The next day seemed like any other to the young Riolu. The sun was scorching down on his figure, protected by a farmer's hat. He stepped up to the hut, and knocked on the door frame with his paw, sounding throughout the small building. The first to step up to the Riolu was a small boy, who only appeared to be the age of six. His green eyes stared at the odd dog-like creature in awe, never before seeing anything like him before. He was obviously a peasant's child judging from the rags he wore on his body. "Hello! May I request a name?", the canine asked the child, raising a hand towards him. The child's eyes welled up with tears, before he ran back into the abode, not even giving the Riolu an answer to his question.
"M-Mommy! T-There's a stranger out there!", the voice sounded, hitting the Riolu's ears. The fighting-type kicked the dirt underneath his feet rather timidly, awaiting the parent's consent to his duty. "Oh? Let me check," a feminine voice told him, soft footsteps heard from within the household, until a woman stood before the Riolu, her green eyes and black hair making it apparent that the boy was indeed her son. Her brown dress was an eye-sore to the most royal of people, but to the commoners that was a graceful outfit.
"Hello!", the canine exclaimed, giving the woman a humble bow. He raised his body back into an upright position, and gave her a smile. "Did you call me for my services?", he asked her with a kind tone, the smile enough to melt anyone's heart. The woman made a small nod, before stepping to the side of the doorway. "Come in," she said in a friendly manner. The Riolu gave her a small nod of approval, walking inside of the humble abode with a small grin on his face.
"I'm sorry for our son, he's a bit shy towards strangers," the woman told the Riolu reassuringly, hoping that her son didn't do anything that may have caused the being to have second thoughts about this offer. "It's alright, I understand," the blue-furred canine told the woman, glancing once at the young boy, only to watch him move back towards the starting fire. "I remember when I was like that when…", he hesitated, taking in a deep breath before releasing it into a sigh. "I was younger," he ended that statement with a solemn look at the woman, who appeared to almost ask him something, most likely regarding his past.
"Hikaru! Get away from the fire!", the women shouted out, glaring at the green-eyed boy as he shifted away from the open flames. The Riolu couldn't help but take an interest in that name….Hikaru. It was a rather nice name, especially for one such as the boy. "Hikaru eh?", the Riolu said rather bluntly, scratc
hing his chin with a single paw. The woman made a light bow, saying in an endearing tone, "Yes, but he doesn't necessarily have any…Well, he's an only child, so he gets quite lonely." The fighting-type gave her a laugh, before patting the small of her back. "Come on, we all get lonelysometimes! It's just in our nature," he exclaimed, before feeling the woman quiver for a moment.
"Madame?", he inquired, before seeing her glare down at him with watery eyes. "J-Just go do your duty!", she exclaimed, giving him a gentle shove out into the door. The Riolu tumbled out, his hat falling off and landing a few feet away from his outstretched paw. He laid there for several moments, before letting off a heavy sigh, getting back up onto his feet. He wondered if something he said made her upset, or perhaps it was the way he said it. Or is it….He brushed off that thought and picked up the hat, brushing off any dirt that may have settled on it. He placed it back onto his head, tying the straps tightly around his chin.
'I need some kind of excitement…', he thought to himself rather sourly, starting to walk towards the rice paddies once more, this time more along the main road.
He would get the pest, have his share of rice, and get some sleep. The same thing day in and day out for the last six years. He had to support himself, to stay alive in this cruel world.
~Castle Gardens~
A young girl seemed to dart about in the garden, hiding behind some of the intricately trimmed bonsai trees. Her brown hair was tied into a tight ponytail, the sheen of it glimmering in the sunlight. Her green eyes scanned the surroundings, making sure she wasn't going to get caught by one of her maids. Her dress was rather extravagant, being a purple kimono, tightly tied to her petite feminine figure. The sleeves hung over her hands, and the bottom portion appeared to cover her sandals by just a hair. She didn't appear to be any younger than eight.
