Disclaimer: I don't own anyone from the Phoenix Wright, ace attorney franchise. The characters and everything else belongs to Capcom and no one else! ESPECIALLY NOT ME!

Avian adoration

Questions whirled around in an endless loop within Simon Blackquill's clever (yet rather twisted) mind as both himself and Athena made their way straight over to the Shipshape aquarium.

He couldn't believe that Taka had gone to Shipshape aquarium, why would he be there? As far as he knew, Taka had no interest in that silly place! He kept his mind on what he could have missed or if he could think of a good reason for the hawk's sudden interest in the pirate themed place. He shoved both hands into his pockets as he hastened in his steps, hoping to get to the Shipshape aquarium as soon as possible.

Thankfully didn't take long until the attorneys-at-law found themselves standing right outside of the building.

Simon felt hesitant to go inside yet he didn't know why. He simply had this nagging feeling tugging at his intestines that he wasn't going to like what he found. The pirate-themed building with the cute image of a pirate hat-wearing killer whale with a painted star covering its eye brought naught but inward shivers for the prosecutor as he swallowed a huge marble-like lump that had formed in his throat. Dread gripped his soul in some sort of vice as he started to dwell on what was probably about to happen next.

A billion thoughts whirled around and around like a violent cyclone.

What would he discover should he venture fourth inside?

What would Taka's physical and mental state be like?

Was this where the hawk had been vanishing all this time?

Would his best bosom buzzard even want to return with him?

That was when he shook his head.

No, he couldn't let this pathetic fear take over...he had to face this, he had to get Taka back!

Athena smirked as she placed her hands on her hips, sapphire blue eyes glinting like knives as she appeared to just have this confident aura around her. She wore a huge smile upon her face and she even had the most positive stance one could even imagine —she didn't even show a single, solitary sign of being exhausted like she had a mere fifteen minutes ago.

The lawyer dressed in yellow was the absolute epitome of conviction!

"This is it, Prosecutor Blackquill! Time to find the truth behind Taka's constant vanishing acts!"

It didn't take very long at all until she had noticed her friend's reluctance and she stared at him with bewilderment, nor did it take too long before a knowing smile spread across her face. She could read Prosecutor Blackquill's face (or heart, to be more accurate) like a book. She could hear the worry inside his heart and the reason why was as clear as crystal. She rolled her eyes since she should have expected this. She had decided to go over to him whilst not saying a single word and grabbed him by the shoulder.

This was an action that jerked him back into reality.

Simon flinched beneath the teen's touch, a dumbstruck expression flashing across his face at the speed of light as his spine stiffened like stone and his body straightened as he felt as though a bolt of lightning was being jounced through his body in that split second. His shoulders raised and his head ducked between them both. It was five seconds when he finally shook his head to try and snap himself out of his shellshocked state but his hand, mostly unbeknownst to him, then looked down and noticed that the daughter of his old mentor had tightly clasped his hand in hers. He felt his heart sink like a stone in water and then started to drag him along behind her as she strode straight towards the building without a hint of reluctance or fear or anything of the sort.

He could hear as the soles of his own two feet dragged along the cobblestone beneath his feet, the noise grated on his eardrums.

Soon the two arrived at the front reception desk which was a quaint little place that was a cool yet aquamarine blue colouration. The faint aroma of chlorine hung in the air. There was a lovely wavy trim on the walls and the ceiling and the freshly-polished wooden floors were a hue that matched the stunning view of a Aurora Borealis. The front desk had more of a pirates treasure chest design more then anything and the furniture had a contributing factor towards that very same theme.

It was also where Sasha Buckler had been eagerly awaiting their arrival.

Before spotting the two attorneys, the Orca trainer had taken to lounging about on the nearest sofa with a magazine grasped in her hands as she read the many different articles; she had a patient expression written plainly across her face as she appeared to be engrossed in the aquamarine biology gossip.

Athena's expression lit up the instant her eyes settled upon Sasha and she beamed.

"Sasha!"

Upon hearing her own name, the pirate outfit-clad woman removed her gaze from the paragraph she was reading. At first she didn't seem to know why her name was being called and even had worn a confused yet perplexed expression but that same look on her face had quickly melted away and was swiftly replaced with a gleeful, wide-eyed look as she tossed the magazine aside and leapt to her feet.

"Hey, Athena!" She chirped merrily, instantly walking up towards her good friend and embraced in a friendly hug.

"You look great and I heard that your heart surgery was successful!"

"You minow it!"

Simon just stood idly in the background as he watched the exchange rather awkwardly for what felt like an eternity. He couldn't deny that the scene unfolding before him was heart-warming but he was just anxious to find his feathery friend. He just wanted to go and find him and then, hopefully, uncover the reason for Taka's frequent disappearances to this pirate-themed sea life aquarium. He didn't wish to break up this touching reunion between friends but it was about time to get a move on.

