"Please, Celina! No one wants to hear a stupid love story!" V heard Aini shout, the sentence laced with far to much attitude considering her age.
"It's not stupid!" Celina said tearfully. "They're wonderful! Even Iri likes them!
"Yes it is! And no boy in his right mind would like a love story!"
"Says who?!"
"Says the rules! It's a rule that boys aren't allowed to like love!"
"Then you're wrong because the rules also say that girls have to love love stories!"
A pause. V smiled as Celina's little fire came out. While she was a shrinking violet in public, at home, she was quite fierce in an argument. When she got determined enough about it.
"The rules can change!"
"Says who?!"
"Says me!"
"You can't change the rules!"
"Yes I can and I just did!"
"Then I change the rules so boys can like love stories!"
"You can't change the rules!"
"Why not? You did!"
"I can because I'm the rulemaker!"
"Prove it!"
"I don't have to prove anything!"
"Do to!"
"Do not!"
"Do to!"
"Do not!"
"Do to!"
"Do not!"
"Now girls." V decided to cut in there, walking in the room. Iri was sitting on the bed, oddly passive as he watched his sisters duel it out over the rules of kids. "If you keep arguing, I won't be able to finish the story."
"And as soon as this one's done, we get pirates!" Iri exclaimed. That seemed to excite Aini while Celina pouted a moment, preferring her princess stories.
Quickly hustling her three kids on the bed, she sat down in the middle, opening the book.
"Now for the finale of The Monster and the Thief..."
o.0.o.0.o
The Monster and the Thief, Part Four
Blue forced away all of her sisterly instincts to go after Silver to care for Jade and her children.
Honestly, she was scared. Blue did not get scared often, but seeing Jade, quite possibly one of the strongest people she knew outside of herself and Silver, collapsed on the floor in the castle foyer- combined with what she saw in the mirror- she really, really didn't want to know what Masque had done back home.
"There doesn't appear to be any visible injuries on the babies." Yellow said, scurrying down from the chair Blue had sat in, one baby in each arm.
Blue, with the help of Green, had Jade moved into her room. Blue settled in a chair, trying to calm the wailing infants. It took her a half hour, but eventually the one with the olive eyes settled on silently looking about the room and the one with the pine colored eyes took solace in tugging repeatedly at her hair.
"The one with the olive eyes is a girl." Yellow said offhandedly. "The other is a boy."
"A girl and a boy. Twins." she quietly chuckled at that.
"Do you need anything, Blue?" Yellow asked.
"No. Tell Green that everything's gonna be fine, okay?"
"Okay." Yellow nodded with one worried glance, then scurried out the door. Blue watched as she left, then turned her attention back to the babies.
"Looks like your Mommy and Daddy didn't have to worry choosing names for both genders." she said, mostly to fill the silence and to escape her own thoughts. "Good thing they narrowed it down to one for each, though." Remembering the names that Jade and Onyx had chosen, she almost burst out laughing. "Olive and Pine. Fitting, considering your eye colors. You got that from your Mom. And this brown hair?" she fiddled with a some of the hair on Olive's head. "Your Dad." she paused as her hand brushed Olive's espeon ear. "Where did these come from, though? Your mother?"
She glanced at Jade and her glaceon ears.
Her gaze moved back to the twins.
Olive blinked and Pine laughed.
"Do you think that's funny?" Blue shook her head, forgetting the ears for a moment. After all, ears or no ears, they were the offspring of her closest friends and she's spent the last year of her life befriending a Charizard hybrid and talking pokémon. "You must be near your first birthday. It's supposed to be around the end of December, right? Wonder which day." she sighed. "I hope we can get your family here to celebrate."
"The thirty-first."
"Jade?!" Blue nearly dropped the twins as she bolted up in her chair. Pine laughed again, as if he found the abrupt ride a great deal of fun while Olive whimpered. Blue glanced at her. "Oh! Crap, don't cry!" she whispered, gently bouncing her in an attempt to deter the looming wails.
She faintly heard Jade chuckle, and she snapped her head to her. Jade very rarely smiled, let alone chuckled. Was she well?
"You feeling alright, Jade?"
"Fine. You're humorous to listen to, is all." she held out her arms. "Pass her here. I'm sure you can handle Pine. He only starts crying when Olive does." Blue obliged, smiling as the mother rocked her child.
"So... twins."
"Twins." Jade responded. "Born the thirty-first of December."
"New Years Eve." Blue whistled. "Hear that, little one's? No matter what, there's always be a celebration for you! The whole world will celebrate your birthday!"
A heavy silence after that.
"I'm surprised you're alive, honestly." Jade said, turning to her as Olive's whimpers silenced. "The monster..."
"Jade, you're not one to believe such superstitious tales." Blue chuckled. "What changed?"
Jade didn't say anything for a moment.
"Masque's gone mad." she murmured. "Silver quickly moved out of his house after you left. At first, we figured you ran off. That it was a plan for you two. You'd leave to find someplace new to live, away from Masque, and Silver would take refuge with the blacksmith until he could meet up." she sighed. "I know it sounds crazy, but with the caring for the babies and Carnelian appearing, we somehow rationalized it."
"Carnelian's back?" Blue grinned. "That must've pissed Onyx off."
"Yes, but Opal was ecstatic, so he didn't try to interfere to much." Jade said with a smile. Pine whined, reaching for his mother.
"Looks like someone wants his Mama." Blue said. Jade chuckled, shifting Olive to one arm and reaching out for Pine. Blue passed him off and he seemed smirk, a look similar to that which Blue often saw Jade don when something went her way.
"Anyways," Jade said once the two had calmed down. "Before Carnelian, Pine and Olive were born..." she paused.
"Something tells me that what happened next has something to do with the ears." Blue said. "What are you, exactly?"
"Gijinka's." Jade shrugged. "Simply put, pokémon human hybrids."
"Like Green." Blue immediately thought, widening her eyes. Everyone so feared the mythical beast, but how was he any different than her friend? They were still people... Just... different.