"Okay Seru, is there anybody following us?", the girl asked, her voice rather high-pitched as she glanced over at a cell-like creature. The pokemon had a green liquid surrounding it, and inside was something that appeared to be like a snow pea, only much lighter in color, along with having black eyes. This was no other than a Solosis, a rarity in these parts. "I think we're clear princess," he told her calmly, swiftly floating by her side. "But do tell, what do you plan to do when you get out?", he asked the girl rather quietly, wondering what her plan exactly was.
"Isn't it obvious? I'm gonna look at the locals," she told the Solosis sharply, watching his eyes seem to grow in concern. "But what are you going to accomplish?!", the psychic-type asked her, floating next to her arm. Some of the green liquid surrounding him touched the silk kimono, deflecting off as if it was coated in oil. The girl let off a sigh, before glaring at the cell-like pokemon, "I have spent all of my life in the castle, I want to at least see some of the citizens." She put her arms together, the sleeves folding across one another. "I always wanted to see how some of the people are in this town. What they look like, what they do, how they feel towards royalty," she stated, a small grin appearing on her face at the thoughts running through her mind. Maybe she could find a really nice, gentle person, or maybe even a war veteran who would share his story with her. All of those thoughts made her even more excited for this event.
"Come on Seru!", she exclaimed, swiftly running towards the crimson-colored gate, a backdoor if you may to the courtyard. The Solosis glanced around for a few moments, before catching up to the girl. "Ryu, are you sure this is a good idea?", he asked the girl once more, hearing a small cling as the princess slipped a key off of her purple bracelet, and placed it into the lock. After a momentary click, the lock fell to the ground with a clang, and her gentle hands pushed the gate forward. "I'm positive Seru, now don't be such a wuss and come on!", she told him in a commanding tone, quickly running through the gate. The Solosis let off a hesitant sigh, but perked up a bit. At least if she got into trouble, he would have the honor of rescuing the lovely princess from harm's way. With that in mind, he calmly followed the graceful girl out of the courtyard.
~Rice Paddies~
The Riolu gently brushed aside some of the damp reeds, peering into the murky waters below. His eyes scanned the water for any other movements other than the disturbed silt, but was met with disappointment moments later. He let off a small sigh, moving towards another patch of reeds that poked up above the paddy's water. 'Is my life really going to be like this?', he asked himself, shaking his head lightly as the sun beat down upon his hat, not affecting his body in any way. He slowly trudged through the water, disturbing more and more sediment from the bottom of the paddy. His eyes glanced about at every motion that the water seemed to make, hoping that it was the Pokemon that the lady was talking about. Heck, she didn't even give him a description of the pest. But that fact alone wasn't enough to deter the Riolu, who needed to do this job to survive in this harsh world.
After a good half-hour of searching, the Riolu stood up In the paddy with empty paws, and tried to hold back the tears that tried to well up. But then, his ears caught a sound of a childish, feminine voice.
"Seru, like I said before, we're going to be safe here," it sounded, followed by a worried, very high class sounding voice that didn't sound quite human. "But Ryu! You know the possibilities of bandits have been unusually high lately!", it exclaimed.
The Riolu glanced up at the path, knowing that that spot was probably where the voices were coming from. He slowly swept his way through the reeds, crouching to hide himself from the person. He managed to catch a single glance of the Pokemon accompanying her, the likes of which he had never seen before in his life. It was a rather odd being, he can say that much. But when he started to climb the banks of the paddy and stood up on top of it, his heart skipped a beat as he took in the sight.
The girl in front of him had one of the finest kimonos he had ever seen in his life, colored a deep purple as the trims on it seem to shimmer with different shades of violet. Her green eyes popped out of her pale complexion in a very stunning manner, complimented by her brown hair that was tightly tied into a ponytail in the rear. He couldn't even gather up the words, or even the courage for that matter, to ask the girl her name. All he knew was that there was this feeling coursing through his body, a light nervousness if you may.
