Disclaimer: I do not own pokemon.
I also apologize in advance for any Grammar/spelling errors I missed.
Chapter 12
Meanwhile in Aquanesia:
"I fail to understand your enthrallment with the underwater vegetation," Aquila sighed, walking along with Prince Blaze who was running around excitedly, inquiring about each type of flower he encountered. Blaze had spent his entire afternoon with Aquila all the while his brother was at war with the Blitz kingdom. They had talked about the Volcano of Frere and its extremely hot climate. Then they talked about his carefree life despite his royal status and Aquila had explained him her royal life of a Queen.
If Prince Blaze would have his way, he could have spent his entire life in Aquanesia. He had found it to be a wondrous heaven of freedom seekers, including him. No royal duties or responsibilities. The kingdom was safe. It was highly unlikely that the land pokemon knew how to swim and reach the city and even when they did, the city could always close their entrances.
Turning his attention to Aquila, he trotted up to her to join her, a big smile on his muzzle.
"We don't have these flowers in my kingdom," he told her. "I believe I told you before. I come from the far away land of the volcano of Frere. Its east of Blitz Kingdom and built on the igneous rock formed from the cooling of lava. Plants cannot grow on our hard grounds."
"You travelled from so far?" She asked, astonished. "What purpose did it serve you?"
Blaze sighed. This is exactly the question he had been trying to avoid since the moment he set his eyes of Aquila. He wondered if his brother was currently in the battle against the kingdom Reshiram had told them about. He quickly shook away the feeling, trying not to regret his decision.
"Freedom," he told Aquila, looking down at his feet, his paws making a soft thudding sound on the pearl grounds on the kingdom's gardens. He certainly didn't have such well-furnished flooring back in Frere. In fact, he vaguely remembered a few rough edges he had accidently sliced open his paws over in an attempt to run over them.
"Freedom?" Aquila asked, perplexed. "From what?"
"War," he told her solemnly. "My brother is the king of Frere who succeeded after our late father. He is currently at war with another kingdom."
"You didn't want to fight?" She asked, more puzzled by the answer. "Do you not feel pride in defending your kingdom?"
"It's not about pride," he argued, sitting down on one of the giant seashell benches. Trying to avoid her questioning eyes, he looked down and observed the plants grown around the bench. He moved his paws over the soft petals and plucked a few by accident. He wasn't used to delicate things. "I just don't want to take up my royal duties. I wonder how you put up with it."
"It wasn't a choice," she replied, taking the spot next to him and studying her fish-like tail, "after my parents died. I was forced to take up the position and become queen."
"Did they die in battle?" Blaze asked, turning to look at her now.
"No," Aquila replied, "an illness. One that was contagious as well as fatal."
Unlike Blaze, he did not look away from him as she answered this. Instead, she looked him straight in the eyes, strong and confident like a queen should be. She had made her peace with it, of this Blaze was sure. In this regard, the two were similar; having lost both their parents in one go. He could not help but feel sympathetic for her situation, vastly different from his in the absence of an heir to succeed before her. His sympathy of course was wasted on Aquila who had done a fine job in governing her kingdom.
"I am sorry for your loss," Blaze said, trying his best to conceal his sympathy with a sincere apology. "I, too, lost my parents. They both died in battle."
"Then I am sorry for your loss," Aquila replied, nodding slightly. "Do you miss them?"
"Sometimes," Blaze replied, a soft smile forming on his muzzle as memories flashed through his mind.
"And is that why you don't want your brother to go to war?"
Blaze could only manage a single nod in answer, the smile instantly wiped off his face as he was brought back to reality. This time, his heart felt lighter. Having confided in a new friend had helped the Prince. He felt a strange connection her, as if he could share all his secrets with her. Aquila could not deny that she felt the same. The two shared very similar positions and those who did not share their lifestyle could hardly comprehend. Aquila smiled at Blaze, an understanding smile. It was a smile that did not criticize his decision nor disapprove it. It simply understood how his heart felt. Blaze hadn't known he had needed that until he had seen her smile.
"Tell me," Aquila broke their silence. "What else is up there above the water?"
"There is Aerial kingdom," he replied, introducing a new kingdom now beside his own. "Has the Queen ever heard of it?" She smiled and shook her head and he went on to explain.
"It's the kingdom of the flying type," He explained. "Just like your kingdom is below the lake, it exists high in the sky, only to be reachable by the pokemon who can fly. Our Frere kingdom is in alliance with it."
