Disclaimers on the first chapter.
Day 2
December 23, 7:00 am, Apollo Justice Lodgings:
The brunette greeted the morning with a yawn, stretching his arms and looking outside, his attention directed towards the sky. A ringing noise however disrupted his thought process, where it turned out to be his phone near the bedside table. He instinctively picked it up, a bit of grogginess in his voice.
"Hello…Apollo Justice speaking."
The excited voice then snapped his senses into motion, completely awake.
"APOLLO! WE ARE GOING SHOPPING TODAY!"
"Wait, what?!"
"You heard me mon ami! We are going Christmas shopping! Meet me at the Mall in an hour, posthaste!"
"Wait, Athena-"
His protests were met with the dead line's constant monotone, prompting him to put the phone away, getting changed for the day to come.
December 23, 8:00 am, Redcorp Mall:
Exiting the bus, Apollo's feet stepped on the concrete leading to the entrance of the mall. Unlike his usual attire towards his profession, he decided that his self-proclaimed "Stylin-Street Clothes" would be comfortable for the situation. He was wearing a red jacket, which was very different in comparison to the suit he usually wore, with a white shirt underneath. Not even two seconds of walking through the opening doors, he was met with an incredibly recognizable and loud cry.
"Apolllllooooo! Over here!"
The man then looked around, seeing the younger attorney in a white blouse, silver jacket, and a pair of skinny jeans, waving at him with a smile, seeming to have forgotten about the previous day's events.
"Looking good Justice! Enough style for our hunt today!"
"How did you convince me to do this again?"
"Details, details, now let's go in!"
The female then took the male's arm, dragging him quickly through the doors. Looking around, the venue was a certainly quite red, given the name, and had a bunch of festivities strewn all over the place, including fake snow, and Christmas Trees.
"Check it out..."
"It's so pretty Apollo! We just have to see everything!"
Not a moment too soon, the man found himself being dragged by the girl's surprisingly strong grip, towards the various booths that were clearly meant for kids under Athena's age.
"Check out the cookies we can ice!"
The moment Athena released her grip on Apollo, he took a large breath of air, along with a moment to straighten his clothes.
"Athena, don't you think this part of the lane is a bit too...kiddish?"
She spun around, waving her peace sign.
"Pourquoi? Any kid should be able to do any activity in a booth! Especially if snacks are involved! Now come on and help me!"
Apollo just sighed, clear disbelief strewn across his face as he picked up one of the gingerbread cookies off the plate.
"I swear, this is more troublesome than you make it out to be..."
The two then picked out some of the candy that was present in the bowls, along with a couple of tubes of the icing off to the side as well, in a few different colors. Looking at the wide variety that was available to them, Apollo carefully looked them over one more time.
"Wait...oh no..."
"What's wrong? Wait...I think I just got the best idea ever!"
Apollo then recoiled, his forehead starting to sweat a little.
'And I think I know what said idea is...'
Athena then picked out two more cookies from the pile.
"Let's make some for Mr. Wright and Trucy too!"
"Right. Let's go make some Pearl Fey as well while we're at it." Apollo replied sarcastically, but Athena just placed her hands over her cheeks in surprise.
"Of course! We can't forget about Pearly!"
'And there goes my wallet...' Apollo thought to himself as he hunched himself over on the counter.
By the time they were done, the entire Wright Anything Agency's members were made into cookies, ready to be eaten by their human counterparts. Apollo and Athena then both paid for the cookies, with Apollo wincing a little, but quickly wiped it off with a quick clench of his fists.
[Wright Anything Cookies added to Court Record.]
Athena then pointed towards the further end of the hallway that everything was in.
"Next up, the Pet Store!"
"Why the Pet Store of all places? We already have Charley..."
The carrot head then put on her curious thinking face, her finger tapping the bottom of her earring.
"Why indeed? It seems relatively pointless..."
Her face then lit up like the Christmas tree that was beside her.
"Unless you want to get a gift."
Apollo just hunched over, the same baffled expression on his face.
"...of course."
