To the Road
Apr. 3rd, 2016 11:04 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
madimpossibledreamer~Dreamer~
Main Points:
Ace Attorney AU
Chapter Summary: The journey begins.
Word Count: 1413
Rating: K
Note: Apollo Justice spoilers. Probably spoilers for the rest of the series, too.
Kristoph takes his time instructing the Prince on his neighborly visit, probably more than he needs. If Apollo’s not mistaken, the sorcerer seems to be taking a perverse pleasure in making the devil wait. Personally, the Prince wouldn’t leave the Undying One to his own devices, oath or no, especially if he’d been deemed too dangerous to NOT have in a dungeon. Despite the potential use he could serve to the kingdom. Still, Kristoph had beat him once and could probably do so again.
The sorcerer’s reaction to the Tainted Soul was probably more worrisome, but then, it was clear that the two shared a history. For all Apollo knows, the devil killed Kristoph’s brother. It’s hard, imagining the unflappable, dependable advisor losing his cool or being hurt like that, but a devil would be capable, right? If anything was. It was clear the two shared a history.
“Be aware, young Prince, devils are tricky. He cannot act against you directly, but he will try to trick you, especially into releasing him. Do not let him enter your heart. Do not forget what he is, despite his appearance or manner.” The words could be seen as worried, but the tone is as level as ever.
Prince Apollo brands it into his heart, for it’s likely to keep him safe. “I won’t.”
Kristoph smiles. “Then he cannot harm you. Go in safety, my Prince.”
The Tainted Soul was scowling at the cobblestones by the time the Prince exits. He transfers the glare to Kristoph.
“Try anything, and I will know,” the advisor warns mildly.
That earns the twist of a smile that’s almost terrifying, despite its attempt at friendliness. “Didn’t you always?” He looks like he’s about to say something else, but in the end the words do not come out.
“Seeya, Apollo!” That’s Clay waving from the wall, still half asleep, and the advisor sighs and puts a hand to his temple.
“So much for secret exits. Let’s hope that it’s still too early for the whole castle to be awake, and that no harm has been done.” The sorcerer nods at Apollo, glares once more for good measure at the Undying One, and turns around to go back into the castle.
The devil, meanwhile, appears to have cheered up slightly. “It appears we’re alone now, mein Prinz.”
“Don’t get any ideas, or Kristoph will deal with you,” Apollo states shortly. He’s not allowed to take his favorite horse, and he has to carry the bags (some of them, at least, so he doesn’t look like he’s nobility). He’s not going to enjoy this trip at all.
“Oh, I’m full of ideas. I just can’t act on any of them.” The devil is so cheerful it’s almost surreal. He vaults one of the gates in a manner too quick and graceful to be human, and turns to take the bags and gently lift the prince over. “You should call me Klavier,” he continues, and, yes, the charm is here. He’s not human, Apollo. “After all, it may attract some unwanted attention if you go around introducing your companion as the Undying One.”
“You probably can’t call me Apollo, then, either.” Great, something else to ruin his day.
“Herr Stirn for now, then. I may think of something more appropriate in the future.” The way Klavier is smiling, it means that that’s probably an insult.
Which makes Apollo think of something. “If I asked you what that meant, would you lie to me?”
“What you really mean to ask, Kleiner, is ‘could I lie to you if I tried’?” A cloud passes over the bright mood that’s overtaken the devil. “I don’t know. Here, I’ll try now.” He opens his mouth, but no sound comes out. After a few minutes of making faces, he sighs and then answers, “I do not believe so. I could probably lie by omission, but if you order me, there isn’t much I couldn’t tell you. Things that Kristoph has deemed too dangerous for you to know, probably.”
The stride has gotten faster. They’re almost to the side gate. “Could that hurt me?”
“Probably, which is why it is my job to ensure that does not happen, ja?” The voice is determined enough that Apollo is taken aback for a few seconds before realizing it isn’t him, exactly, that the devil is concerned about. If Apollo gets hurt or dies, there not only goes the Undying One’s freedom, but he’ll probably also be subjected to yet more inventive punishments from Kristoph.
“Where are we going?” he asks after a bit, and Klavier nods.
“Gute Frage. To see an old friend of mine.” He chuckles at Apollo’s sudden stillness. “Well, ‘friend’ is more of a stretch, and don’t worry, she won’t hurt you. Throw food at you, if her reaction to my presence is any indication, but she won’t hurt you.” Getting a friend who can hurt me would be a good, indirect way of getting rid of me, but…no, he probably wouldn’t try anything so close to Kristoph, especially as I’m his temporary ticket to freedom. “She’s human enough, and if she’s as good as she thinks she is, she can help us get a few horses. To make the journey smoother, ja?”
Kristoph, if this whole fun trip idea thing of yours ends up getting me killed, I’m coming back as a ghost and haunting you. Unfortunately by the amused look that the devil sends him, he must have accidentally said that out loud. In a whisper, but still, devils probably had really good hearing.
Now he wishes that he’d paid a little more attention when the Advisor had been trying to give him lessons on devils and history in general. He’d thought at the time that it would never be practical; there was no way someone like him would even be allowed near one on the battlefield, let alone for an extended period of time. Playing with Clay had seemed a more pressing concern at the time. It was one of the few things that Kristoph disapproved of that he allowed himself (“Princes and serving boys should not be on a first name basis, my Prince”), mostly because Kristoph had allowed it, rather than sending Clay off or something. He wanted to know how far this pledge thing extended, and how much Kristoph’s spells really would protect him. The sorcerer had clearly thought it an important point, since he’d given Apollo a protective amulet above the protective runes always on Apollo’s body. At least Kristoph had said, just at the end, “I would not be asking you to do this if I didn’t believe you were more than capable, my Prince.” He could take some comfort in that and the fact that it had been implied the devil had to, at least, protect him from any physical harm.
Spending the entire journey lost in thought, the prince realizes, particularly when there’s an untrustworthy devil as a traveling companion, is probably not the way to stay alive. He sneaks a glance at the Undying One and finds that the devil is apparently also lost in thought, staring at stalls and people and the sky like he’s never seen them before. The hands are carefully tucked into the pockets in a stance that says ‘don’t notice me, I’m not a threat to anybody.’
The devil had been at this playing human game for a long while, it seems.
“Sorry, it’s been a while.” It’s almost a surprise to hear the accented voice break the silence once more. “After a while, you forget what the sky looks like. You know it’s real, that it exists somewhere, because there’s a sorcerer who will cheerfully tell you that it’s there, out of your reach, but you don’t remember anymore.” The gaze is almost wistful before the blond shakes its head and turns a little more serious. “The town has changed since I was here last. Hopefully she hasn’t left.”
Apollo’s about to say something. Something like, you’re basing this entire thing on a hope? before realizing that’s kind of exactly what Kristoph is doing, and if it’s enough for his advisor it’s hopefully enough for the trip as well.
Blue eyes light up in recognition and the devil’s long legs carry him away too fast for the prince to keep up, especially lugging the bags behind. He growls. Please let this trip go smoothly and swiftly. Please. Honestly, he needn’t have bothered.