"I see," she said. "I suppose it's beautiful."
"I wouldn't know that," he replied. "Even with our alliances, we were never granted permission to enter the kingdom itself. I do know that Aquanesia is an exquisite beauty. Especially the towers."
Aquila giggled. He had just complimented her architect without knowing. "I built them myself."
His eyes widened. "Really? With the work of your own hands?" He asked leaning in a bit. He hadn't expected Aquila to be the labor type. Rather, he considered her more of a lavish type, given her beauty that had captivated him since the moment he met her.
"When I was an Eevee," she explained. "I was allowed to roam the palace. I collected the seashells and rare stones that I found and called them my 'personal treasure.' I protected them with my life. When I was appointed queen, I had the towers built a day after my coronation and adorned with my own personal treasures. Some were merely shells while others contained mysterious powers."
"Mysterious powers you say?" he blinked, confusion replacing the fascination he had felt earlier. She nodded her head.
"You remember the Gyarados?' she asked. He nodded his head in response. "I exposed him to one of the stones and he turned into a mega gyarados."
"I have heard in history," Blaze informed her, "about special stones that can awaken special powers in certain pokemon. I suppose they are called mega evolution stones. We found one in Frere but we never discovered which pokemon it belonged to because none of the exposed pokemon evolved."
"I have many others of those sorts," she went on. "I have them in my personal treasury. None of the other pokemon ever evolved from them so I concluded they belonged to the land pokemon species."
Silence fell between the two royals. For a few minutes, the two just sat there, Aquila looking over to the group of small Finneon swimming amongst the anemones. Blaze was looking over to the walls of Aquanesia, his eyes fixed on the giant Wailord passing on the other side of the walls.
"It is almost dusk," Aquila sighed, following his gaze to the wailord. This was the third time the Wailord had passed and Prince Blaze had never once lost his appeal to it. It's not often that you see such large pokemon.
"How can you tell?" Blaze asked. "All I see is the deep blue lake above."
She laughed at this. "I have lived here for so long. I can tell."
"Wouldn't you like to go someplace else?" He asked her, twitching his ears.
"I would dearly," she sighed, looking down. Depression crossed her brows for a fraction of a second but it was enough to catch Blaze's attention. "But I have so many royal duties. Expectations. I don't have time on my hand."
Blaze looked away, thinking back to his own life. Unlike him, Aquila had it hard. He had easily handed the throne to his brother but she, she had to take the throne. I wonder if she'd come to see the world above the surface with me? He thought.
"Do you think I did the right thing?" Blaze asked Aquila out of the blue, instantly grabbing her attention like a lillipup. "Forsaking my brother at the time of war?"
"To be honest," she answered. "I wouldn't like it if I had a trusted warrior and he abandoned be in a time of need. But you followed your heart and I don't suppose you can go wrong with that. No matter where you go in this world, you are bound to return home. I just hope it's not too late when you finally decide to."
She's right. He thought. I should go and apologize.
"I shall take my leave now," he said, getting off the seashell benches. She quickly copied his movements and was up on her paws with him. "I suppose I should return to my kingdom."
"You're leaving?" she asked, worried. I don't want you to leave. I want you to stay. Or take me with you instead. She thought. Was this because of what I said?
"I think I should," He sighed, walking in the direction of the exit to the castle. "I have to return to my brother and apologize for my acts. I just hope he forgives me."
He ran for the door. She quickly ascended into the lake water surrounding them. Her tail caught the movement of the water motion, giving her a speed that a land pokemon could not compete with.
"I'll take you there," she called out after him. Then she gave not a loud whistle with her nose. At first, Blaze didn't understand what she was trying to do, then from the opposite direction, he noticed a Mudkip swimming fast in their direction. Blaze panicked in his stepping, thinking the Mudkip was going to smash into him but he stopped right under his nose with such grace that in the end, it was the Prince who lost his balance and fell.
"This is Mudkip," Aquila introduced, trying to control her laugh as Blaze got back up on his paws. "He is my most trusted advisor who accompanies me on expeditions on land. I have another one but he is out for the day. Mudkip can be rather reckless too so don't mind him."
"Pleasure to make your Acquintance…." The Mudkip couldn't go on.
"Prince Blaze," he told him, blinking at the royal advisor. The Mudkip quickly fell into steps, formalities flooding his mind and he got on his knees.
"Your highness," Blaze laughed at the Mudkip and told him to rise.
