AN: This is a story idea I've had in the works for quite a while, based on a working theory I had during my playthrough of White. And also my love of AUs Where Everything Is Bad. Aaand a little bit of my dissatisfaction with portrayals of Hilda and N I've seen in similarly themed fics (no offense meant to any fellow writers, I'm just very picky, aha).
This is gonna be a long one, I've already got the next two chapters written. I hope you all enjoy it, and please let me know what you think!
Warning for a canonical character death in one of the upcoming chapters.
Chapter One: Spider's Web
Hilda fidgeted in the new clothes she'd been given, tugging dejectedly at the luxurious gold dappled material of the cloak draped around her shoulders. Her hair had been taken out of its usual ponytail and spilled down her back in waves, and they'd taken away her shoes and socks and given nothing to replace them.
The silky material of her long white dress clung to her oddly, restricted her. She gave an experimental kick with her right leg and found that the cut of the material wouldn't allow for her to do much besides walking while wearing it.
She missed shorts.
Hilda laughed, a little hysterically. Of all the things she could be worrying about. She sunk back into sullen silence.
As soon as she had finished getting dressed, she'd been ushered through a series of the castle's massive, near identical halls, and into some sort of parlor. The doors had been slammed shut, and she had been left alone.
The room was sparsely, though opulently decorated, with polished mahogany furniture and gilded landscape paintings attached to the white marble walls. The place felt oddly sterile, everything perfectly in place and seemingly untouched.
After ascertaining that the large double doors had been locked, and finding no other exits, Hilda had chosen a plush cushioned chair tucked into a corner of the room opposite the entrance, where she could watch the door. That had been maybe an hour ago. She had no idea what she was doing in this place, and not in some sort of dungeon. Anxiety filled her, made it hard for her to focus on any one train of thought.
Without warning, the click of a lock came from the doors, loud in the otherwise dead silence of the parlor, and they began to push inwards. Hilda inhaled sharply, stood up from her chair, balled her hands into fists.
One of the sages, Ghetsis, crossed the threshold into the room. His gaudy robes provided a stark contrast to the surrounding décor, and to the darkly dressed Shadow Triad, who trailed in behind him. The man returned Hilda's glare with a people pleasing smile, before turning to his entourage and murmuring something. The trio nodded in unison, backed out into the hallway, closing the doors as they went. The lock clicked again.
"Hello, Miss White. Have I kept you waiting long? You can sit back down if you'd like."
She didn't. "Where are my Pokemon?" She demanded. "Where are Cheren, and the Gym Leaders?"
Ghetsis chuckled. "They are unharmed. I was actually just overseeing the safe containment of Zekrom." His tone became icy, "I really do insist you sit."
"No!" All the anxiety and helplessness she had felt over the last several hours had crystallized into white-hot fury. "You've been hurting humans and Pokemon all over the region, and now you're holding my friends and I prisoner! You're disgusting, and I'm not going to have some nice, civil discussion with you! " Hilda breathed heavily, staring up at the sage. She felt a little self-conscious. She was normally a pretty even-keeled person, slow to anger. This whole situation was surreal.
"Are you quite finished?" Ghetsis asked flatly. He looked bored.
She couldn't believe this. "Not really!" Hilda ripped off the stupid cloak she'd been given and tossed it to the floor. "You can't keep me here."
"I said that your friends are unharmed." Ghetsis raised a hand when Hilda looked ready to protest, putting emphasis on his next words, "They do not have to stay that way. "
Hilda gaped. "Are you threatening-"
Ghetsis looked down at her coldly. "I suggest you use more discretion in your behavior."
It took effort, but Hilda forced her shoulders down and unballed her fists. "…What do you want?"
"At the moment? For you to sit down."
Hilda took a deep breath, forcing herself to remain calm. Stiffly, she lowered herself back down onto the chair behind her. Ghetsis, already a couple heads taller than her standing, positively towered over her now. He smiled down at her, the chandelier above casting his face in shadow. Hilda's skin crawled.
"Good." He purred, before shaking his head. "Have some situational awareness, girl. You have no Pokemon at your side, no weapons. We can keep you here, and we are going to."
Ghetsis paused, then sighed. He continued in a softer tone, "I didn't want our conversation to start this way. Your stay needn't be unpleasant, if you cooperate. We have a room prepared for you. The castle is lovely, isn't it?"
"Prepared for me? What- why am I here and not in some cell? What is this about? If all you need to do is keep me from using Zekrom against you-"
"You recall the legend of the two dragons, yes?"
