Which Claimer? Dis Claimer
We all know that Ace Attorney has an exaggerated and horrifying portrayal of legal systems. As such, my lawyer, Mr Case, wanted absolutely nothing to do with this story. Now I'll have more creative freedom without fear of repercussions.


Episode 1
Photosynthesis
Investigation

For Athena Cykes, today would go down as one of the best and most important days of her life.

"Oh my god, can this day get any worse?!" she cried after splashing hot coffee on her pants.

She didn't know that going into it, though. Her day had started off rather poorly, in fact, and things wouldn't turn around for her until that evening. Yesterday was Sunday and she had stayed up well after midnight watching space documentaries on tv, resulting in a very late bedtime and a very late start to her Monday. She was forced to skip much of her morning routine—no breakfast, no coffee, no jogging, no chatting with Junie before leaving for work. She sped out of their apartment on her bicycle and pedaled hard down the busy city streets, praying that Mr Wright wouldn't be upset with her and give her toilet duty.

While she rode, her tired mind turned its attention to the passersby, many of whom were holding hands and gazing happily at each other. Couples stood at the street corners and enjoyed a breakfast pastry together. There was a sappy, romantic air abound, and it was enough to put the normally energetic and spunky lawyer in a funk. How long had it been since she last had that for herself?

And that was when the universe decided it was time for another mishap. In her distraction, Athena failed to notice the dip in the sidewalk, and before she knew it she was flying through the air, crashing into the ground like a mighty gavel. But the worst part wasn't the many witnesses, nor was it her bleeding limbs and ripped stockings from her scrape of the pavement—

No, no, it was her wardrobe malfunction. In her haste to leave, Athena had dressed herself a bit sloppily, and her skirt had been improperly zippered. So when she "enthusiastically embraced the ground" (as she would later refer to it), the zipper broke and the skirt flew off, landing on the street and getting run over by oncoming traffic. The onlookers appeared concerned for her, and though none of them laughed, Athena felt their stares judgmental; no doubt there was also some pervert getting a good look at her exposed bottom. She had never been this embarrassed since the rock climbing faux pas back in Europe, or perhaps the time she fell down the courtroom stairs in front of the bailiff some months prior.

Athena's heartbeat was now racing, and her emotions began a downward spiral. She needed to get out of there fast. She had no way to cover herself, and thankfully her bike wasn't damaged, so she quickly scooped it up and took off like a rocket, leaving her skirt to its fate. She didn't have time to go back home and change her wardrobe because she was already late for work, so she hurried off to the agency as fast as she could.

Hey, at least she wasn't tired anymore.

When she finally burst through the door, Mr Wright and Apollo were understandably shocked by her appearance; they turned their heads and covered their eyes so as not to take in her exposed yellow panties. They were sure to have several questions, but those would have to wait as Mr Wright quickly fetched a pair of spare pants.

And that was how Athena wound up wearing an oversized pair of khakis that clashed with her bright yellow blazer and fiery red hair. She would hate it when people referred to this incident as "getting in her boss' pants". She completely forgot that her arms and legs were bleeding until the red stains soaked through, and she was swiftly bandaged up. Athena thought she could not have been more of a wreck, but Mr Wright challenged that when he said—

"Oh, and you're on toilet duty for being late."

And that was when she splashed hot coffee on herself. "Oh my god, can this day get any worse?!"

"Things just aren't working out for you, huh?" said Apollo from his desk.

"Massive understatement!" she complained as she patted herself down, which only served to spread the stains further and dirty her hands. She made her way to the restroom, holding the pants up because Mr Wright failed to provide a belt.

"Sorry, but that's the only spare pair I have," said Mr Wright when Athena came back. "Why don't you go to the store and get something appropriate? I'll cover the cost. Apollo, go with her."

"Why do I have to go with her?"
"Why does he have to come with me?"

Mr Wright laughed. "Athena, would you prefer to go alone and have everyone's eyes on you? At least Apollo's hair and voice will take some of the attention away."

"Gee, thanks for that," sassed Apollo.

And that was how Athena found herself at the nearest department store, trying on numerous skirts and getting Apollo's opinion.

