Chapter 21: Garden of Whispered Secrets

Disclaimer: I am here to announce that I, your author, own…*drumroll*…Absolutely Nothing~! ^o^

~o~

The next few hours were a haze of restlessness. Indigo paced, unable to sit still. His head was filled with questions with no answers, and answers now called into question. He didn't know what to believe. The King of Fire was interested in him? But why? Why do any of this, why target Luna, and Riza?

He dragged his hand through his dark blue hair, sighing with aggravation. There was so much they didn't know. Both notes seemed to be about Layla Crie. The first seemed to claim the King of Fire was acting on behalf of Layla herself, in order to seek her revenge. The second note seemed senseless at first…until he remembered that Magnus Etherion had played a role in the rebellion, and perhaps had fought with Layla side by side.

Remember, remember, the cowards who surrendered. The line could be pointed at the members of the rebellion, which had failed. They had given up the fight, after Layla died. Perhaps the King of Fire scorned them for surrendering, for living under King Johann in peace?

Could that be the reason the King of Fire fought? Was he trying to start a new rebellion, or just punishing those who betrayed Layla Crie? Did he have an actual connection to the infamous leader of the rebellion, or was he simply using her name for shock effect?

Indigo knew the King of Fire held a grudge against the current King, calling him a 'traitor'. He appeared to be fighting in Layla's name, who had been King Johann's sworn enemy. And in both notes, he had mentioned the Children of Flames, and implied they were dead because of the current King, and the failed rebellion.

He had no idea who the Children of Flames could be. But the King of Fire obviously had some connection to the events of the rebellion, and possibly to Layla Crie.

And why would the King of Fire be interested in kidnapping him? It obviously wasn't because he fought Abnormalities, or Riza would be a target as well. Was the Nightwalker family connected to the rebellion as well? And if so, why hadn't he been targeted for attack along with Luna, whose father had been a general? And why on earth would Riza be threatened, but not killed immediately? On top of that, her note had implied her death was punishment for the sins of the King of Halladen, even though they had no connection Indigo knew about.

He had plenty of pieces of the puzzle, but he didn't know how they were put together. Everything led back to one person: King Johann Calariam. But how on earth was he supposed to get answers about the King of Halladen?

Indigo sat in Kaya's living room, a bag by his feet. He'd gone home as soon as Kaya told him Riza was stable, and gathered the belongings he cared about. They fit into a single bag; Indigo was not sentimental about physical items in the slightest. It was too dangerous to stay at home, with the attempted kidnapping earlier. Kaya had sourly agreed to let him stay on her couch, narrowing her eyes at his obvious lie about why it was necessary. The Pokémon from his house were staying here with her as well.

Riza would be fine. She had a few broken ribs, and extensive bruising, but nothing vital had been hit by the Tauros. Her strange illness was another matter entirely. Kaya had finally told him the truth. She didn't know what it was, and hadn't been able to fix it. She'd never seen anything like it in all her years. Riza was beyond her help.

The front door shook as someone hammered on it, and Indigo's head snapped up with surprise. The moon hung high in the night sky; no one should be visiting at this hour. It sounded severe, as though the wood were being battered with the hilt of a sword. He froze, going stiff with a combination of shock and wariness. They couldn't have been found so easily…could they?

Kaya shuffled out of the infirmary, yawning irritably. She headed towards the door, muttering under her breath as the pounding continued. Indigo caught the aged medic's arm urgently. "Are you sure you should open that?" he hissed, his eyes wild.

Kaya glared at him beneath her fringe of faded pink hair. "Only a few reasons to knock so loud this time of night. One, it's an emergency. Two, someone is dying. Three, your 'mugger' from earlier is back to kill you properly. In any of those scenarios, I'd open the door."

Indigo let go of her arm, and Kaya muttered as she shuffled to answer the door. Anxiety clogged his throat, but even he admitted it wasn't likely the King of Fire would knock before breaking the door down. The middle-aged healer clicked seven locks open, and yanked on the knob with unnecessary force.