"We have powers, but we're not dangerous." Jade said. "Over time, we can hide the ears and tails with the help of a wizard or witch-"
"Spell?" Blue asked, recalling Carnelian's occupation as a magician. "Carnelian?"
"No, not him." Jade shook her head. "He's one as well. We usually travel in groups. It's an old rule. A group of gijinka's needs a wizard or witch around them to hide the ears, so they usually travel in the group. Our wizard died, Soul's father-"
"The baker is dead?!" exclaimed Blue. Poor Soul. She adored her father...
"Yes. He died in his sleep, so he didn't fee lit. That happened in fall and we were stuck. At this point, Masque was buying his way to power. We knew we needed to leave, but we couldn't leave Carnelian." she paused at Blue's odd look. "Think of it as a family pact."
"You're expecting him to come in the family?" Blue asked, almost teasingly.
"That, or Onyx will kill him for leading Opal on." Jade responded stoically. "So we decided to wait. I stayed in the house with Olive and Pine most of the time and Onyx went out hunting. Opal stayed with me, helping care for the kids.
"Carnelian came back when the snow melted, like he always does. He usually doesn't stay during the winter, but since Soul's father died, he was kind of forced to stay. Onyx was out hunting. It was a relatively normal day, you know? We were getting ready for Christmas, wrapping presents, waiting to celebrate their first Christmas... then twenty men burst into the door. I... ran. I abandoned Opal."
"But you did it to protect the twins." Blue said gently.
"I abandoned my kin."
"But you saved your children."
Jade said nothing for a few moments.
"Opal ordered Carnelian with me. She wanted to protect her niece and nephew, so she sent him as a guardian."
"Some guardian." Blue smirked.
"My exact words." Jade responded, shaking her head. "I hid with Soul. Silver had also taken refuge, as Masque bought the blacksmiths shop, but he's gotten really sick lately. There, he told me about what really happened with you. I think Masque had something to do with his sickness because he knew the truth about what happened to you, and if he ever wanted to attack the castle, he needed Silver out of the way."
"So he probably poisoned him." Blue growled out angrily. "And anything he did say, Masque would chalk up to fevered illusions."
Jade simply nodded as she let out a shuddery sigh.
"They arrested Opal and chained her up in the square. As bait, under orders of Masque, "to flush out the other freaks". And they... left her there."
Blue didn't know what to say for a minute.
"Onyx attacked immediately and was arrested. I heard that they tried to interrogate him for my location, but he's so stubborn that, even if he knew, he wouldn't give up our location no matter what they did." there was a soft, proud smile on her face as she thought of her husband. "Carnelian was a little more calculating. He swooped in at night. Unfortunately, guards were posted and both of them were hauled to jail."
Another heavy silence.
"They began storming random houses in search of us. Soul's house was stormed, naturally, and she was arrested along with Silver detaining fugitives." she paused. "Masque accused both of witchcraft. And with all the money he has now, he could buy anyone's support."
"How'd you escape?"
"Soul hid me in her father's secret cellar. It was basically a place they kept extra food rations in case the town ran out in winter. No one knew about it but her and her father. After everything settled down... I pulled up my hood and I ran as fast and as far as I could. I didn't stop till I came here." Blue widened her eyes as Jade began shaking. "I think... he's going to... to execute them. Masque's gone mad, I tell you. Absolutely and utterly mad."
A long silence. Blue reached out and put a hand on her shoulder.
"I'm so sorry."
"It's not your fault-"
"In a way, it is." Blue said with a shake of her head. "Masque's all about control. He probably thought that if he got rid of me, he'd have more control of Silver. But with me gone, Silver moved out, and he's slowly loosing the control he has. He probably snapped from that."
"What are we going to do, then?" Jade asked.
"You're staying here, where it's safe." Blue said, standing up. "You're in no condition to go anywhere, and I would personally drown you if you left your children here."
"Yes, but..." she trailed off a moment, silently contemplating, then sighing. "I am logical but prideful, you know that Blue. I'm ashamed of abandoning all of them."
"You didn't abandon them!"
"But that's what it feels like." Jade said sharply. "And unlike my husband, I'm not a stubborn idiot. I know what I can and can't handle." she shook her head. "I'm not putting my kids in anymore danger."
o.0.o.0.o
Green hunched over Daisy, sadly staring at the flower. He heard footsteps behind him, human footsteps. He knew it was her.
"How's your friend?" he asked.
"She's tired." Blue responded.
"Her children?"
"Adorable." he could almost see her grin. There was a heavy silence as Blue didn't say anything for a moment. She walked around the table to look him in the eye. She was still wearing her ball gown.
"I need to go back, Green." she whispered. "Her family... Her husband, her sister-in-law, and soon to be brother-in-law all got arrested and are due for execution. As well... as well as my brother."
Green turned back to the flower, squeezing his eyes shut tightly. He didn't have to let her go. He could force her to stay here. So what if it made her sad? So what if it made her hate him? As long as she stayed here, with him...
"No," he thought as he felt something squeeze around his heart. "She't not my prisoner. She's my guest. She's... my friend."
He knew what he had to do. He didn't want to, but he knew.
"Then you... you must go to them. Your friend can stay here until she's well enough to travel again."
"... Are you sure, Green?"
With a new resolve in his eyes, he turned, taking her hands and pressing her dagger into it.
"You're no longer my prisoner. I release you."
There was a long silence before Blue shook her head and wrapped her arms around him.
"For such a smart guy, Greeny, you really are stupid. I was never a prisoner." she stated with a small smile as she pulled back, glancing at the dagger in his hands. "But wow, you had this thing the whole time?"
"Yes." he said, almost guiltily.
"Well, I'm guilty too." she pointed to the locket around her neck. He blinked in surprise, then remembered giving that to Blasty and Jiggly so they'd get access to the castle. She pushed the dagger back into his hands. "Keep it. To remember me."
"As if I could forget." he forced out with a chuckle.