"Swim as fast as you can and prepare my Gyarados," Aquila ordered him. "Our guest in about to leave."
He nodded once and then swam away quickly in a flurry of bubbles as the two royals began their walk on a much slower pace.
In a matter of few minutes, Blaze was ready to mount onto Gyarados and leave. Aquila was swishing her tail rapidly in anxiety, thinking of what to say as words of farewell in hopes that the Prince may return to her once again if not stay.
Gyarados lowered his red head, ready to allow Blaze to jump aboard. Blaze took a deep breath, ready to swim for the surface with the giant red dragon.
"Wait!" Aquila yelled, grabbing his attention before he could make the jump. He stopped and turned his head to her, worried about what she had to say.
"Do you promise?" she asked, the sadness of the parting clear in her eyes. "Do you promise to come back someday and show me your world?"
Blaze broke out into a smile at this. He had really hoped she would propose this idea. "He nodded his head and grinned. "I will," he promised and hoped on to the Gyarados.
He kept looking back to Aquila and Mudkip who observed as the Gyarados exited the kingdom walls and swam into the lake waters, Prince Blaze holding his breath. He smiled one last time at her and she waved him farewell with her tail, bubbles swirling around her movements.
"If I didn't know any better," The Gyarados snickered. "I think your heart has feelings for my lady."
Blaze felt like punching the Gyarados for making such a statement. A deep red crept up to his cheeks but was hidden under his orange fur once again. Upon reaching the surface, Blaze gasped for air while the Gyarados swam to the shore, depositing his guest on to the ground.
"Flames" Blaze protested, shaking his fur violently to get the water out after being recklessly thrown on the ground like a commoner. "What was that for?"
The Gyarados just turned around into the water and swam for the centre, slowly descending into the lake with every minute. Blaze titled his head at this sudden gesture. What's wrong with him?
"Make sure you keep your promise to my lady," The Gyarados warned in a hard and gruff voice without turning to face the prince. But this voice showed more emotions then Blaze had seen previously from the royal servant. "She may not ever admit it but I can tell she fancies you. She has buried all her true emotions behind those cheery laughter and fake smiles. In reality, she has had it hard and I believe you can help her face her inner fears."
Before Blaze could inquire further into the matter, the Gyarados disappeared below the lake waters. The water churched with the movements of his large fin and then, all was silent.
Blaze turned around to depart on his journey back to the Frere kingdom. It would be a long journey. I wonder if Arcanine would forgive me. He thought, running into the desert in the east direction.
He thought about Aquila on the way. The scenes of his promise kept replaying in his mind. He was definitely going to come back for her someday. Scurrying mindlessly, the Prince felt a warm feeling build up inside of him, making him feel lightheaded. There was a sudden skip to his step and whatever the reason of joy may be; the only thing he could keep straight was the thought of the magnificent and generous Queen Aquila. A smile broke out on his muzzle as he covered more distance without noticing. He had now reached the hilly areas which marked the beginning on the Blitz Kingdom. The kingdom was still a long way, but much closer now.
Is this what love is? He questioned himself, smiling like he had beaten the toughest warrior of an army in a battle; not that he would be happy to do that since he wasn't the fighting type. She was so beautiful and her voice! Ahh! I await the day I would hear it again!
Suddenly, the reality took its grip on his thought and he shook his head. I can't think of her that way! She's a queen. I am but a Prince! Feeling a little depressed, he climbed over the low hills and leapt forward, finding his way around.
The journey had been a quiet one for now but the silence was to break soon. Prince Blaze heard a strange clicking noise. Alert, he perked up his ears and listened hard, taking up a battle stance while he was at it.
His heart did a sudden jump when the noise grew louder and he recognized it as a Rapidash's hooves. A rapidash jumped from behind a hill and galloped in his direction. Prince Blaze started towards the Rapidash and halted right in his path. He stood up on his hind legs, making the Rapidash rear with a loud neigh as he recognized the lost prince.
Regaining his posture, the Rapidash bowed to the Prince who was in no mood for a formal greeting. "What are you doing here?"
"Fleeing your highness," The rapidash reported in a hasty voice filled with fear. "We had a war against Blitz Kingdom! King Arcanine was killed!"
At the sound of his brother's name, Blaze's eyes widened. For a second, he couldn't contain himself, refusing to accept it as truth. He quickly snapped himself out of it and leapt up on to the Rapidash's neck. Digging his claws into the off-white neck of the horse, he made him rear and give out a loud neigh in pain.