The armored knight walked in without waiting for Kaya to speak, attired in thick plated steel from head to toe. A broad, muted green cape swirled from armored shoulders, emblazoned with the royal seal of Halladen. Without a pause, the newcomer pointed two fingers towards the infirmary. "She's in there. Be careful moving her."

Two more knights snapped a salute, walking right past Kaya, who seemed unsurprised. "I was wondering when you were going to show up. Honestly, I'm shocked the girl was allowed to continue such activities for so long in the first place, Captain Aren."

The knight removed her helmet, revealing a woman in her late twenties, who was much smaller than her armor implied. Her features were razor-sharp, from her straight jaw and thin pressed lips to her keen jade eyes. Her fine ash brown hair was cut in a straight slash at her jawline, the ends at her chin longer than the close cropped hair at the base of her head. Her voice was clear, no longer filtered without the heavy helmet. "Since her illness was discovered, efforts have been made to contain her. It proved impossible for the Guard. I was called back from the city of Zephyr to prevent future hazardous escapes."

"Babysitting. Nice," Kaya snorted unattractively. "Just what a warrior of your acclaim is suited for, I'm sure."

Indigo could only stare. Captain Lily Aren of the Reverse Guard was a legend. Master of every art of battle, she was both a master swordsman, and an elite trainer who specialized in Steel types. Her Pokémon annihilated most challengers, but she was more than capable of defeating their teams single-handedly, with her own sword.

He found he didn't care if she was a legend. "You're not taking Riza," Indigo swore, knowing he would fight if he had to. "She leaves over my dead body!"

Lily Aren finally deigned to look at him. "Princess Mazarine Calariam is returning to Helios Castle under my supervision. My orders are quite clear. Should you dare to interfere, your dead body could be arranged."

Indigo's face went blank with shock, his arms falling limply to his sides. He could hear his heartbeat pounding a numb rhythm of disbelief in his chest. Princess?

Captain Aren stared at him levelly, nodding once when he didn't press the matter. She turned to her subordinates, who carried the unconscious Princess on a white cloth stretcher. "We'll travel by air. We should reach Modena by daybreak. Ready the Skarmory Brigade for transport." She stepped out the open door, her cape snapping, followed by the two knights carrying Riza.

Kaya shambled to the open door, and looked at the still-frozen Indigo. "Well?" she demanded crossly. "In, or out?"

Indigo couldn't think. His legs moved anyways, carrying him out the door into the still night air at a sprint. "Wait!" the dark haired boy shouted, as he caught up with the armored knights. His steel blue eyes shone with desperation. "Take me with you!"

Captain Aren's jade eyes narrowed. "If this boy attempts to follow us," she said, addressing her knights, "feel free to respond with force. Kaya can heal him of anything short of death."

"No, wait!" Indigo shouted, as two knights stepped forward between him and Riza, barring his path with crossed lances. The Captain arched a thin eyebrow, resting her gauntlet on the hilt of her blade. "Please…I promised I'd stay by her side no matter what!"

Riza shifted restlessly, her eyelids fluttering as she hovered on the edge of sleep. She tossed her head, and the fingers on her right hand clenched. "Bring him," she breathed, her violet eyes opening halfway. "He is…to me, Indigo is…"

She spoke with heartfelt sincerity. "A lowly servant," she finished in an imperious tone.

Indigo stopped his eye from twitching. "That's right," he confirmed. Captain Aren appraised him for a long moment. Her expression never changed, but she snapped her fingers, and the knights lowered their lances.

"We leave in five minutes. You have that much time to gather your things, boy. Consider yourself lucky."

Indigo did consider himself lucky, since he'd packed his belongings literally a few hours ago. He ducked inside Kaya's clinic, and returned less than thirty seconds later, with his bag and sword slung over one shoulder. He walked past the knights, nodding his head at their wordless disbelief. "At ease, gentlemen," he quipped.