"And I'll keep this!" she said with a bright grin on her face. "You forgot to ask for it back. Or perhaps you wanted me to keep it?"
Gently, his fingers cupped the small charm.
"I don't know when I'll be back." Blue said, new determination in her eyes as she reached up and gripped his hand. "But I'll come back. And when I do, I'll break the curse."
Green simply nodded, letting his hand drop. It felt as if his heart was going to break if she kept talking.
"Thanks for everything, Greeny."
Again, he nodded.
She began walking away, presumably to go change into better traveling clothes. With the dagger tightly gripped in his hand, he continued to stare at Daisy.
"Goodbye, Blue."
He heard her footsteps stop, and for a brief moment, nothing being said.
"I'll be back, Greeny."
He had a feeling she was looking over her shoulder, that annoyingly beautiful mischievous smile, 'plan-B' already forming in her ocean blue eyes. He didn't look back. He couldn't trust himself not to take his word back if he looked back again.
He wondered why she paused when he said goodbye. To reassure him? To rethink her choice? To question his choice?
He watched woefully as Blue went across the bridge in her traveling clothes, hair down and whipping around her from atop Jiggly. Blasty was also there, letting out strong propels of water in order for them to go faster.
"Blue..." he muttered, when it suddenly dawned on him.
For the first time since she arrived here, he called her by her name.
Not noisy girl.
Not pesky woman.
Not simply 'you'.
He called her Blue
He clenched his fists tightly, then tilted his head back. For the first time since Daisy gave herself up to be a lifeline for him, he let out a sorrowful roar.
Of regret.
Of failure.
Of heartbreak.
After he stopped, he bowed over Daisy. What was this overwhelming sadness he was feeling? Why did it hurt so much to know she was gone?
"Green?"
"Red." he responded. Who else would it be? He was the only one who was brave enough to enter this room. Him, and Blue.
"Where's... Where's Blue?"
No doubt someone saw her leave. Rumors were probably flying.
"I let her go." he muttered, still bowing over Daisy.
"You... You what?!"
He turned to face him.
"I. Let. Her. Go."
"W-Why would you do that?!" Red cried out. No doubt he was panicking right now. Floundering. Green squeezed his eyes shut.
"Because I had to." Normally, Red would take the hint and leave. He could have his stupid moments, but he knew when Green didn't want to discuss a subject any further.
"Y-Yes, but... but why?"
It wasn't supposed to happen this way. She was supposed to fall for him...!
"Because," he said, coming upon the realization. "I love her."
o.0.o.0.o
"He did what?!"
Red flinched at the outcries from his friends, all horrified or sorrowed by the news.
"Great. Just *bleep*ing great." Topaz muttered. "I told all of you this was a bad *bleep*ing idea! But did anyone *bleep*ing listen to me? Noooooooo." she turned throwing her hands in the air. "Well, *bleep* Green, *bleep* all of you, *bleep* the *bleep*ed fairy, and *bleep* the Arceus-*bleep*ed, mother*bleep*ing curse!"
And with that she stormed out.
"I'm sorry, but I'm afraid it's true." Red said, bowing his head.
"She's... not coming back?" Yellow asked tearfully. Red nodded sadly.
"But he was so close." Gold said, bowing his head.
"After all this time, too." Crystal sighed. "He finally learned to love."
"But... that's it, right?" White asked, trying to find a bit of silver lining. "Shouldn't that break the curse?"
"It's not enough." Ruby stated. "Someone needs to love him, remember?"
"Now..." Sapphire trailed off, shaking her head. Emerald spoke up.
"Now it's to late, isn't it?"
No one wanted to admit it, but they had no other choice with Blue leaving and the hours dwindling away.
It was to late for the curse to be broken.
o.0.o.0.o
Blue was surprised at how quickly she managed to get back to her home village, though pulled her hood up and left Blasty and Jiggly on the outskirts so not to alert any of the villagers. Masque obviously had it out for anyone who was against him, so no doubt if she suddenly showed up, her head would be on the chopping block.
She edged towards the village square, and saw a mob of villagers wielding torches. If she stood on her tip-toes, she could see Onyx, Opal, and Carnelian chained to posts with wood around the bottom, gags tied across their mouths. Were they planning on burning them at the stake?!
She didn't know much about this newly discovered race of people, but she was pretty sure that fire wasn't going to affect Onyx, what with his flareon attributes, all that much. Opal and Carnelian, with their jolteon and leafeon attributes respectively, she wasn't to sure about. How much money did Masque dole out to get the usually gentle and docile people of her village to turn against their own?
She swallowed as Masque stepped up onto a podium, like he was some sort of high and mighty god, and turned to the three 'convicted'.
"These freaks are out to kill us! Those three," he pointed wildly at some guards, and Blue saw Soul and Silver standing there, bound with rope. If standing was what one wanted to call it. Silver was collapsed on the ground, obviously to weak to stand from whatever had gotten him sick, and Soul was a sobbing mess, about to collapse if not for the villagers holding her upright. "Can repent for their sins of witchcraft and treason! But they," he hissed the word out vehemently, as if Onyx wasn't the man he bought his meat from on occasion and Opal wasn't the young woman who made him his favorite fur coat. "Will make off with our children and wives in the night! They stole Blue away, after all! They sent her to the monster!"
He was using her disappearance as an excuse?! He sent her away!
"We shall rid the village of them!"
"Aye!" they all shouted.
"Then we'll lay siege to the monster's castle and rescue my daughter!"
"Aye!" the shouted again.
"Masque...!" she growled out, suddenly shoving her way through the crowd. "Masque!" she shouted a bit louder, over the cheering of villagers. Once at the front, just but a few feet from her friends, she yanked down her hood. "How dare you tell such lies!" she turned to the village people. "This man is a conman and a thief! He's turning you into monsters! Look at these people!" she waved her hand to Onyx, Opal, and Carnelian. "Are those two not the siblings who helped supply you with food and clothes for the winter? Is that man not the person you sat your children in front of for magic tricks? What's wrong with you?"
