AN:
Welcome to part two of the prologue. Please keep any appendages inside the vehicle at all times, and do not throw things at the characters. If you do, Diancie will find you. Enjoy the ride!
*shoves Fox over* Hey, don't forget me! I helped! So everyone, please also remember, do not feed the characters. Thank you.
After finally managing to wade their way through the veritable sea of bandit cannon fodder, the three looked toward the bandit leader, who stood, leaning casually against the handle of his axe, dead center of the exit to the marketplace. He stood there, gnashing his teeth as the princess and her companions took down bandit after bandit. Watching was the hardest thing for him to endure, but he did so, knowing that he couldn't let them leave the market alive.
As Dianciehacked her way through a pair of Scraggy and ended up in front of the leader, he grinned a horrible, crooked grin.
"Looks like my grunts are as incompetent as ever," he grunted, heaving his battle axe so that it rested on his shoulder. "No matter. It seems that old Grognar will have to teach the prissy princess a thing or two about the bandits of Red Rock!"
"Prissy!" Diancie exclaimed, offended, "I am not prissy!"
"He's just trying to mess with your head, Di." Dee said taking a battle position near Diancie.
"But he called me prissy!"
"Milady, allow me to handle this offensive ruffian while you make for the castle to warn your father." Charlie said, giving the leader a look that could kill.
The leader simply laughed harshly and stomped towards the group. Up close, the Krookodile was even more terrifying. His scales gleamed like blood, his teeth were as long as a knife, and even from a few feet away, the trio could smell the rotting meat in his breath.
"If you think you can take me alone, old geezer, then come at me!"
The two Pokémon launched into battle. Charlie clearly had the advantage, for he had years of training and a type advantage on his side. However, Grongar made up for it in pure zeal. He fought like a madman, whirling his axe like a baton and laughing maniacally all the while. The sounds of fighting echoed behind Diancie and Dee as they dashed toward the castle, leaving the two to their duel. They expected fierce resistance from the bandits, but strangely, there was not a soul in sight. The trip back to the castle passed in eerie silence. However, once they made it within sight of the castle, both Pokemon stopped, horrified.
The palace, once so tall and regal, was ablaze, flames pouring from the windows and smoke billowing off of it in a dark, ominous cloud.
"Oh no! What could have happened?" Diancie said, tears beginning to well in her eyes as she watched her home going up in flames.
"The bandits must have been a distraction! Come on, let's go!" Dee took off, tugging a horrified Diancie behind him.
The two friends hurtled through the opened castle gate, through the courtyard, and into the castle proper. They ran through the deserted halls and toward the throne room, where the cries of Pokemon and the clash of weapons could be heard. However, as they ran for the doors, two Pokemon stepped from the shadows, blocking their path: a Seviper and a Zangoose.
The two enemies had a distinctly different aura coming from them. These were not untrained bandits, but real soldiers. Both wore a tabard with the crest of the dragon nation, Nippon. The Zangoose was dressed for lighter combat, with a set of saber-thin battle claws that looked wickedly sharp. The Seviper's tail, already sharp, was set with a blade, curved like a crescent moon. Even as the two younger Pokemon watched, horrified, a drop of neon purple fell from the blade and hit the floor with an ominous hiss.
"And jussssssst where are you children going?" The Seviper mocked, her voice dripping with as much venom as her blade. "We wouldn't want you to be hurt in an *ahem*" she gave a little false cough, "- accident, now would we?"
"Sonja," Said the Zangoose sharply. "Our orders are to capture the princess, not kill her. I hope that you can understand that."
"Oh you're no fun, Clausss. Besssidesss, that doesssn't mean we can't hurt them just a little first."
"No, Sonja!" Claus said harshly. "I will not stoop to such levels." He turned toward Diancie. "Will you surrender? I can promise that no harm will come to you or your friend."
"I will never surrender to the likes of you!" Diancie spat. She summoned her rapier and, besides her, Dee took a fighting stance. "We will defeat you, and help my father!"
Sonja hissed and whipped her tail to attack Diancie, who braced herself, but a whizzing object caused her to stop in her assault. Directly in front of her, planted in the ground and quivering ominously, was a kunai. Sonja hissed and slithered back beside Claus. Diancie looked for the source of the thrown weapon, but could not find anyone.
Suddenly, out from the shadows a figure emerged. A tall, grey furred fox with a red mane. The Zoroark was holding a katana and had a plethora of throwing knives attached to every available appendage.
"Paws off my princess." the Zoroark said with a sly grin, pointing his katana at the enemy.
"Fox! You're back!" Diancie said, her mood lifting. With Fox on their side, there was no way they could lose.
"It seems I just made it too," he said, listening to the sounds of fighting coming from the other room. "Go. I'll deal with these soldiers."
Sonja lunged at Fox, aiming for his neck. The Zoroark deftly blocked the attack and used the Seviper's momentum to throw her into the wall. The Seviper looked no worse though, she even seemed happy at the prospect of a challenge. Claus moved to attack Fox as well, but he too was blocked by the dexterous Zoroark.
Taking advantage of the situation, Diancie and Dee entered the throne room, to a terrifying sight. The throne room was full of different Dragon type Pokémon, all of which were fighting the castle guards. The guards were fighting valiantly, but they were vastly overwhelmed. Diancie looked for a place to jump in and help, when she saw, on the raised platform where the throne sat, a Bisharp fighting a Hydreigon.
She instantly recognized the Bisharp as her adoptive father, King Chrome, fighting valiantly with his trusty greatsword, Ragnell. But the Hydreigon he was fighting was recognizable for all the wrong reasons. His terrifying power was known all across the land by only one name: Nobunaga.
"Father!" Diancie called out.
"Diancie?" Chrome said, temporarily distracted by his daughter's voice.
Nobunaga took advantage of the king's distraction, wrested Ragnell away from its owner, turned it around and drove it through the king's chest, laughing maniacally as he did so.
"Father!" Diancie cried as she saw the king's form crumple to the floor. Nobunaga let out another evil laugh. Diancie felt her heart shatter into a thousand pieces, leaving behind a gaping hole filled with one thing only: hate.
She leveled her rapier with a trembling hand, pointing straight at the Hydregion as tears rolled down her cheeks. "I'll kill you," she whispered. The dragon took no notice, which only made Diancie angrier.
"I'll kill you!" She screamed as she charged straight for the Pokémon that had mortally wounded her father. The dragon was too busy reveling in his victory to notice Diancie charging until he had already felt her blade go through his arm. Nobunaga let out a roar of pain as he batted Diancie away with his other arm. Having lost its connection to her, Diancie's rapier vanished, leaving the evil dragon with a terrible injury.
"You may have gotten me this time, fairy princess," Spat the dragon, nursing his injured arm. "But know that I will be back, to take this kingdom as my own." The evil dragon motioned for his forces to retreat. At his command, the invading dragons fled, their leader right behind them.
Diancie quickly went to her father. There was no way that he would live with that bad of a wound. As she approached, her father looked up, eyes full of pain.
"Diancie," he whispered. "This is not your fault. Please do not blame yourself. Take this stone. It will protect you in your time of need." He held out a tiny pink stone, no bigger than a marble. Diancie took it her hand and hugged it close.
"Father, Natasha will be here soon. Just hold on a little longer."
"No. It was sooner than I expected, but it is my time. I know that you will be the best ruler this kingdom has ever seen. I…love…you…" The king took one final breath, then fell still.
"Father? Father? Father!" There was no response. Diancie threw back her head and wailed.
"Father!"