Disclaimer: I do not own pokemon.

I apologize in advance for any grammar/spelling errors


Chapter 9

The sound of scurrying feet echoed in the hallway.

The Queen walked swiftly, yet elegantly, her long, pink veil trailing behind her. The only other pokemon was her royal advisor, Kirlia, who floated along behind her.

Queen Esperanza, the Espeon Queen that reigned over the Kingdom of Aurora, was quite the sight to see. Titled the fairest maiden in the land, her beauty was rivaled by few, the most common one quoted to be a queen herself, far in the east. She came from a long line of royalty, each breathtakingly beautiful and it could be said that there had been a good deal of breeding about her. It was near impossible for one to look upon her and not be smitten by her charm. Her voice was as soft and sweet as a Milotic's and though she seldom sang, it was a lovely thing to hear.

She had been born into a kingdom rich in culture. The castle, built from white marble, had been constructed by expert craftsmen in ancient times, the kind that was no longer known to exist. The castle was mainly a large marble structure with symmetrical walls and a marble dome surmounting it. Four towers had also been constructed around its corners. The exterior walls had been heavily decorated with silver and rubies, red as the gem on their Queen's forehead. The wooden doors had patterns carved out of gold, each of which represented the history of the kingdom itself.

The kingdom was famous for its traditional wear. Its people were expert weavers and the cloth produced here was of finest quality known throughout the lands. The embroidery work was exquisite and much of their trade was depended on it. The psychic powers of the pokemon native to this land played a heavy role in the production of this magnificent artwork. Apart from this, their land was rich in all sorts of gems. Jade, sapphire, emerald, Amethyst and opal were to name a few. The most famous of these were rubies the symbol of the kingdom itself. All of these were mined by the psychic pokemon themselves and then made into jewelry, or often woven into clothes for the royalty. Most of these were again traded with kingdoms far away, where their value increased tenfold and earned the kingdom its wealth.

One of the most important aspects of its culture was its traditional festivals. The kingdom had been governed by many great rulers, the earliest of which had introduced this festive nature into the culture of Aurora. Though they were not particularly fond of the festivals and the celebration that came with it, their lavish lifestyle had been the main reason behind them. Over a period of time, the introduction of a new festival had become a form of legacy for its ruler, a way to be celebrated and remembered and mourned once they had departed from the world. Following this, nearly every ruler that mounted the throne named a festival in his or her honor, resulting in an increase in these festivals with each passing generation until the practice was abolished a hundred years prior to Esperanza's reign. However, none of the previous festivals were eradicated as a part of this abolishment. Rumor had it that the kingdom would be cursed into a hundred year famine if that were to happen, resulting in the remaining festivals becoming a part of everyday lifestyle. The psychic pokemon continued to honor their ancestral rulers through these festivals that seemed to occur all throughout the year. Though largely the same, they all had one thing in common, Dancing Spirits.

Presently, Queen Esperanza was running late for the Ceremony of the Ancients. Despite having been informed nearly a week before, the Espeon still failed to make it on time. Her handmaidens had insisted on dressing her up for the occasion, something trivial by her definition. Esperanza had never cared for such fineries and found it to be a nuisance. Her handmaidens, however, thought otherwise. They had been used to dressing up the Queen before, her mother, and she had an eye for the best. Esperanza was the living image of her mother, only younger and more beautiful. It was no surprise to her that they loved dressing her up, brushing her velvet soft fur and adorning her with the finest jewels in the kingdom.

"I am going to be late," she mumbled, running faster now.

"I believe we quite already are, Your Majesty," Kirlia answered, her voice imitating her Queen's anxiousness. "Better late than never."

"This would be so if I were running to meet my subjects," Esperanza replied without stopping. "But His Lordship, that is another matter entirely."

As the door to the throne room came in view, the two subjects, Alakazam, hurriedly threw open the doors upon seeing her approaching figure, moving out of the way to let the Queen rush in. She did not spare them glance, nor a greeting, just passed through with her veil following, Kirlia floating in right after. The doors were slowly closed behind her, the guards knowing full well that the ceremony would now commence.

She hurried along the lavender carpet of the throne room, the one which was woven by the most expert of Ariados in the Aurora Empire. She quickly walked past the other pokemon in the room, a small segment of her army that had been summoned to attend this. On the left side was the file of Alakazam and then Reuniclus. On the right side were Gothitelle and then Gallades. The candles in the room had been dimmed down, a small flame flickering on each, giving the throne room a mystic, sinister feel.