There was silence for a moment. Then...
"She's alive..."
"Did she escape from the beast?"
"But Masque said that he barely escaped with his life..."
Blue smirked. Well, then, it seems all of the lies are finally piling up.
"You're listening to an idiot!" Blue announced, climbing up to the podium. "The monster that lives in the castle is not a threat! He's actually quite the gentleman if you get to know him." she smiled fondly as she thought of. Honestly, she had an inkling that he wouldn't be half-bad looking if he wasn't part Charizard. "Sure, he can be serious and a party-pooper sometimes, but he's not at all as beastly as he's made out to be. He's kind and sweet. He's my friend."
"It sounds like..." Masque stated, gripping her shoulders and forcing her around. "You have... feelings for this monster."
Blue narrowed her eyes into a glare, wrenching herself free from his grasp, taking a step back as her hand reached up to clasp the locket Green had given her.
"He's no monster, Masque." she said, the full hate for the man coming out in the sentence. "You are!"
Unsure chatters went across the people. Blue could tell that Masque was struggling to come up with an excuse or something to explain that Green truly was a monster, that he was right.
Blue felt a shiver go up her spine as something flashed through his eyes. Did he... have an idea? She only saw that look when he had an idea to rob someone senseless...
Suddenly, he snatched her wrist, the one bearing the faint scar of a burn that Green had accidentally inflicted a year prior, holding it up so high that she was nearly on her tiptoes.
"This woman has been bewitched by the beast!" he suddenly shouted, moving his fingers and holding a torch to the scar. "This must be his mark!" he paused, judging the crowds reactions. Some looked horrified, others looked confused.
"That's no mark and I'm not bewitched!" Blue exclaimed, trying to wrench her arm free. Masque only tightened his grip.
"He's bewitched her to tell lies! To bring more prisoners to his castle! He'll come after your children! He'll steal your wives! Your daughters!" he continued. Blue scowled, trying to break free again.
The next words that come out of his mouth set shivers down her spine.
"I say we kill the monster!"
Cheers of agreement rose up from the crowd, raising weapons they had brought should their prisoners attempt to escape.
"What should we do with the prisoners?" Carl asked.
"Keep the freaks in chains. We'll take them with us and use them as bait." he turned to Soul and Silver. "I wouldn't assume any of you would like to fight? Not that you can." he sneered the last word out, as if to mock the two.
Masque grinned, turning to see the crowds rallying around him.
"Anyone not with us is against us!" he shouted. "We don't need witches and freaks and people who are willing to protect the beast!"
More cries of agreement rang out.
"We'll use them as bait!"
"No...!" Blue exclaimed, glancing at Soul, who was practically on her knees with fear. Silver must have gained consciousness, because he was now shooting one of his most fearsome glares at Masque. The glare still sent shivers up Blue's spine. Even though he was on the ground, tied up, and sick, Blue knew immediately by the fierceness of the glare that he was planning on slaughtering Masque the minute he could move again.
She turned her own glare back to him.
"I won't let you do this!" she exclaimed, rearing back to punch him. She didn't know what would be any different if she tried to hit him this time. Anytime any of his kids decided to fight back, he always beat them down to the point of near unconsciousness. He, after all, taught them how to fight. He knew all their moves. So when he simply caught her punch and bent back to lock the joint, she wasn't surprised.
What she was surprised by was when he released her wrist, reared back, and sent a near bone shattering punch to her temple. He never actually aimed for a knockout punch. He liked to prolong the beatings.
She stumbled about a bit, feeling as if her brain was being shaken around like a pokémon caught in an earthquake attack.
"We'll lay siege to the castle!" she heard Masque shout, though he sounded far off. "And bring back his head!"
Then she stumbled to the left and blacked out.
o.0.o.0.o
"I knew it." Pearl said, pacing back and forth. Diamond stood nearby, to depressed to even pick up a piece of food, while Black and White stood off to the side. All the other members of the house had gone off to who know's where, either to comfort their friends or loved ones or to drown their sorrow in work, food, or whatever they so chose to drown their sorrows in. "I knew it was foolish to get our hopes up!"
"Maybe it would have been better if she had never come at all!" Black stated bitterly.
They heard the barely shut door creak open, and turned, seeing the baby with the espeon ears crawling through. Judging by the fact that she was now donned in a soft pink and warm-looking onesie, tail sticking out a convenient hole in the back, they guessed she was a girl.
"What are you doing, crawling around?" White mused, approaching the baby as she went to the window, looking out it. Her ears folded back, tears brimming as she looked outside.
Then she tilted her head back and wailed.
"Here she is, Miss Jade." they heard Emerald say as the door opened, revealing the woman who stumbled in holding her other child, this one wearing a blue onesie.
"This is unlike her." Jade murmured, following the baby's cries and scooping her up. "Usually you stay in place and Pine makes the grand escape. What's gotten into you, Olive?"
"Dada!" the boy exclaimed, reaching at the window. Jade blinked.
"Could it be...?" she wondered, turning to the window, ears erect and alert, as if listening. "Blue couldn't have rescued them this quickly, correct? It's only been a few hours..."
"Blue?" White asked, a hint of excitement in her voice as the five pokémon scurried to the window.
"Is it she?" Diamond exclaimed, running as quickly as possible over to the window.
A collective gasp rang out.
"Invaders!" exclaimed Black.
"And they have prisoners!" Pearl sounded horrified.
"Prisoners...?!" Jade turned to his voice.
"There's three men and two women." Black elaborated. "One man has flareon ears. Brown hair, I think? One had leafeon ears with white hair to the shoulders, one woman has jolteon ears with long brown hair, and the other man is a redhead, the woman has brown pigtails."
"Those are our allies!" Jade exclaimed. "The man with the flareon ears is my husband!" she glanced at Olive, who was still sniffling, and Pine, who was grinning, as if looking forward to a fight.
