Chapter Text
Soulmates had never been particularly important in Simon Blackquill's life, though he'd be lying if he said he hadn't been curious about the broken notes running down his arm.
They are in one of the robotics labs, Aura tinkering with one of her robots, while Simon writes an essay for his psychology homework. Simon's topic for this essay is soulmates, reminding him of his own. He's seldom been very curious about his own, but as he glances at it, a small bout of curiosity finds its way to him, he usually shrugs this off, but today, for whatever reason, it stays on his mind.
Either way, his curiosity seems to be written on his face because Aura catches on, he'd rather not discuss the topic with her as she didn't generally like soulmates, with them not having a scientific explanation. They'd been studied of course but, people usually end up finding out more about the meanings of the marks, there was no success in looking at where or why they'd appeared. Eventually, she asked, “ What's going on with you, you've been lost in your head for quite a while?” then she proceeds to use the rolled up blueprints in her hands to whack him in the back of the head, lovingly, of course.
“ Nothing, just wondering.”, at this he receives an inquisitive look to which he replies
by lifting up the cuff of his shirt to reveal his soulmark, black in colour. His sister stares for a moment before mentioning “You could try and find them, you know.”
“ And how do you expect me to do that?'' She takes the laptop from where it sits in front of him and turns it towards herself and then returns it to him. She's left the tab open on Google, he silently brings the laptop towards himself and starts his search. At first he looks for any musicians, teenagers like himself, but to no avail, all those who are possibilities have soulmarks that have nothing to do with him. He eventually gives up, returning to his homework and turns apathetic towards the person, his own work is more important after all, he's going to university soon.*
Simon was sitting in handcuffs, his wrists heavy, feeling both terrified and relieved. Having admitted to his “guilt” had done nothing for him, his sentence was the same as all the others, though the defence attorney, Raymond? had tried his hardest. Relieved for the girl who would never again see her mother, removed from the only home she's known and taken somewhere foreign, for Athena, who would never again be held in court, shaking and desperate, he thinks of her and knows he'd do anything.
But, still he fights to keep the grin on his face, as he hears the sentence and is dragged to his cell, the guards looking at him with disgust, when all he wants to do is cry. And cry he does, he cries for days and weeks, at some point unsure of who he was crying for, mourning the start of the loss of his own life, as well as his mentors.
Outwardly, the crying seems to help him, the tear tracts marking his face, making him look unapproachable, eventually though, he does start talking to people, to distract himself. He feels a slight disturbance when he hears the causal manner in which people talk about the crimes people commit, so he talks to people who've committed crimes minor in their degree.
He distracts himself with different activities as the date of his execution continues to climb closer, they hire someone to monitor him, Fulbright being his name, he doesn't trust him, the man too bright and cheery for a place that's the complete opposite. He has only one piece of leverage against this phantom, he won't let anyone get to it, just in case, though he knows his hope is useless.
Somehow, he'd built a reputation he'd long forgotten, in the few years that he did work.
He was released in April of 2027, given back his job in return for a few liberties, receiving a small desk in his cell as well as being able to go out to visit crime scenes and go on a few walks, monitored of course.
His first case back is given to him by Foolbright, having something to do with an orca. He eventually accepts, curious to see what type of person would've tried to defend one, to his absolute delight, he found Phoenix Wright, legendary fallen Attorney, having risen from the ashes at last. Alongside him stood Athena Cykes, surprising him enough he almost let his mask drop, almost, he doesn't, this is all for her after all.
She was different now, of course she was, she was still a child in his eyes, but now she was louder and more energetic as opposed to her quiet and reserved child self. She wore yellows and blues contrasting with Simon's monochromatic black and white. She also wore a mask, hers easier to break, newer, recluding every now and then, fearful.
Simon wasn't going to watch as Athena lost herself, she clearly had done a lot to get here, only eighteen, so he looks her in the eye and encourages her by reminding her who she's carrying on for. He sees her later on, in the aquarium, and she seems her usual self, if the water on the back of his coat is anything to go by, at least one of them is.