"Head for Frere! Now!" Blaze ordered angrily and the Rapidash took off in the direction he had come from, galloping wildly while keeping his horn down in defense. Blaze peered from between his fiery mane, his eyes fixed on the grounds that kept expanding with every second. He kept his eye out for any bodies that would indicate the location of the battle field.
Even with the Rapidash, it nearly took all night for the pair to arrive at their destination. With the aid of the Rapidash, Blaze immediately recognized the battlefield by the horrible envision of the aftermath. Blood stained bodies of pokemon littered the desert, electric and fire alike. Blaze wanted to throw up at the view. He quickly leapt off the Rapidash who fled around, away from the battlefield, only this time, in the direction of Frere.
Quickly scampering around like a mad Mightyena, Blaze darted his eyes from pokemon to pokemon, trying to avoid the horrible vision of death all the while, searching for Arcanine.
It wasn't long either. Somewhere between the dead Pyroar, he found the body of his brother. Tears well up in his eyes the instant the sight came into view.
Blaze staggered, ready to fall to his feet but managed to keep himself upright as he slowly made his way to his brother, bathed in blood with his eyes closed. The wound on his neck was quite large and his belly had been cut open. Stepping into the small puddle of blood around his brother, he looked closely.
"Arcanine?" He mumbled, moving closer. He put his front paws onto the dirty mane of the king and shook his neck. 'Come on, get up."
Not ready to accept his brother's death, he grabbed hold of Arcanine's ear in his teeth and pulled hard. "You have to get up! You promised to be there for me!" He screamed, tears now flooding down his face like an everlasting waterfall. He brought his muzzle close to Arcanine's face, sniffing for his scent. All he could smell was the blood.
Blaze broke out, howling in grief. He rolled beneath Arcanine's lifeless paw and snuggled close to his body, weeping. The fact that his fur was now covered in his own brother's blood did not even cross his mind. The only thing he could grasp was that his brother was gone and he was to blame.
"I-I'm so s-sorry!" H sobbed, nuzzling his dead brother. "If only I stayed! You would have been still alive!" His tail fell limp to his side and his eyes were as red as the blood that had stained the grounds from crying hard. He didn't even remembering crying this hard on the sad demise of his own father and mother.
He laid there for what felt like forever to him until he heard a low moan. It was a female voice, begging for help. Collecting himself, he stood up and crept out from beneath his brother's paws and looked about, searching for the owner of that voice. It sounded vaguely familiar but all the coughs between the pleas for help kept it under question.
"Where are you?" he mumbled weakly, staggering around the area, looking for the pokemon.
"Prince Blaze?" The voice rasped, misery clear in its coughs. Blaze's eyes widened. He quickly hurried around in the direction of the voice, searching frantically for his best friend. He recognized the voice. It was Fennekin.
He found her lying wounded on the field. A manetric laid next to her, his paw stretched out over her tiny body as if he had attempted to protect her when the grand finale came. Blaze hurried to her side and lowered his head, nudging her pale pace as she lay with her eyes closed. He wanted to pull her away from the Manetric.
'Fennekin! Please tell me you are alright?" he said, continuously nudging her with his nose. She opened her eyes slightly and looked up at the Prince and saw how worried he was for her. For a second there, the barrier between a servant and a royal vanished and she felt equal to him.
'You came back!" she said in her weakened state, struggling to get the few words out. 'The fight wasn't in vain after all!"
He breathed a sigh of relief at the sound of her voice. He pulled her out from beneath the manetric's grasp. Using the force of his body, he tried to help her on her paws.
"He helped me," she said, looking down at the dead manetric.
"Why do we have to fight like savages in the name of the royals? Can't we all just live like pokemon that we are?"
"Those were his last words," She sobbed as she quoted him. Blaze moved his paw over to the Manetric and closed his open eyes in respect, humming a silent prayer for him from Reshiram.
Fennekin coughed, staggering on her weakened legs. She was very badly wounded and her hind leg was probably broken from the impact of the fall when the Manetric tried to save her from an attack. All this didn't deny the fact that Blaze was happy she was alive. "King Arcanine led the battle against them. And then we were defeated with the loss of our king."
"Blitz shall pay someday," he murmured, leading the Fennekin away from the horrible sight of the dead that surrounded them.
Sapphire found herself in a strange world. She looked around to find that everything around her was frozen solid. Even the ground below her paws was frozen solid. Fear took birth in her heart which she immediately related to her exile.