"Look closely at the man at the front." Diamond said, narrowing his eyes. Everyone turned their attention to him, and gasped at the figure over his shoulder.
"That was what Miss Blue was wearing when she left!" White exclaimed.
"Someone alert the master!" Pearl said, whipping around. "Jade, find a place to hide with your kids! I'll alert the rest of the household." he turned back to the window, seeing that the invaders had already had a log, as if to use it as a battering ram. "If it's a fight they want, we'll be ready for them!"
He was only answered by the sound of hurried footsteps. He turned again and saw that everyone had already left the room.
"Hey!" he exclaimed, following after them, quickly spreading the news of invaders. He saw Emerald climbing the walls to the West Wing to alert Green, White leading Jade to a safe spot, most likely.
As he returned with the last of his friends, he saw Jade and the others leaning heavily on the door, as if to stop the battering ram.
"What are you doing?" Pearl hissed as he landed on her shoulder. She looked over at him.
"This is my family that's on the line. Oliva and Pine are safe in the nursery, they'll be fine because if anyone goes near the nursery, I'll slaughter them."
"We aren't aiming to kill them!" Yellow exclaimed. "Just drive them out!"
"They captured my husband and threatened my children. Do you blame me for my hostility?"
"Not at all." White stated, jerking as the battering ram smashed into the door again.
"*Bleep*, this isn't working!" Topaz exclaimed.
"What are we going to do?!" Diamond cried.
There was a moment of silence.
"Wait..." Black murmured, then grinned. "I know!"
o.0.o.0.o
"P-Pardon me, Master." Emerald muttered nervously as he slipped inside the forbidden room. He saw Green hunched over Daisy, clutching something in his hand, changed out of his nice suit and mourning.
"Leave me in peace." he stated sadly.
"But sir!" exclaimed Emerald in a panic. He could faintly hear them chanting 'Kill the beast! Kill the beast!'. "The castle is under attack! They have prisoners and one of them-" he paused as he heard a crunching noise. Had they gotten through the door?!
He gulped. Yeah, he was the youngest servant, but right now, he also had to be the bravest.
"What should we do, Master?!" he exclaimed.
"It doesn't matter now." Green stated, placing a hand gently on the glass. He stared up at the window. It was raining. How ironic. "Just let them come."
o.0.o.0.o
"Take whatever booty you can find," Masque said to his mob of villagers as the locked wooden door began to break under the pressure of their makeshift battering ram. "But remember, the beast is mine!"
The door flew open, the only source of light being that from the flickering torches on the wall. They silently prodded their prisoners in first with pitchforks and swords, waiting for something to happen. When nothing happened, someone grabbed ahold of the linked prisoners and they slowly stepped inside.
Being sure to keep an ear open, they all looked around the foyer.
"What on earth...?" Masque murmured, looking around. Where was all the gold and jewels lying about? Where were the talking pokémon? The ferocious beast?
A moment of silence.
"Now!" a voice suddenly shouted.
Next thing they knew, they were being attacked by pokémon. Masque looked about frantically, then made a break for the stairs with one of his throwing knives in one hand and Blue still over his shoulder.
He needed to find the beast!
o.0.o.0.o
Yellow saw Jade smirking in satisfaction as the man holding onto the chains and rope of their prisoners froze over from the neck down. With a simple tug, she broke it free and dragged them away from the chaos.
Yellow watched as she immediately went to work, using a bobby pin to pick the locks on the shackles around the white-haired man's wrists. Once those clattered to the ground, she moved onto the girl and then the brown haired man. Yellow, in the meantime, kept a lookout as she began trying to heal the red-haired man.
"Why'd you leave me for last?" whined the flareon-ears man as he ripped off his gag.
"Best for last." Jade shrugged as they embraced.
"Shit, where are the kids?" panic rose as he leaned back, gripping Jade by her shoulders.
"They're safe." Jade stated simply as they leaned down to untie Soul and Silver.
"Thank Arceus you're safe, Jade!" Soul exclaimed once the ropes and gag was removed. She teared up a bit, shaking her head. "With everything that happened, I just don't know what to believe anymore!"
"You must be Onyx, Opal, and Carnelian." Yellow said, looking up at them. "Miss Blue's friends, correct?"
"Well, it seems I'm famous, even among pokémon." Carnelian said haughtily. Opal rolled her eyes.
"Yeah, we're her friends. The girl with those gravity defying things is Soul." Opal said, pulling out two hair ties and pulling her long brown hair into two pigtails at the nape of her neck so they tumbled over her shoulders.
"So this is... Silver?" Yellow asked, glancing up at Soul as the young man drifted back into unconsciousness. "Miss Blue's brother?"
"Yes." Soul sighed shakily. "He's been sick like this for weeks."
Yellow nodded in response, placing her paws on his chest as Soul brought his head onto her lap.
"Are you guys strong enough to fight?" Jade asked.
"Doesn't matter if we're strong enough." Opal grinned, her pigtails crackling with electricity. "I wanna show them something to truly be afraid of."
"I want to get him somewhere safe." Yellow said. "He's been poisoned, and it will take a while for my powers to clear it up."
"Go to the nursery, then." Jade said. "Pine and Olive are there, and I at least want someone with them."
Soul cast a fearful glance at the battle going on.
"We'll protect you." Onyx grinned rolling up his sleeve.
"A-Alright..." Soul murmured, hauling Silver to his feet and slinging one of his arms over his shoulder, easing towards the staircase while Onyx and Opal covered for them with fire and electricity respectively.
Suddenly, Yellow felt something wrap around her waist and fling her across the room and up the stairs. Soul and Silver landed beside her, Silver groaning in pain, though still in his unconscious state, and Soul letting out a shriek.
Yellow whipped around and saw vines grabbing up villages and throwing them out the front door, seemingly being controlled by Carnelian while Jade was forming a wall of ice to block anyone from going any further. Her eyes flicked across the battlefield, trying to find a trace of Red. She saw him fighting off a villager with an axe.