December 23, 9:00 am, Pet of Honor:
The two were met with a somewhat large overarching doorway, with various animal related holiday decorations, fake snowflakes, and fake reindeer hanging above the two attorneys as they entered. Apollo then placed one of his fingers to his forehead, deep in thought.
"So what are we doing here exactly? I don't recall you having an animal friend at your house...and we're not getting a bunny for Trucy's Christmas present."
Athena then gave him a piece of paper, which was an article about various holiday deals that were available for the pet owners. Skimming through the top lines, he soon saw the true intentions of the visit.
"Wait...we're here to get a gift for Prosecutor Blackquill?"
[Pet of Honor Flyer added to Court Record.]
"Yep! He's our friend, and friends should always try to get gifts for each other!"
Suddenly, a sharp chord of an instrument outside of the band that was playing outside entered the shop, playing a somewhat haunting melody, as a man in a white and black garb walked into their conversation, with a small grin on his face.
"Heh heh, perhaps you would offer Taka a gift as well if you're so willing to divulge your savings into this gift of yours."
"Huh. Of all places, I never expected you to show up in a mall like this Prosecutor Blackquill."
The man shook his head to the left, a snide grin showing his teeth, tapping his own forehead a couple times with his index finger.
"Ah yes, Justice-dono. Pleasant surprise to see you as well. I entrust your blade is sharp enough to guard Athena's life, just as I have done before."
"What's that supposed to...never mind, what exactly are you here for, you haven't exactly answered my question."
Suddenly, Simon's eyes opened up sharply, a small glare within them, where Apollo met his glare with one of his own, a small cut-in between their eyes.
[Argument, Why Blackquill is Here]
"I had placed an order for a special brand of bird food, to be specifically delivered to this mall's area. Redcorp Mall is a few blocks away from my apartment complex, so it naturally would not have been a tedious trip. I made sure to wake up earlier than usual so I could receive my order. With an early starting time, it was relatively simple to get my purchase. In fact, there wasn't even a line for those who wanted to go shopping early, which is common given the season."
The prosecutor's last statement then rung in his head for a little bit, before the younger defense attorney placed a single finger to the forehead.
"So that's why you're here? To get some special food for your hawk?"
"Do you think you can find a problem with my logic Justice-dono?"
Crossing his arms, a confident grin spread across Apollo's face.
"I think so, since you gave testimony, I have the right to cross-examine it."
"Ah...so a duel outside of the courtroom...very interesting indeed. However, draw your blade swift. I have no time for too much jabber."
Athena this time was the one to have a baffled expression, as she saw the people beside her gather into a crowd that was next to the two attorneys, both arms folded.
'I can't believe these two are actually doing this...'
[Rebuttal, Why Blackquill is Here]
"I had placed an order for a special brand of bird food, to be specifically delivered to this mall's area. Redcorp Mall is a few blocks away from my apartment complex, so it naturally would not have been a tedious trip. I made sure to wake up earlier than usual so I could receive my order-"
Apollo then stuck his index finger out, using his chords of steel in the middle of the store.
"HOLD IT!"
His finger then went back onto his temple.
"Exactly what time did you arrive at the mall Prosecutor Blackquill?"
"...7:00 am."
Apollo just stared at him blankly, sweat sliding down his forehead.
"That's all you have to say?"
"As I stated before Justice-dono, we draw blades quickly now. I do not intend to give your leading questions too much."
'Well that's a little entirely unfair...' Apollo thought to himself, before straightening up, asking him a different question this time.
"Can you add this...statement, to your testimony?"
"I have no intentions of hiding my actions..."
Prosecutor Blackquill then repeated his testimony, including the new statement.
"...I had arrived at 7:00 am sharp, the moment the store was to open."
Apollo then stuck his finger out more intensely, a large shout echoing through the store as he did.
"OBJECTION! Mr. Blackquill, you said that you arrived at the exact moment the store was to open, right? Well, I have to say that this flyer contradicts your statement!"
The band outside then started playing a tune, where it sounded a lot like a theme that Apollo heard ever so often every time he pointed out an inconsistency within a witness's testimony.
