there for a while yet so he let Trucy have a few minutes by herself before going up and knocking on her bedroom door.
"You in there, Trucy?" Apollo asked through the door.
"Yeah, why?" Trucy replied so quietly that Apollo could barely hear her.
"I'd like to talk with you about something. Mind if I come in?"
"One moment" Trucy replied and Apollo heard some vague shuffling noises through the door before it opened to reveal Trucy standing in front of him. She stepped back and let him in before sitting down on the edge of her bed. After a slightly awkward pause, Apollo sat down next to her.
"So, what did you want to talk about?" Trucy asked with a smile though Apollo could see how forced it was.
"I wanted to talk about you, actually. Is everything okay with you at the moment?" Apollo said softly, hoping that his tone would make her feel like it was safe to tell him what was bothering her.
"I'm fine," Trucy said shortly, still trying to smile.
"But I can see you're not. At first, I didn't think much of it but you've been like this for weeks now and I'm starting to get worried" Apollo reached out and held one of her hands in his.
"I-I'm okay, really" Trucy managed to say but when she turned her head away so Apollo couldn't see her face, anyone would be able to see she was lying. Apollo squeezed her hand to try and reassure her and for a moment he got no response. Then he heard a quiet sniff and he realised Trucy was starting to cry. Before he could even think about what he was doing, he wrapped his arms around her and pulled her shaking body towards him. Instantly she fell into his hold and buried her face into his shoulder, her hands gripping onto the back of his shirt. Apollo hushed her quietly and stroked little circles along her back to calm her down. She mumbled something against his shoulder and he had to shift her slightly so she was facing towards him to hear what she had said.
"It's not fair" she repeated.
"What isn't fair?" Apollo asked seriously, keeping one arm around Trucy as she moved to sit up next to him and rest her head on his shoulder.
"These girls at school keep making fun of me" Trucy admitted quietly and Apollo's body tensed a little at hearing those words.
"Why? What are they saying?"
"They don't think I can become a real magician"
"What? That's ridiculous! You're the Gramarye heir, it's in your blood to be the greatest magician the world has ever seen. I've seen your magic first hand and I can personally tell you that you are amazing"
"You're just saying that..." Trucy tried to look away but Apollo placed a finger under her chin and gently pushed her head back to face him.
"I'm being completely honest, Trucy. You are going to blow the whole world away with your magic one day and nothing anyone says is going to stop that from happening" Apollo said with such determination that Trucy was momentarily speechless.
"You really believe I can do it?" she whispered in surprise.
"Of course you can!" Apollo smiled and slowly a smile formed on Trucy's lips too. Suddenly Apollo jumped up onto the bed, causing Trucy to gasp in surprise.
"Ah, I can see it now. 'Trucy Wright, the world's greatest magician' plastered on every billboard across the country" Apollo made dramatic arm gestures as he spoke, causing Trucy to laugh.
"Of course, I'll be walking down all the red carpets with you" Apollo joked.
"What if I don't want you to come?" Trucy teased, looking up at Apollo.
"Then I guess I'll just have to... tickle you until you let me!" Apollo laughed before pouncing on Trucy and relentlessly tickling her. She kicked and squealed as giggles burst out from her.
Down the stairs, Phoenix opened the front door and walked into the apartment. Immediately he heard the laughter of his daughter and couldn't help the smile that spread across his face. It was nice to hear her laugh again. And when he heard Apollo's laugh mix in with hers, Phoenix let out his own joyful chuckle. Whether they knew it or not, Apollo and Trucy truly were brother and sister.