"Please," she thought. "Don't get yourself killed."
o.0.o.0.o
Green could hear someone kicking in doors.
BAM.
A pause. Some footsteps.
BAM.
Another pause.
BAM.
One of them has finally reached his room, it seems. He looked over his shoulder to see the intruder. He was the man who came to him almost a year ago. Masque, Blue's father who begged and pleaded for his worthless life. Green didn't feel like having him whimpering about in his castle, so he made that deal with him. He had something slung over his shoulder. He assumed it was bag filled with valuables. After all, this man so willingly traded Blue for pointless diamonds and gold.
Blue...
It was funny, really. A year ago, he would have slaughtered anyone who dared to step foot on the castle grounds, let alone touch something that was his. But then he realized you didn't truly understand the value of a person until they were gone. He gripped the dagger tighter. The last reminder.
He missed her.
Let him kill me, he decided. What was the point? Blue was gone, never to return, his sister was dying, his friends were trapped as pokémon, he, a monster. He's failed everyone. He shouldn't be allowed to live.
A piercing pain suddenly shot through his left wing. He roared in agony, grappling at whatever had managed to get his weak spot with one hand. He couldn't let go of the precious dagger that belonged to her. He wouldn't. He stumbled away from Daisy's table, so not to knock her over, when the man suddenly shoved him through the glass window.
The glass shattered from the impact. Green rolled over, groping at the railing of the balcony to stand back up. Masque suddenly kicked him over the railing, tumbling down the rooftop and close to the edge. He hissed as he was pelted with rain. He never much liked it before he was a charizard monster and he certainly didn't like it now.
He heard a faint thud, and glanced over to see Masque had jumped down. He uncaringly deposited the bundle over his shoulder and began walking towards him.
"Get up." he stated simply. Green glanced at him. He lost the will to fight back. He didn't even care at this point. His refusal to move seemed to irritated Masque, so he cruelly dug the heel of his boot into the wound on his back, then kicked him so he rolled closer to the edge. "Get up." he paused, as if admiring his handiwork. "What's the matter, monster?" he chuckled. "To kind and sweet to fight back?"
Green didn't respond. He simply averted his gaze, watching as the villagers who apparently stormed the castle ran for their lives. Had his servants already driven them away?
He heard something crack, and saw that Masque had somehow managed to rip a piece of the stonework free from the castle to use it as a makeshift club.
"No!"
Green blinked as he recognized the voice. And it sounded close...
"Don't hurt him!"
He watched as something yanked at Masque's hair, trying to stop him from killing him. Masque paused, then whipped around, sending her flying. Green widened his eyes.
"BLUE!"
o.0.o.0.o
Silver groaned, blinking his eyes awake as he tried to recall where he was. This isn't... the town square. A... A room?
A wail rang out in the room.
"A nursery?" he murmured.
"How are you feeling?"
He blinked again, and saw a pikachu with a flower behind its ear.
"You were poisoned, but I managed to clear the toxin's from your body. Fastest healing I've ever done, let me tell you!"
The pikachu just talked.
The *bleep*ing pikachu just talked.
"Silver!" he barely had time to recognize the voice as Soul's before he was glomped in a hug, pressing his face into her chest. "Arceus, I thought you were gonna die!"
"I will if you don't let me go!" he thought, already feeling his face go as red as his hair. He quickly placed both hands on her shoulders, pushing her back and bowing his head to gain control of his emotions. Then he lifted his head to look her in the eye and spoke.
"Before we start the hysterics, could someone please tell me what's going on? I swear I just saw that pikachu talk and pikachu's do not talk."
"It's a really, really long story, and honestly, I don't even know what's going on right now either." Soul stated with a silly grin. "But this pikachu is Yellow, and she's on the good side!"
So Soul heard the pikachu talk as well. That meant he was sane.
...
Or it could mean that his girlfriend is just as crazy as him.
Dammit.
"You were poisoned." Soul murmured as she proceeded to hug him much less violently and with a much less chance of suffocating him. Silver blinked at her shocked tone, placing a hand on the back of her head as some sort of comfort. Honestly? He wasn't all that surprised that his 'sickness' turned out to be poisoning. Masque would resort to underhanded things like that just to gain something.
He blinked. Underhanded. Wasn't Blue there? Didn't he... carry her somewhere? Dammit, with his lapses of consciousness, he could hardly remember what the heck he ate today.
"Soul..." he trailed off as she looked up at him, cocking her head curiously. "Where's Blue?"
"BLUE!"
"That was Master Green!" Yellow exclaimed. "Something must have happened!"
"Damn you, Masque." Silver hissed under his breath as he stood, feeling much stronger now.
"We can't leave them here!" Soul said, pointing to a crib. Silver blinked, seeing two brown haired babies sitting in it. Weren't those Jade and Onyx's twins.
"I think the fight is done..." Yellow murmured, ears twitching. "Let's take them."
Soul nodded, scooping up both infants and nodding in confirmation.
"Whoever this 'Master Green' is," he thought, opening the doors. "He better damn well keep my sister safe."
o.0.o.0.o
Green almost leapt after Blue, wing injury or no wing injury, only to see her land on a huge pink thing. He thanked every pokémon god he could think of that it was Jiggly.
"Master Green!" he faintly heard his servants calling for him. A roar rang out, and he saw Blasty on the bridge, almost celebrating Blue's safety. Green only paid attention only to the fact that Blue was here. Was the bundle Masque had over his shoulder Blue? What was he going to do?
Masque swung the club down, and with newly found vigor, Green grabbed to club in one of his huge hands. He stood, fighting for dominance over the weapon.
"What were you going to do?" he growled out. "What were you going to do?" Masque refused to respond, so Green lunged at him, and both tumbled down the rooftop again, this time onto a balcony with gargoyles. Green took this as a chance to hide, positioning himself to look like the gargoyles. After all, the rain had to obstruct Masque's vision quite a bit.
