Hey everyone! Welcome to the latest chapter of Legacy this little piece is a bit of a filler chapter before I focus on the Yule Ball and the Second Task. In this chapter there will be a little fluff and a bit of a sad story near the end. So be warned. Disclaimer is in the first chapter. With that done. Here we go!
Chapter Seven
"Can't believe you're making me wear this!"
Hermione sighed as she once again heard Tonks gripe and complain about the dress she was wearing to the ball.
"Stop complaining so much. Wearing a ball gown is not going to kill you…"
"It might! Knowing my luck I'll fall on the stairs leading to the ball and break my neck." Tonks argued back making Hermione sigh.
"Sounds like things are going well." Hermione smiled as Harry and Neville walked up both carrying garment bags for their new outfits.
"Oh just Dora being her usual stubborn self." Hermione said before she accepted a chaste kiss from her boyfriend.
"Harry remind your girlfriend that she is forcing me to this ball." Tonks' voice called from behind the curtain.
"I thought you mother was the one forcing you?" Harry asked once he was able.
"But she practically hired Hermione to make sure I go. Although…"
"I'm not threatening your mother's job just to get her off your back Dora." Harry interrupted already having an idea where her mind had gone.
"Blast…" She cursed quietly almost making the trio waiting outside laugh at the tone of surrender.
"However I will suggest she focus less on you and more on covering the ball for the Prophet." Harry said making Tonks poke her head out of the changing room.
"Bless you." She said before disappearing again.
"How did your fitting go?" Hermione asked the two boys.
"Surprisingly well…Neville actually seemed to enjoy the idea of a tux instead of dress robes." Harry said with a slight shrug.
"Probably because they're more flattering to a person's figure compared to most magical beings ideas of clothing." He added under his breath in her ear making her giggle slightly at the feeling of his breath against her ear.
"Ugh if you two were anymore sweet I'd need to visit a dentist." Tonks said as she pulled the curtain open stepping out showing off the violet colored dress Hermione had chosen for her.
"You only know about dentists because of me in the first place." Hermione quirked to her friend making Harry blink and look at her in confusion.
Seeing said look Hermione added. "Magical beings believe all health issues can be settled with magic. So everyone that goes into the medical field are automatically called healers, none of whom specialize in a certain field minus pediatrics, and sports medicine."
Harry blinked at that information before shaking his head in exasperation. "My grandmother would've had a field day with these people."
Harry said remembering Delia Ketchum being focused on the health of her family and their friends when he younger. The idea that a needed medical field wouldn't exist that was needed would've sent her into a tizzy.
The Yule Ball was in a week and the four teenagers were getting the last of their preparations finished before the big day.
When they weren't preparing for the dance they spent their days with the Pokémon mainly the trio of Hogwarts students watched as Harry began a training regimen for little Kali.
When he wasn't focusing on the youngest addition to his pack he worked with all of the others to keep their skills up not wanting them to become lax in their training.
Instead of having his more veteran team members learn new moves he instead focused on having them continue to refine the moves that already knew.
After the Pokémon had their training time Harry turned his focus towards the three humans.
Neville had surprised Hermione when he revealed his knowledge of sword fighting when he produced a sparring hand-and a- half sword for duels against Harry.
Tonks had been able to explain to her Muggleborn friend that most old Pureblood families…such as the Longbottoms…trained in some form of combat.
Neville's family tended to learn swords as did Harry's biological father's family.
Tonks as a descendant of the Black family learned how to fence using a foil and dagger combo.
The fact that her fiery friend had such skills hadn't been surprising to Hermione, but sweet tempered flower loving Neville had been a shock.
Like Kali Hermione was just finding her stride when it came to training. She was continuing to learn Tai Chi from Lora however Harry also took her off to the side and produced a strong recurve bow for her.
"Your mother told me that before you left for Hogwarts you practiced archery. Time to get back into that habit." He explained to her making her nod. However that hadn't been enough for Harry.
Every time they trained with their weapons of choice he also spent time teaching them to forget their dependency of wands, and how to channel their inner power throughout their bodies.