The girl stood there, her eyes glancing at the Riolu with a hint of curiosity. "This is….Unusual," she stated, cocking her head to the side. Her sleeved hand rose up to her mouth, concealing it as she tapped the tip of her lips lightly, an inquisitive look upon her face. The Riolu took a few steps forward, stricken with this new feeling. Every step seemed to be as if he was treading through water. This continued for a few moments, until he felt something pin his arms to the side, then proceed to wrap tightly around his vulnerable neck. His sky-blue eyes glared at the cell-like Pokemon, who was emitting his own psychic powers to bind the Riolu.
"Who are you?!", the Pokemon screamed out towards the Riolu, who was struggling to get a good breath of fresh air. The Riolu tried to make out the words, those that may be the difference between life and death in this situation. Alas, once the strange Pokemon received no response from the Riolu, he focused his psychic powers even more onto the binding, making the Riolu feel like his organs were slowly being crushed. "I'll ask again…Who. Are. You?!", he asked the fighting-type once more, unrelenting in his kinetic bind. The Riolu started to worry about the fact that his vision started to blur, his head light from the lack of oxygen. His struggling slowed, and he shut his eyes tightly as the bind caused immense pain. He awaited with what would be death, to join his father in the afterlife.
But that moment never came…
Instead, he heard a female voice cry out in fear, "P-Please don't kill him Seru!" The Riolu's tail twitched once, before he heard a sigh from the psychic-type. The bind surrounding him quickly dissapated, sending him falling to the ground with a soft thud. He sounded rather irritated by her plea, saying to the girl in a harsh manner, "Why would you spare his pathetic life?! He didn't even address you properly!" The girl huffed, puffing out her chest as she brushed aside the Solosis for a moment, "Silence. You tried to kill an innocent creature. For that, no food for you for a week."
The Riolu witnessed the girl scold the Solosis, and let off a small croak as he took in several deep breaths, making sure to get the most oxygen he could into his system after that incident. He looked back up again, seeing the Solosis glare at him with a rather untrusting look, sending a small shiver down his spine. "Ahhh…Are you alright?", the girl asked him, looming over the Riolu, despite being rather short. She held out a hand, and let off a cute giggle, one that made the Riolu's heart seemingly race.
The Riolu nodded at her question, and raised a paw as he grasped her soft hand, a small gasp leaking out of his lips as he noticed how gentle and untainted her hands were. "O-Of course…", he muttered out, finding it hard to speak to this girl without unleashing his feelings on her. He wanted to try to make eye contact, but suddenly found himself trying his best to avert such a thing.
"Anyways, is there a name I can call you by?", the girl asked the Riolu, who froze up for a moment. What should he call her? He suppose he could go with an alias, or even strain to remember his name long forgotten by memory's treachery. In the end, he managed to mutter out quietly, "M-My name is Riolu…"
With much concern in his eyes, the Solosis, or Seru as the girl called him, floated next to her ear, whispering in a hoarse, worried tone, "P-Princess Ryu, are you sure we can trust this Riolu?" She nodded, and gave him a light wink, "It's alright Seru. Don't be such a worrywart." She stepped towards the Riolu, and gave him a light bow pivoted at the waist. "Riolu, my name is Ryu," she stated, looking back up to see the Riolu shut his eyes, shaking his head lightly. "Is there something wrong?", she inquired, raising a brow at his odd behavior.
The Riolu looked up, trying his best to hide his blush by biting his tongue rather hard. "Nope…", he said in a quick fashion, catching the Solosis's curiosity towards this unusual behavior. Ryu gave him an inquisitive look, tapping her lips lightly again the the edge of her sleeve. His heart pounded in his ears, praying that the girl didn't come to know of the feelings he had at that moment.
