A/N: Hey guys! Here's the next chapter. Sorry about the wait. First I was back doing overtime at work, then I got sick (still am sick), on top of trying to raise my grades at school since they started to slip.

Alright, enough excuse making.

Thank you guest reviewers! And everyone who reviewed! I honestly didn't really think I was writing this all that well, but you made me feel much better about it!

Review Reply to Another AA fan: Thank you! I try not to let shipping overshadow any of my stories, unless it's supposed to be a romance, haha. I'm really happy to hear that I'm doing well at keeping them in character! Glad you're enjoying the plot!

Review Reply to other Guest: Haha, glad you think so. Hopefully I'm making them likeable enough for you! As for the music guy, I might have disproved that in this chapter, heh.

Now then, onward!

…

Chapter Three: Investigation – Middle

As soon as they had their places settled, Phoenix decided to go try to speak to Fi'rah Mus'ian. Trucy wanted to come along, but he thought it would be better for her to spend time with her mother, exploring the city.

Especially since he knew she was just as worried about Apollo as he was.

(What if this guy DID try to take out Apollo? It's not like he'd want to defend him, right? But that's not good either, considering the Equal Representation Act that was put into place. I guess my coming here was perfect timing then…) he thought as he reached the Detention Center. He walked over to one of the guards.

"Hi. I'd like to speak to Fi'rah Mus'ian," he said. The guard glanced at him.

"Sorry, sir, but only his attorney is allowed to visit him," the man said.

"Er, right. See, I want to defend him," Phoenix said, flashing his badge. The guard bit his lip slightly, slumping a little.

"Oh. Wow. This is awkward…" he muttered.

"What is?"

"Mus'ian already has an attorney."

"O-oh?" Phoenix reeled in shock. (So Apollo really is defending him then? Does that mean Mus'ian DIDN'T try to kill him?)

"Right. Now, I'm going to have to ask you to move along," the guard said. Phoenix nodded, stepping away from him and wondering the city, deep in thought, as he looked for Trucy and Thalassa.

…

Apollo stopped by his office to drop his unneeded things off, when he ran into Ahlbi Ur'gaid.

"Ah! Mr. Justice!" Ahlbi gasped. Apollo smiled.

"Hey Ahlbi. What are you doing here?"

"I heard you were taking on a new case!" the young man said with a grin. The puppy on his head, Shah'do, barked.

"Well, yeah. I mean, someone has to defend Mus'ian, right?" he said.

"Wow…" Ahlbi gasped, his eyes wide. "That's so noble of you! Especially since he's being accused of trying to murder you!"

"Well, yeah," Apollo muttered, emptying the unneeded things from his bag onto his desk. Since the young boy had started helping him, he tended to give Apollo those 'hero worship' eyes. Part of him really enjoyed being looked up to like that; the other part of him found it a little uncomfortable.

"Mr. Justice, please let me assist you on this case!" Ahlbi suddenly asked, bowing. Apollo studied him for a moment before sighing.

"Alright. After all, how can I say no to that?" he asked with a smile.

"Yes!" Ahlbi cheered, pulling Shah'do off his head and hugging him. Apollo smiled at the image before leading the way to the door. "Where are we going first, Mr. Justice?"

"Tehm'pul Temple. The scene of the crime."

…

When they reached the hall where the Dance of Devotion took place, they both gasped in surprise. Devoid of people and surrounded by yellow tape, it looked entirely different from the place of worship it was usually considered. Little cards with numbers marked different spots, and officers milled around. Apollo, however, couldn't help but smile at a familiar face.

"Ema!" he called, walking forward, right up to the tape. The Forensic Officer jumped slightly and turned towards his voice.

"Apollo? So you actually took the case?" she asked, walking over.

"What choice did I have?" Apollo asked with a smile as she lifted the tape, giving him permission to enter.

"True. It's just so weird. Back in the states, you wouldn't be allowed anywhere near this case," she reminded him. Apollo nodded thoughtfully.

"Except probably to give testimony," he added, glancing back to make sure Ahlbi was with him. "So, what have you found so far?" he asked, silently hoping he wouldn't have to beg for information. Thankfully, he wasn't disappointed.

"Well, this case is… strange, to say the least. Why he would go after you in such a heavily guarded environment in the first place is question number one. Number two is why he killed the other victim, when that guy had nothing to do with the Dragon Slayers."

"So you definitely think it's the Slayers then?" Apollo asked. Ema nodded.

"Yeah. Considering that note, who else would it be?" she asked.

"True."

"I was wondering why they used a crossbow, to be honest," Ahlbi suddenly said. Both looked at him.