Once Esperanza had taken her position in the center of the throne room with her subjects behind her, she closed her eyes and knelt. Kirlia and others quickly followed after their Queen, kneeling down in wait for their legendary to present itself. It was not long. A mysterious purple light appeared, just above the throne itself, its spherical body giving off a strange aura. The light grew with the energy increasing as it did so. It then morphed into a figure that was well recognized by the people of the kingdom and as it began to fade, a pokemon revealed itself. Its body was entirely bones with the lower half slightly bulkier that the rest and a very long tail. It was floating high up in the air and with the pokemon kneeling, none of them could see. It floated down and sat itself on the throne.

"Lady Esperanza," the pokemon, Mewtwo, said. Esperanza stood up and opened her eyes, now looking at the legendary.

"Lord Mewtwo," Esperanza spoke. "I am at your service. What is it that I have been summoned for by the Great Lord?"

"You rule fairly well, child," he replied to her question, his voice sharp and blunt. "But this is not all there is to being a Queen."

"Whatever do you mean, Lord Mewtwo?" Esperanza asked, slightly confused.

"The prosperity of your kingdom," he said. "It does not lie solely within the walls of Aurora but rather in the world beyond."

"Beyond?" Esperanza asked, her confusion growing. "You mean across the grasslands to the South, My Lord?"

"Indeed. A conquering kingdom lies just overhead, does it not?"

"I am aware."

Her tone was turning from her usual lady-like to a sad one.

"And it may strike any time," Mewtwo said, his tone not reflecting the warning he was giving. "You must not only defend your kingdom but establish its might."

"How do I do that, My Lord?" Esperanza asked yet again.

"You strike first."

"What do I have to gain there, Your Lordship?"

Mewtwo sighed and shook his head. He had forgotten that Esperanza was as soft at heart as she was beautiful. She did not like unnecessary bloodshed and preferred to avoid it if she could. What he was putting forth essentially suggested the same.

"Esperanza, you believe in peace and love," Mewtwo spoke again. "Not power. And that is where you are going wrong, child. You must understand that people answer to those with power, not compassion."

"Are compassion and love not essential to be a good ruler?"

"Very much so. But the gentler you are, the weaker you grow. Have you forgotten? Forgotten what happened to you?"

"It was not his fault," she replied, gritting her teeth at her misfortunes. "I was wedded by the will of my parents."

"It does hurt still," Mewtwo replied, his voice carrying no sympathy for her.

"What are your orders?" Esperanza said, bowing in defeat that he had proven his point above her own.

"You attack the kingdom of Darkus," he instructed. "Make his pokemon bleed."

Mewtwo faded away in purple smoke and light. With their deity gone, all the warriors rose to their feet, awaiting orders.

"Your Majesty?" Kirlia asked, studying Esperanza's face carefully.

Esperanza looked a bit shaken by the recent conversation. She seldom had to face confrontations about her past. In the kingdom, everyone had decided to leave the past in the past a long time ago. Everyone accept their legendary pokemon who had no obligations to uphold the laws of the common pokemon. Kirlia saw Esperanza turn cold, her muzzle pressed in a tight smile as she rose and looked up, her eyes fixed on her throne.

"Prepare the army," She order grimly, then turned and left.

In Darkus Kingdom:-

Standing in the middle of an empty throne was certainly overwhelming.

Glace, the exiled Princess of Blitz, found herself summoned to the throne room much sooner than she had originally anticipated. She had arrived just moments ago, expecting the room to be filled with pokemon from the army and Prince Skull waiting out in the front. As soon as the Malamar had opened the door for her, she was greeted by silence that prevailed over this vacant room.

Perhaps I'm early. She thought, sitting in its center. She dared not to go too close to the throne itself, worried it might offend her new king. That simply cannot be possible. I was ordered to be here by sunset. Perplexed, she decided to stand up and pace around, thinking about the Umbreon Prince. She imagined he must be quite a terror to behold for those who encountered him on the battlefield and happened to be on the wrong side. He had a strong built, much like her brother, perhaps stronger and she reckoned his type had to be a strong one for a kingdom to be so renown and feared. His eyes were the most vivid memory she had from their meeting. They were cold, two black pools of nothing but darkness and holding no kindness or sympathy, which was odd. For what, if not them, could have compelled the ruler to darkness to save the life of an innocent soul? Glace figured that she'd never get the answer to that question, not unless she mustered up the courage to ask herself.