"According to the flyer here, it says that the store hours are from 8:00 am to 10:00 pm during the holiday seasons here, yet, you said when you started shopping was at a time that was clearly not near this interval. So, what do you have to say about tha- AGH!"
A slash came out of nowhere, the resulting force of it creating an blade made out of the wind itself, which had cut off Apollo's sentence, along with the band outside to stop playing, and resume playing the tune when Blackquill first entered the conversation.
"Well, your blade is as sharp as your tongue, but it is still lacking in accuracy. You claim that my arrival is too early, an hour's worth. But, the smaller the contradiction, the easier a witness can fix it."
Apollo just sweatdropped, his face still written with some disbelief.
"Let me guess, you have the perfect explanation for this..."
"I am a special and valued customer of the Pet of Honor. I have the privilege of being able to arrive early and intercept any incoming deliveries."
The prosecutor then shifted his head over to the left, the clock on the wall reading the time.
"And this is where our banter ends. I'll be going for a stroll now."
The man then started walking past the two lawyers, without looking back. The crowd decided to dissolve as a result of the mini cross-examination. Athena just walked back up to his side, looking at him with both of their faces in disbelief.
"Well...that was...something."
"I still don't even know what happened Athena..."
Before the two could walk back farther into the pet store, a cry could be heard from the outside.
"Foolish fool! Watch where you are going!"
"Hmph. I disagree. You were the fool to watch where you were going."
The two then looked back outside, where they saw Simon facing off against a woman with short, silver hair, and pale white skin. She was wearing regal clothing, including a bow and a dress suit. They were both glaring at each other, the woman holding her whip with a firm grip.
"How dare you, you fool!"
"You're the fool."
Their glares then started sparking, causing the band to play a much more fast paced tune, something that was usually heard when a witness was lying coldly, according to what Apollo heard during the head prosecutor's investigations. The moment the song was heard, the whip was flying towards Simon, and he was blocking the strikes with draws from his fingers. The action was incredibly fast-paced that there was an audience forming around the rapid slicing and whip cracking. Apollo and Athena however stayed as far away from the crowd as possible, and was at the far back end of the pet shop.
"Geez it's like that Black Friday sale two weeks ago."
Apollo nodded slowly.
"Cept with more whips and less swordsmanship."
December 23, 12:00 pm, Redcorp Food Court:
After much walking around and shopping, the two had crashed at the local food court for some lunch. Apollo ordered a Double Cheeseburger with Mushrooms, along with sweet potato fries and a can of his favorite soda. Athena on the other hand had a grilled chicken sandwich, with a slew of veggies on top of it, on the side of her sandwich were also sweet potato fries and a cold cup of orange juice.
"Christmas shopping has never been so tiring..." Apollo complained as he took a sip from his can.
"Hey, you get great deals when it's nearly the holidays! So yeah, it's a rush!"
Apollo just shook his head, placing his empty can on the table.
"Well, the "rush" has left me in exhaustion."
Checking the time, Athena then got up, brushing off her jacket.
"I'm going to the little girl's room, so just hang tight till I get back. Watch our stuff, k? K, thanks!"
Athena then ran off in the opposite direction of their table, leaving Apollo's protests in vain, and sighing, giving him an opportunity to think to himself.
'Now that she is leaving me alone, I can think about what happened yesterday properly.'
He closed his eyes in deep concentration, him revisualizing what happened on the previous day.
"Let's review the facts. Yesterday, after our trial we went to Eldoon's noodles to have lunch. We then wandered around the city, the last place we went to together that day stopping in front of a bridal shop. Athena lied to me, as I was able to perceive one of her habits. Those are the small amount of facts I have, and would be the best place to start. Now, was there anything she wanted to lie about that afternoon?"
[The Noodles]
[The Trial]
[The Dress]
Apollo thought about the first two choices for a good two seconds, before immediately dismissing them from his mind.
[She was lying about the dress]
"The dress is the only option that made sense to lie about. Athena was so fixated on it yesterday. But that brings me to the next topic. She said that the dress was pretty, which I believe to be true, but it was something about the dress itself...what made her so compelled to lie about it?"