It took only a few minutes to secure the half-conscious Riza to one of the Skarmory. Indigo had never seen one up close before. Standing, the creature was just as tall as he was. The metal Pokémon glared at him with merciless golden eyes, clacking its fanged beak as if considering an attack. The armored bird was made of solid steel, capable of movement only at its segmented joints. Each of the dozen or so Skarmory wore a harness, designed so the straps were well away from the razor-sharp crimson wings of the living weapons.

Indigo hesitated before choosing, wondering if it was safe. He slung his leg over the cold metal neck of the Skarmory, his feet hooking into leathery stirrups. He took hold of the straps tied around the Skarmory's upper throat; it didn't seem to notice to straps at all, protected from being strangled by its own steely skin. Captain Aren saw to the rest of the preparations, and mounted her own Skarmory, a much larger creature with bronze armor and jade green wings the same shade as her eyes.

At her command, the Skarmory leapt off the ground in unison, beating their metal wings against the still night air. Indigo's stomach dropped, and he gripped the straps with white knuckled fists as the ground fell away beneath them. Karraket town seemed to shrink, the familiar buildings and streets made small by distance. His heart ached fiercely. Everything was happening so fast, and suddenly he knew he might not return home again for a long time. He glanced at Riza, and his doubts stilled. Somehow, he knew that everything would be okay.

Flying was like nothing he'd ever experienced before. The Skarmory soared through star dusted midnight on silver bladed wings, whistling through the air with a sound exactly like slashing swords. It was colder than he'd expected; Indigo shivered, chilled by the wind and the cold steel of the armored Skarmory he rode. They flew in a perfect V formation, spearheaded by Captain Aren on her bronze armored Skarmory. Indigo carefully shifted the leather straps to one hand, using the other shield his eyes from the worst of the mistral wind.

Halladen slept beneath them, a patchwork of landmarks and towns nestled beneath a blanket of night. They flew for a long time, though Indigo was far from sleep. He doubted he could feel tired, in the cold aerial heavens. The horizon began to lighten. He half wondered if he'd somehow lost track of the hours, but as they neared the distant shine, Indigo knew it wasn't sunrise.

The capital city Modena sprawled around the base of a looming spired mountain, firelight flickering in streetlamps and burning sentinel pyres all throughout the city. The city was never dark, and as they soared closer, Indigo could no longer see the dimmest stars. The Skarmory Brigade flew over the stone buildings of Modena, veering for the lone stronghold built on the mountain itself. It was huge, overlooking the city like a god surveys peasants, constructed of gleaming black stone veined with silver. Bonfires burned on the turrets, maintained by Fire Pokémon in ebony armor. The guards patrolling the walls were in similar attire, but wore swirling cloaks the color of blood.

Helios Castle. Home to the royal family of Halladen. Riza's home. Indigo swallowed, telling himself he wasn't intimidated in the slightest. He tensed automatically as the Skarmory flew over the walls, but the guards below merely gave them a passing glance. Security was everywhere, and the castle was isolated on a freaking mountain, making it easy to see anyone leaving down the slopes. It was nearly impenetrable. Riza had apparently been escaping in her free time, past the hundreds of guards and massive walls, despite being sick, for the sole purpose of grabbing lunch with him on occasion.

Indigo wasn't nearly as surprised as he should have been. Clearly, she was a super-ninja with mystic powers. He would say she sold her soul for power, but the devil himself was probably afraid of her.

The Skarmory back winged, landing in the castle courtyard within the walls. Indigo slid off his Skarmory's neck with stiff legs, surprised at how sore he was. The Reverse Guard moved with easy coordination, removing the harnesses and packs from the Skarmory quickly. It was well-rehearsed, as if they'd done so a thousand times. Before he knew it, all the Skarmory were geared down, shaking their metal feathers, and preening with a sound like daggers on stone. Robed apprentices with quick hands and bright eyes ran to the courtyard with black, spouted cans held tightly in their hands. They set to work oiling the Skarmory's joints, working in pairs, while the Guard moved the baggage indoors. The apprentices moved on to sharpening the Skarmory's bladed wings with ceramic blocks, which the steel types seemed to love, holding their wings out for more.

