It was the next morning. The day things returned to normal here in Petalburg. But the palace was busier than ever. Each room had a Nurse Joy bustling through with work. I was wearing my usual white non-filly dress with my red cloak, walking around. My feet were no longer injured from before and my arm would heal soon enough. The small cuts elsewhere have also gone over knights. Whatever medicine they were giving me sure worked like a charm. Eventually I spotted Drew and Ash along the halls.
"Hey guys!" They turned aorund and saw me.
"Hi May," Ash greeted.
"Glad to see you're better," Drew said.
"Thanks," I said smiling. "So mind telling me why all the Nurse Joys are so busy?"
"You mean you don't know?" Drew asked sounding a little surprised. I just nodded my head no slowly.
"And I thought I was always the clueless one," Ash remarked. If Ash knew then I must have really been knocked out. "They're planning for your 13'th birthday party."
"My birthday party?" I asked.
"Yeah," Drew answered, "The 13'th birthday of Royalty is very important. When they become 13, they are oficialy no longer a child, as well as official royalty. But in your case, you have a choice weather to become royal or go home."
"Oh yeah," I said, looking down. I knew this day would come eventually. Time flies by pretty fast. "I always pictured my 13'th birthday being at Misty's, Dawn's, or your house and we'd just have a normal party. Now with all that's happened, I'm having a Princess Ball."
"Pretty ironic, don't you think?" Ash asked.
"Which ever choice you choose May, I'm sure it's the right one," Drew said.
With that I smiled a little and nodded, "Right."
"Princess May!" Shouted a few Nurse Joys. I turned around seeing at least three of them. This sorta shocked me a bit and I jumped.
"Princess May, please help us with the preparations! I need your opinion on your dresses!"
"And I need help with the design of your cake!"
"I need you to help choose the decorations for the Ball Room!"
"W-Wha-" By now the Nurse Joys grabbed my arms and ran down the halls, leaving Ash and Drew sweatdropping. May and Misty walked out of our room with all the commotion.
"What happned?" Misty asked.
"A couple Nurse Joys just dragged May of to help with her Princess Ball," Misty replied.
"May's ball! How could I forget?" Misty asked herself, "It's in three days isn't it!
"Yeah," Drew replied in a kind of daze.
"You know Drew, you should ask May to her ball," Dawn suggested with that sly grin on her face. Ash and Misty starred at her as Drew made a face.
"W-What?" he asked.
"You know what I'm talking about," Dawn said sternly, "It might be your last three days with her if she decides to come back to the future."
"I-I don't know," Drew stuttered, rubbing the back of his head, " I mean, we're just friends and only friends. I've known her for a long time so it's kinda weird asking her to her own ball."
"A long time?" Misty asked tilting her head.
"It's only been about three weeks since we've all met!" Dawn shouted.
Then Ash's face changed like he just remembered something. "No he means since childhoo-"
Drew covered his mouth," It's nothing, let's forget it."
Misty and Dawn looked at each other and shrugged their shoulders, thinking it was a guy thing or whatever.
After a whole morning of helping prepare for the ball, I managed to sneak out of the palace. But of course, the town's people already knew who I was, even with my hood over my head. Didn't matter, I wasn't even going into town. Right now I was sitting underneath the Pecha Berry Tree way out behind the castle. I was feeding my Torchic a Pecha Berry. It was obvious Torchic needed some time outside the palace, as well as me.
I sighed, "Only so much time left before I have to choose." My Torchic looked up at me. She could notice how deep in thought I was in. She nuzzled at my arm and I turned my attention to her, smiling and petting her on the head.
"So this is where you've been," said a boy. I looked up and saw Drew walking here towards the Pecha Berry Tree with Roselia. He sat down beside me and we both stayed silent for a second, letting the wind blow in our faces.
"Have you made your decision yet?" he asked.
"No," I replied, "It's harder than I thought."
"It's ok, you still have the rest of the time to think about it," he reassured.
"It seems like I have a while to make my decision, but it seems like I only have seconds left," I said, hugging my knees, "I want to go home with my friends but... I don't want to leave Petalburg either, with the new friends I've made here."