Icy winds began to blow her blue fur and she shivered in cold despite being an ice pokemon herself. The place had an eerie feeling to it and nothing about it seemed right. The only path was the one ahead. She took a step forward and immediately slipped o the frozen ice, smacking her chin hard on the broken ground.
She tried to get back up with the icy winds pushing her down. She struggled to stay upright on all four. She began to tread carefully along the frozen path between the glaciers that surrounded her.
'Sapphire," she heard a soothing yet dangerous voice. Her eyes widened and now she couldn't tell if she was shivering from fear or cold. She twitched her ears to left and right, trying to grasp a voice again. She could hear it but it sounded far away for the next couple of minutes. Who else was there in this frozen world beside her?
'Sapphire, I'm here," it called. "Come to me."
She panicked. She immediately began running down the frozen ice path like a lunatic and slipped. She slid the rest of the way forward, spinning around in circles.
She lost control of her movements. The harder she tried to stop, the faster she slid across the ice. She screamed in fear and desperation as exhaustion washed over her. She felt dizzy and nauseous and yet, never more alive. It felt like a piece that had been missing from her for a long time had returned to her and now that it was right in front of her, she couldn't feel it in her grasp, nor find it at its roots. It was a strange feeling that could not be put into words.
"HELP ME!" She screamed into the empty space. She crashed into a frozen glacier that marked the end of the path and hit her head hard against the frozen ice, falling limp on the ground. She laid there for a few minutes, letting the pain die out before attempting to get back up.
"Sapphire, get up," the voice commanded, louder than ever. She snapped her eyes open, all her senses sharpening at that voice. That voice? She had never heard it. Yet, it felt like it was as much part of her as she was of it.
"You must get up, Princess," The voice ordered. She staggered to her wobbly feet and then looked up at the Glacier. The voice seemed to be coming from the giant Glacier on the dead end.
She shook her head and looked at the glacier. It was larger than the ones that she had seen earlier before her memory had gone blur.
"SAPPHIRE!" She heard someone yell out her name.. Her heart jumped up in her throat at the sound of the voice. It was plain horror to be subjected to this and at the same time, to shield the truth that she needed to know.
A loud thud from the other side of the Glacier made her squeak. She jumped back, ready to dash off back in the direction she had arrived. Only then did she realize that there was someone inside the Glacier, not the other side; probably trapped or incased in its ice walls. Letting her curiosity be her guide, she slowly treaded towards the Glacier.
"Hello?" she mumbled, stuttering with her voice. "Who goes there?"
Another loud thud was heard and she took another step back. She saw a giant hand against the crystal walls of the Glacier from the other side. Shock was written all over her pretty features now.
The grey claws on the hand alone were far larger than her entire body. They scaled down, making a loud piercing sound against the frozen ice as it cracked under the force applied on it. Sapphire put her paws up and brought her ears down against her face, trying to block out the dreadful voice.
'Sapphire, you must come to me," he ordered, removing the hand. It disappeared behind the Glacier. Forgetting her fear, Sapphire rushed towards the glacier and put forth her own front paws, standing up on her hind legs and frantically searching for the owner of the hand. All she saw was frozen ice.
"Who are you?" she practically screamed the question. 'Answer me! Are you the one who knows the answers to my questions?"
"Sapphire," he said, much calmer now, abolishing her fears. "You must find me. You are special. Never forget that."
"How can I find you?" She yelled. "Please! I need guidance!"
The voice appeared to laugh for a second and that too was hollow, reminding her of the Umbreon prince, Skull.
"How am I special!?" She asked, pounding her paws on the glacier, demanding answers that no one else could provide her. 'WHAT DOES EVERYONE MEAN BY THAT!?"
She was brought to tears. The voice now seemed pitiful.
"Find me. Quick," he told her, putting forth a single claw and sliding it down on the glacier from the other side. Sapphire followed it with her paw. "You must find me quickly, Princess! The world depends on you!"
The scenery around her titled and faded away.
"WAIT! PLEASE!" She called out to the voice she had heard. Everything around her faded and she found herself waking from up from a dream.
Sitting up, she gasped for air, scared to death by the dream. She had remembered every bit of it. The voice, its words, they all haunted her now.
For now, this was least of her worries. She could hear voices of the pokemon outside the room and their manner of speaking was enough to confirm that something in Darkus was wrong.