None of the robed novices touched the great shiny Skarmory, which didn't even deign to look at the children. Lily Aren cared for her bronze Skarmory herself, with supplies in a small satchel. She patted the Skarmory's side affectionately, and tossed a large gobbet of raw meat into the air. The creature caught the meat in its metal beak, tilting back its head to swallow the treat in two gulps. It keened a great, echoing cry, and took flight. The other Skarmory followed suit. They wheeled upwards, towards a great thorny bramble patch clinging to the otherwise barren cliffs of the mountain.

Indigo didn't really know what to do through the whole process; he stood awkwardly to the side with his bag. Luckily, one of the guards noticed his discomfiture, and beckoned him over. He had a shock of chestnut brown hair, and tanned skin. His voice was friendly. "Could you help us unpack? After that we'll get you set up in the barracks, for now. Best not to bother Captain Aren until she's had a good night's sleep. If you ask her where to go right now, she'll probably bite your head off."

Indigo laughed, relieved to have direction. He picked up a heavy bag, throwing it across his shoulder. "That's a joke, right?"

"Don't we all wish," the knight sighed ruefully. "The name's Reno. You a friend of Mazarine?"

It was odd hearing her called that. "Something like that," Indigo agreed, shaking the knights' hand. "You can call me Indigo."

~o~

He fell asleep deeply, without dreams of any kind, and woke alone in the barracks of the Guard. Sunlight shone in his eyes, and Indigo only sat up to avoid the light. He blinked groggily, wondering what time it was. No one was in the barracks. He swung his legs carefully over the edge of the wooden bunk bed, determined to find someone at least.

He dressed quickly, washing up in a small sink at the end of the long wooden room. With nothing else to do, Indigo set out to find Riza. Outside, he found members of the Reverse Guard sparring in the courtyard, and asked for directions.

The sparring knights gave him directions to Riza, and the password he would need to avoid trouble with the guards. He was glad he hadn't just wandered around himself. They left him with two warnings. The Princess was likely not permitted visitors at the moment, and if he somehow stepped out of line in the meantime, Captain Aren would take personal responsibility for his beheading. Indigo gulped, and nodded agreeably, hoping they were wrong about Riza.

He wandered the castle, following the clear directions given him by the knights, and managed to get himself hopelessly lost.

With the knights warning echoing in his mind, Indigo paced quickly down the wide, empty halls of Helios Castle, hoping he didn't wander into a forbidden area completely on accident. He hadn't seen a guard in a while. Indigo was on the verge of panic when he saw a large set of double doors, just like the ones described by the knights.

He pushed them open, and was hit by a blast of warm, humid air. Sunlight filtered through panes of thick greenish glass in a vast, domed atrium filled with plants of all shapes and sizes. The indoor forest was a natural maze, with winding paths extending out from the center to wind between stands of oak, willow, and birch trees, along with trembling aspen, white ash trees, and great towering rowans trailing garlands of ivy. The earth was carpeted with thick, spongy moss, ferns with delicately curved fronds, and clumps of white mushrooms. Flowers bloomed in a wild array of color, from tiny bluebells to great hydrangeas. He saw juniper bushes laden with pale blue berries, thick curtains of wisteria blooms, and a veritable rainbow of thorny wild roses growing on trestles.

Elegant granite stairs led down to a circular courtyard in the center of the atrium, surrounded by fluted archways veined with quartz, adorned with tendrils of glossy ivy. A deep blue pool dotted with water lilies was built into the center of the courtyard, perfectly round. Polished rose granite benches were placed around the pool, and on one of them, a woman sat, her blonde hair cascading down around her laughing face.