"Too tacky—too bland—too long—too short—way too loud—"

"Come on, Apollo, nothing's louder than you!" chided Athena after the eighteenth skirt. "You can't keep rejecting all of them. I need to pick one." She went back into the changing room and inspected the one she was currently wearing. It was a dull pink and had small colorful flowers embroidered throughout. Athena had to admit it was tacky, and it didn't exactly suit her style or match the rest of her attire, but she was getting sick of the fashion show. "I'm getting this one. I think it's cute. The flowers remind me of Junie!"

Apollo stroked his chin as he stared at the garment. "I guess I can see that. Juniper's obsession with flowers is pretty much her defining trait."

Athena stomped her foot. "Junie is way more than just flowers! Don't make her sound so simplistic. You've known her long enough to see her many layers."

"Athena, I don't live with Juniper like you do. I only see her when she drops by the office, which isn't too frequent."

Not too frequent? Apparently Apollo's ability to notice the fine details was limited to the courtroom. He failed to realize just how often Junie visited the lawyers at the Wright Anything Agency. She stopped by at least once a week, and Mr Wright eventually dubbed her their "biggest non-client". She befriended Trucy and Maya and even Apollo, though sadly he remained oblivious to the true nature of her interactions with him.

Every time Junie stopped by, she never failed to give attention to Apollo. Occasionally they would engage in actual conversation, but most of the time it was just Junie heaping praise on him, and he would eat it up without a second thought—his role as the office punching bag surely made him starved for validation. Sometimes she brought homemade cookies and other tasty treats, and she would always hand one to Apollo personally while the others were left to grab their own.

But it was frustrating how much of an idiot he was for not seeing that Junie had the hots for him. She even commented on his muscles one time, and he just flexed for her with that goofy grin on his face, not at all reading between the lines. Athena lost count of how many times Junie had complimented him on his appearance, even though he wore almost the exact same thing everyday. How much more obvious could it get?

But as dense as he was, Apollo wasn't a lost cause. Since birth, Junie had a low constitution, so she frequently succumbed to coughing fits and shortness of breath. Apollo always showed concern for her well-being, and like a knight he would spring into action, bringing her water and trying to make her more comfortable—this ironically only stirred her symptoms further. The both of them were messes in their own right. They were perfect for each other.

If only one of them would make a move. Athena was sick of the lovestruck judge-in-training constantly singing his praises. Any attempt at making fun of him was swiftly shot down by Junie's stern words—it was the most like a judge she ever sounded. If only she carried that confidence when talking to Apollo, she might finally be able to ask him out.

But Athena knew her best friend well, and if that was ever going to happen, she would need to intervene. Getting these two idiots together would be a challenge, but Athena was never one to back down. She would play the role of cupid and guide them to their future happiness.

Right now she needed inspiration to get her head in the game. Athena took in her surroundings within the department store, paying close attention to the couples she could spot. Some were chatting happily, some were arguing a bit too loudly, and some were inspecting outfits, possibly laying out their plans for a night on the town. She visualized Apollo and Junie doing the same thing. Perhaps they would plan to walk through the park, or have a candlelit dinner on a patio, or argue about which of them was cuter. These fake scenarios felt right in Athena's mind.

Next up, Apollo did just comment on how little he knew about Junie, so that was a good starting point. "Speaking of Junie… what do you think of her, Apollo?"

"Where did that come from?" he asked with a quirk of his brow.

"Just answer the question," she said.

Apollo's contemplative stare was a good first sign—at least he didn't find Junie so shallow that it took no thought. "She's really nice, and she's easy to talk to. Hmmm… I guess she's also considerate since she always brings us snacks. She's way more mature than you, though. Sometimes I'm baffled that you two are friends."

Athena's hand would've already made contact with his face, but she let that one slide because she didn't want to get off topic. "I think she'd be happy to hear you feel that way about her. But you also said you don't know her super well. Do you want to get to know her better?"

Up went his eyebrow again. "Um, sure? She is my friend, I guess. It wouldn't hurt to know her better."

Oh no, she would not let him friend zone Junie like that. It was time to take it up a peg. "And do you think she's cute?"

"Athena, wh—?"

"Answer it," she demanded.

Apollo scratched his head shyly, and a blush formed. "I mean, sure, she's good-looking? I don't get why that matters to you, though."

Seriously, how oblivious can a person get? "Because she compliments the way you look all the time, so I wanted to know what you thought of her." She smiled slyly and added, "She'd be happy to hear you think she's cute."

"W-w-wait a minute! You're not gonna tell her that, are you?!" Seeing him so frazzled was magnificent.

