A/N: I'm back :D Shadow and my friends have been begging me to update Dark Spiral after that awful cliffhanger I left you all with, and so I have. The events of this chapter are in Ice Princess Rem's point of view ^.^ Thank you to Shadow-Cat-Pokemon who drew the amazing cover for this fanfic and to everyone else who has helped me out and inspired me with this story. Also, a big thanks to all my readers, reviewers and everyone who has favorited or followed Dark Spiral.
NO Gears (Lea) - I added some Yena/Arc at the end of this chapter just for you ^.^ I know how much you love those two :3 And you have even got me to ship them xD Thank you for all your support and ideas, I'm glad to know you're enjoying this fic!
ChrystalDragoness - Yay, you have an account now (Love your profile pic by the way) ^.^ I think Ky's learned his lesson. Don't mess with a Giratina! I'm glad you like Gira, and thank you for your review. I hope you enjoy this chapter as well.
Full Summary: "War will tear this world apart, alliances will be made and broken, betrayals will rip apart old friends and truths will be discovered. The roots of the earth against the kingdom of ice and sky." When a mysterious Giratina girl named Tina shows up at the Ice Kingdom, claiming to come from another world known as the Distortion World, Prince Ky's world falls apart. Everything he thought he knew is changing and he'll discover the truths of the outside world he longs for. Meanwhile, something is stirring in the Vine Kingdom and people inside both the Ice and Vine Kingdoms are growing restless. And what exactly is this Distortion World?
Disclaimer: I do not own Pokémon. I only own the characters and places in Dark Spiral I created. And Fen belongs to Shadow-Cat-Pokémon. Onward, to the story!
Chapter 4: Black and White: Rem's P.O.V.
"Ooh, look Ky-Ky, it's her."
Rem froze and turned to stare at Captain Yena who had entered the garden along with...her. The strange girl who had seemed to capture Ky's attention. She caught Ky look over at Tina and felt a pang in her heart. Why? Why do I always feel this way whenever I see him around outsiders?
Rem turned and ran out of the garden until she reached a house on the outskirts of the Ice Palace. Smoke rose from the chimney and the smell of fire greeted her. The forge...Rem took a deep breath and pushed the door open.
Rem entered the forge, closing the door behind her to keep the smoke and ash in. Inside, Pokémon were heating metal with their fire, and then shaping it with their hammers.
"Heya Rem!" Cinder waved, looking up from the scrap of metal she was melting. Cinder was one of the few people Rem did not make address her by her royal title as the two had been close friends since they were kids. Cinder was a strong blacksmith Cyndaquil woman who worked in the forge. Her short red hair was tied back in a spiky ponytail, and she wore greenish blue and yellow goggles to protect her eyes. "What can I do for you today?"
"I'm good Cinder. Thank you for your work." Rem stated, waving Cinder off. "Continue your work and don't mind me." Cinder watched as Rem made her way through the bustling forge full of workers and frowned. Rem and her had always been close as children despite social status, and she could tell when the normally cold Ice Princess was in a bad mood. Cinder sighed and turned back to her job at hand. There was no use bothering the Princess when she was like this.
"Where are you going Remmy?" Asked Pixie, a little Vulpix girl, running into the forge. Everyone ignored the girl as if this was a common occurrence.
"Pixie, why are you here? The forge can be a dangerous place?" Exclaimed Cinder even though she knew the answer. The little girl loved Cinder and wanted to become an apprentice in order to follow in Cinder's footsteps and be closer to the Cyndaquil woman.
"Oh, I'm visiting town. Nothing to concern you." Rem stated, shaking Pixie off as the little fox girl latched onto her leg.
"Isn't it dangerous to go on your own, mi'lady?" Cinder frowned, looking up from her work once more. The forge was located on the edge of the castle, and its back door led into the alleys of the city. While Cinder didn't approve of locking the royalty up in the castle, the alleyways weren't safe, and hardly anyplace a princess should venture.
"I'm perfectly fine." Rem snapped, whipping around to face Cinder. Her whip trembled in her hand, and Cinder looked taken aback. By now, the whole forge was looking at the two women. The silence was tense as if waiting for a fight to break out, though all knew Cinder wouldn't dare attack her princess and old friend.