She looked up at the sound of the opening door. "We are not to be disturbed," the white gowned woman said in a beautiful tenor. "Please, discuss any matters of state with my husband." Queen Analynn paused, seeming to look at him fully for the first time. "Who are you?"

"Sorry!" Indigo choked out, going bright red. "I was just…I just got a little turned around, and…I'm very sorry to disturb you!"

He turned to leave, desperately hoping disturbing the Queen herself wasn't considered 'stepping out of line'. If he left now, hopefully he wouldn't get into too much trouble…

"Wait!" Queen Analynn called out imperiously. Indigo stopped, hoping he had somehow heard wrong. He turned, to see the Queen staring at him with an unreadable expression. "Come here," she insisted, and Indigo swallowed. He walked down the grand granite stairs hesitantly, standing awkwardly in front of the Queen of Halladen.

She was dressed in a flowing gown of silken white, dripping with diamonds. Her sun kissed hair was worn loose, cascading down her back in soft waves, twined with fresh flowers. Her throat was encircled with pearls. She had a soft, motherly beauty that hadn't so much been altered by the years, but rather faded. She had laugh lines, and her lips were thin, but Indigo could clearly see what she must have looked like twenty years ago. Analynn watched him with calm blue eyes.

Her voice was clear and sweet. "Please, introduce yourself."

"I'm sorry to disturb you, your highness," Indigo said again, wishing it was an option to run. "I'm a friend of Riza…Princess Mazarine's, sorry…I came here last night with the Reverse Guard. My name is Indigo."

Queen Analynn laughed quietly, her eyes crinkling. "Oh, I heard. Mazarine rarely brings friends home. I'm quite glad to meet you. Indigo, was it? I've heard so much about you, I feel like I know you already! Mazarine was quite impressed with your bravery in her little adventures. Between you and me, that's no simple feat."

"Oh, she talked about me?" Indigo said lamely, his brain abandoning him in his time of need. "Uh."

Her lips twitched, threatening laughter once more. "Won't you sit for a while? My son Terin is playing in the gardens, fighting imaginary monsters with his Chikorita. He's quite determined to be a hero like his big sister." Indigo sat on the bench nearest her, wondering how he'd managed to get into a situation like this. It was only the Queen of the entire country, and Riza's mother, no pressure. Right. Analynn spoke again, crossing her manicured hands serenely on her lap. "Why don't you tell me about yourself, Indigo?"

"There isn't much to tell," Indigo said honestly. "I've been friends with your daughter since spring. I live alone in Karraket town, just past the Whispermist Forest. My mother passed away last year. I help with a general store, but I plan to become a member of the Reverse Guard someday. Riza…Mazarine, has been helping me train. She's incredible. I've never met anyone like her before."

Analynn smiled at that, turning her gaze to the stands of trees. "She can be intimidating. Most people are turned away by her powerful personality, or her incredible strength. Feel free to call her Riza, if you like. It was a childhood nickname of hers, taken from the syllables in the middle of her name. I should warn you – very few people know of her missions. Apart from the elites of the Reverse Guard, and myself, knowledge is quite limited. Speak with care…my husband knows of the attacks, but not Mazarine's involvement in them. He would never allow it I'm afraid…"

The reminder was sobering. Indigo looked sidelong at the Queen. Her delicate hands were clenched tight in the folds of her dress. "Kaya says her illness has nothing to do with the missions," he said quietly, to reassure both the Queen and himself. "She's a healer in my town, said to be the best of the best. She doesn't know what it is…but Riza is tough. She'll pull through, I just know it."

"I hope you are right, Indigo. I hope my Mazarine will recover in full. I would do anything to make that happen. However, the Rose Warrior is known to me," Queen Analynn said quietly, her eyes distant. "She was second in command of the Scorned after all. She fought against my husband in the rebellion, alongside Layla. Her loyalties have since shifted. Her diagnosis is trustworthy." She caught the look of horror on his face, and waved her hand unconcernedly. "You needn't worry. The laws concerning Layla do not apply to me. You may speak freely in my presence."

