The room was soaked in soft twilight, and the curtains fluttered from the wind that swept in through the open window. A soft beam of light stretched curiously across the room, lighting the three figures inside in bits and pieces.
Duck realized she had been holding her breath as she knelt on the ground, Odette standing before her. Blue eyes locked onto red ones as she struggled to find the right words.
"Who are you?" she asked finally, realizing even as she said it how stupid it sounded.
Odette didn't reply, which Duck was fairly used to by now. Why didn't anyone believe her when she said she could understand pokémon? And especially this gardevior, who had been given to her specifically, didn't believe her.
"You can tell me, you know," she tried again. "I understand pokémon, really."
Still nothing.
Duck groaned and turned to Fritz. "Of course I'm getting nowhere," she said, slumping forward til her forehead rested on the wood floor. "Ugh."
Please forgive me. I didn't mean to make you upset.
The voice echoed in her mind like tinkling chimes, and she slowly pulled back upright to look at Odette.
"D-did you—?" Duck had to keep her mouth from gaping.
Odette looked the same as before, eyes staring steadfastly into her own. Yes. And to answer your first question, I am Odette. I am here to help you locate and return the shards of the prince's heart. I don't remember much else.
"But, how? How will we find them?"
When the time comes, it will happen. It is…hard to explain in words. She offered an apologetic tilt of the head.
"So we can't, like… practice or anything?" Duck asked hopefully.
Odette shook her head. It would take too much energy, I'm afraid.
Duck sighed. "Of course it would. Well, at least you'll probably be better in dance class than I am."
Oh…speaking of that... No one can know about me.
"What? Whaddya mean?" Duck asked incredulously. "But you're so cool!"
Odette smiled softly. Thank you. But if people know about me, they might draw a connection between our mission and us. You'll understand soon.
"I hope you're right," Duck grumbled. "I don't like keeping secrets."
If all goes well, Duck, you won't have to for long.
Fakir had never really paid any attention to the students in the beginner dance class—even when he had been a part of it—and he wasn't really sure what had made him look that way in the first place. It wasn't as if there was some threat to Mytho, or some familiar face. Even so, he felt his eyes drawn towards some presence hiding in the group of adolescent girls. Maybe it was one of their pokémon?
His own pokémon—today, his lucario Asim—sat next to him as they waited for Mr. Katze to continue. "—Part of the collaboration with the pokémon studies teachers, we will have another combination battle-dance tournament at the end of the school year. You are all encouraged to participate. And it counts as extra credit, which shouldn't be the main incentive here. The true draw should really be the chance to strengthen the bonds between trainer and pokémon—" he continued, and Fakir only half listened.
He was careful keep his eyes straight ahead, just in case the presence was watching him. Until he knew who or what it was that made his spine tingle like this, he was going to act like there was nothing going on.
As if he could sense his unease, Asim laid a comforting paw on his shoulder. Fakir gave a flash of an almost imperceptible smile in return. Whatever this presence was, it couldn't hurt them even if it tried. Probably.
Mytho sat on his other side, aegislash resting peacefully in his lap. Mytho had always been the type to be casually intimate with his pokémon (and his friends—the boy had no sense of personal space, as Fakir had found out a long time ago). Fakir thought it odd, in an endearing way. It was easy return the intimacy when it was with Mytho.
Fakir was tempted to ask Mytho if he felt the presence as well, but knew better than to ask right then. Mr. Katze didn't like people interrupting, and his purugly would come after rude students with a vengeance. Instead, Fakir spent the rest of the class acting the same as always; doing his own practice while surreptitiously keeping one eye on Mytho at all times.
Class continued normally—all skill levels met for classes together twice a week, Tuesdays and Thursdays, while on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday they met at different times. Personally, he preferred the classes where he didn't have amateur dancers flailing under his feet, but as he didn't want to incur the wrath of Pavlova he didn't voice it.