He watched, still suffering from the wound inflicted earlier, as Masque stalked between them, trying to find his target. Across from him, Green watched as he smashed a gargoyles head. Masque smirked a moment, thinking he has won, only to notice that he was standing in the middle of stone rubble rather than blood and bone.
"Come on out and fight!" he ordered, annoyance crossing his features. "Were you in love with her, monster? Did you honestly think," he smashed another gargoyles head. "I'd relinquish my control over her and give her to you?"
Green could feel a growl building in the back of his throat. Blue couldn't be controlled. That would be like trying to control a patch of wildflowers.
He rose up behind him, prepared to melt his stupid skin off his stupid head with his powers, when he suddenly whipped around, trying to smash his skull with the club. Green ducked, grabbing at the club, again, trying to gain dominance of rip it away. Somehow, Masque got him loose, and swung wildly with Green dodging each time.
Green grimaced as he felt the edge under his feet. He was on the edge. And his wing... He wouldn't be able to just fly.
He was cornered.
Masque cackled, raising the club over his head to strike him.
"It's over, monster," he grinned. "Blue is mine!"
At that point, something snapped in Green.
"Blue belongs to NO ONE!" he shouted.
Green lunged at him, grabbing the club, his hands on fire, heating it to the point that Masque was forced to drop it. He stumbled to the ground, and Green took the chance to snatch him up by his neck, and with one hand, dangled him over the edge.
"Let me go!" he exclaimed, going from dominant to begging in a heartbeat. "Please! Don't hurt me! I'll do anything! Anything!"
Green didn't relinquish his hold nor the dark glare. This man attacked his castle. This man tried to hurt his servants. This man hurt Blue's friends and hunted after a mother and her infants.
This man tried to kill Blue.
He was in every way justified in letting this man fall to his death, of murdering him.
"But didn't this man," he flinched slightly. Was that... Daisy? "Bring Blue to you?"
As much as Green hated to admit it, that was true. If it weren't for this man and his greed, he'd have never met Blue. He'd had remained the way he always was. He'd never know what it was like to love. He'd be alone, like he always was, stuck in his castle as a monster.
He brought him back on the balcony and put more pressure on his throat.
"Understand this," he growled. "If it were not for the fact that you were the cause of Blue and I meeting, I would have dropped you. Leave. If I find out you ever tried to hurt Blue or anyone she was close to ever again, I will hunt you down."
The man squeaked out a 'yes sir'. Green dropped him. What pathetic waste of space.
"Green!" he turned, and for the first time in a century, he smiled. He shoved Masque aside, and slowly began climbing back up to the top of the balcony from his room. Jiggly was floating faithfully beside Blue, smaller now, and Blue had her hand outstretched. Once he got close enough, he reached out his hand. Though it didn't really help much, Blue tried to pull him back up.
"Blue..." he shook his head. "Only a pesky woman like you would come chasing me down and pick a fight with a man with obvious intent to kill."
"Well, more like kidnapped." she laughed with a wink. "But details, right?"
"Pesky woman." he muttered, a small smile adorning his lips as his hand cupped her face. Her smile seemed to grow as she place a hand over his.
Suddenly, he felt a searing pain in his abdomen, much worse than from the wound in his wing. It felt as if literal fire was burning it's way into his bloodstream. He roared in agony, and hear Masque let out a laugh of victory. Green could feel himself falling back from the pain. He felt his arm hit something, and then a cry of confusion.
Then a cry of absolute fear as Masque fell to his death.
Blue had a death grip on his shirt, struggling to pull him back on the balcony.
"Blue!"
Suddenly, a second pair of hands was gripping his shirt. Jiggly was pushing the back of his head, and with the combined effort, they somehow managed to pull him onto the balcony.
He groaned in pain as Blue laid his head back. He saw a redhead sitting next to her. Both had matted, wet hair sticking to their faces. Judging solely from his hair, he assumed it was Silver, the brother she spoke so fondly of.
"M-Master Green...!" he heard Yellow whimper as she came into the rain to check on his wound. He let out a sharp roar as whatever stabbed him was yanked out by Yellow.
He continued panting in pain as Blue placed a hand against his face.
"Don't you dare die on me, Green." Blue said shakily. "I need a place to live, and so does Jade and Onyx and their family, as well as Soul and Silver. I need to figure out the combination to your vault and I..." she choked back a sob. "I need to figure out how to break the curse."
"Maybe... Maybe it's better this way." he muttered, thinking of his sister. She was dying... he was dying... maybe... they would both end up together?
"Don't talk like that. That's quitter's talk, and the Green I know's not a quitter." she said, forcing a smile on her face. "You... You'll be alright. R-Right Yellow?"
"P-Poison." Yellow murmured, sobs forming. "The dagger... it was dipped in poison." the thing clattered to the ground as Yellow stepped back. "I... I can't... my power... I already healed Silver... I'm... I'm s-s-s-sorry..."
He heard Blue and Silver inhale sharply. Green turned his head to the side, and saw the very dagger Blue had given him, dripping with blood and some purple substance.
That damn bastard.
"That's my... Oh, Arceus, this is all my fault...!"
"It's not." Green stated. "It's mine. I dropped it."
"Green..." Blue trailed off, practically sobbing.
"At least..." Green trailed off gripping her hand tightly. "I got to see you one last time."
"Green..." he could feel his life draining away. Everything felt heavier, even his eyelids. As the world went black, all he could hear was Blue sobbing his name.
o.0.o.0.o
"Green!" Blue cried out as his eyes lolled to the back of his head and his head hit the ground with a soft thud. "No." she stated firmly, though tears were mixing with the rain. "No. No, no, no."
"Blue..." she heard Silver say off to the side. "Blue, he's gone."
"He can't be gone!" Blue yelled at him. "He can't be gone because I... I never told him that I love him!" Silver flinched at the desperateness in her voice as she bowed down over him, resting her head on his chest as she sobbed. "I love you, Greeny. Stupid Greeny, I love you."