So far Tonks had been able to create a small fire ball between her hands, Neville was starting to hear the voices of the trees and plants, and she had begun to feel the life flowing around the Black Lake.
While most would be frustrated by the slow progress they were making with their Aura abilities Harry was actually impressed.
"Guardian trainees spend decades trying to reach the point you lot are at.
The only reason everything seems to be going so slow is because you've spent so much time thinking you need those wands to access your power.
Don't beat yourselves up you're doing just fine." Harry reassured them.
"The fact of the matter is I don't dance!" Hermione blinked at the sound of Dora's raised voice.
She looked to see Dora once more in her customary robes looking at Neville with a slight glare.
"Dancing is all in the leading Dora and I know I can keep you on your feet." Neville joked before backing off when Dora reached into her robes.
"You're lucky that you asked Hannah to the dance already or I'd jinx you for the jokes." Tonks said after removing her hand from the wand in her robes.
Hermione smiled remembering that. The morning after the announcement of the Yule Ball Neville had walked up to the blonde Hufflepuff in question and asked her to be his date to the ball.
Hannah had accepted with a slight blush upon her cheek. Tonks had smiled at the sight mainly because she knew that Neville would treat her fellow badger right.
Tonks however had decided to go stag to the ball since she refused to date most of the 'men' in Hogwarts.
Ever since Neville had been making constant jokes about dancing with her at least once that night much to her annoyance.
Harry chuckled slightly at the sight as he took Hermione's hand as the quartet left the dress shop.
As they walked the group noticed the other couples and students rushing around the village of Hogsmead going through their last minute preparations.
"Harry…how many balls have you been too?" Dora asked as they left towards the castle.
"Including this one?" He asked making the Metamorph nod.
"Six. One every year since I was eight." He answered making Tonks blink.
"Why so many?" She asked once over the slight shock.
"The Pokémon Regions all have their own way of celebrating the start of their tournaments.
For example the Indigo Plateau is opened by the lighting of the Moltres torch after the flames were carried by a runner.
The Grand Festival for Coordinators is opened by a performance from a local or visiting veteran performer to inspire others to reach the top.
While the Grand Showcase that my mother is responsible for opens with a Ball welcoming those near and far to our home region and to wish them luck. Since Showcases are generally more beauty pageant like than the other tournaments it's considered custom to have some form of fancy aspect to them.
With my mother as the Grand Duchess of Kanto she must open the Grand Showcase every year…and as her child…" Harry left that last part open making all three teens nod. All been dragged off to formal events for the sake of their families so they understood.
After the quartet arrived back at the castle grounds Neville looked up at the sight of an owl making its way towards them.
"Ah I hoped she'd get back to me." He said making the others look towards him before looking up to see the screech owl heading their way. In its talons was a rectangular package hanging from two pieces of twine.
"Ordering Hermione's Christmas gift a little late there Nev?" Tonks asked with a small chuckle.
Neville gave her a deadpan stare before he rolled his eyes. "No. Actually I'm returning something that was borrowed over a decade ago now." Neville said as the owl released the package into Neville's waiting hands.
Neville then removed the brown packaging showing off a leather bound book that looked to be slightly warn. "My mother browed this from her best friend about a month after I was born. According to Gram Mum was having a tough time getting me to sleep, and her friend loaned her this book.
She swore that if she read a few passages from the many stories inside it to me that I would be out like a light in no time."
"Is it a book of fables?" Hermione asked making Neville shake his head.
"Plays mostly." Neville said turning the book so they could all see the front.
"Complete works of William Shakespeare." Hermione read aloud.
"Who?" Harry asked making the others look at him.
"How do you not know who he is? You have two Pokémon named after two of his best known characters." Hermione asked him making Harry blink.
"Here…" Neville said opening the book to the table of contents before handing the book to Harry.
"Hamlet, Othello, R…Romeo and Juliet…" Harry read before he looked up. "It seems our worlds are more connected than I first believed." Harry said.
"I named Romeo and Juliet after a legend from the Kingdom of Rota. I've never heard of Shakespeare." He told them before he moved the pages back until he reached the first past the cover pausing.