"Alright then," Ryu said in a calm manner, letting off a wide grin as she looked at the glistening rice paddies behind him. "But do tell, what exactly do you do around here?", she asked the Riolu kindly, curiosity overwhelming her questions. Riolu glanced up at the girl once more, before looking back to his discarded hat. He walked towards it, and brushed off some of the dust that gathered on it from the fall. "Well, I'm…A caretaker," he told Ryu casually, placing the hat back upon his head once more. Ryu cocked her head to the side once, looking at the Riolu curiously. "A caretaker? What is that about?", she asked him quietly, a burning curiosity overwhelming her as she stepped towards the fighting-type.
He made a nervous smile, before he managed to make out to Ryu, "W-Well, a caretaker is someone who takes care of the crops." He watched the girl's emerald green eyes seem to sparkle at that statement, her interest peaking (although he had no clue that she didn't know most of the jobs outside of the castle). "Takes care of the crops? Like how? Don't they grow on their own?", she asked Riolu, her tone indicating that she was rather interested in the Riou's occupation.
Seru made a groan as he floated by Ryu's head, shaking his head in a doubtful manner. 'We should've just stayed back at the palace,' he thought to himself, feeling rather annoyed that he was reduced from a beautiful, royal house-pet to her bodyguard in a manner of minutes.
The Riolu felt a bit pressured, noticing Seru seemingly grow bored with this conversation, despite it only being a few statements in. He glanced back at Ryu, and explained casually the jobs he had to take part in, and the duties those jobs needed. It was probably a good half-hour of explaining everything to a precise detail that he finally finished.
Ryu tapped her lips daintily, her stare softening up with every passing moment. "That's interesting, so you have to get the…pests, right?", she said in an inquisitive tone, cocking her head to the side. The fighting-type gave her a nod of approval, "Yeah. I was in the middle of it until I heard you walking by…" He paused in the middle of it, feeling himself stopped by what he would have said instead of that. 'Come on, it's just another human girl…What's wrong with me?', he thought to himself soundly, trying to refrain himself from just exclaiming that she's…
He rubbed the back of his head, before chuckling softly, "Well…Anyways, care to watch?" Ryu seemed to have a mysterious look on her face. It was like she wanted to smile, but instead it came out almost emotionless, until she let off a soft giggle, covering her lips lightly. "Of course! Where can I have a seat to this performance?", she asked him kindly, her voice so soothing to the Riolu's ears.
Riolu made a content smile, giving Ryu a small wink with his eye as he gently patted her soft, luscious brown hair twice. "You can sit right there, on that sack. I'm sorry if it's not anything you're used to," he said to Ryu in a calm manner, shutting his eyes and making a light smile.
Ryu made a serene nod of her head, giving Riolu a cute, innocent look as she brushed past him, her fingers lightly brushing against his black chest fur. "Oh, don't worry~ I'll be fine, I'm sure of it," she said to him with such grace, causing the Riolu to fall further into this love-struck pit he fell into. Seru, however, seemed to give off a groan, finding this entire thing agonizing as he moved along with Ryu, watching her sit on the dusty sack, cushioned by the plentiful rice harvest that the bag contained.
"Ugh, Ryu, I still have this feeling that perhaps this Rio-", he started, floating down by her side before getting a cold glare from Ryu. For once, he was silenced, which would astonish the local Shogun since Ryu very rarely made people stop talking, especially with a cold glare like that.
Ryu's usually calm green eyes were as hard as diamonds, and her stern appearance was quite obvious from the way she was looking at Seru. "Hmph, you really need to be more trusting, Seru," Ryu said in a quiet voice, raising a hand and lightly flicking Seru, making the cell-like Pokemon bounce back a foot. Afterwards, she sighed lightly, blinking and looking down, before looking back up at Riolu once more. "I apologize for Seru, he can be….a bit misunderstanding sometimes," Ryu formally said to the young Riolu, making a small bow as well.