[She wanted it]
[The color was not her taste]
Apollo then sweatdropped at the second choice he decided, continuing to select the first option.
[Athena wanted the dress]
"The only thing that makes sense out of those two options were the fact that she wanted the dress. If she did want the dress, then why lie about it? She had plenty of money yesterday, since she didn't actually do any shopping...wait! Maybe she wanted to..."
[Try to wait for clearance]
[Make me get the dress]
[Buy it when it was the right time]
Apollo's thoughts then connected together clearly with the second choice, a spark going off in his brain.
[ATHENA WANTED THE DRESS AS A GIFT]
"It all makes sense now! Perhaps she wanted me to get the dress as a gift for her as a Christmas present! That's why she didn't want me to know about it!"
His eyes then snapped open, his eyes wide and attentive, until he realized his two fists had slammed his tray, crushing his sweet potato fries.
"Well...when she gets to wear that dress, I will make her happy! And perhaps..."
He held onto his tie, metaphorically where his heart would be located.
"Finally get these feelings that I have off my chest..."
Opening his eyes, he noticed the mess he made with his food.
"On a side note, why did I treat that entire afternoon as if I was trying to catch a killer using evidence in the Court Record?"
December 23, 12:10 pm, Redcorp Mall, Women's Room:
Athena exited, wiping her hands on a paper towel, disposing the waste in a nearby trash can. She sighed, holding her arm against her body, leaning against the door next to the washroom.
"This is a dilemma. Junie's going to be out of town for a while with Hugh and Robin, so what can I do?"
Widget then lit up, speaking one of her thoughts out loud.
"WOULD REALLY LIKE TO SPEND TIME WITH APOLLO."
"S-shut up Widget! Not now!"
She mulled over the situation yesterday, before shaking her head, perking herself up by punching her fists together.
"No time to think about it now, I'm going to sweep him off his feet with what I have planned for him!"
She then took a confident stride, making her way back to the table Apollo resided, where he gave her a casual wave as she got back.
"Hey, ready to keep going Athena?"
"Yeah, but it looks like I've done what I wanted to do here at Redcorp Mall."
Apollo then looked at his cell phone, a little thought entering his mind as he looked at it.
"That reminds me, I wonder, where is Mr. Wright right now?"
December 23, 12:30 pm, ?:
The man in blue then arrived at a familiar graveyard, where he was holding two sets of bouquets in front of two gravestones.
"Hey...chief. It's been a long time since we last talked. Well, I hope you're not entirely disappointed in me, but, I would not be surprised if you were. I ruined your legacy and redid the entire office, all for the sake of my own survival. But I can at least assure you, Charley is in good hands. I hope for our sake the new agency doesn't fall apart again."
The lawyer then chuckled to himself, before he set down one of the bouquets on the gravestone.
"Merry Christmas Mia. I hope you and that coffee loving boyfriend of yours are at peace finally. I promise to treat the office and your legacy better, now that I have my badge back."
His head then faced the other gravestone, where he set down the remaining bouquet on top of it.
"The same to you, Mr. Armando. I promise that I will make the both of you proud."
He then stood up, chuckling to himself as he brushed some dust off the tablets.
"By the way, Trucy couldn't come today, but she said that she wishes Aunt Mia and Uncle Diego a Happy Holidays."
He then smiled, walking back outside of the gravesite, contentment on his face, as he could feel that the two spirits were with him as he walked.
December 23, 1:00 pm, Downtown LA:
Apollo and Athena decided to split up in the meantime. They figured that the best way to get gifts for each other would be to give each other distance. Unfortunately, this meant that when Apollo tried to get inside the shop with the dress he was so intent on getting, he had to make sure that no one was around to question him.
"Alright, you can do this Apollo. This is all for Athena."
He then clenched his fists, walking towards the door, grip firmly on the knob.
'Athena's gift...HERE COMES JUSTICE!'
He then opened the door, instantly having mixed feelings of regret and bravery. When he stepped into the boutique, the woman at the counter just stared at him with a dumbfounded look. Apollo then took another large breath, releasing his answer in a single bound.