Halfway through the class, the presence began to fade in intensity, and by the time the class was over it was gone so completely Fakir began to wonder if he had really felt it in the first place. It wouldn't be the first time he'd imagined some threat to Mytho, only to find it was nothing to worry about. Rue, for instance—although he still had suspicions about her. But at the same time, he couldn't get rid of the nagging sense that something was up, and it irked him that he couldn't place it.
The dance room emptied quickly as students made their way to the changing rooms, and soon he and Asim were standing alone.
"Did you sense it too, Asim?" he asked.
Asim nodded, looking off to a corner that had previously been occupied by a few of the beginner students.
Fakir folded his arms pensively. "One of them, huh?"
He would have to investigate later.
A week or so had passed since Odette's cryptic message, and Duck found herself quickly becoming accustomed to living life as a human girl. Sure, she wasn't exactly a normal one, and she wasn't sure how long this situation would go on, but she certainly could enjoy it while it lasted. She did miss her pokémon abilities a bit, but exchanging them for this adventure seemed like a fair trade. In the past week and a half she had talked to more people and pokémon than she had in her whole life previously. All these new experiences and friends were really growing on her, and a part of her wanted to put off finding Mytho's heart and just let this moment go on forever. But the rest of her knew that saving Mytho was much more important than any of that, and so she waited anxiously for a sign from Odette.
That sign came, finally, on the morning of her second Tuesday. The sun shone merrily through the clouds, and Duck practically skipped down the cobbled path, Fritz waddling beside her.
"I'm so glad Pique showed me how to do laundry," she said, thinking back to when she had been forced to wear her dirty leotard to class because she didn't know how to clean them. "Clean clothes feel so much better. 'Course, you don't have to worry about clothes, do you?" She sighed wistfully. "I kinda miss that sometimes. But then again, all my clothes now are so cute!"
Fritz quacked in agreement.
"Oh, do you remember what we're doing today? Mr. Katze said there was some sort of competition going on."
"Battles," Fritz replied. "Tournament."
"Ohhhh," Duck said, finally remembering. "That's it. We're gonna have our first pokémon battle in class today." She made a face; she'd never been in any sort of pokémon battle before, and she knew practically nothing about them. And, come to think of it, she knew practically nothing about Fritz's experience, either.
"Say," she started, bending down while she walked so that her head was closer to Fritz's level. "How strong are you, anyway? What kinda moves do you know?"
Fritz looked at her askance. "Good enough," he replied simply.
"Hmm," she said, straightening up. "Too bad I can't use Odette—I'm sure she'd be perfect for this."
Fritz turned his head away sharply and harrumphed as only a psyduck could, and Duck had to spend the rest of the walk trying to cheer him up.
Homeroom was about to start by the time they arrived, and Duck sat in her usual seat just as the bell rang. Fritz clambered onto the bench next to Ida and Lenore, away from Duck, who noticed it and frowned. She repressed the urge to whisper yet another apology to him as Mr. Katze walked in the room.
"Good morning, class," he began, after getting settled behind the desk at the front of the room. "Tomorrow is a big day—it's the first round of our annual school-wide pokémon tournament, which will be held over this next month. I hope you've all been working on your strategies!"
Oh. She'd screwed up the dates again. Well, at least that gave her more time.
Pique clenched her hands excitedly, and Lilie let out a dreamy sigh. Duck just grimaced in anticipation of her doomed performance. If her dance placement was any indication, she didn't have nearly enough experience as she'd like.
"Are you guys ready for this?" she whispered behind her hand.
Pique grinned. "You bet I am! Ida and I have been training for weeks!"
Lilie waved her hand cheerfully. "I don't care how well I do. It's more fun to watch everyone else. And listen to the gossip. Can't go without the gossip."
"Speaking of gossip," Pique started, "have you heard about what happened with Rue and Mytho?"
Duck perked up at the mention of Mytho. "What happened?" She knew Rue, of course—anyone who knew of Mytho knew her. She was the best ballerina in the school, had the best grades in her year, and gorgeous to boot. She was perfect—and the perfect girl for Mytho, which was probably why the two were a couple. Duck tried not to think about that, though.
