I don't even know if it's worth giving excuses anymore. My school life is getting more hectic (I had 12 essays in 2 weeks over a 1000 word each, handwritten) and my Extra Curricular more busy than ever. Life you ask? Good. And if you don't, let's move on.
So I'm SUPER LATE with this chapter but it wouldn't be fair to those of you who still take the time out to read. So yeah, here it is.
Disclaimer: I do not own pokemon.
And I apologize in advance for any spelling and Grammar error.
Chapter 5
I have to escape.
Her heart was pounding hard against her chest and her ears were ringing with the sudden rush of blood. Sweat trickled down her cheeks as she panted for breath, her legs constantly in motion.
Sapphire the Glaceon Princess was on the run from the place she could no longer call home. The feelings of betrayal and denial had consumed her entire being. Yet, her will to live prevailed over all, serving as the motivation she badly needed to escape her persecutors.
Her persecutors were none other than a pack of six Luxray, the castle's elite guards, led by Prince Volt; her brother by blood and enemy by choice. It saddened her to her core to think her brother was the one to blame for her present state. The brother she had immensely respected and loved was now in pursuit of her, hungry for blood. She had wanted nothing more than to serve him once he ascended the throne. But little had she known about the flames of hatred that resided in his heart and mind. He had been biding his time all along, plotting against her for the chance to rule in her place, something she had no desire for.
Pain flared up under her belly and began to penetrate her whole body, slowing her down significantly. She could hear the sounds of the feet following her, their barks screaming danger. Her breathing grew harder as she forced herself to keep running, the pain testing the limits of her endurance. She was now out of the castle and had crossed the palace gardens. However, leaving the palace grounds did not mark the end of her suffering nor her chase. She had lost her crown and had been exiled. In light of this new status imposed upon her, she would have to leave the Blitz territory. The Luxray and her brother had been sent to make sure of that.
Her mind was preoccupied with bitter memories of her life in the castle as she continued to run. The words of her father had cut deep into her soul, serving as emotional pain to her physical one. She replayed the scene over and over again in her mind, her heart clenching with the images that flashed in her mind. She did not have the slightest of idea of what was going to become of her now that her father had revoked her status as the princess and disowned her as his daughter. She found herself wondering what she was even fighting for. Running was futile and would serve her no purpose. It would not bring back what had been snatched away from her by her very own family nor would it fix the trust that had been shattered.
A bolt of electricity struck at her heels, jolting her senses awake and bringing her back to reality. Her fur quickly responded to the threat posed and sharpened into dangerous quills. Sapphire did not wish to fight back. Not even in her worst nightmares had she ever considered her brother to be her opponent. Despite his treachery and the obvious hate he harbored for her, she could not bring herself to inflict pain on him. Choosing her only other option, Sapphire continued to dash like a mad pokemon, away from her persecutors and away from home.
Multiple thunderbolts were fired at her from behind, making Sapphire gasp as she nearly stumbled. Her legs were aching with pain and begging for her to stop. She was not used to running and she had hardly recovered from the injuries she had sustained from her fight with Glalie. She was at a severe disadvantage in terms of strength. She began to run in a zigzag pattern in an attempt to dodge the attacks being fired at her, praying to her lucky stars to end her suffering.
She now ran along a dirt path and through the streets of the city, her eyes wild with fear and fur standing on its ends in a defensive stance. Her eyes darted from left to right as she passed the pokemon in the city, their faces set in a bewildered look. The collective gasps and the uninvited glares thrown at the princess made her squeeze her eyes shut in agony, making her feel more miserable than before. She was aware that none of these pokemon recognized her in her new form and even if they did so, they stood no chance at offering her safety. She felt utterly helpless, like a damsel in distress with no hero. She desperately wanted to be out of their judgmental sights. Her feet began to pick up speed as she ran down the unfamiliar road, passing an unfamiliar crowd and out into the unfamiliar world.
Prince Volt dashed past these very same citizens in a blur of golden and yellow, adding to their confusion. Volt's eyes were blazing with fury, his nose chasing the familiar scent of his now exiled sister who was on the run from him. His sense of smell was particularly sharp and though he had not spent sufficient time in the company of his sister to be fully acquainted with it, the smell was fairly new and easy to distinguish from the familiar scents of the city and its residents.