Hilda was getting tired of the man interrupting her. "…Yes?"
"I raised N from childhood to ready him to ascend to the throne, and to be worthy of being chosen by Reshiram." He paused, as if lost in thought. When he continued, there was a look of heavy meaning in his eye. "Did you know that neither Reshiram or Zekrom can harness their full power without the other?"
Hilda narrowed her eyes. "No,"
"Yes, well, they were once one in the same. The only problem is that it's…difficult to acquire both of them. You need two worthy heroes, both in conflict with the other…" He trailed off, giving her a small smile of satisfaction.
Hilda perked up in her seat, brow furrowed in indignation. "You…used me to get to Zekrom."
"Very good." Ghetsis chuckled. "You're quick on the uptake. We actually had the Triad ready to scout out potential 'heroes', but you, you practically volunteered yourself. Once we chose you as our candidate, we just did our best to…push you in the right direction."
Hilda recalled all the times that she and her Pokemon had practically had to run a gauntlet of Team Plasma members, often in places the organization had no reason to be. How N had even told her the Shadow Triad had fed him information about Cheren, Bianca, and herself. Her lips curled in disgust. "Why are you even telling me this?"
"Courtesy? It does take quite a bit of stopping power to enforce a new order. You have been an integral part in m- our rise to power."
Hilda felt vaguely lightheaded. She took another deep breath and considered her next words carefully before she spoke them.
"Look, you have Zekrom now. You don't need me, or my friends anymore. Just let us leave, we won't cause any trouble. I know I…can't have my Pokemon anymore, but at least set them free somewhere too."
Ghetsis looked amused. Hilda frowned. "You said it yourself," She said, "I can't do anything against you now, I don't think this is too much to ask."
"Hilda," She didn't like him calling her by name, especially not in that patronizingly affectionate tone, "do you know what being the hero chosen by Zekrom means?"
"I…"
"I hold no more sway over Zekrom than you would over my Pokemon. Much less so, in fact. The only person in the whole world that creature will answer to now…is you."
Hilda stared. Her mind felt like it was stuck on a loading screen. "What?"
Ghetsis knelt down and picked up the crumpled cloak from the floor. He straightened, smoothing out the fabric. "You aren't leaving because you'll be serving as one of Plasma's ambassadors to the people, alongside N."
Hilda's stomach dropped. She gave out a strangled half laugh. "I'm not going to help you, you-"
Ghetsis cut her off again. "Unfortunately, we really can't afford to release your former companions either. We do need to set an example that opposition of Team Plasma won't be tolerated. "
Hilda slammed a fist on the arm of her chair. "You can't do this!"
Ghetsis swept forward, grabbing the seat's back with his free hand, leaning in close to look Hilda in the eyes. "Perhaps simple imprisonment isn't enough. A public execution might be in order. And your Pokemon could be taken care of…more quietly."
Hilda sat frozen, pushed as far back into the plush back of the chair as she could be, to put distance between herself and the sage. "D-don't," she managed, after a moment.
"Hm?"
"Don't hurt them." She said quietly. "Please."
He smiled at her. It was a sickly smile. "We won't have to, if you cooperate. Do you understand?"
"Yes." She hated how small her voice sounded.
"Yes, what?" Like he was speaking to a child.
Hilda grit her teeth. "Yes, I understand. I'll do whatever you say."
"There, that wasn't so hard, was it?" He took his hand from the back of the chair, and, gently, clasped the discarded cloak back around her neck. "You should be grateful, really, to be given such an honor."
"An honor." She repeated, disbelieving. A few hours ago, she was challenging the Elite Four. She had called her mother on the x-transceiver just before that, talked about throwing a party celebrating her victory, talked about eating ice cream cake. What the hell was happening?
He smoothed the fabric over her shoulders, freed her hair, coaxed her to lean forward slightly so the cloak would fall down her back. Hilda, numb, let him. Vaguely, she noticed that his right hand, gloved unlike the other, shook as he moved it.
"There, now you look somewhat presentable." Ghetsis straightened. "Get up, we have preparations to make."
Hilda stood and followed him slowly towards the door. He stopped at the threshold and turned to her. His voice was low when he spoke, "You are not to mention a word of our discussion to anyone, my son especially. You saw the error of your ways in your defeat and pledged yourself to our cause. Any other version of events getting out will result in severe consequences. Is that understood?"
"I understand." She said flatly.
"Good." He tapped the door with his left fist, and the Shadow Triad opened it, bowing as they entered the hallway, and then following silently as they continued down it.