"Don't talk to Cindy that way!" Growled Pixie, her fox tails bursting into flames. The little girl's hands were tight fists. Rem sighed.
"I'm sorry. Good day." Rem bowed, walking out of the back exit to the shop. She made her way through the winding alleys of the backstreets and into town, looking around at the smiling happy faces of the villagers. My villagers. My people. She frowned. No, Ky's. He would be King, after all...And she would end up married to some random prince of a faraway kingdom...
"Watch it girlie!" A voice teased. She looked up into the shining, mischievous blue eyes of a tall, dark haired Black Kyurem man. For a second, she was frozen. Then, his words registered, and she felt anger rush through her. Did this ruffian not know she was the Ice Princess!?
"You look like a rich girl. So, what are you doing in these parts all alone?" He smirked, wrapping his arm around her, and she scowled. A low growl rose in her throat.
"It's none of your concern. I can take care of myself." She huffed, crossing her arms.
"If you say so Princess." He teased, and she stiffened. How had he known? Then, it dawned on her. He must just be teasing me...Wait! Nobody gets away with mocking ME!
"You should smile more." The black haired man sighed. "The scowl you're wearing makes you look so...ferocious and cold hearted."
"Maybe that's what I'm going for." She stated coolly, releasing herself from his grip.
He shrugged. "I think you'd look cute you smiled." He smirked, earning a blush from her. "Anyway, what're you reading?" He snatched the book from her hand. "Wings of Fire: The Dark-" She grabbed it from him.
"It's none of your business!" She blushed, holding the book to her chest.
"Aw, I thought it looked cool!" He whined. "That handsome black dragon on the cover looked a bit like me, don't you think?" She glowered at him, and he put his hands up in defense.
"Okay, maybe not." He grinned. "Well, see ya around Princess. Nice meeting you. Take care of yourself, though I don't think I have to worry much about you getting kidnapped. That glare of yours is enough to scare off any other "ruffians" in the area. But, if you ever find yourself in a 'damsel in distress' moment, I might be willing to play the prince..."
"Go away!" She hissed, snapping out her wings. He winked at her and slipped off into the shadows. Who did he think he was? She blushed, clenching her fists. She could take care of herself! She would prove him-
"What now?" Rem raged, spinning around. Nobody stood there. That's odd...She shivered a little, pulling her cloak tighter around herself. I swore I heard something...Years of stalking her younger brother to protect him from visitors from other kingdoms had heightened her senses, and she could have sworn someone was there...
"Ow!" She exclaimed, spinning around. A small red haired Fenniken boy stood behind her, grinning manically and holding her whip.
"How did you-ouch!" He whipped her again. She lunged for it.
"Too slow Princess!" He cackled, running off and leaping onto the stone wall. She caught sight of her purse in his clutch.
"Hey, give that back you thief!" She hissed, flaring her wings.
"Nope! Why should I?" He taunted, sticking out his tongue at her.
"Get down from there!" She shouted, shooting an ice beam at him. He dodged nimbly, laughing, and landed before her on the ground.
"That's all?" He grinned. "Ember!" He shot a burst of flame at her, scorching Rem. She mustered all her dignity, and stood as straight and rigid as she could. The girl towered over the small Fenniken boy, stretching out her wings. Then, she demanded, "Give me my whip, purse and anything else you stole back."
His wide orange eyes grew teary, and for a second she feared she'd made him cry. He was just a little kid after all, even younger than Ky. Then, he whipped her and all pity was lost.
"That's it brat!" She roared. "Fusion flare!"
"Hold it!" She paused, and the ball of fire was extinguished. The Black Kyurem man from before had appeared. "Fenny, give the nice lady her stuff back." Fen gave him a pleading look. "All of it." He added sternly.
"But, I dunno wanna..." He whined, slurring his words together and pouting. "And I don't see any 'nice lady.' She's mean and scary." He said, pouting at Rem who flushed as red as a fusion flare.
"Fen." The man's eyes narrowed, and the child sighed, handing the purse and whip over to the man (but not before slipping a golden Pokédollar out). Then, he scampered off. The man turned to Rem, handing her back her belongings.