Riolu blinked, looking back at Ryu for a few seconds, before smiling lightly. "It's not a problem, tell him not to worry one bit," he said in a kind voice, a chuckle escaping his lips before he walked towards the rice paddy once more. He adjusted his hat lightly, so he got the optimal amount of shade for himself.
Ryu gave off a calm smile, crossing her legs as she formally laid her hands upon her lap as she watched the Riolu start to go to work. "Now then, let's watch this Riolu at work," she said quietly to herself, a friendly look appearing on her face. Of course, she was still irritated at Seru, but that would be gone after the wonderful performance the Riolu had to offer.
Riolu glanced at Ryu once, before making a small smile as he started to move through the rice paddies once more, feeling the plants brush against him as the cold waters pressed against his blue fur. After several steps through the slick mud, he was up to his chin in the cold waters, hopping occasionally to bob his chest out of the water for a brief second before feeling his paws plunge into the silt as he landed.
"Princess, you know I do not trust strangers. Why do you trust him? He could be after you," Seru said in a quick, rushed voice, bumping against Ryu's hair, his oil-like liquid surrounding him merely brushing off of her.
Ryu made a serene smile, and looked at Seru. There was something that was in the princess's eyes, something that Seru had never seen. It wasn't anger, nor was it a friendly look. Instead, there was something mixed in it, an unfamiliar glimmer. "Seru, can't you just relax? I know he's not after me….", she said, looking back at the Riolu with a sigh, a different one than she normally let out. "And besides, you have to admit, he's a bit cute, even if he is a Riolu…"
Riolu quickly moved about, finally reaching a spot in the paddy that allowed him to stand upright, without having to struggle to breathe. He raised a paw, tipping his hat once as he noticed a few of the rice plants move about, as if something was scurrying through them. 'So it's trying to run~', he thought to himself, making a smirk as he leaped into the air, droplets of water letting off a shimmering display as the sunlight hit it, making the Riolu look a bit more heroic than what his job actually was. "You won't," he started, a small blue sphere forming in a single paw, and briskly he jabbed his arm, shooting the odd sphere towards the Bidoof. "Escape!", he cried out, watching as the sphere hit the Bidoof directly in the head, a plume of water spouting from the impact. It was at least five feet tall, before the water dispersed and the Riolu quickly ran towards the unconscious Bidoof.
Ryu blinked, a noticeable pink blush set on her face as she saw the Riolu leap into the air. "He looks magnificent…", she mumbled under her breath, trying having her breath taken away by the sight of the Riolu, his fur glistening from the water that was soaking his body. It was also surprising how agile he was, considering he was drenched. And the finishing blow made her jump in her seat of a humble rice sack.
Seru gave off a groan, shaking his head as he glared at the Riolu. Was he just showing off to the Princess because he's just like that, or was it something more? He hid behind Ryu, a spiteful look in his eyes as he looked at the Riolu, seeing him pick up the Bidoof then quickly scurry towards them.
Ryu gave off a very cute giggle, covering her mouth as she saw the Riolu emerge onto the raised banks of the paddy, shaking his fur as droplets of water flung about. "Well~ That was quite exciting!", she exclaimed, not expecting something like that to happen out of the wild blue.
Riolu gave off a very faint blush, barely seeable through his fur. "W-Well, I had to make it something special for such a…..special guest~", he said, letting off a chuckle as he rubbed the back of his head, accidentally flipping off his hat, his eyes locked on it as it fluttered down before making some of the dust stir up as it landed.
Ryu, very calmly, walked towards the hat, picking it up with her gentle, soft hands. She took a small breath before blowing any excess dirt off, then giving the Riolu a serene smile. "Here you go~", she said to him, placing the hat onto his head. Of course, she took note of his adorable ears, as, admittedly, she wanted to rub them at least once before she had to inevitably return to the palace.