"I heard they broke up! And now Mytho's got a new girlfriend!" Pique whispered harshly.
Lilie repressed a squeal. "That fast? Talk about drama!"
Duck's mouth fell open as she processed this information. Rue and Mytho broke up? But who would be better for him than Rue? A little voice spoke in the back of her mind, and she quickly quashed it.
"Who's he dating now?" she asked, mouth dry.
"Anterina, I think."
Lilie's eyes widened. "Her? I did not see that coming… I wonder how Rue is taking it all?" she said.
Duck had no idea who Anterina was, but she doubted the girl was as good a match as Rue.
"Such timing!" Lilie breathed, clutching her face in her hands. "Just when the town is being overrun with a new villainous gang!"
"Gang?" Duck asked, feeling even more lost. "What gang?"
"You didn't hear? There's a bunch of criminals making messes in town—what was the name again, Lilie?"
"Team Raven, I think," Lilie replied. "A good, mournful name, if I do say so."
"What kind of stuff are they doing?" Duck asked worriedly. "Is it dangerous?"
"Right now they're not doing anything big," Pique assured her. "Just stealing, trespassing, disturbing the peace. That sorta thing."
"Can't they get into the school?"
"Oh, no," Lilie replied sourly. "The school gate is locked because of them. They've upped security, too."
"Don't worry Duck, you'll be fine here. Besides, you have Fritz, and us! Those thugs can't hope to stand against the three of us together," Pique whispered confidently, patting Duck's hand.
Mr. Katze cleared his throat. "Is there something you girls would like to share with the class, or can I get back to teaching?" The three of them straightened.
"No, sir!" they chorused, and Duck avoided looking at Pavlova, who was giving them her patented glare. They were quiet for the rest of the class.
Duck was almost late for dance class again. She hadn't quite gotten used to reading analog clocks yet (the one in her dorm was digital), and she had taken way too much time enjoying her lunch than she should have. On the plus side, at least she'd decided she loved sushi.
Since it was Tuesday, the dance room was more crowded than usual, and she managed to scoot into a spot in the back without being noticed. She had really pushed her luck this time—Mr. Katze started class just after she and Fritz sat down.
"As preparation for the tournament, our lesson today will be on how to effectively fuse the passion and strategy of a pokémon battle with the grace and discipline of ballet. Who would like to demonstra—"
A voice cut him off. "I would! And I have a preposition," said a tall brunette who was largely unfamiliar to Duck. She stood up proudly, her hand still raised and eyebrows furrowed in determination.
"Ms. Anterina," Mr. Katze said wearily, "We've talked about this. There is simply no space in the advanced class this year—"
Again, he was unable to finish. "My plan," Anterina said emphatically, "is simple. We don't have to add more spaces to the advanced class. We just need to replace a student with someone better." She looked scornfully at her classmates. "Specifically, Rue."
A chatter went up among the class as Rue stood.
"Yes, Anterina?" Rue said nonchalantly. "What sort of challenge do you have in mind?"
"I propose a four-way double ballet battle. One pokémon per trainer. And my partner," she added, "will be Mytho."
Rue's expression didn't change as Mytho and his pokémon got up to stand next to Anterina.
"Who will you choose, Rue?" Anterina asked derisively.
Rue turned to face her classmates, eyes scanning quickly, then stopping—on her?! No, couldn't be. Must be Pique or Lilie or someone else—
"Would you be my partner?" Rue asked, looking her in the eyes directly.
Duck's heart leapt to her throat. "M-me?" It crept up even farther when Rue nodded.
"If you would be so kind, yes."
Mr. Katze looked like he was struggling between saying something and just letting the situation play out. After a bit of hesitation and some odd facial expressions, the latter won, and he sighed.
Legs wobbling, Duck got to her feet. "O-okay…" she said, walking mechanically to stand next to Rue.