"Well Princess, we meet again. Here are your things. I apologize for my comrade's behavior." He smiled charmingly. "Since fate obviously wants us together, I suppose I can tell you my name. I'm Black." He held out a grimy, clawed hand. When Rem didn't respond or take it, he sighed and lowered his hand. "I believe this is the part where you tell me your name, and we run off together."
"Princess Rem." She stated, glowering at him.
"Thought I'd seen you from somewhere." He mused. "So, can I call you Remmy?"
"Absolutely not." She narrowed her eyes and scowled at him.
"Then White." He nodded. "I think it suits you, with your long pretty white hair and cold as ice personality. Hey, you're not objecting for once!" He put his hands over hers and smiled down at the objects in her hands. "Take care of your things from now on, White. We handsome man can't be sweeping down from the sky to save you every time you run into big bad thieves."
She snorted. "I'd hardly call him 'big' or 'bad.'" Black laughed.
"I hope to see you around White." She watched him spread his wings and fly off, disappearing into the dark alleys of the city.
See you around...? As if. I doubt I'll ever see him again...Hmph, I should be glad this was a one time encounter...
She made her way back to the castle. Snow had begun to fall from the sky, and she pulled her cloak tighter around herself. The wind whipped around her, playing with her long hair. She pushed open the door to the forge, expecting no one to be there.
"I'm glad your back safe. I was almost considering telling the Ice Guard you'd gone missing." Cinder greeted her. The Cyndaquil girl was sitting on a stool by the door, Pixie resting her head on the woman's lap. The forge was quiet, the only source of light the fire in the main hearth.
"Cinder...I'm sorry..." Rem muttered. Cinder perked up, a small grin flashing across her face. "And...thank you...for not sending all of the kingdom on me..."
"Well, you know, I knew you could handle yourself. I would've given it another hour before I told anybody..." Cinder trailed off, scratching her head. "But, lets not go around repeating this to the other servants or royalty in the castle, okay?" Rem nodded and made her way back into the gardens. Pixie stirred in Cinder's lap and turned to look up at the woman.
"Did Remmy just say 'sorry' and 'thank you'?" She mumbled and Cinder giggled, stroking her hair.
"Yes, she did." Cinder smiled warmly, the hearth fire dancing in her eyes.
Rem entered the castle and made her way down the hall, avoiding servants and other nobles in the castle. She reached the hallway where her and Ky's bedrooms were and froze at the sight that greeted her.
Ky was lying against his door, passed out. One of his wings was broken, and he seemed to be in great pain. Rem stood there, yellow eyes wide and full of shock. I need...I need to get him fixed...Somebody, anybody...
"Lek!" She yelled, seeing the small Electrike boy. He jumped and spun towards her.
"Y-yes Princess Rem?" The green haired dog-like boy stuttered. He saw Ky and yelped. "Wh-what happened?"
"Go get Baye." Rem demanded, and Lek scurried off to find the male healer. Baye was a Bayleaf who worked as a gardener and healer for the castle. He could fix Ky...He had to...
"Ky..." Rem whispered, placing a gentle hand on her younger brother. "Are you alright?" He cracked open one yellow eye and looked up at her.
"R-rem..." He whispered, choking out the words.
"What happened?" She soothed, holding him down.
"H-he's gonna...Tina!" Ky cried. Rem frowned as the frosty blue haired boy struggled to stand.
"What about Tina?" She didn't mean to hiss out the girl's name, but did. Something about Tina made her feel...jealous inside. She shook away her petty feelings. "Did she do this to you?"
"N-no...Not her...Him..." Ky whimpered, lying against his sister.
"I-I found Baye!" Lek cried, running up. "B-but HE insisted on coming too!" He whined, pointing at a figure in the shadows. Its red eyes glowed, and Ky shrank back instinctively against the door. Rem was puzzled by her brother's behavior, but thought it better not to ask about it now.
"It's okay Lek." A green streaked blond haired man soothed, putting a hand on the boy's shoulder. "He's just worried about the Prince. You can return to the Guard now."
Lek shuddered, and glanced reluctantly over his shoulder. "N-now?" He whimpered.