The Riolu gave off a sincere look in his sky-blue eyes, before blushing as he felt the hat being placed on his head, in honor of his performance. "T-Thanks…", he mumbled out, finding it harder to talk normally towards Ryu. His heart seemed to beat harder in his chest, a lump forming in his throat the more he stood in her presence. He seemed dazed, to say the least, until there was a small twitch of the Bidoof's leg that brought him out of the trance. He glanced at it, before saying to the princess in a sincere voice, "You mind if….W-Well….", he started, but was surprised by what she did next.
Ryu made a giggle, taking the Riolu's free paw as she briskly made her way to his side. "Of course not, silly!~ After all, it's the least I can do for allowing me to watch your amazing performance," she said to the Riolu, a smile on her face, along with the same glimmer from before appearing in her eyes.
Seru looked appalled by it all! "P-Princess, I must digress!", he exclaimed, before seeing the princess give him a wink, along with mouthing the words, "Don't worry." His entire body shivered, and ultimately he couldn't deter the princess. He floated by her side, glaring at the Riolu again before feeling her fingers stroke his sturdy liquid.
"That's a good boy~", she said in a very childish manner, and with a soft look she nudged the Riolu. "Now then, show me how you handle these pests."
The Riolu had a shocked look on his face. He couldn't actually believe that she was holding his paw. What shocked him even more was how calm she was around him; it was as if she wasn't even related to the spiteful nobles in the town. "A-Alright," he said in a quiet voice, starting to move along through the dirt path. As they walked in silence for a few minutes, the forest lining coming into view, he debated on what to talk about to the princess. After all, if he said anything wrong, he could wind up like his father….That thought alone made him shiver momentarily as the image of his father flashed through his mind, still as vivid as ever.
"So tell me, where are your parents? I'd like to meet them, especially if they're as nice as you," Ryu said casually, unaware of what had happened to his parents. She took several steps forward, before feeling the Riolu stop in his tracks. There was a worried feeling in her stomach as she looked back at the cute canine, seeing his eyes looking down at the ground. "Is there….Something wrong?", she inquired, feeling worried now that the Riolu had this odd look appear on his face.
The canine looked up, before briskly moving along. He cursed his luck that, of all things, she just had to ask that. It made him feel frustrated, and he definitely didn't want the cutest girl he had known patronize him. "Come on, let's just get this over with," he muttered to Ryu, seeing her quickly walking up to his pace.
"R-Riolu!", she exclaimed, her voice clearly showing the worry and concern in her voice. She saw the forest creep towards them as their pace quickened, and it was obvious the Riolu was frustrated with the way he was squeezing her hand tightly. "P-Please, lighten u-up…Y-You're hurting me!", she said in a hurtful voice, wincing in pain as she noticed the Riolu throw the Bidoof as roughly as he could into the brush, with a single paw no less.
The Riolu shut his eyes tightly, before glancing at the princess, his eyes welling up with tears. A sniffle was heard from him, and, almost as abruptly as his frustration came on, he broke down in front of her. He fell upon his knees, and he said, "I-I'm sorry, b-but….M-My father was mur….Mur…." He couldn't even bring himself to say the word, so instead he shook his head. "A-And my mother….S-She just ran off….A-And I'm a-all….A-Alone….."
Ryu blinked, shocked at the sudden breakdown the Riolu had. "A-Ahh…..", she managed to make out, shaking her hand free from the Riolu's paw. She looked down at the canine, with his ears a bit low and tears falling onto the soft ground dirt beneath their feet. She pitied his situation, she truly did. Just seeing this amazing creature made her heart have this crushed, devastated sensation, as if it had shattered inside her chest. A small sigh was heard, and she crouched down. "Oh Riolu….There's no need to cry….", she said to him, removing the hat from his head and gently stroking his head, hoping it would soothe the creature's sorrow.