He cleared his throat abruptly and it immediately broke Sasha and Athena out of their friendly hug and they instantly glared at the twisted samurai prosecutor with pure annoyance.

They clearly didn't appreciate being hurried along like this.

Without another word, the three started to make their way out of the reception area and straight towards the area where Sasha had last seen the bandana-wearing bird of prey.

As the red head dressed in yellow followed Sasha, she thought about the previous time that she had wound up in this aquarium. She could recall the case where Orla, the aquariums killer whale, had been accused of murder and it was the case where her boss, Phoenix Wright, had reclaimed his attorney badge and it was his first case back on the job. She also recalled how fun and filled with exuberance Orla was throughout the whole trial...except for when Sasha had become accused of murder in her place. Things got even more shocking when it wasn't only revealed that one of the staff members, known as Marlon Rimes, had tried to kill her due to a grudge he held against her but Orla also had a sister.

It was a hectic and complicated case but there was no denying how fun it was.

Athena smiled warmly at the memory of the recently-reunited orca sisters.

"How are Ora and Orla?"

Sasha smiled too as she replied to the question.

"Their doing great, thanks, those two get along like a shark and a pilot fish!"

"Can I please see them later?"

"As sure as a starfish!"

Athena could not hold back a smile as she quickly grew excited to see Orla and Ora once more. She knew that the two were having their dentist check ups that same day so they were most likely not going to be up for visitors for a good while yet but she definitely hoped that she could see them after Blackquill reunited with Taka.

She could hardly wait.

The three continued their travel as they walked through the Pub o'danger, then traversed through the over-stacked gift shop, made their way through aqua tunnel, strolled by the several enclosures which the marine life had inhabited, passed through the staff corridor, then they bypassed the currently-inactive orca pool and, eventually, they finally reached their original location:

The back stage show.

Sasha didn't take long at all to (literally) point out the runaway hawk.

"He's up there."

To emphasis her point, the orca trainer used an outstretched arm to point at the hawk whom was perched on the mast of the very top of the ship stage, way high up. At first it appeared that Taka was basking in the warmth of the sunlight that beamed down from above as the sun shone high in the cloudless, cerulean blue afternoon skies. The hawk was carrying a fish in his beak.

The breeze was gentle as Taka's feathers bristled and blew in the soft slivers of wind —as Simon eyed Taka, he couldn't help but feel his heart expand with pure relief; he had been worried out of his mind and was glad to see that his dear friend was alright and unharmed...but, as he tried to put his fingers inside his mouth to whistle and grab the hawk's attention, he very quickly realised that there was something off.

Or, rather, there was something strange about the way the hawk carried himself.

Simon had to wonder about this.

What was going on?

The group watched as Taka suddenly swooped down and perched himself right in front of Rifle, then he leaned forwards and proceeded to nuzzle her affectionately. The hawk's eyelids slid itself shut sideways as he leaned closer to rub the top of his feathery head against Rifle's thin, downy one whilst he made soft crooning purrs of a sound that was actually quite soothing.

His hawky feathered tail feathers waggled from side-to-side in a similar manner to a dog's tail.

Rifle and Taka leaned towards each other and chirped lovingly to each other.

Athena felt really strange about having to witness this.

So this was why Taka had vanished so frequently? Because he had found a love life...?

She actually had guessed that the aggressive hawk had found a female but she never guessed that it was actually a different species! She could actually hear the near-deafening love that Taka had for the snippy and rather bossy little blue penguin and, while it did make her feel conflicted about whether to find this utterly adorable or really strange and bizarre, she also couldn't help but notice that her little digital necklace partner, Widget, had started to glow a bright yellow colour.

Widget cried out, blurting out in a squeaky voice of horrified shock, "A hawk and a penguin!? What will the children look like!"

Athena instinctively covered the computerised mouth of her digital necklace companion with her face flushing bright red with naught but embarrassment. She hated it when Widget blurted out her thoughts at the most inappropriate of times, especially because it tended to ruin lovely moments just like the little device did now.

"W-Widget, sh-sh-shut up!" She cried.

Oblivious to the presence of the group of three gawking at them, Taka and Rifle were still being super cuddly and sweet together in the meantime and, to be perfectly honest, it was getting even sweeter.

Taka still had a fish in his beak and he leaned forwards in a gesture that made his intentions blatantly obvious. He was planning on giving her the fish. As he leaned forwards and craned his head in a soft bow, Rifle chirped as she gripped the fish by using her own beak and then proceeded to throw her head back and open her beak wide so the fish could slide down her throat easier, making it easier for her to devour the meal offered to her by the bird of prey.

Even though it was really strange, Athena's opinion about seeing the two birds together changed quickly and she couldn't help but feel her heart melt into a puddle of goo.