"Don't worry, I won't. But you should. It'd make her day. Sometimes Junie doesn't think she's cute, but that's ridiculous, right?"

Apollo gulped, and tiny beads of sweat made themselves known on his brow. "Y-yeah, ridiculous, sure."

"You look flustered, Apollo," she said tauntingly, enjoying every second she egged him on. "You're acting just like Junie does whenever she talks to you, or about you. I wonder why that is…"

"Sh-she talks about…?" Apollo cleared his throat and wiped his brow, his composure steadily becoming undone. It seemed Athena's psychological manipulations were working wonders. All that time spent with Simon was paying off.

Now it was time for Athena to present her closing argument. She flashed a grin and brought back her usual cheery attitude. "I got it! Let's all hangout tonight!"

"You mean you, me, and Juniper?" he questioned. "Are you sure? I don't want to intrude on your time together."

Athena sighed at his unnecessary politeness. "Apollo, I'm inviting you. You're literally not intruding. Didn't you say you wanted to get to know Junie better? Now's your chance. Just say yes!"

Apollo recoiled from her raised voice, his eyes darting around for any onlookers. "Okay, okay, I'll come. Just keep your voice down."

"I know you aren't telling me to keep my voice down, Sir Steely Chord."

"You don't seem to understand that you can be just as loud, Athena."

"Whatever. I'm getting this skirt, and I need some new stockings." She walked away from the changing rooms, the flowery skirt still around her waist, the nasty coffee-stained khakis now draped on her arm. "Excelente, Apollo! Now let's find you something to wear. You need to look stylish for tonight."

"What are you talking about? I'm already pretty stylish," he said confidently.

Athena rolled her eyes. No way could she take his word on that. She had never seen him in anything other than business attire, and knowing what a huge dork he was, she didn't trust him to know how to dress himself up.

"Now's your chance to bring your A-game," said Athena. "Don't you wanna look so good that you knock Junie's socks off?"

"Why would she care about what I'm wearing?"

Athena was this close to screaming. "Jesus, Apollo, how stupid are you? If you're gonna hangout with a woman, you need to look good for her. Junie's gonna look amazing, so you need to match her."

"And what about you?" he asked.

"Meh, I'll throw something together," said Athena lazily. Her attention was on the overhead signs, looking for the men's section. When she found it, she flashed Mr Wright's credit card from her purse. "Now let's get you something flattering to wear. Boss' treat."

He looked at her disapprovingly. "Athena, we shouldn't abuse his generosity like that."

"It's not abusing!" she retorted. "It's… an investment. He'll want tonight to go well, too. Besides, he won't even notice the extra charges."

"Athena, he'll notice when he sees the receipt."

"I'll 'accidentally' lose it, then."

"And what about when he checks his credit card activity?"

Athena waved him off. "That only shows one charge, not the exact items bought. I'll just tell him it was a really expensive skirt." She spun around, the skirt twirling majestically around her waist like a blossoming flower. "Don't you think it looks pricey?"

Apollo sighed and rubbed his eyes. "It's not that pricey, Athena. And even if it was, he'd be mad at you for not getting a cheaper one."

She was starting to lose her patience. They could've gone back and forth about this all day. Apollo's lawful nature wasn't doing them any favors. Why couldn't he see that she was trying to help him?

Athena opted to ignore him and continue their trek, and thankfully he said not a word further, merely staying beside her. And that was how Apollo began trying on many shirts, pants, and jackets, with Athena offering her opinion on each combination.

"Too girly—not manly enough—not your color—are you kidding?—oh, god no—"

"You're just doing this to mock me, aren't you?" said Apollo after the umpteenth rejection.

"A little," Athena teased. "But this one's not bad." His current getup consisted of a white t-shirt, red hoodie, and blue jeans, all free of any logos or designs. There was nothing particularly special about it, but he looked charming regardless. It suited his quieter and caring persona, whenever he wasn't shouting at the top of his lungs. Plus, it was simple enough that she could easily pick out a matching outfit for Junie.

As Apollo inspected himself in the mirror, rotating his waist to check every angle, Athena eyed him curiously. There was a question on her mind, and she wondered if it would ruin her plans if she asked him.

Then she remembered that Apollo had the social smarts of a clam, so she chanced it. "Have you ever been on a date?"

He furrowed his brow in thought, glancing at her through the mirror. After several moments, he said, "No."