"Harry?" Hermione asked at the look of shock that had overcome her boyfriends' face.
"Property of Lily Anna Potter." Harry read making Tonks and Hermione gasp slightly in surprise. Harry looked up at Neville who had a small smile.
"When my parents were admitted into St. Mungo's my Gram placed most of their personal property in a private vault in Gringotts. Except for that book and my fathers' wand.
Speaking from experience I know how much one wants some kind of connection to those they've lost…" Neville said making Harry smile at him before Harry closed the book.
"Thank you…brother." Harry said walking up to his God-brother and hugged him making Neville smile as he returned the gesture.
Hermione and Tonks both smiled as well at the sight.
"Consider it thanks for helping me get my own wand so I can better preserve my fathers' wand." Neville said as they pair broke contact.
Harry chuckled. "We're even." Harry said making Neville nod.
"So…if you don't have a Shakespeare in the Pokémon regions? How does the story of Romeo and Juliet go there?" Tonks asked after a few moments of silence.
"The Tragedy of Romeo and Juliet." Harry began as they arrived at the campsite each taking a seat inside his tent next to the stove.
"Long ago during Rota's Golden Era. Back when Aura was more wild and Guardians numbered in the hundreds there lived two families."
"The Capulets and the Montagues?" Hermione asked making Harry pause.
"No…or at least not likely. The official names were lost to time long ago, but each family was well known for the Pokémon they bred and raised." Harry said picking up taking out his Pokédex activating it making two images appear.
"Both families focused on raising these two." Harry said motioning to the pair of Pokémon.
Both were no more than a foot tall in height give or take an inch or two. Both had spikes covering their bodies.
What set them apart however was one was purple in color while the other was blue. The purple one also had large bat wings like ears, and a horn on its forehead.
"These are the first stages of the Nidoran lines…and coincidently both are named Nidoran. Their coloring and their attitude is what best sets them apart. The purple and more aggressive looking being the male of the line, while the more docile blue one is the female." Harry said before shutting off the electronic device.
"Each family focused mainly on raising the two different genders of this line. The male line was already well established as battlers and well looked for when it came to most choices in gaining strong members of a battling team.
While the family that focused on the female line worked to prove that while less temperamental than their male counterparts they were just as powerful and useful."
"Sort of like the Capulets were old money that had been lords and ladies for generations, while the Montagues were upstarts that made themselves into lords and ladies after success in their business ventures?"
Neville asked making Harry think about it for a moment before he nodded. (A/N: I don't remember if this was part of the feud or not, but it is in my story.)
"Actually that would work very well to describe the two families. Anyway the…Capulets had a daughter. A genius in the field of battle who had a love of most growing things and had been partnered with a Nidoran since the day she was born.
While the same was for the Montagues only with a son. Both families were determined that these two would be the ones that would settle their feud of which member of the species was indeed the best.
Only…the pair of them met as children." Harry said making the trio blink.
All three remembering that in the play Romeo and Juliet didn't meet until after Juliet was thirteen and Romeo was almost fully grown.
"As children the pair formed a bond. A bond that grew into friendship…which grew into love. A bond that was shared by their partners.
Every night the two children and their Nidoran would sneak away and spend hours upon end with one another.
As they reached adulthood and their partners reached their final stage of evolution the two pairs had fallen truly and madly in love. But it was also a forbidden love." Harry said as he paused for a moment.
"While the pair had been falling in love their families feuding had gotten worse. To the point that it wasn't uncommon for a fight to break out between members of the family every time they were around one another.
Eventually the King of Rota had no choice but to intervene warning both families that if they did not resolve their feud soon he would rob both families of all their valuables to pay for all the damage done to the Kingdom.
Fearing the idea of being reduced to the state of peasants the Capulets began to work out a deal to have their daughter marry a prince from a nearby Kingdom."
"I'll bet their daughter took that well." Tonks joked slightly making Harry nod.
"She ran to her secret love and told him everything. Fearing the idea of losing the one he loved the son proposed an idea. The pair would wed inside a church where the head monk was a teacher of his and would perform the ceremony.