Soon enough, chaos ensued and the whole town began to roar with gossip and rumors. The word spread like a wildfire from one mouth to another about the sighting of a fleeing Glaceon and his Highness Volt leading the chase, accompanied by the royal guards. The pokemon were quick to jump to conclusions about the identity of the Glaceon, writing her off as a treasonous maiden who had deceived the king and deserved to be hanged.
With the word out, the situation worsened for the fleeing princess. As she ran through the streets, multiple attacks were fired at her from all sides, starling her and adding to her apprehension. A water gun nearly hit her square in the back and she dodged with inches to spare only to be struck hard by an electric ball used by a Pulse. She stumbled forward and fell down, her teeth rattling from the blow and the pain in her belly flaring up again. She struggled to push herself back up on her feet and stumbled forward, her head spinning and legs aching for a break. For a moment, she considered death as an easier option and made no attempts to run. She limped forward in excruciating pain, her vision blurring and senses fading. What reason do I have to hold on to life? She thought, dragging herself forward. There is no salvation for me. And nothing awaits me beyond the boundaries of Blitz. I have been condemned to a life of solitude and am doomed to die. What reason do I have?
She did not know whether it was her own instincts kicking in or the loud roar of her brother that rang in her ears. She felt a strange surge of energy coursing through her veins and her legs began to feel stronger. Her pain began to dim out, now replaced by the rush of adrenaline and a newly revived will. Perhaps her lucky stars had heard her prayers. Her breathing quickened as she heaved her body back up on her legs and began to run again. Using quick attack, she dashed forward in a blur of teal blue, running faster than she had ever before while her pursuers continued to chase after her.
She squeezed her eyes shut once more in an attempt to repress all the feelings that contradicted her newly found strength and courage, running wildly once more and kicking sand at her heels. The faster she ran, the less she could see. But soon enough, she began to notice the number of settlements thinning out, her blurry vision now constituting of occasional trees and a rocky path below. Slowing down, she dared to look around to her left and right, taking in the new sights and feeling the cool breeze against her cold cheeks. Her ears twitched as she listened hard for the Luxray's barking and own brother's growl. Nothing. It was all silent accept the howling of the night wind and the occasional hoot of a Noctowl.
She skidded to a halt and panted for air, collapsing immediately into the sandy ground below. Her legs began to ache again as her strength abandoned her once again, reminding her how fragile she just was. Her breathing was heavily labored and her lips were parched. How she wished she was back home in Blitz where her servants would prepare a hot bath for her and massage her muscles till she fell asleep in her comfy bed. She slowly opened her eyes and looked up at the sky above. It was a cloudless night with stars dominating the sky and a full moon.
"Look's lovely,"She whispered, a thought completely irrelevant.
The princess was simply relieved that her brother had given up chase and returned to the kingdom. She had been half expecting him to kill her. The murderous look in his eyes had certainly reinforced this absurd belief. Now that she thought about it, it was absurd to think it was absurd. Volt would have slaughtered her in the streets of the city had she not found the strength to push on. Now, here she laid on the desert sand, far from home but feeling safer than she did inside the protective walls of the Blitz castle.
Despite all this, Sapphire's sufferings were far from being over.
In Florasia Kingdom:
Florasia Kingdom, home to the grass type pokemon, was possibly one of the most well known kingdoms in the land.
Largely famous for its exquisite flowers and foliage, Florasia kingdom had long been revered as the "Home of the Flora". The Kingdom was rich in all types of flowers of every color imaginable, its vegetation spreading out far over the land, giving it a vibrant and exotic feel. The aroma of the flowers that dominated the city made the place almost heavenly. When it came to beauty, Florasia had no rivals. Apart from this, Florasia kingdom was widely known for its cultivation of fruits. The residents of this kingdom were expert gardeners, their element allowing them to provide the special nutrition and nourishment needed to yield the best crop possible. A kingdom blessed with scenic beauty with all elements of nature in perfect harmony, Florasia kingdom was truly a magnificent sight to behold.
Its castle was built in the centre of the city, well fortified and four towers overlooking the entire Florasian territory. The castle, with its red bricked walls, appeared to be one with nature with vines growing up around its structure and Gracidea flowers dotting the framework of the Royal House. The castle roof was sealed and a gigantic tree sprang out from above, its branches spreading out for miles and roots swirling down the towers and hanging off the sides of the castle walls. This tree was considered Sacred by the people of Florasia and the royal family was the guardian of this tree. The members of the royal family themselves would personally see to its care and this task was handed down to the successors of the throne.