Her earlier visit had left her without an opportunity to study this throne room. Now alone, she began to look around, finding the room to be largely black, their signature color. A crimson red carpet had been rolled down from the steps of the throne and to the door. The walls were mostly plain save for the few swords and candle holders. The Throne, perhaps, was the only thing that stood out from all the rest. It was made of gold with its arms coated in platinum and beautifully carved out and a velvet red cushion. Having made her observation, Glace concluded that Prince Skull was clearly not interested in investing in petty things like décor.

"Lady Glace," The sound of his voice made her nearly jump out of her skin.

"Y-your Highness," she managed to stutter, bowing politely to acknowledge his present.

Prince Skull swiftly walked towards her and then passed her, making for the throne up ahead. Glace turned around to look at his black figure walking away from her, her heart racing. She watched him walk up to candles close to the throne and put out their flame using his paw without wincing. The silence dominated the room once more, proving how the presence of the prince had made no real difference to the environment of the throne room. He was stealthy on his feet and extremely quick, she observed.

"Your Highness," Glace spoke, deciding to try to initiate conversation. "If you do not mind me asking, and I mean no offence, but should you not summon more pokemon for a Ceremony of the Ancients?"

"More pokemon?" He bluntly replied her question with a question as he walked left towards the candle holders on the wall. "Why would I desire that?"

"It is customary for the ruler to be accompanied by his greatest warriors in an occasion like this," Glace informed Skull as she saw him walk towards the right side now having put off the candle to the left. That caught his attention and he stopped and looked at her.

"And where exactly is this place where it is customary?" Skull asked her yet again, raising one eyebrow. Glace felt a shiver run down her spine as her mind registered this look and classified it as suspicious.

"Uh…plenty of places," Glace stuttered, nervous now. "Your Highness. I believe there are many kingdoms out there that follow this practice."

"A fool's custom then," Skull replied, turning and walking again. "One does not need to adopt a fool's custom unless he is one. Don't you agree. Lady Glace?"

"Yes, Your Highness," she replied so as to not offend him any further.

A few seconds of silence followed as Skull continued to put out the candles. She breathed a sigh of relief, perfectly confident that was the end of the conversation. She was wrong.

"How did you come to know about this custom?" Skull asked, now approaching her. "You seem to know a great deal about it."

"I have heard stories, your highness," Glace answered, miraculously not stuttering this time. "I was told how kings and queens summoned their most trusted pokemon in a grand ceremony where they conversed with the legendary pokemon."

"Then what does that say about you?" Skull asked, his eyes now fixed on hers. "Do you think I trust you?"

And there it was again, his cold eyes and steal glare. She could feel them piercing through, scaring her half to death. She could not tear her eyes away from his and it frightened her in ways she had never known it was possible. She nearly confessed, she was sure of it. However, something at the back of her mind kept her from making this mistake. She stayed silent with her muzzle set in a tight line similar to his. However, his eyes gave away nothing. Hers gave away fear.

"Shall we begin then?" he changed the topic almost abruptly as he had brought it up.

"Yes, your highness," she replied a little too quickly, slightly relieved.

With that, Prince Skull walked up and stood beside her, both now facing the throne up ahead, a good distance away. Glace was surprised how Prince Skull did not ask her to stand behind him, nor did he stand ahead of him. He voluntarily walked up and stood beside her as if she had been his equal. Is he really that humble or does he simply not care? She wondered, recalling her previous conversation about customs. Probably the latter.

Skull bowed his head down on the ground and she did the same. Heavy winds began to blow through the windows and the balcony, rustling the crimson red drapes. Glace felt a sharp drop in temperature but it wasn't enough to bother her, given her type. She wanted to open her eyes and look at the Dark Prince but decided against it for some reason. A black portal opened on the ground ahead of them, sucking in the heavy winds that began swirling right in. Then, slowly and gradually, a huge pokemon began to levitate out of it. At first, it was only his gold plated head, and then he sprouted his shadowy black wings that stretched as far as the walls of the throne room, its edges a stained a sharp red. That was all he was willing to show of himself. His eyes were blood red and glowing, the gaze enough to even scare the dead out of their grave.