"Y'know I'm not really very good at this stuff, like, at all, so maybe there would be someone better for this…?" she whispered hurriedly, her arms stiff at her side.
"It'll be fine—just follow my directions," Rue said gently. Duck nodded nervously. She and Fritz exchanged looks. A thought hit her—she knew she had no experience, but what about Fritz? Had he ever been in a battle before? He at least knew more than she did—right?
After a bit of arguing between Anterina and Mr. Katze, the class moved to a different classroom for the demonstration. A part of the school was devoted to both indoor and outdoor battle arenas, and despite Anterina's impatience to begin, she did agree that potentially ruining the dance room wasn't worth it.
This particular arena was the closest to the dance room, and wasn't very big. It was a fair sized rectangle, maybe twenty feet wide and forty long. Markings on the floor indicated where the trainers were to stand, and the referee.
Duck now stood on those markings, Fritz inside the arena in front of her. Rue was to her left, and Anterina and Mytho across from them. Mr. Katze took the referee's spot, a high chair off to the side of the arena that offered a good viewpoint.
"Here are the rules," Mr. Katze began. "This is a single-pokémon double ballet battle. Once a pokémon has fainted, it is out. If a pokémon leaves the arena, it is out. If a trainer enters the arena, they and their pokémon are out. Both trainer teams must dance a pas de deux during the battle. The winners will be decided both on how they battle and how they dance." He eyed Duck pointedly before continuing. "Take out your pokémon. Choose wisely."
Anterina tsked in disdain, pulling out a pokéball and releasing it. "Anja, it's time to shine!" she said loudly as a rather hulking heatmor appeared in the arena. Duck gulped.
Mytho produced his own pokéball, which had a design Duck had never seen before. "Come out please, Felix." His aegislash appeared, glittering in the light Anja was giving off beside it.
"Ava, please accompany me," Rue said, nonchalant as ever, opening her pokéball. A sleek linoone appeared beside Fritz, and Duck felt a little better. Maybe she would do okay after all.
"Alright," Mr. Katze said briskly. "Since Anterina's team is challenging, Rue's team has the first turn. You may begin." He waved his hand, signaling for the class to quiet down and watch.
"Just follow my lead," Rue said reassuringly, already standing en pointe.
As she and Duck curtsied to their opponents, she called out to her linoone. "Ava, sniff him out!"
Ava did so quickly, and Duck realized she was using odor sleuth, which would be handy against Mytho's aegislash. Directly after that, she realized she had no idea what moves Fritz knew. Focusing on her balance as Rue spun her, she called out the first move that came to mind.
"Fritz, use…splash?" It came out as more of a question than she had hoped it would. Fritz shot her a look of disbelief.
Rue noticed the uncertainty in her voice. "Fritz—," she called hurriedly. "You know what to do!" From the look on Rue's face, Duck could tell it was awkward (if not taboo) to direct your teammate's pokémon, but since she was obviously clueless, there was no other choice if they wanted to win. Fritz recognized this too, apparently, as he simply nodded and picked his best move.
The battle went on in rather the same fashion after that first exchange. Even with Ava's odor sleuth and Fritz's type advantage over Anja, the other team was just too strong. Felix dealt a heavy blow to Fritz on the first turn, and the little psyduck struggled to stay standing for the rest of the battle. Duck's inability to lead meant that Ava and Fritz were at a disadvantage.
And then there was Anja. She was a powerhouse, and it seemed that none of Ava's or Fritz's moves affected her, even the water type ones. And she moved with such speed that Duck couldn't help wondering if it was normal for a heatmor to be that fast.
Duck spent most of her concentration on keeping up with Rue, who was doing a miraculous job considering her position. Even while dancing with an amateur, she directed Ava with ease, and after a few minutes of battling Felix had fainted.