Its current monarch, Queen Eleanor, was a much beloved ruler of her people. A brave and strong-willed Leafeon, Eleanor had proven herself worthy of the throne when she had seized control after her parents passed away. Killed in a battle against the Darkus Kingdom, the news of their demise had spread over the kingdom like a plague, sending their kingdom into utter chaos as the control of the royal family weakened. Prior to Queen Eleanor, Florasia had never been ruled by a female monarch and therefore, the sudden death of the king and queen without a male heir had led to doubts and disagreements. Rumors about their nation being cursed by Virizion, their legendary pokemon, had further added to this commotion.
Eleanor had been raised to be strong and courageous by her father. And despite the opposition she faced by her fellow courtiers, Eleanor took the crown and led the kingdom, proving the nation wrong and establishing her might over the entire kingdom. She eventually won over the hearts of her people and the trust of her courtiers, their services strengthening her control over Florasia. The blessing by Virizion reinforced their confidence in her as a ruler and Eleanor had had little difficulty since.
Presently, the Queen stood before the Sacred Tree, her eyes close and her leafy tail and ears swaying to the gentle breeze of the night. She appeared to be in meditation, her lips humming something soft and mysterious. To an observer, it would appear the Queen was conversing with the tree when in fact; she was conversing with nature itself. She, like all members of the family, had been blessed with a special power to freely communicate with plant-life. It was a rather unique trait, shared only by the royal blood. Initially, she had found this to be quite useless. The ability did nothing to enhance her fighting skills or boost her powers and was absolutely useless in terms of war craft. However, with time, she discovered that the true function of this was to allow her to achieve inner peace.
"Your Majesty," the sound of her royal advisor made her open her eyes.
"Speak," she ordered in a stern voice, her head still facing the tree.
She could feel the Grovyle kneeling behind her. She had no need to turn around and look.
"If I may ask," he began. "What is it that is bothering My Lady?"
Eleanor sighed, closing her eyes briefly before opening them again. She looked up and saw the stars adorning the night sky with a full moon clearly visible. It looked beautiful.
"You need not worry about me," she reassured her worrisome Royal advisor. "I was just thinking."
"Is this about Prince Skull?" Grovyle further questioned. "Why must you give him so much of your time?"
The very mention of his name made her clench her teeth. Prince Skull, the Umbreon Prince of the Darkus Kingdom, was a feared conqueror of the west. His Army was revered as one the mightiest in the land and his kingdom was one of the strongest to exist. But of course, all of this did not matter to the Queen of Florasia. What infuriated her was the fact that the Umbreon Prince had sworn his vengeance on her nation and had his heart set out to conquer her kingdom. Should she let her kingdom fall into his blackened paws, she knew it would mark the end of the Florasia Kingdom. He would set about his evil deeds and systematically destroy everything her ancestors had worked hard to build. In her mind, he was nothing more than the pawn of quite possibly the most evil creation of all.
Eleanor was well aware of his motivation. His hatred for the deeds of her predecessors and heart consumed in darkness was what drove him on. Although she was a fierce opponent and had shown much courage in defending her kingdom, she secretly doubted if she could ever defeat him.
"This is not about time," Eleanor insisted, containing her fury. "I simply believe that he is in dire need of help. He needs to learn to put his past behind."
"How does one like him hope to achieve that?" Grovyle asked again, blinking.
"By hoping itself," Eleanor answered. "Hate can only breed more hate. Someone needs to free him from his darkness."
"One cannot hope to achieve that," Grovyle debated. "Not when they are a slave of darkness itself. This form would not allow it, nor his nation and heritage."
"Then we must defend the kingdom." Eleanor said in a dangerous tone. "I am not having any of his nonsense about surrender."
"As expected, My Lady," Grovyle bowed.
"Leave me be," She ordered. "I need to be alone to hear their whispers."
"Very well, Your Majesty," Grovyle said, bowing once more.
With that, he swiftly turned around and left, disappearing behind the gateway to the roof. Eleanor went back to her meditation. With a heavy sigh, she closed her eyes and channeled her energy, listening close to the voices of those who otherwise go unheard.
Thanks for reading.
I'll see ya...well when I see ya. No promises this time.