"What do you mean?" Apollo asked.

"Well, if it were me, I'd sneak up on you in the crowd and stab you. Or just use a gun. Less a chance of you surviving, you know?" he said.

"Uh… right…" Apollo muttered, his hair drooping forward. (I don't think I want to be in a crowd with him anymore…) Ema giggled at the two of them.

"The kid has a point. Speaking of which, here's the crossbow now," she said, stopping in front of the weapon.

"Have you dusted it for prints yet?" Apollo asked, glanced up at her. Meanwhile, Ahlbi was still thinking of more effective ways to kill Apollo in a crowd.

"Nope. Want to do the honors?" she asked brightly. Apollo sighed, his hair drooping again.

"I don't know… every time I do something science-y, it comes back to haunt me in the courtroom," he admitted.

"At first," Ema agreed. "But then it becomes the most vital clue to prove your main bluff, doesn't it?"

"Er… true," Apollo agreed. Ema smiled at him and held out the kit. Apollo hesitated a moment longer, before sighing and taking it.

"Do you need me to remind you how to use it?" Ema asked brightly.

"No, I remember," Apollo said. (Though I thought you'd be jumping at the chance to do this, now that you're a forensic officer…) he thought as he carefully sprinkled the powder on. Once the crossbow was covered in the stuff, he carefully blew the extra off.

Unfortunately, the handle was covered in fingerprints. All looked to be the same too. Ema leaned closer with her handheld device, checking each print against the data in it, until finally she stood straight up.

"Aha!" she said brightly.

"We're doomed," Apollo grumbled.

"Yep!" Ema said with a big smile. "Each and every single one of those prints belongs to the defendant. There's not a single trace of anyone else's," she said. Apollo groaned, and Ahlbi patted his back with a weak smile.

"Remember what she said though. It'll become your saving grace when you bluff your way through this trial!" the young man said brightly. Apollo turned to him.

"Gee. Thanks, Ahlbi," he said. Finally he sighed and looked at Ema again.

"Is there an Autopsy report yet?" he asked.

"Unfortunately not. You know this city's pathologists aren't the best," Ema reminded him.

"Right," he sighed.

"But… I do have one more piece of evidence for you. That we can also test for finger prints," she said. Apollo looked up and saw her holding a crossbow bolt in an evidence baggy.

"Wait. That isn't…" Apollo began.

"Yep. This is the crossbow bolt that nearly hit you," Ema said.

"Oh. Goody," Apollo said dryly. Ema laughed, taking it out of the bag and offering it and the kit to Apollo once more.

"Care to do the honors?" she asked.

"Nope. Your turn," Apollo said, taking a step back. Ema tipped her head to the side slightly, before giving a shrug and matching grin. She quickly got to work, spreading the powder onto the bolt and blowing it off. This time, however, a small frown crossed her face.

"That's odd," she muttered.

"What?" Apollo asked.

"There aren't any prints on it. Not even any signs that they were wiped off," she explained. Apollo grinned.

"That's good news for my case, then!" he said brightly, only to get a huff from Ema. Meanwhile, Ahlbi's eyes grew wide.

"Wow! Did that happen because Mr. Justice didn't do it?" he asked. Apollo chuckled.

"Doubtful," he said, before looking up at the woman. "Anything else, though?" he asked. Ema thought for a minute.

"Nope. Though if there is, I'll be sure to give you a call, alright?" she said. Apollo smiled.

"Sure. Thanks," he said, before looking at Ahlbi. "Let's go check out that balcony."

"Okay!" Ahlbi said brightly, following after him. As they walked underneath it, Apollo glanced over, noticing something.

"Huh. A ladder. They're probably using it as part of the investigation," he said. Ahlbi looked up.

"With all due respect, Mr. Justice, that's a step-ladder," he said. Apollo stopped, looking at the young boy.

"Oh? What's the difference?" he asked.

"Er…" Ahlbi muttered. "I'm not sure… but they look different!" he pointed out.

"Ahlbi, I'm disappointed in you! I'd think a monk in training would know, better than anyone, that looks has nothing to do with it," Apollo replied. Ahlbi gasped in shock, his eyes growing huge.

"Why… Mr. Justice… you're right!" he gasped in amazement.

(Hey look! I converted him to team ladder. TAKE THAT, Mr. Wright!)

"Come on," Apollo said with a smile, wrapping his arm around the boy and going up the steps. As they reached for the curtain to the balcony, Nahyuta stepped out.

"Ah, Nahyuta. Investigating?" Apollo said, trying to dispel some of the awkwardness that had appeared between them since their last talk.