Drew starred at me with sadness. I don't think I have ever seen him that way except for when I got hurt in my should, both in the cellar and in the battle field. Torchic started chirping sounds in front of me and my eyes starting tearing up a bit. I didn't know why but I was. I picked up my little Torchic and hugged her tightly as I sobbed. Roselia and Drew looked at each other then at me, somehow feeling my pain.
--ASH'S POV--
"I CAN'T TAKE IT ANYMORE!" Dawn yelled out. I, along with the others, covered our ears. I was surprised the glass in the room didn't break. Me, Misty, Dawn, Soladad, and Max were inside May's Dawn's, and Misty's room. If you haven't figured it out, we were talking about May and Drew.
"I understand how you feel about this Dawn but did you have to scream?" I asked, rubbing my ear.
"Well of course I have the perfect reason to scream!" Dawn said, yelling in front of my face, "May has only days left and she's not even doing anything!"
"Of course she is. She's helping with all of the Nurse Joys with her Princess Ball." Misty said.
"Not that!" Dawn yelled back, "I'm talking about her and Drew! It's totally obvious they have a thing for each other! And look at them out here through this window! They're under the Pecha Berry Tree talking! Actually, they're barely talking at all!! Just sitting there! Why doesn't Drew start something already?!"
"Well Dawn, May's going through a hard time right now, " Max said
"She has to choose between going back to the future or staying here. She may never see you or us again." Soladad added.
"She's got a point Dawn," I said.
"Yeah but," Dawn said starring out the window, "May's never liked any guy before in her entire life. And then she sees Drew and then look. It's like they knew each other very well."
"Actually..."Soladad started, "They sorta do."
"We know, they met about three weeks ago and they're good friends." I said, utterly clueless. The entire room received sweatdrops as I received a whack on the head from Misty. Somehow I was expecting that.
"Ow!" I yelled, rubbing my head.
"She didn't mean like that you doof!" Misty helled with an anime vein.
"You see..." Soladad started, "Maybe you should all sit down first. This will be a long story."
"Long story?" Max asked, "Did Drew and May really meet sometime ago?"
"Wait a second, " I said, "I think I remember Drew telling me about that before when we met."
"What?" Dawn asked.
"Soladad what's going on?" Misty asked.
--MAY'S POV--
"Well May, tomorrow's the Princess Ball," reminded Nurse Joy. She was fixing up my canopy bed with new sheets. It's been two days.
"Yeah, I know," I replied to her, looking out my window.
"Queen Somei has completed the guests list and the invitations have been sent out all over Petalburg," she said, "All the nobles and higher class men."
My head jerked up when I heard she said the nobles and all the higher class men. "What about the lower class people?"
"Well they weren't on the list," she said, "But I'm sure your grandmother would allow you to invite whoever you please."
"Like Soladad, Drew, and Max?" I asked.
"Of course my princess," Nurse Joy said with a smile. "Why don't you go ask Queen Somei right now. She's in the Ballroom helping my sisters with the decor."
I nodded and picked myself up from my chair. I ran out the room and downstairs. I came across the main stairway, where I would be walking down tomorrow. I saw my grandmother down there talking with the Nurse Joys.
"Grandma!" I called out.
She turned around, a smile appearing on her face. "May, I'm glad to see you again. With all the preparations I've barely had time to see you."
"Good to see you too grandma," I greeted back, "Hey, is it ok if I invite my other friends, even though they're in lower class."
"Why of course child," she said, "I heard that only the higher class men got invited. I never should have asked the Royal Court to do the guest list for me." I made a small laugh. It wasn't much of a surprise that it's only be higher class men if it was the Royal Court's doing. "Tell you what May, I've got a bunch of invites left in the Calligraphy Room, all written and placed in envelopes. Why don't you get Ash, Misty, and Dawn to help you deliver them to the commoners."
I nodded as a bright smile appeared on my face, "Thank you," I bowed and held the sides of my dress as my head went down. Then I turned around on a swift and to the Calligraphy Room where all the royal letters were made and prepared. Along the way I could see Misty, Dawn, and Ash. When they saw me running they stopped.