"How old are you again?" asked Athena.

"Twenty-six," he said.

Athena rubbed her forehead. "Mon dieu, Apollo. You need to get on that. You don't wanna stay single forever, do you?"

"I don't know, it's not something I think about too much." His expression then turned sour, and he huffed. "My friend Clay's gone on dates. He's really good at talking to women, so… he has a lot of experience." The irritation in his voice was plain as day. Did Apollo wish he was more popular with the ladies? If only he could tell that he had already caught someone's eye.

But this was good news, Athena thought. Likely it meant he desired to go on dates if he had the chance. "So your friend's a player while you get left in the dust?"

"I wouldn't say it like that. Clay's just… well, he can be…" Apollo slumped and shook his head. "Okay, Clay can get carried away sometimes. He's ditched me before when he's hit it off with someone."

Athena frowned. "He doesn't sound like a good friend."

Apollo's face hardened in offense. "Woah, slow down. Clay's still my best friend, and I trust him completely. He's done plenty of great things for me. Everyone's allowed an annoying habit or two, right?"

Athena offered a reassuring smile. "You're right, sorry about that. But cheer up, Apollo. I'm sure you're a stud without even knowing it." He blushed and glanced at the ground, but she spied his grin. It was good he was flattered. "How about this, why don't you practice your smooth talk on Junie tonight? You'll be the only guy there, so her attention will be entirely on you. I'll even give you some pointers." She lightly jabbed his shoulder. "Maybe you two'll wind up ditching me. Wouldn't that be funny?"

"Ha ha, Athena," he mocked.

His response pleased her. She had successfully planted the idea in his head, and he hadn't shot it down. Her hopes for tonight soared.

"Have you ever dated anyone?" he asked.

And then she came crashing back down, even harder than when she'd enthusiastically embraced the ground earlier. She grasped her arm tightly, discomforted, a storm cloud brewing. She let out a groan. "I had a boyfriend when I was living in Europe."

Apollo eyed her with genuine concern. "You don't sound too happy about it. Did it not end well?"

Athena took a deep, unsteady breath, the storm cloud slowly engulfing her heart. "It could've ended better. A lot better, I guess… I-I don't wanna talk about it right now."

"I'm sorry, Athena. I didn't mean to bring that up." He approached her and placed his hand on her shoulder. "Hey, remember what Mr Wright taught us? To always smile when things get dark? Don't forget those words, Athena. Now give me a nice, big 'I'm fine!' That'll bring back your cheery attitude."

She managed a chuckle, and it was enough to shake off the funk. "I'm not gonna shout it. Apparently I'm just as loud as you. But… Athena Cykes is fine. Psyched, too, I guess."

"I'll take it," said Apollo, giving a thumbs up.

"Thanks for that, Apollo. Look, don't let me scare you from dating someone. You should give it a try. I'm sure there's someone out there who would go for you."

He seemed to glow from her encouragement. He had a warm, vulnerable smile, and his blush and sudden shy demeanor were quite adorable. He was actually resembling Junie a bit. That made it even clearer that they needed to be together, and Athena would do everything in her power to make that happen.

Now she was truly fine. She slammed her fist into her palm with great vigor, flashing a toothy grin. "Alright, let's wrap this up! I think you look pretty stylish in that, so let's get it and go."

Apollo gave himself a final once over, appearing satisfied. "Yeah, I'm good with this. Let me change back, first."

"Nope, you're gonna wear it to the office. We need Mr Wright's opinion, too. Come on, get a move on! Vamanos!"

Athena hurriedly shoved Apollo to the cashiers at the front of the store. She was excited to soon be ditching her boss' wretched coffee pants. Oh, and for their plans tonight, too. She couldn't wait to get home and tell Junie the good news. Doubtless she would be ecstatic at the notion of finally being set up with her long-time crush.


"Um, are you sure, Thena?" said Junie hesitantly, her hands fidgeting in her lap while she sat on the couch. A far cry from ecstatic, that's for sure.

"Of course I am!" Athena declared from the kitchen. She rummaged through the fridge until she found an apple, then took a large bite out of it. "Tanight at seben at da Gatewa—" The fruit caught in her throat, and she gagged heavily, causing little bits to spew out onto the floor.

"Thena, don't talk with your mouth full!" shouted Junie.