Once wed the pair would reveal their relationship to their families and remove the need for conflict since their families would be joined."
Harry paused again as he took a sip of the tea that Hermione had made while listening to his story. "However that night would be the beginning of a terrible fight.
In her emotional state the daughter did not check to see if she was being followed allowing a cousin to follow her easily…and learn her terrible secret.
Said cousin ran to the Lord Capulet spilling everything that had been heard. In a roar of outrage at the idea of blending his blood line with the line of a family of upstarts that should never have reached his level of royalty the Lord ordered his men to find his daughter and her lover.
Meanwhile a spy within their house sent word to the Montagues of what had happened. Upon hearing the threat to his son Lord Montague ordered his own men out to stop him and find his child." Harry looked into his cup before sighing.
"Back in those days…Pokémon battles did not end when one side was unable to continue fighting. They ended when either the Pokémon or the trainer was killed."
Harry said making the trio of humans go wide eyed as they better understood the circumstances.
"The young lovers were eventually found and cornered by a hole in the city's walls that would allow a child to escape and explore the world outside the walls.
Cornered and afraid the pair stood prepared to make a last stand as they refused to be separated from one another.
Just as both sides made to attack the Nidoking of the daughter and the Nidoqueen of the son both caused a great earthquake causing those around them to stumble and fall.
It also opened the crack in the wall wider so that a fully grown adult could fit…but there was no chance that the Pokémon would." Harry said taking another drink as Hermione realized where the story was going.
"The son and daughter got away didn't they?" She asked making Harry nod.
"Seeing that their partners now had a chance both Pokémon grabbed said partners and pushed them through the crack.
The son and daughter begged their first and eldest friend to come with them, but the pair simply refused. They turned and stared down those that would bring harm to their loved ones." Harry said a tear falling down his eye.
"By the time the sun rose the street was covered in blood…but still the pair of lovers stood before the wall protecting their partners. After that the Guardians arrested both Lords and the King ordered both to spend their lives in the dungeons for their actions.
The Ladies of the families had to watch as their families were torn apart as the guilt and anguish of what had been done ate away at their members.
The son and daughter vanished into history, but not before they both created something. Exactly one year after the death of the brave pair two stone statues were found in place of their likenesses with both having these words written.
'Dearest Romeo and Juliet. The greatest of friends and truest of lovers. With their deaths we are free. With their love we have gained freedom. May they forever be remembered, and their story told to warn others of the dangers of hate.'"
Harry said before he looked out of the tent and saw his Nidoking and Nidoqueen out among the others.
"Why did you name your partners after them?" Neville asked making Harry sigh.
"Because their love is tragic. Juliet was run off by her father after she hatched because she was a daughter instead of a son.
Romeo was only a year older and knew Juliet would never survive on her own. Refusing to abandon her he left with her and helped her learn to defend herself until I found them.
As time passed the pair fell in love and became a mated pair…only Juliet will never give them a young one of their own." Harry said making the trio blink.
"She's infertile?" Hermione asked making Harry nod.
"All females of the Nidoran line are." He explained making the group gasp in surprise.
"Then how…?"
"Pokémon have multiple species they are genetically compatible with.
Each group or egg group can breed with other species that fall into these lines. After that…genetics takes over."
"What?" Neville and Tonks asked.
"Certain traits are passed from parent to child when they are created." Hermione stated making them look towards her.
"The color of our eyes, our hair, height, weight, and a number of other things.
Sometimes we even pick up traits from our ancestors such as susceptibility to certain diseases."
"And since only males of the Nidoran line can procreate their children can be either another Nidoran or the mothers species. Gender is just a flip of the coin.
Juliet knows this, and fears that her inability to have children will eventually cause Romeo to leave her. Every day Romeo reminds his mate that he loves her and her alone showing her that he would never choose another.
Much like the couple from the story. The daughter feared losing her lover so much that she risked everything just to be with him, and he showed his love by willingly sacrificing everything to be with her.
I named Romeo and Juliet after the legend because while their love can be considered tragic to some it is also…to me at least…an example of just what love is.