"Of course," Nahyuta said coolly. "Which means the balcony is off limits until we complete our investigation."

"Er, right," Apollo said, slumping slightly. "Any idea how long that might take?"

"As long as needed. Now, if you'll excuse me." Nahyuta ducked back through the curtains.

"Oh… wow. I thought you and Prosecutor Sahdmadhi were on good terms…" Ahlbi said sadly.

"We are. He's just… mad at me for taking this case," Apollo explained, leading the young boy back down the steps.

"But what about the Equal Representation Act?" Ahlbi asked.

"He's thinking more like a brother then a prosecutor-slash-Minister of Justice," Apollo explained, remembering Amara's words from earlier. Ahlbi thought about that before nodding.

"That makes sense…" he said. "So… now what?"

"Hm…" Well… I guess we can go check out Mus'ian's home. See if there's anything there with ties to the Dragon Slayers…"

"Okay!"

…

Mus'ian lived in a small apartment in the center of town. Apollo had easily gotten the address from Ema, as well as a key. He entered the living room, and stopped.

Despite all of Mus'ian's appearances of being a man born and raised in Khura'in, his apartment clearly stated otherwise. In fact, it was set up a little like the studio apartment Apollo had lived in back in America. The major difference was the posters.

There was just two. One was of Troupe Gramarye. The other of Lamiroir.

"Wow… she's so pretty," Ahlbi said, walking over to the poster of Lamiroir.

"Yeah, she is," Apollo replied, before noticing a stack of CDs. He walked over, looking through them.

(All Lamiroir. He must order these or something…) he thought, before spotting one sitting by an old CD player. He immediately recognized it. It was a Gavinners CD from their last tour. The one they took with Lamiroir. Apollo picked the case up and flipped it over, nodding when spotting "The Guitar's Serenade."

"He must be a huge fan of her!" Ahlbi said.

"Must be," Apollo replied, setting the CD down. He accidently brushed against a folder that was bursting at the seams, sending it falling to the floor, where it exploded with paper.

"Whoa!" Ahlbi cried, jumping back.

"Whoops!" Apollo said, dropping down to one knee to gather the pages. He hesitated, confused for a moment. "Sheet music?"

"Can you read it?" Ahlbi asked.

"Hm. No. But… I know someone who can," he said, pulling out his phone. He quickly dialed a number and put it on speaker.

"Hallo?" a familiar voice answered.

"Hey, Prosecutor Gavin. How are you?"

"Ah, Herr Forehead! I'm good. I've been quite busy over in the states, myself. You?"

"Heh. Busy doesn't even being to scratch the surface," Apollo admitted.

"'Herr Forehead?'" Ahlbi muttered. Apollo put a finger to his lips, silently shushing him.

"Ah. I get the feeling this isn't just a friendly call," Klavier said.

"Unfortunately, no. I'm in the middle of an investigation, and my client is supposed to be a born and bred Khura'inese musician. However… There's a lot of merchandise in his apartment that says otherwise, and I found a huge folder of sheet music. I was wondering if you could, I dunno, translate it or something for me?"

"Ja, of course! Let me grab a guitar," Klavier said. "Send me pictures of the music."

"Sure," Apollo said, doing as he said. A few minutes later, he could hear a guitar being tuned.

"Hm… interesting…" he muttered. "Here's the first one."

Apollo quickly hit record on his phone, listening silently. It was a slow ballad, full of mournful notes. Finally, the notes tapered off.

"Here's the second."

This started out with a fast, almost chaotic guitar riff, which translated into a fast paced rock sounding song.

"The third."

A bouncy song, almost like a kid's song. Ahlbi bounced along to it slightly with a smile.

"The fourth."

This one sounded like a traditional Khura'inese one, similar to the Dance of Devotion, but with a different pace, and certain notes that didn't fit into the sacred song.

"And the fifth." Gavin began, before stopping. "Hm?"

"What is it?" Apollo asked.

"These notes… it's almost like they could be a counterpoint to the 'Guitar Serenade.' And did you look at the lyrics?"

"Er, no," Apollo admitted, doing so. He gasped slightly, surprised.

"'Sugar, sugar… O that night, in your embrace. When you stole away the keys my heart held on to so tight…'" Ahlbi read over Apollo's shoulder. "What's so important about that?"

"Those are the lyrics to 'Guitar Serenade,' a song I wrote with the International star, Lamiroir," Klavier explained.

"Well, I don't think he was performing them for the public, honestly," Apollo said, picking up the folder. "After all, it was tucked into a fold of 'Personal Music.'"