Their hopes were in vain, though, as it seemed nothing could get to Anja, and Ava and Fritz had both taken heavy hits. It was only a minute or two before Fritz was down as well (which made Duck's pirouette wobble with worry—and she almost fell over herself). Ava's last stand was brave and calculated, causing as much damage as possible to Anja before she was knocked clear out of the arena.
Rue guided Duck to a somewhat dignified finishing pose before summoning Ava back to her pokéball. Mytho somberly did the same for Felix, while Duck dropped to Fritz's side. Delicately, she pulled him into her lap, wishing he had a pokéball to return to.
"The battle is over," Mr. Katze announced, one hand on his chin. "Ms. Anterina and Mr. Mytho won the battle portion," he continued. "…But the overall winners are Ms. Rue and Ms. Duck." The latter name was a little forced, Duck noticed.
The class broke out in chatter again.
Anterina gasped in indignation. "What? Why?" she asked angrily. "I'm the superior trainer here!"
"That's really not for you to judge, Ms. Anterina. And although you and Mr. Mytho were a good team and won the battle, Rue did magnificently in both the dance and duel portions."
Duck realized she hadn't paid much attention to how Anterina and Mytho were dancing their pas de deux. Knowing Mytho, it couldn't have been worse than hers—
"Ms. Rue not only danced well herself, but also guided a much younger and more inexperienced dancer to do rather well—all while leading both her and her partner's pokémon in battle. You and Mr. Mytho did well, yes, but you're both disciplined dancers," Mr. Katze explained further. "If this were an even matchup, there is no doubt she would have won then as well. And besides, I can't allow you to declare duels whenever you feel like it during class. It's not courteous to your classmates. Please, talk to me after class so we can sort this out, okay?"
Anterina's face screwed up in a frown as she obviously held back livid tears. "This isn't over, Rue," she choked out viciously, before turning and running from the room.
The room was filled with awkward silence as everyone processed what had just happened. Mr. Katze coughed, then clapped his hands. "All right, everyone! What a demonstration of how one can truly combine dance and battling, eh?" A soft chorus of agreement echoed as the students got up from their seats. "Let's get back to the dance classroom to finish up today's lesson." He turned to Duck, who was still cradling Fritz in her arms. "You should take him to the infirmary," he said quietly. "I'll give you the rest of this class off, if you promise to use this time to get to know your Mr. Fritz better. You won't get very far at all if you don't, now will you?"
Duck nodded, standing up carefully so not to jostle Fritz. "Thank you, Mr. Katze," she said somberly.
"Of course, Ms. Duck. Now show me how brilliant of a team you can become, eh?"
The infirmary was a large room off the main hallway, which was well equipped to handle one fainted pokémon. The nurse asked her why Fritz wasn't in a pokéball, and she had to make up something about leaving it at her grandmother's house. It was almost true—Fritz hadn't bothered to bring his pokéball with him once he became homeless, and it was likely somewhere in the late old woman's house. Either way, healing without the aid of a pokéball took a little more time, so she was forced to wait.
It was after she had laid Fritz in the infirmary cot when it finally happened.
Duck, I sense a heart shard! Odette's mental whisper came suddenly, carrying with it twinges of anticipation and…joy?
Duck sent a thought back. Where?
In that heatmor you just battled.
She blinked. Really? Well, Anja had seemed oddly strong for a heatmor. Okay, what do I do?
Find somewhere secluded and let me out of my pokéball. I will help you from there.
She obeyed, scampering into a nearby empty classroom and locking the door behind her. She dug out Odette's ball from her bag and clumsily thumbed the catch.
"What next?" she asked, feeling her heart begin to pound. Finally, what she came here for!
Do you trust me, Duck?
"Huh?"
For this to work, you must trust me. Do you? Odette's mental voice was serious.
Duck nodded thoughtfully. "Yeah…I do."
Good. Odette reached out one hand towards her, palm up. Now take my hand.
She grasped the offered hand, and Odette put her other hand on Duck's pendant. As she clasped it, Duck could feel something inside her tugging, twisting, melting… It felt like she was going to sleep and waking up at the same time, like a flower was growing up through her soul and body and mind. All she wanted to do was close her eyes…
Princess Tutu opened her eyes.
