Chapter 50: The Perfect Princess
Kiara moved into her old room from before she left the castle. She has to get used to living in a castle again. The servants, the guards, the huge castle. She forgot what it was like to live in the castle. Within 3 days, May took Kiara to every single building in Petalburg City to apologize to all of the citizens. It was hard work. Kiara would try and become friends with the townspeople by helping them with anything they need help with. And everyone accepted her apology. But Kiara will keep needing to be kind to everyone just like her big sister.
Drew's last letter to May told her about how he discovered the genie and then became Prince Andrew. He also hoped that she wasn't mad at him for keeping it a secret. And he told her how he wishes that she could visit today for his birthday.
May responded to his letter by saying that she's not mad at him for keeping the genie a secret. She's just hoping to formally meet the genie someday. May hasn't actually sent her letter yet. She leaves the castle with two guards and Kiara and they head to the mall in a carriage.
The guards wait outside while May and Kiara enter the mall.
"What do you need to get here exactly?" Kiara asked.
"Drew's present." May answered.
"Okay, but...how will you send it to him?"
"It's not anything big. Beautifly will be able to carry it."
"Okay then. What are you getting him?"
"A Shiny Stone." May answered.
"A Shiny Stone?"
"Yeah. It's so his Roselia could evolve into Roserade." May said. "I remember him saying that he wants to evolve his Roselia, but he has a hard time with finding Shiny Stones."
"Are you sure they sell Shiny Stones in stores?" Kiara asked.
"No they don't." May answered. "That's probably why Drew hasn't been able to find one."
"Then...how will you find one in here?" Kiara asked as they entered a store that only sells evolution stones. There's long display cases on the sides that have evolution stones in them with space to walk behind the cases. There's cash registers at the end of both cases.
"I know a guy…" May said. They walk to the back of the store towards the cash registers.
"What does that mean?"
"You'll see." May opened the half door that leads to the back of the display cases.
"Are you sure we're allowed back here?"
"Positive." May said.
"Morning Princesses." An employee said. "Going to see the boss?"
"Sure are." May said.
"Well then, let me get the door for you." The employee opened the back door, walking inside and letting May and Kiara enter.
"Thank you." May said.
"Don't mention it." With that said, the employee exited the room and closed the door.
"Good morning, Your Highnesses. What can I do for you?" A guy asked from his desk.
"Hi Alex. Do you have a Shiny Stone by any chance?" May asked.
Alex grabbed keys that were on the desk. He stood up and walked to the right to a display case. He unlocked the case with a key and took something out. A Shiny Stone.
Alex turned around and showed May and Kiara the stone. "One Shiny Stone for you." He said, holding out the stone to May.
May walked forward and took the stone from Alex. "Thank you Alex. How much do I pay you?"
"Please, just take it for free. No charge required."
"Come on Alex. You know I can't do that." May said, reaching in her purse for her wallet.
May took out her pink wallet, opened it, and took out something. She held out a 100 Pokédollar bill to Alex.
"Are you sure?" Alex asked.
"Of course. I'm a Princess, right? Generosity is my thing." May said. "You should know me by now that I won't take anything for free from any store."
"I guess you're right…" Alex said as he accepted the money from May.
("She's so generous…") Kiara thought.
"Oh! Here." Alex said as he walked to his desk. He opened a drawer and took out something. He held out a miniature display case with a velvety mold inside to May. "Use this to put the stone in."
"Thank you very much." May said as she took the stone case. She opened it and put the Shiny Stone in it.
"Say...who did you get the stone for?" Alex asked.
"Oh, just...a friend." May answered, blushing slightly.
Alex smiled. "Well, okay then."
"You see...he's been really wanting to evolve his Roselia, but he never could find a Shiny Stone." May said.
"Yeah. It's a really rare stone. You were right to come to me. You know I'll always help the royal family with getting rare stones."
"Thank you Alex. We'll get going now."
"Take care, Princesses."
"Well, all done." May said. She just finished wrapping Drew's present in a green wrapping paper. She attached a bow on top that looks like a red rose.
"Drew will love the gift you got him." Dahlia said.
"Thanks. Now to send it with this letter." May said. She walked to her desk, placing the box down. She started writing the unfinished letter.
Kiara is in May's room with May and Dahlia and she is just sitting down on the couch, looking down. She doesn't look up to look at the perfectly wrapped birthday present or at May as she walks out to the balcony.
"Beautifly!" May called.
Beautifly flew to May from the middle of the backyard. May held up the letter and present. Beautifly took them from May.
"Can you handle flying to Drew with the present?" May asked.