"I need a dress for friend of mine, so can you help me out?"
The woman then nodded, and the awkwardness shifted a little bit.
"What your friend's dress size?"
"Uh…I think…"
Taking out his cell phone, he looked at the notes he jotted down on it.
"Ah, here it is."
December 23, 1:15 pm, Uptown LA:
Athena had, like Apollo, wandered off to find a gift that was suitable for him. Unfortunately, all she got at the moment were matching Christmas sweaters. The moment she wanted to exaggerate her crying, her spirits were instantly lifted when she saw a different boutique across the way. It had specialized in formal wear, especially for attorneys.
"Huh. That's really convenient." Athena said to no one in particular.
Carefully as she could, Athena walked inside, through the doors, checking her phone, with a quick glance over her shoulder.
"Okay, this suit is pretty good. Good thing I wrote this note about his size the last time we went shopping. Also really convenient."
As she paid for the new black tuxedo, she placed it among the bags that she was carrying, walking outside, hearing a buzz from her holster. Looking at her belt, she saw the caller ID on her phone.
"It's Mr. Wright! Hello?"
"Hey, meet me at the south end of the city in a couple hours. We're going on a small vacation."
"Wait, what?!"
"Better pack something warm, and possibly some other things."
"Mr. Wright, what are we-"
The sound of the phone's monotone then interrupted her, forcing her to speed dial the other number on screen.
"Apollo?"
"We're going on a trip with Mr. Wright, right?"
December 23, 3:40 pm, ?:
"Are we all ready?"
Phoenix looked at the other two attorneys who were checking their things in their suitcases before a car was pulled up near them.
"All set Mr. Wright!"
A man in a black tuxedo walked out of the car, opening the door for the four to enter, as well as taking the liberty to put the suitcases in the car. Apollo and Athena took out the heavier jackets, as were instructions from Phoenix, where he and Trucy also had warmer wear for where they were going.
"Next stop, Hazakura Temple!"
The car then started up, going down the highway towards the cooler area of L.A.
December 23, 5:10 pm, ?:
"You must be joking Athena."
"If we're going to make it before midnight, this is our only chance, now vite vite mes amis!"
The car had suffered an unfortunate mishap as the motor had been tampered with beforehand by a vandal, along with the car that they were riding in being in need of repairs due to the damages made by the same vandal. Their chauffeur had already apologized profusely and had made arrangements to get it repaired, but was not able to get another car for their ride there. In response, Athena decided to walk the rest of the way through the area where snow was already beginning to form. Everyone, except Apollo wasn't against the idea.
December 23, 10:00 pm, Hazakura Temple:
Two purple robed spirit mediums waited by the temple's gates, faces painted with worry as they heard the winds starting to pick up. One was a brunette while the other had black hair.
"Oh, I hope Nick and the others get here safely...It's been over two hours Pearly!"
The brunette then fiddled with her fingers, looking out across the snowy plain at the snow covered bridge.
"They'll be fine Mystic Maya! I just know it."
They then lit a nearby lantern, hoping to kindle their hopes. Their hopes were soon as bright as their light source when they saw a small shade of blue. Maya then waved her arms, hoping to catch the attention of the ones running towards the bridge.
"Nick!"
"Maya!"
The spiky haired attorney had sprinted across the bridge, fond memories returning to him for a small bit as he crossed, reaching the other side, and giving the older spirit medium a large hug.
"I missed you quite a bit Maya!" cried Phoenix as he swung her around for a bit.
"Put me down Nick, it hasn't been that long since we talked! I still have to meet the other people you have yet to introduce."
Turning around, Phoenix was met with a clearly out of breath Apollo, and two energy filled Athena and Trucy. Apollo was the first to raise an objection due to the lack of air.
"Sorry, but can this wait later? It looks like it's going to go below zero anytime soon."
Looking at the wind currents that were passing by the hung lanterns, the group agreed to turn in, considering that the weather at the temple was about to get worse.
I apologize for this somewhat rushed ending. I realized I was dragging the entire chapter out for too long, so I had to cut it a bit short.