"Kaya was…" Indigo gritted his teeth. He'd never known. Or even suspected. How many rebels lived in Karraket anyways? "I do have a question," he began, thinking of Kaya and Magnus. "The rebellion failed, but…it seems like many of the members are alive and walking free. Why didn't the King just…"

"Kill or imprison them?" Analynn finished, arching an eyebrow. "He wanted to do just that. I proposed a compromise. Any of the Scorned who denounced Layla, and agreed to live under the monarchy in peace, would be allowed to live on. Many did so, and some did not. I regret some things turned out the way they did…but peace is far more important than personal vendettas. Putting them all to death would have simply sparked a new rebellion. Instead, my compromise split the Scorned in two, and divided, they fell apart."

It made sense, in a way. There was one more question which Indigo simply had to ask. "Did you know her? Layla Crie, I mean?" He was absolutely itching to hear the answer, from the one person who could tell him freely.

Queen Analynn did not disappoint. "Oh yes. She was my very best friend after all. Layla and I grew up together. We never imagined we'd end up on opposite sides of a war. She was incredible, and charismatic, the kind of leader who inspired others to follow. She followed her heart and morals before anything else…but I believed in rationality, in sacrificing ideals for lasting peace. Layla was a woman born for rebellion, but I was made for maintaining order above all else. Peace is more important than anything, even right and wrong. Any war, no matter the cause, is evil by nature. Innocents die, and countries are split, and that is unacceptable. Layla never understood that. She honestly thought her rebellion was for the greater good. She never did see the big picture…"

Indigo's heart was pounding. This was the most he had ever heard of the icon of the rebellion. "The King of Fire seems to have a connection to Layla. Could he be fighting for the same reason she did? Is there any connection you think they might have?"

Queen Analynn pursed her lips, deep in thought. "All previous members of the Scorned were immediate suspects, and as such, they were the first we put under surveillance," she admitted. "None of them could feasibly be responsible. As for why she fought…well, I suppose you know what happened to the last King of Halladen, don't you?" Indigo shook his head, a little sheepishly, and Analynn continued. "The last royal family burned to death in a tragic accident. The Scorned believed it was premeditated murder, masterminded by Johann Calariam, in order to ascend the throne. For that reason, they fought a bloody rebellion, to punish my husband for his supposed crimes…but even if they had succeeded, there would have been no monarch to take the throne. All of the previous members of the royal family burned; there were no survivors. So while the rebellion may have fought for honorable, if misguided reasons, in the end they had no plan to create a peaceful future."

Indigo nodded slowly; what she was saying made a lot of sense. Even if the Scorned were right…and he didn't know if they were, killing the new King would only bring anarchy and chaos. "Why couldn't Layla see her rebellion wouldn't solve anything?" he wondered out loud. "With no plan for a transition in leadership…there would only be chaos."

"I have asked myself the same question many times over the years," Analynn said sadly. "Although, you are mistaken on two points. Layla was not the leader of the rebellion, only its icon. And her name was no longer Layla Crie by the end of her life; she married, though it isn't well known. We were already separated at that point, so I never did know her husband's identity for certain. There are rumors…but I do know for a fact she was in a relationship with the previous King's younger brother before the fire."

She took a deep breath. "Layla Crie was in love with the first Prince, Kotaro Akkarin. Perhaps that is why she couldn't let go of her conspiracy theories. Perhaps that is why…she joined the leader of the Scorned, Devin Nightwalker."