Beautifly nodded and started flying away. May watched until Beautifly was out of sight. She then entered her room again and noticed Kiara looking down, deep in thought.
May sat down next to Kiara. "Hey, is everything okay?"
"Huh?" Kiara questioned, looking up at May. "Oh. Everything's fine."
"Are you sure?" May asked.
"Yeah. I'm fine." Kiara said. "It's just…"
"Just what?"
"May," Kiara said. "You've just gotta teach me how to be a Princess that the people love."
"But...it will take time for them to see you in the way they see me." May said. "And besides, there's nothing I can really teach about that topic."
"Oh…" Kiara said sadly.
"Why do you want me to teach you how to be a Princess? You're already one."
"It's just...I don't feel like one." Kiara said. "I mean, I've seen how happy you make the people, especially children. And I've seen you be generous to that evolution stone seller. And you're kind to everyone. I mean...I just want the people to see those things in me too. You can understand that, right?"
May nodded. "Yeah. Believe me...I once felt that way too."
Kiara faced forward and looked up at the ceiling. "You're the perfect Princess, May. That's what I want to be too."
May stared at Kiara for a moment. She started singing. Cue the music.
(This song is "Colors of the Wind" from Pocahontas. There's changed lyrics.)
"You think I'm a perfect Princess." May sang. Kiara looked at May. "And you've been so many places. I guess it must be so. But still I cannot see if the perfect one is me. How can there be so much that you don't know? You don't know." May added as she stood up. She held out her hand to Kiara. Kiara placed her hand in May's.
"You don't believe that you will be a hero." May sang as Kiara stood up. "You don't forgive yourself for what you did." Kiara frowned. "But I know every person in this region has a heart, has a voice, a life to live." May started leading Kiara and Dahlia to the door. They exit May's bedroom and start walking down the hall.
"You think that you need to become better." May sang, letting go of Kiara's hand. "Better than the person that is you. And if you walk the footsteps of your sister." They start walking down the stairs. "You'll learn things you never knew, you never knew."
"Have you ever heard Lycanroc cry to the moon?" May continued. "Or asked the grinning Torracat why he grinned?" They got to the bottom of the stairs and started walking towards some back doors of the castle. "Can you sing with all the voices of the mountains? Can you paint with all the colors of the wind? Can you paint with all the colors of the wind?"
Two guards at the back doors opened them and May, Kiara, and Dahlia walked outside towards the backyard.
"Be kind to everyone and don't be mean." May sang. "Be generous, you've got money to give. Be grateful for this life not as the Queen. And remember, you've got one life to live." They stop walking in the middle of the grassy field. Pokémon are flying around them.
"Keep calm through every single situation." May continued, looking around at their surroundings. The wind is blowing slightly, causing the grass and their hair and dresses to sway. May and Kiara's Pokémon are all running or flying around. They suddenly heard a bird cry and whipped their heads up to see a Pidgey falling out of the sky. Kiara gasped and May just caught it in her arms. "The Pokémon, the people, are my friends." May sang, kneeling down to the ground. She placed the Pidgey on the soft grass. Kiara kneeled down next to her and they both saw that Pidgey's wing was hurt. May glanced at Kiara. Kiara looked at May. "And we are all connected to each other." They both turn their attention back to the Pidgey and May's Galarian Rapidash walks to them. "In a circle, in a hoop that never ends." May sang as Rapidash dipped her head down to the Pidgey, her horn contacting Pidgey's body. Her horn glowed pink and Pidgey's body glowed a faint pink.
"How high will the sycamore grow?" May sang. Rapidash's horn stopped glowing and she lifted her head back up. "If you cut it down, then you'll never know." The wound on Pidgey's wing was completely gone and it could stand up. It bowed to May to thank her for healing him and then it flew off. They all watched it go.
"And you'll always be the royal that you need to be." May sang, standing up. As if on cue, the wind picked up and really made their hair and dresses sway . The wind was also blowing flower petals around them. She turned to Kiara and held out her hand. "For whether we are Prince or Princesses." Kiara took May's hand and stood up. "We need to sing with all the voices of the mountains. We need to paint with all the colors of the wind."
"You can own Hoenn and still." May continued. "You'll just own Hoenn until...you can paint with all the colors of the wind." May held out the note as the wind died down. She finished the song.
Kiara smiled. "Thanks for that May. I really needed to hear that."
May nodded and smiled. "No problem. And I'm just letting you know that...I'm no perfect Princess because nobody's perfect. And you'll find out for yourself that the people will come to love you just as much as they love me. You know, with your big sister teaching you about being a Princess."
Kiara beamed. "Thank you."