Athena beat her chest until she stopped coughing, then swallowed the rest of her bite. "Ahem! Tonight at seven at the Gatewater Entertainment Center. It'll be fun, I promise!" She bounded over to the couch and plopped down beside Junie, who remained tense and uncertain.

"Thena, that was really sweet of you to try and set me up with him, but you should've talked to me about it first." Her shoulders began to tremble. "Does he… does he know it's supposed to be a date?"

Athena frowned and shook her head. "I didn't tell him because he might've said no. N-not that he would say no to you! Just… he needs to be eased into it, y'know?" She brushed Junie's arm. "But don't worry, you'll get him, no problem! I'm sure he'll be all over you in no time, and not just figuratively."

Junie's eyes widened and her face turned redder than the apple. "Th-Thena! Don't say weird things like—!" She was cut off by a flurry of coughs erupting from her lungs. They were petite and cute like the squeaks of a mouse.

Normally Athena would pamper Junie when this happened, but she only took another large bite of the apple, chewing it like a neanderthal while she smugly gazed upon her flustered friend. "Come on, Junie, we're not kids anymore. It's time you graduated from cute to sexy. Apollo even called you attractive."

"He said that about m-me?" Junie struggled over whether to feel embarrassed or delighted.

"Yeah, he did! You're already halfway to bagging him and the night hasn't even started yet! This'll be easy!" Athena took her hand and pulled her up from the couch. "Come on, Junie, get psyched! Tonight could actually become a date with Apollo! You've wanted that for so long! He even bought a new outfit, and I'll pick something out for you so you'll match!"

Her whole body began to shake like an earthquake, and she tugged at her hair like a rope. "B-but what if he—what if he doesn't like me?!"

Athena's burst of laughter was enough to distract Junie from her frazzled state. "Mein gott, do you even hear yourself? I just said he called you attractive. Plus, you're really charming, Junie. Trust me, he already likes you, he just hasn't realized it yet."

Thankfully that was enough to calm her back down. She took several deep breaths to stabilize herself. "A-are you sure?"

Athena squeezed her hand. "One hundred percent! Me, Trucy, Maya, and even Mr Wright fully support your future relationship with Apollo. We've all got your back! You can do this!"

Junie squeezed Athena's hand back, and she finally produced a genuine smile. "Alright, I'll try my best. M-maybe you're right. Maybe it's time I say something to him."

"Fantástico! Muy bien!" Athena held the apple in front of her face. "Now seal the deal with a bite from the Apple of Promises."

"That's not a real thing, Thena." Junie took a bite regardless, her chews small and ladylike. "Thank you for the confidence."

Athena pulled her in for a hug. "Definitely. And don't worry, I'll be with you the whole time. Er, wait… I guess only half the time, actually. I need to leave you both alone at some point." Another bite from the apple and a playful smile. "Wow, who would've thought me waking up late this morning would lead to you being with your future husband?"

"Thenaaaaaaaa, stop teasing me!" Junie clawed at her hair while Athena laughed away, spewing even more bits of apple onto the floor. Junie huffed and puffed her cheeks out. "Just for that, you're treating me the whole night."

Athena fell silent and swallowed. "Wait, what?! Objec—!"

"Overruled!" Junie declared, slamming her fist into her palm like a gavel, her inner judge springing to life. "No complaints! My verdict is final! That's what you get for doing all of this behind my back."

Athena's head slumped. "Oh verdammt…" If only she had held onto Mr Wright's credit card. "Fine, fine. Now let's hurry and pick out an outfit for you!"

"Hold it!" Junie pointed to the scattered apple remains littering their floor. "Clean up the mess you made first. We don't want ants."

Athena sighed and grabbed a broom. At least she wasn't being ordered to clean their toilet.

To Be Continued


Pinkie's Thoughts
It's the start of a new story, everypony! Ace Attorney has been one of my favorite series for over a decade, and I was excited to finally come up with an idea for it. Athena was the obvious choice for my protagonist. I enjoy writing extroverted and go-getter female characters.

Allow me to address the timeline in this story so there's no confusion: the first trilogy happened, and everything after that is my own AU. The characters' relationships with each other are mostly intact from the canon, just without any definitive references. Everyone's ages are still the same relative to each other; I made Apollo twenty-six, so Athena and Juniper are twenty-one since they're five years his junior in the games.

Now for an easter egg. Apollo's new outfit at the department store is his stylin' street clothes from Dual Destinies. Did you notice that?