His heart beat echoed in his chest. "Nightwalker?" he repeated mutely, his blood roaring in his ears. Events and memories began clicking in his mind, meshed together into a tapestry by the single connection. Linalay Nightwalker, Devin's sister, and his mother, friends with Kaya Acadia, second in command to the Scorned. She had been friends with Magnus Etherion, general of the rebellion, she'd never told him how they met. It wasn't just Kaya. He was connected to the rebellion. His mother had been no warrior…but his uncle, Devin Nightwalker, was the Leader of the Scorned.

And the King of Fire wanted him because of it.

"Oh yes," Analynn confirmed, not noticing his reaction. "The Nightwalker family served the Akkarin monarchy for generations. Many of them died in the fire as well. Devin survived, and bore witness that it had not been an accident. He was their leader, Layla's friend, and died alongside her in the final battle. He left no descendants, and had no known family. There may be a few individuals in Halladen who still carry the name Nightwalker, though to be perfectly honest I don't believe that to be the case."

She blinked, as though remembering something. "Indigo, I'm afraid I never caught your last name. I do apologize for my rudeness."

Queen Analynn seemed like an honest person. She'd given him a lot of information. Perhaps he should tell her the truth. And perhaps he wouldn't be under immediate suspicion for being related to the leader of the Scorned. "Miller," he replied smoothly. "Indigo Miller. My family comes from a long line of merchants. It's a pleasure to formally meet you, your majesty."

"And you as well," Queen Analynn said with sincerity. "I believe it will do Mazarine good to have a friend around until she has recovered. I understand this may be a large request, but I invite you to stay in the castle for a time. I cannot grant you a position in the Reverse Guard, but I can recommend you for apprenticeship. It will be hard work, but one day you may qualify for knighthood. Will you consider my offer?"

"I'll gladly take it," Indigo said quietly, and with no small amount of guilt. His next words were sadly honest. "I have nothing to go back to."

~o~

Author's Note: The Indigo Part One arc ends here. I should really come up with a better name for it. The Abnormality Arc? The Vigilante Hero Arc? Suggestions would be welcome, the author is blanking. XD

My main challenge during this arc was Indigo himself. I know how everything turns out, I know how to write him as his future self, but at this point, he's missing a huge amount of character development. Writing Indigo so it was clear he was 'himself', while giving him character flaws and thoughts missing in the current version, was more difficult that writing two unique characters. He's Indigo, but not quite Indigo. Riza was easier, mainly because she doesn't get a POV section since it's Indigo telling the story. I know how she thinks, but it was how Indigo saw her that mattered here.

World building in Halladen was also a give and take. There's so much I could include, but I can't just go off on tangents without purpose to the plot. (The detailed descriptions of the festival in Rainbow's End were important, I promise.) I ended up focusing more on the plot of the past than the differences between their centuries, mainly because I had to trim things down a little.

Let's see. One other pattern I included was a different battle system. In the arcs set in the future, I put a heavy emphasis on battles between Pokémon. It wasn't always tournament legal, so to say, but the clash between trainers and Pokémon was given plenty of exposition. It was often one on one, battles of skill and willpower, and people just didn't fight personally all that often.

I didn't want to do the same things in Indigo's backstory. Violet is the brilliant general, Violet is the strategist with an intimate knowledge of the intricacies of ranked combat, and Violet is the one who could actually be a professional battler. That's her field. It's a huge part of her story in the next arc as well.

Indigo has always been someone who fights himself. For the past arc, I chose to show the battles between humans, with physical combat and swords taking priority over 'use this attack, and then this attack' formats. Pokémon exist, and they take part in battles, but it was fun to have real people battling it out with monsters. Riza is perfect for this kind of battle system, and I really wanted to show off her strengths. Indigo is still learning at this point, which was also a lot of fun to portray.

This first section served to set the stage of Halladen, and introduce what Indigo was like before everything burned around him. I had fun with it, but it's time to switch to Violet for another arc. This next one is a doozy, and my antagonist is very unique compared to the previous ones.

Leave me a review for this arc, if you please! :)

Thanks for reading,

~Little Miss Firebright