"Rise," his voice boomed.

Glace felt shivers run down her spine at the sound of his voice. Prince Skull rose slowly and then looked into the eyes of this pokemon. Glace did so too, only she did not dare to look this pokemon in the eyes.

"Master Giratina," Skull said politely, addressing Giratina. "We defeated Florasia Kingdom in the battle, as you ordered." Skull reported.

"Well done," he growled.

Giratina then darted his eyes to the pokemon beside Skull and noticed the Glaceon Princess. He blinked at her, clearly not amused with her display of fear.

"Who is this that you bring before me?" Giratina asked, his tone a bit softer but voice still loud. "Look at me, Glaceon."

Glace looked up at him hesitantly, feeling her legs shake beneath her. He looked far more terrifying than she had anticipated he would be from the sound of his voice.

"I found her," Skull replied to the questioned asked, "in the desert, alone and on the brink of death."

"Fate has been kinder," Giratina said, now shifting his attention to the Glaceon.

Giratina went silent for a few minutes, looking at Glace. It looked like she was going to faint from fear alone.

"I sense something," Giratina growled, "Something very peculiar from her. What is your name, child?"

"His Highness, Prince Skull, has given me the name Glace, Lord Giratina" she managed to reply without stuttering. "I shall like to claim that that is my name."

"Very well," Giratina answered. "If it was destiny that you brought here, I will permit you to stay."

"Thank you," Glace said. "Lord Giratina,"

Glace bowed before the legendary pokemon as she expressed her gratitude, earning a nod in return.

"Master Giratina," Skull said. 'What are your orders now?"

"I want you to conquer the Fossil Kingdom now," Giratina said his voice deadly. It echoed through the room and rang in Glace's ears. It was not like the clear and loud voice of Zekrom. No, it was sort of distorted; piercing her ears and soul within but still had the Dragon's growl.

"But be careful. I see an evasion from the Aurora Kingdom."

Skull didn't seem fazed, Glace could tell that very easily. His facial expressions did not change at the mention of this. It remained stern, radiating the confidence of the ruler Glace had now come to associate with him.

"Aurora Kingdom?" Skull asked. "Lady Esperanza would not dare attack my kingdom. She was in love with me once. She still is I believe."

"She will," he said, "on the command of her deity. I trust in your ways Skull. Now go. And be careful of the Glaceon. She is special."

Glace had heard this before but now, it left her more puzzled than ever. I'm not special. I'm a fugitive. She thought miserably. Why does everyone think I'm special? If so, why do they forsake me?

The pokemon began to descend into the portal he had appeared out of. Glace saw this golden head disappear into the depths of another world, a world she would never see. The Portal vanished shortly after, leaving behind an Umbreon Prince and his new Glaceon subject.

Glace's legs were trembling. She was frightened now more than she ever had been, even more so then the time of her exile and the chase that followed it. She had attended several of the ceremony of the ancients with her father, King Ampharos and Zekrom and even he wasn't as terrifying as Giratina. His voice held no malice, yet there was a strong sense of darkness from within. Glace could not make any conclusions about the Deity of Darkus. All she knew was that this was possibly the first of many Ceremonies of the Ancients she will be attending with him.

"Are you alright, Lady Glace?" Skull asked, walking towards her. He was looking down at her legs which were shivering, even though the temperature had gone back to being mild.

"I…I'm fine," she managed to utter. Prince Skull fully comprehended her situation. She was afraid. He, too, had been there once. The first experience with Giratina had been far more worst for Prince Skull as it had been for Glace. For that sole reason, he did not feel any pity for her.

"I wanted you to see him," Skull said, ignoring her shivering. "I know you do not understand. But know this: Now that you've seen him, dare not defy his power or No good will come you. I, Skull, Umbreon Prince of Darkus will see to it personally, if it were to come to that."

Glace tried to say something is response but no words would come out. She managed a nod to acknowledge this statement, hoping he'd be finished with her for the day after that.

"He said you were special," he continued, proving her wrong. "Well, we will leave it that. You are dismissed."

"Your Highness," she bowed.

With that, she turned and walked out of the room, leaving the Umbreon Prince alone in the throne room with his thoughts.