The servants all had their attention focused on Daisy, watching as the last petal fell, the magic around the flower snuffing out, leaving nothing but a wilted stem. Everyone, even Olive and Pine, fell silent, bowing their heads in mourning for the life lost.
"Oh dear..." a voice suddenly rang out. The gijinka's ears all went rigid at the voice, blinking.
"Did anyone else hear that?" Opal asked. Everyone but Blue, as she was still sobbing, seemed to strain their ears.
"Oh, my, my, my..."
"It sounds like a girl." Soul murmured. The servants blinked as a stream of light fell from the sky, as if replacing the rain.
"Fairies have a special spell you know."
More light.
"Rarely is it used, but I feel this is necessary."
"That's..." Red trailed off, hardly believing it. Diamond seemed to grin.
"It's Platinum!"
"One wing goes to the villagers, to make them forget that the monster ever existed. After all, there was nothing but abandoned property here until the heir came to claim it after his long, long journey.
"One wing goes to the servants. What will happen to the castle should there be no one to clean it or care for it? It shall fall into disrepair, no?
"Fairies are immortal, you know. We can't make people immortal, but if we give up the immortality, we can restore life.
Now the light had completely overtaken the rain. Silver backed away from Green and Blue, gripping Soul's hand as Jade held her children tight and Onyx stood protectively in front of his family. Gijinka's, humans, and servants alike all hugged each other and watched in awe as Green began glowing in a golden color.
Blue had noticed by now, taking a hesitant step back as he glowed brighter and brighter, enveloped almost completely in light.
Suddenly, claws became fingernails and the wings, tail, and horns disappeared. He seemed to shrink down a bit from his overwhelming seven foot height to a more average height. Orange scales became human skin, and suddenly, Blue was standing over the body of a young man.
She nearly shrieked as he groaned, shifting slightly to stand up.
"Holy Ho-oh," she muttered as he turned around, shirt bunching around his form from the sudden change. This man was freaking gorgeous!
"Green...?" she asked tentatively, as if afraid he would up and bolt if she said something wrong. He stared at his hands a moment, as if not believing it, then looked up at her. Slowly, a smirk formed on his face.
"You wonderful, annoying, noisy, absolutely pesky woman." he said, suddenly enveloping her in a hug. Blue laughed.
"Oh, it's you alright." she grinned. "No one else can call me a pesky woman and get away with it."
Slowly, they leaned in, and finally kissed.
"Silver, Arceus help me, if you break this up I'll break up with you." Lyra threatened, happy tears dabbing her eyes as she stopped her overprotective boyfriend from going into protective brother mode.
As the sun began shining, the castle changed from dark and dreary to clean and golden, the creepiness factor almost completely gone. One by one, the servants began to regain their human forms- thankfully, Platinum provided them with clothes.
"Well, Green." Blue recognized Gold by his eyes as he slapped Green on the back. "I always knew you had it in you!"
"I thought you were dead!" Yellow cried, bawling her little amber eyes out. "Don't do that again! I thought you were dead!"
"Good job, Prince Green." Red said while consoling his fiancé.
"Green!" a woman with long, light brown hair suddenly tackled Green in a hug. Blue recognized the woman. She was the woman in the locket. Daisy. "Little brother! I have arms again! You have no idea what it's like, stuck floating for a hundred years! I can't even explain it, but I'm feeling really, really happy right now!"
Blue blinked.
"Little brother?" she mused aloud.
"And you!" Daisy smiled, grabbing her hands. "Thank you so much. I can't even begin to tell you how grateful we all are. I knew you were the girl to do it, I just knew it!"
"I don't get it!" Pearl suddenly exclaimed, throwing his hands in the air. "How are you still alive?! We watched the last petal fall!"
"It's because a fairy gave up her immortality to grant life."
Everyone turned and saw a young woman sitting on the edge of the balcony, barefoot, wearing a white sundress with long, raven-colored hair falling down her back. She cocked her head.
"Weren't you listening? A wing to make the villagers forget. A wing to bring back the servants. And immortality to restore life." she tucked some of her hair behind her ear. "And what is a fairy without her wings or immortality? Simply put," she stood up. "She's practically a normal girl."
Walking with the grace of a princess, she politely held out her hand to Green.
"My name is Platinum. Perhaps you remember me?"
o.0.o.0.o
"After the snow melted, Yellow and Red threw their wedding, an event they've waiting a century for." V said as she read the final bit of the chapter. "There was a huge party. Jade and her gijinka pack decided to stay and work in Green's castle, as well as Silver and Soul. Platinum decided to also stay, using her enormous knowledge to an advantage as Green's adviser. Together, with Blue, he regained control of the land he lost in his century absence, and they ruled the kingdom kindly, living happily ever after."
She shut the book with a small smile.
"The end."
She heard a sniffle, and saw Aini seemingly forcing herself not to cry.
"Aini?" she asked, cocking her head. Iri and Celina had the attention focused solely on their sister.
"I'm not crying because Prince Green almost died!" she hissed out.
"I never said you were crying to begin with." V smirked, setting the book aside.
"I'm not crying, period!" she said, vigorously wiping her eyes. "That's stupid!"
"Whatever you say, sweetie." she said, gently kissing her forehead. "So did mama do a good job, telling the story 'different'?"
"Mama did great! Tell 'nother one like that!" Iri exclaimed happily.
"Alright. We'll tell them different from now on then, okay?"
Three smiles greeted her, all excited for the prospect of a new story.
"Okay!"
o.0.o.0.o
So did I do a good job or did I do a good job? I'm pretty proud of this, though I think Green acted out of character a bit. I also wanted to say that Masque's main motive for all of this is control. He kind of went mad when he thought he lost control of Blue, so he decided to eliminate anything he saw as 'uncontrollable'(Gijinka's, because they were different, Soul because she offered freedom to Silver, and Silver because he left his control as well).
Anyways, up next is Specialshipping, everyone!
Amy47101 signing off! ^.^