"Yes, I'm sure they're waiting for you." The Bayleaf man smiled pleasantly, and the Electrike boy trudged off down the hall, his tail in between his legs. "Now, let me see." Baye frowned, bending down to inspect Ky. He ran his hand along Ky's broken wing. "I'll take him to the infirmary." Baye stated, scooping Ky up in his arms bridal style. "You should get some rest Princess." He bowed, walking off down the hall with Ky.
"Who did this?" The voice from the shadows hissed, and Rem turned towards its source. "Who hurt my prince?" Rem turned to stare at the disembodied voice coming from the shadows. She frowned, she didn't recognize the voice...There were a lot of servants in the castle, but a voice like that...She shuddered. She'd remember someone with a voice that soft and deadly.
"You'll have to ask my brother when he wakes." Rem stated, keeping the tremble from her voice. "I'm afraid I don't know who his attacker was." The creature in the shadows hissed, and suddenly the eyes vanished from view. Rem assumed he had left, though she couldn't be sure. I'll have to check with father to make sure no intruders have gotten into the palace...Baye acknowledged his presence, though, so I'll hope he's part of the staff at the castle...
Rem sighed, entering her bedroom chamber. She filled the tub in her private bathroom, and let the warm water soak over her, washing away her fears. Ky would be okay, he had to be. After all, the future of the Ice Kingdom rested on his shoulders. I'll check on him tomorrow...She decided as her hair floated around her. There's no use worrying about him now...
As she was preparing to go to bed, she heard a knock at the window. She threw back the curtains to see Black hanging upside down.
"White!" He waved.
"What are you doing here?" She hissed, pulling her towel tighter around herself. "Don't make me call the Guard!"
"You wouldn't." He smirked, and she growled at his ability to see through her bluff. "And you know why I'm here. So does this mean I can spend the night?"
"Black, get out!" She whipped him, and the Black Kyurem man flew out of the window, laughing.
"You've got five minutes to get dressed, White, or I'm coming in!" Black winked at her.
"Don't you dare come back!" She yelled before slamming the window on him. However, it didn't surprise her when Black showed up at the castle later that night.
Yena and Arc were wandering down the corridor, on guard in case Prince Ky's attacker tried to go after the Ice Princess next. The two men were trying to ignore the sounds of whipping, laughing and bad pick-up lines that had been coming from behind the door for the past few hours. When Yena had burst into the room earlier after hearing the princess's shouts, Arc by his side, the two had been shoved - or rather whipped - out by Rem who assured them that nothing suspicious was going on, and she would dispose of this intruder within a minute. The yells of the princess and laughter coming from the room suggested otherwise, but Rem had demanded no interference from the two. And honestly, Yena feared Rem's wrath more than her father's, the King's.
"I guess Rem finally found a man she kind of accepts and, more importantly, who doesn't mind being whipped." Yena smiled tiredly at Arc. "Her father would be pleased...and it would probably remind him of his own relationship with the Queen." Yena shuddered, thinking of Queen Reshi's strictness and the King's own laid back nature.
"Yeah, I sure as hell couldn't put up with a girl like her, princess or not!" Arc sighed, and smirked at his Captain. "I prefer your type, Yena." He grinned, earning a glare from the silvery haired man.
"In any case, do your job which does not include flirting with the Captain." Yena growled, his wolf tail puffed up.
"Fine..." Arc yawned, leaning against the door. "Are we gonna have to really listen to those two all night? Can't we get Ka or someone else to deal with Rem's love life?"
"Unfortunately for us, yes..." Yena sighed. "And our job is protecting the princess."
"Same thing." Arc stated. "After all, nothing bad ever happens in this kingdom anyway, so I don't see why something should happen now." Yena frowned.
Yes, nothing bad ever happens, does it?
Preview for Chapter 5:
"My prince...You have awakened..."
Ky blinked and found himself staring into two red glowing eyes.
PurplePantherXVI: I am too evil for that little preview at the end :D I apologize for all these evil cliffies, please don't send Giratinas after me! *Hides behind Riku*
Riku: Hey! Don't sacrifice me! You all have permission to attack her with whatever Pokémon you'd like..
PurplePantherXVI: Why do you hate me so much Riku!? I promise I'll try to get the next chapter out as soon as possible, okay? Thanks for reading, I hope you enjoyed :3
Riku: And remember if she doesn't update soon you have permission to sic Gira on her!