It was a strange, indescribable feeling, having two beings merged seamlessly into each other, so much so that it was almost impossible to pick where one consciousness ended and the other began. Both were in charge, and at the same time, neither of them. Either way, Princess Tutu knew what she had to do.
The heart shard was nearby—a pulsing, almost magnetic force that beckoned and repulsed her in turn. As she followed the aura to its source, the more Duckish part of her was awed by the natural grace of her movements. She felt like a pokémon again! No matter how human this form looked, there was no mistaking the power that flowed through her veins. It was a marvelous feeling, like someone had replaced her blood with something lighter and carbonated.
She followed the shard's energy to a small gazebo in the campus gardens, where Anterina sat by herself, head in her hands. Princess Tutu watched silently as tears leaked from between her fingers and onto her lap. Her heatmor, Anja, was beside her mistress, comfortingly stroking her back when Tutu approached.
It was a second or two before either of them noticed her presence. Anja stood and growled defensively beside Anterina, who looked up.
"Who…?" Anterina started weakly, confusion plastered on her face.
"Don't worry, Anterina, Anja. I wish you no harm," Princess Tutu said, holding her hands out in a peaceful gesture. "What is wrong?"
Confusion crossed Anterina's face, but then she smiled bitterly. "Like you care. I don't know how you know our names, and I don't care. Leave me alone."
"I do care, Anterina," she said, and reached out her hand. "Please, won't you dance with me?"
Anterina stood scornfully, tears drying a little. "Dance? You want to dance with me? No one wants to dance with me, the Rue-wannabe."
"Is that how you really feel?" Tutu asked, concerned. "I think you're a wonderful dancer. Please, just dance with me."
"You're just mocking me!" Anterina cried. "You saw how I lost to Rue and now you're rubbing it in! Anja, use flame burst!"
Before the flames could reach her, she instinctively threw her arm in a defensive gesture—and watched as a cloud of petals appeared in front of the blast, shielding her effectively, though they vanished along with the fire.
"Wha—How—" Anterina stepped back in astonishment.
"Why are you so angry? What is wrong?" Princess Tutu's sincere voice fell on deaf ears.
"I don't know how you're doing this, but there's no way I'm losing twice in a row!"
More flames, and again Tutu produced a shield of petals. "I don't want to fight you, Anterina. I want to help you. What is wrong? Why are you so bitter and upset?"
"What kind of question is that? Rue has everything! Fans, a boyfriend, prestige—and I can't even amount to half of that, can I?" Tears streaked down her face once more. "I really am just a wannabe…"
Finally, she was close enough to take by the hand. In the instant their fingers touched, Anterina's memories flowed between them. How she had always looked up to Rue, the years she had spent practicing ballet, training with Anja, how she had asked Rue for advice—how can I dance like you? —The hurt and disappointment she had felt at those words, that her idol could say something so shattering in such a matter-of-fact way, how she had found the curious stone that made Anja stronger, thinking that this was the way to show Rue who was better—all of it washed over Tutu as Anterina overflowed.
"Oh, Anterina," she said empathetically, taking Anterina's hand. "I understand why you feel like this."
Anterina hesitated, but eventually relented to dance with her.
The two spun gracefully around the gazebo as Tutu continued. "…But you do not have to be angry. When Rue said you could not dance like her, she just meant that there was no way for you to ever be exactly like her. You do not have to prove anything—you are already special just by being you."
At this, Anterina stopped. A flood of emotions crossed her face—confusion, disdain, and finally, surprise. "You're…you're right. I don't have to be like Rue to be a good ballerina, or trainer. I just have to be the best version of myself." She looked anxiously into Tutu's eyes. "Oh, what have I done? Now she'll hate me—"
"No," Tutu said calmly, clasping her hand in both her own. "Rue knows your ambition, and does not hate you for it. I am sure of it."