Athena and Sasha squeed in unison as they observed the adorable moment, "Awwww..."

Simon just watched on in sheer disbelief.

The blanching twisted samurai was watching with wide eyes, fighting back the overwhelming urge to throw up as some sort of acidic burning was bubbling arisen in his throat and his mouth was tight as he was basically quivering in his shoes. His hands were whiter then normal and shaking like a maraca and his eyes were intensifying as he fought desperately to keep himself conscious.

He couldn't believe that his pet and companion had found true love...

He never thought he'd see the day.

"This must be some kind of jest..." The samurai prosecutor mumbled numbly.

But no, it wasn't a joke:

Taka had fallen in love.

Simon had known Taka since he was a chick and he never expected this day to come...and he never expected him to date any bird outside of his own species! Taka never did seem interested in love but it seemed that springtime had arrived early for him and he had always liked proving his two-legged former prison inmate partner wrong, ever since it had been predicated that Taka would never fly on his own and he flew anyway, it had been like that! He almost felt emotional that the chick he had found in his jailhouse had grown up so suddenly.

It didn't take long until Sasha had asked the question that everyone was secretly dying to know.

"...How does a hawk and a penguin become mates anyway?"

Her question was met by several shrugs.

Athena then decided to ask, teasingly, "And when's the egg coming?"

That remark was met with a shuriken ninja star flying passed her, narrowly missing her neck and throat. She paled as her eyes followed the sharp object that wound up stuck in the nearest wall and she swallowed hard as she quickly looked at Simon whom scowled darkly at her with a look that dared her to try joking about that again.

It was her turn to scowl as she stuck out her tongue in silent retaliation.

"Not cool, Simon!"

Simon refocused his attention when he heard a familiar sound of chirping and surprisingly gentle and quiet screeching and all eyes fell on the newly-discovered avian couple. It was obvious Taka and Rifle were infatuated with each other and, admittedly, seeing them together warmed everyone's heart to the point where it melted into a huge puddle.

It was at that moment when Taka had seemed to finally notice Blackquill's presence and had given Rifle gave each other one last heart-warming snuggle before he took to the air and flew straight over to Prosecutor Blackquill.

The hawk perched right on top of his shoulder and then Taka purred happily as he leaned in rubbed his head against the left side of Simon's neck with pure affection. Simon, in response, couldn't help but smile fondly as he scratched the hawk's head with one of his fingertips. The samurai prosecutor could not help but feel this sense of happiness that his best friend was back and, even more so, that he was safe and sound.

"So this was what those prolonged flights were for? You had become attracted to that penguin?" He asked in a surprisingly light-hearted tone that nobody had expected to hear from somebody with the brooding yet grumpy attitude of prosecutor Simon Blackquill.

It was obvious he couldn't stay angry with the hawk sporting the black and white striped bandana.

Taka made a "Kree" sound of confirmation as he leaned in further to Simon's loving scratches.

Athena watched the loving scene with a small awkward smirk. She could hear the near-deafening sound of Simon's happiness of being reunited with his best bosom buzzard and couldn't help but feel so happy that she had helped him. Sure, this wasn't how she expected her day off to go but she was glad that she did end up helping her good friend to find his pet and making his day.

Sasha commented with a quirked brow and a sly smile as she folded her arms across her chest.

"Wow, Athena. You made made that bit of tiger shark bait happier then a clam." The trainer commented.

Athena shrugged but still smiled, "He's my friend. I needed to help him."

The atmosphere was still filled with a salt-scented air and the two birds and three humans stood around, not entirely sure what to do now, and so a long few moments of silence passed on by until it became totally awkward.

Simon was too busy soaking in the love of Taka, Rifle stood where she was as if she was unsure of what to do now that her mate had left her to go and cuddle his human, Athena decided to keep watching Blackquill but also kept silent so another sharp object wouldn't be sent hurtling her way and Sasha just decided to fiddle around with some of the props on the stage so she could proudly herself a bit but she also couldn't help but look over at the little penguin with amusement.

It would seem Rifle would finally have to learn how to share.

All was mostly silent until Rifle marched up towards Simon and squawked angrily at him with a rather angry and vengeful look on her rather adorable face, something that caused the samurai lawman to finally snap out of his blissful reverie and instinctively tightened his hold protectively on his best bird friend (as though if he let go then Taka would float away) and scowled darkly down at the rather rude and bossy penguin female.

He wasn't going to let Rifle have her way with his trusted cohort until he was done with him!

"My apologies, you little Furippā, but you shall have to wait your turn..."

A/N: Here is the last chapter of "Avian adoration" and its just in time for Christmas!

I hope you lot enjoyed it!

I worked hard on this three-shot and made it as fluffy as possible.

Have a nice XMAS everybody!

-Chloemcg