Sometime in late October, he sees Athena for the third time that year, this time facing her as his main opposition. She seemed more anxious this time than she had been at any other, he supposes she should be, it being the first case she's taking on herself, if he's assumed correctly. He quickly figures out that he's wrong, he realises as soon as he sees her, Juniper Woods, who had been Athena's childhood best friend.
He remembered her vaguely only having seen her once or twice though he'd heard of her quite a bit from Athena. The case was about someone who had murdered their mentor, of course Simon was the one to take it, he doesn't go easy on her, he can't, no matter who she may be. The case ended up comical, when it becomes obvious that none of the three suspects had done it, but Simon pushes on regardless, not having a choice as a prosecutor, having to ensure that any doubts as to the perpetrators identity was eliminated, together with the defence. They both deliver and Juniper Woods goes free.
Throughout the trial there was a sort of stinging right where his music notes were located,he ignored it and focused on the case. By the end the stinging was still there and he'd almost forgotten about it until he caught sight of a small glow coming from underneath his shirt sleeve. He'd barely caught a glance at it before it seemed to fizzle out,roughly at the time the gallery left the room but a faint gold shine seemed to remain even though his person had obviously gone.
While walking back to his cell he'd thought he'd caught Athena's voice on the wind shouting something in German? across the courthouse and there was such a faint buzz, so faint in fact, that he was sure he'd imagined it ,not that it would have mattered as he hadn't had the chance to talk to anyone without Foolbright listening in.
Once he'd got back to his cell he looked at his arm and the notes had a sort of shine to them for the next few days,he wondered if they'd noticed the buzzing too and when he'd meet them and how disappointed they'd be finding out who he was, with the little time they'd have left the truth wouldn't matter anyways. Two months is not a long time to spend with someone.
The thought gnawed at him for days afterward,if he was going to die anyways what was the harm in knowing? If Simon didn't meet his soulmate at the very least he had Taka who'd make for a better soulmate than any person could do at this rate, having been there for longer than any person had.
He thought his days were already stressful enough he only had a few days left, there was a slight spark of hope, perhaps there was a chance for him to live,but that soon faded as he looked back at the scene in front of him. Athena, standing behind the defendants stand, unsure of whether she had been the cause of her mother's death.
His sister, Metis, behind a robot, having kidnapped a few people desperate to free him, Wright's daughter was one of those included. He looks over at Phoenix, and never has he seen a person so determined and fearful all at once, he wonders if he looks the same.
Simon had never felt relieved in his life, Athena was released and he was no longer about to die, he finally sees Athena let herself cry and he allows himself to relax, the first time in seven years, the feeling more foreign than it should be. He watches his sister be dragged away, he thanks her and sees the relief in her eyes too, he feels guilty for causing her so much distress, he's thankful she doesn't have to go through anymore. It's almost terrifying how far she was willing to go for him, but he knows he'd be willing to go just as far, he already has.
There was no way he would've Athena end up where he had been, she was only eighteen now, he had told Aura the last time she came to visit, ignoring all her pleas for him to go through with a retrial. She had told him he was only three years older when he'd decided to give up his own life, he had replied with silence then. Now was what mattered, Athena clutching onto him like he might disappear otherwise, safe.
There was a call from the other side of the courthouse, barely audible over the flood of people, still standing inside. Still, everyone looked over to see Trucy Wright, being carried by a man in a purple suit, chains clanking together as he walked. As soon as Wright spotted them, he immediately pulled her into his arms, then released her to look her over once, before pulling her back in again, mumbling something inaudible to the rest of them into her cape. The hug lasted a while before Trucy said “Missed you, too” and squirmed out of the hug, and went to greet everyone else, Apollo looking particularly shaken.
Rather suddenly, Phoenix grabbed the man in purple into a hug, the man, clearly shaken, took a while to register what was going on before hugging back. A quiet thank you was heard from Phoenix, his voice slightly shaky, and in reply there was a small of course from the other.
If during any of this his arm shone a brighter gold than it had in the last few months with a stinging, then Simon didn't notice with his arm still buzzing from a few electrocutions and the force of Athena clinging onto his arm as though she might lose him if she let go.