"But—what do I do?"
"Have hope," she said simply. "If you try your hardest, I am certain you will become something great."
Anterina wiped her face with the heel of her free hand and sniffed. "You've stopped me from doing something stupid and hateful," she said. "How can I ever thank you?"
"Seeing you at peace is enough for me," she replied.
"Oh," Anterina said, turning to Anja suddenly. After a moment she swiveled back to face Tutu, holding a small red crystal. "You should take this," she said, placing it in Tutu's palm. "Anja and I are going to get stronger on our own, without taking any shortcuts."
Princess Tutu nodded. "I know you will do well."
Anterina sniffed again, almost all the tears dried from her face. "I have to go do something," she said, pulling out her pokéball and summoning her heatmor back into it. "C'mon, Anja."
She hadn't gotten far when she stopped and looked back, but the gazebo was already empty.
The gardens were a wonderful place for a late afternoon nap. There was no shortage of soft grass and shade, as well as innumerable flowers that lulled you to sleep in minutes. Mytho liked to nap there most days, especially after a hard workout with his team. And they liked it too—Felix, Adalwin, and Philomena would all curl up alongside him and rest as well.
Today, though, Mytho wasn't quite sleeping. He didn't know what exactly was going on with Anterina—just that she had asked him to help her out with a battle today, and he had agreed. He'd had no idea that it was going to be against Rue, and especially not that Rue would choose the new girl for a partner. Well, she certainly wouldn't have picked Fakir.
Rue. What had she been thinking, picking the new girl? Duck—that was her name, he remembered—wasn't exactly the best trainer or ballerina. Had…had she chosen her because of that? To make herself look good in front of the class?
No—she wouldn't have. Sure, Rue was a little selfish, but she wouldn't risk injuring Ava just for prestige. It was probably just to send a message to him; that she could do well on her own. That she didn't need him.
He sighed. If he had known the battle was to try and humiliate Rue, he would never have agreed to be Anterina's partner. He just thought he was helping a classmate out.
But how was he going to tell Rue that? Would she believe him, anyway?
Suddenly he felt queasy—ever since he had shattered the Prince's Heart he hadn't been feeling up to scratch, and it seemed to get worse every passing day now. Wearily, he rubbed his forehead, hoping that the nausea would go away. Usually he could handle the aches and the chronic fatigue, but now the addition of feeling like he was about to puke was threatening to send him to bed permanently.
Even then, he didn't regret shattering the Heart. Too many people and pokémon had died for its power—it was broken, diminished, sealed away where no one could get it.
He closed his eyes tiredly, eventually dozing off. Philomena, Adalwin, and Felix were still in their pokeballs, since he hadn't yet taken Felix to be healed and revived at the infirmary. Thus, he slept alone.
A voice woke him—a gentle, soft voice that spoke his name reverently. He opened his eyes slowly, focusing on the figure kneeling before him. It was a girl, one he'd never seen before but who looked terribly familiar at the same time. Her white tutu shone in the late afternoon sun.
"Who…?" he murmured, confused but not afraid.
"Are you well, my prince?"
Prince. So she knew about the Heart. What could she want with it? With him?
"Please, take this," she said earnestly, and held out her hand.
His blood ran cold at the sight of it—the small chunk of red crystal, sitting squarely in this girl's palm.
"How did you get that?" Mytho asked, sitting up suddenly. How was this happening? He had been certain it was sealed away, and yet here it was, a shard of the Heart, right in front of him. And who knew where the rest of it was? He barely remembered the date he had smashed it, let alone how many pieces there were.
The girl avoided his question. "Please, Prince. You need your heart."
His—?
He took it from her wordlessly, deciding. It was better to know where the shards were than to have them floating around. It was too dangerous any other way.
The stone felt warm and heavy in his hand.
"I'll take it," he said decisively.
The girl smiled in relief. "I am glad, my prince. Please, be safe."
And with that, she was gone, and Mytho was left with too many questions to go back to sleep.