"He better not be…" Klavier grumbled, before sighing. "Beyond that, though, your man is a talented musician. Some of those songs are… quite complicated."

"And only one sounded Khura'inese. That, coupled with his apartment, leads me to believe that he wasn't born here."

"Most likely not," Klavier agreed.

"Well, thanks, Gavin."

"Ja, Herr Forehead. Good luck, and auf wiedersehen," the prosecutor said before hanging up.

"Hey, Mr. Justice! Look at this!" Ahlbi suddenly said. Apollo looked over, putting some of the papers into the folder and putting them in his bag. He then walked over to where the young boy was holding a locket. Unlike the matching set that Dhurke and Amara had, this one was definitely not Khura'inese. It was a heavy, silver one. Apollo took it and weighed it in his hand, thoughtfully, before opening it.

Or… trying to.

"Is it locked?" Ahlbi asked. Apollo nodded, turning it over to looked at it.

"Seems that way," he admitted, spotting a tiny keyhole. "We might have to ask Mus'ian to open this for us…"

"I'm sure he won't mind!" Ahlbi said brightly. Apollo smiled.

"Hopefully," he said, before looking around. "Well, I don't see anything else of interest. And I definitely don't see anything having to do with the Dragon Slayers. Common, let's go look somewhere else."

"Okay!" Ahlbi said brightly.

…

Phoenix, Trucy, and Thalassa also tried to investigate the balcony in Tehm'pul Temple, only to be chased away by an officer.

"Now what?" Trucy asked.

"We can always—"

"Mr. Wright? Trucy?" a surprised voice suddenly said from behind. Both turned, spotting Ema. She ducked under the police tape and darted over, hugging both of them.

"What are you doing here?" she asked.

"We came to visit Polly, but…" Trucy trailed off.

"But he's busy with the investigation," Ema finished.

"Right. We're trying to help out though. Anything you can tell us about Mus'ian?" Phoenix asked. Ema smiled slightly before looking thoughtful.

"Well, I know he's a fan of music outside of Khura'in. He was playing 'Guitar Serenade' to himself before the Dance of Devotion. He even knew all of the words…" Ema said. Thalassa gasped softly, putting a hand over her mouth.

"Really?"

"Really." Ema looked at her. "Wait… who are you?" she asked.

"Oh. I'm Thalassa Gramarye," she said with a smile. "Though, we've met before. Back when my name was Lamiroir."

"What!?" Ema gasped, putting a hand to her cheek.

"Yep! And get this! She's my mom!" Trucy said excitedly. Ema gasped once again, not sure how to react to this. She then looked confused.

"Wait, Mr. Wright, you didn't—"

"Her biological mother," Phoenix quickly clarified before Ema could complete her sentence.

"Oh, wow…"

"Mr. Wright? Trucy!?" a surprised voice suddenly said from behind. They turned to see Apollo and Ahlbi walk in.

"Polly!" Trucy squealed, tackling him in a hug.

"Oof!" he gasped, stumbling back. Phoenix and Thalassa exchanged a glance before nodding, deciding that Apollo needed to focus on his case before anything else at the moment.

"Ur'gaid!" a voice suddenly snapped. The young boy jumped, looking over and spotting one of the head monks. "You need to get back to your monk training. You're falling behind again," he said. Ahlbi quickly bowed.

"Yes sir," he said, before looking at Apollo. "Sorry, Mr. Justice…"

"Don't worry about it, Ahlbi," Apollo said with a smile.

"Yeah! I can assist him!" Trucy said brightly. Apollo glanced at her in surprise before smiling.

"Yeah."

"Alright!" Ahlbi said brightly, before following the other monk.

"So, Polly, what do we know so far?" she asked.

…

Evidence

1. Dragon's Eye

Badge of my office here in Khura'in. It's not quite my Attorney's Badge, but it was a gift from Dhurke.

2. Note

Attached to the bolt that nearly hit me. "Death to all Dragons. -The Dragon Slayers." It even has that symbol on it. I've been hearing more about these guys lately then I'd really like to.

3. Crossbow

Found in Mus'ian's hands and shot twice. Covered in my client's fingerprints, unfortunately.

4. The First Bolt

The one that nearly hit me. Ugh. Just looking at it give me the chills. There are no fingerprints.

5. Sheet Music

All different kinds. I couldn't read it, but Prosecutor Gavin played a few for me over the phone. Did Mus'ian really write all of these?

6. Locket

Definitely not Khura'inese. It's locked though, so I can't see the picture inside. Maybe Mus'ian can show me?

…

A/N: Hey guys. Sorry for the wait. I er… had lost my notebook. So, yeah. Here's this chapter!