It's hard, it's painful, but it can mean so much more than anything we ever experience in our lives." Harry explained to the group.
"It seems that now is the best time for our gifts." Grace said to her mate.
"Why now? Isn't Yule in a week?" He asked making Grace gentle but her head against his.
"Because our trainer has just finished explaining the origin of Romeo and Juliet's names." She said making Bolt blink before he nodded.
After a moment to gather everyone Grace, Lora, and Dazzler carried their eggs in their own way. Grace with her power, Lora with her arms, and Dazzler with her tails.
"The way you speak of love sometimes makes me wonder if you're really a teenage boy or an old man in disguise." Tonks joked making the group of humans chuckle relieving the tension that had built from the legend.
"My Mum always said I was born with an old soul." Harry said making the others nod slightly in agreement before they all turned at the sound of canvas moving allowing Grace, Dazzler, and Lora in.
"Are those…?" Tonks asked as Harry rose to his feet.
"All three of you at once? Oy I don't think I can raise four babies at once." Harry said scratching the back of his head.
However after a moment Harry paused in his actions. "Unless…it's not me you planned to raise these three?" Harry questioned making the trio of humans look towards him.
Harry walked up to the three mothers and knelt down before them. "You truly have earned their trust my friends." Harry said making the humans blink.
Soon a bag floated into view and stopped next to Harry. He reached into the bag and pulled out three glass topped domes before twisting the tops off and set them aside.
Harry looked at Dazzler as she lowered her tail handing him the orange egg.
"Tonks…come here." He said after looking into the eyes of arctic colored fox Pokémon.
Tonks made her way over as Harry placed the egg inside the cushioned stand before replacing the glass top.
"This little one's for you." He said as he handed the incubator to her. Tonks blinked in surprise before looking at Dazzler who nodded her head.
"Thank you…I'll take care of them." She said bowing her head slightly as she backed away.
Lora stepped forward next handing Harry a purple and brown egg. "Nev." Harry said making his God-brother walk forward and accept the incubator with his egg. Neville bowed to Lora who returned the bow.
"Mia." Harry said after accepting the sandy brown egg from Grace. Hermione took the egg before she surprised Tonks and Neville by rushing forward and hugging Grace who raised a paw as if to return the hug.
"Thank you." She said wiping tears away from her eyes. Grace nodded before looking towards Harry who smiled.
"I agree." He said before Grace licked his cheek and walked off.
"What did she say?" Hermione asked long used to Harry having conversations with the Pokémon thanks to his ability to bond with them via Aura.
"'She's a keeper.'" Harry answered making Hermione blush slightly as he pulled her into his side kissing her brow as the tent opened once more.
Harry smiled at the sight of Kali walking in. "Come here little one." He said holding his free hand out to her. Kali ran into his arm and sat on his lap as she looked at the egg in her mummy's hands.
"What's that?" Kali asked Harry who smiled.
"That little one is your future baby brother or sister. Just as those two…" Harry said motioning to the eggs held by the other humans. "…are your future cousins."
He said making Kali cheer at the news getting laughs from her parents.
The flash of a camera made the family look up to see Lora holding said device making Harry nod in thanks. Lora set the camera down before she and the other mother Pokémon took their leave.
Hermione looked at the egg in her arms. "I don't suppose you know if this is a boy or girl Eevee?" She asked Harry who shook his head.
"Gender can't be determined with most eggs until they hatch. However I can tell Neville that his egg is a male Pokémon." He said making the trio look towards him.
"Since that egg isn't blue and black that means it will belong to Champs species. The line is 100% male." Harry explained making the others nod in understanding.
However the information quickly left their minds as they spent the rest of the day looking at their future charges and the fact that they had been chosen to raise the precious cargo inside each egg.
While this happened a hidden deity smiled at the growing family. "I was right to bring you to my chosen…now you will face your own destiny.
Once you have I will bring you home. But will the world be ready for you and your family I wonder?"
Arceus said to himself before he blinked out of existence back to his plain as he awaited for the time he was needed.
That's all for now folks I hope you all enjoyed the work and will continue to support my work.
R&R Ja Ne