"May what's the rush?" Misty asked with her curious face.
"I need to deliver invitations to all the commoners. They didn't get their's yet and the Ball's tomorrow." I explained, walking backwards, "Come on!" I resumed running facing forwards. The others shrugged and followed me to the Calligraphy Room. I opened the huge door and looked around. I've never been here before. On this table and saw a giant pile of leftover invitations. And it was the only pile of letters I saw so it was probably it.
"Wow, what is this place?" Ash asked with his eyes wandering.
"I think it's called the calligraphy Room," I said, taking a step forwards.
"So what is it you wanted us to do again?" Dawn asked, picking up one of the invitations on the table.
I looked around and saw four woven baskets. I smiled and took them, handing one to each of them. "Take as many invitations as you can. We're going into town to make a few deliveries."
I explained to them and then we all headed out into town. Torchic decided to come with me. Ash covered the north side of Petalburg, Dawn covered the west side, Misty covered the south side, and I was in the west. After getting all the towns people, I saw that the last people I needed to invite here on the east side of Petalburg was Soladad, Drew, and Max. I ran all the way to the farming area and saw it. In the fields I could see all the Pokemon, back in peace. Torchic ran from my side to join its friends. I smiled and I went up to their house. I knocked on their door and Soladad answered.
"May, you know you don't need to knock on our door for permission to enter."
"Eh, you know me," I said. We both smiled as she stepped aside to let me in. I walked inside, seeing Drew and Max sitting at the table all tired. I guess they were just out in the fields. They looked surprised to see me when they did.
"May, what are you doing here?" Max asked.
" I should be asking you that Max." I said, cocking an eyebrow.
"I always work Wednesdays here at the farm." he replied.
"What'cha got there May?" Drew asked, pointing to my basket.
"Oh this?" I asked, "They're invitations for my ball."
"You're inviting us?" Soladad asked, walking up to us.
"Of course," I replied, "You guys are like my closest friends. I'd be crazy not to invite you. I would have sent them out yesterday with the others, but the Royal Court was in charge of the guests list. They invited all the higher class-men and nobles. Apparently they didn't know that May Maple of Petalburg wanted everyone to come."
"Even lower class people like us?" Max asked.
"Duh, why else would Misty, Dawn, Ash, and I be running all around town giving every commoner and lower class person an invitation?" I said, "I would have been done a long time ago if I had my roller blades."
"Your what?" Drew asked, looking at me with a strange face.
I laughed, since this time period had no idea what roller blades. "Never mind that. But I really want to invite you guys," I said, giving the three of them an invitation. They all starred at the envelope in the same shocked state. I looked at them back and forth in confusement. "What? What's wrong?" I asked, feeling I did something I wasn't supposed to, "Did I do something wrong?"
"Well... I don't think it's wrong but... it's weird." Drew said, turning his attention from the invitation in his hand to me.
"How's it weird?" I asked.
"You see May, commoners are never invited to Royal Balls." Max explained.
"Well this is my ball. I should be able to invite whoever I want, even if it is commoners," I stated with a happy face, "So can you guys come?"
Soladad finally looked at me after a long while,"I only have one thing to say May... What should I wear?"
My eyes brightened and I hugged her. She hugged me back.
"W-Wait, we're seriously going?" Drew asked, surprised obviously.
"Well of course. No one in their right mind would turn this down. And it's for May's 13'th birthday. As well as her becoming royalty, weather she accepts or not," Soladad said, putting an arm around my shoulder. I smiled as Drew calmed down a bit, starring back at the envelope.
"Really?! Awsome! We're going to our first ball!" Max yelled, standing out of his seat.
"I'm surprised you're not so nervous, Max" Soladad said.
"Me nervous about a Ball? No way," Max said, shaking his hand in front of him, "If anyone's nervous, it's the lovebirds."
Drew and I both got anime veins and we both smacked him over the head. he was beginning to become Ash. Soladad sweatdropped as she scratched her cheek with that nervous grin.