Seru was just as shocked as Ryu was. He still didn't like how the Riolu was getting along with the princess, but this! This was unacceptable, even by his terms. It seemed like this Riolu had a very rough life, especially considering no one was taking care of him. But, now he was torn between what he should feel; pity the poor Riolu, or merely shrug it off. He remained silent for the time being, fearing that if he said anything it would be negative, or condescending.
Riolu shook his head, then looked up at Ryu with tearful eyes. "B-But….R-Ryu….", he managed to mumble out, before he felt Ryu's arms wrap around his body, his eyes widening as he felt her warmth flow onto him through her fine, silk kimono.
"Shhhh….Just please don't cry….", she said in a soft voice, before looking into the Riolu's blue eyes, a smile forming on her face. She had already made up her mind about what to do, since it seemed to be the right thing to do in this situation. "Now then," Ryu started quietly, standing upright as she took his paw again. "Shall we get going?"
Riolu blinked, then rubbed his eyes with his free paw, standing on his two feet. "G-Going? Going where, Ryu?", he inquired, feeling his heart rise a bit as he looked at Ryu, still feeling her soft hand touch his paw, comforting him.
The princess smiled, and gave him a wink. "To the palace. You will never have to worry about anything in there," she said in a comforting voice, looking up at the sky as she started to walk along. Her sleeves fell over her hands, flowing in the subtle breeze that was forming in the area.
Seru was even more shocked by what Ryu was saying to this…commoner! He would have objected, but then he thought better. He would never dare to tread on Ryu's bad side, especially when it came to inviting guests into the castle. But still, surely her father would never allow such a thing.
Riolu gave off an unusual look, mixed with confusion and a bit of a blush on his face. It seemed so sudden…Was there something to it? "B-But, why?", he managed to make out from his confounded state at that moment.
"Well, your parents are gone….I mean, that's enough reason, correct?", Ryu said to the Riolu, a calm smile upon her face as she looked back. "And besides, you're rather adorable…" She said the last word quieter than the others, mainly because she didn't know how the canine would have taken it. Ryu's eyes seemed to sparkle once more with that odd glimmer, and she let off a soft giggle as she covered her lips.
Riolu blinked, then glanced away as she said that. It was quite true, he couldn't really deny it, especially after the breakdown he had just experienced just minutes ago. Their feet tapped against the dirt road, and the sun was starting to go towards the horizon; it was probably at least an hour before the darkness would set in. "I guess so….", he murmured out, adjusting his hat a bit as he glanced at Seru, who glared at the Riolu with a cold look in his eyes before floating back towards Ryu. It was clear, to the Riolu, that Seru was one of the most stuck up Pokemon he had ever seen.
The two walked along the dirt road, noticing a cart pass them with merchandise that rustled and clattered. Riolu never really did take notice of these things, as it was a common sight to a Pokemon such as himself, but every detail seemed to come across his eyes when he was around Ryu. He pointed out some stuff he had never seemed to notice before, like how wonderful the cherry blossoms looked at the city gates, or even the funny way some people seemed to dress. This, of course, made Ryu giggle adorably, squeezing his paw lightly with her own hand. Before the two knew it, they were arriving at the courtyard, where the rusty padlock lay on the ground, just as Ryu had left it.
"Come on, just a little farther…", Ryu said to the Riolu in a kind tone, looking back and giving off a smile towards the fighting-type. She tugged his hand lightly as she started to walk along again, her shoes tapping against the cobblestone path that wound through the garden as she walked. Seru gave off a frown (or he would have if he had a simple mouth) as he floated alongside the both of them, giving the Riolu a spiteful look from his black, beady eyes.
Riolu felt himself quiver as he walked behind Ryu, feeling himself pulled along. "A-Are you sure this is a great idea?", he said to her in a quiet voice, fear heard in his voice as his feet made small pats against the path.
"Don't worry so much! Everything will be alright…", Ryu said to the Riolu in a hoarse whisper, feeling herself quiver as she noticed one of her servants sliding open the paper-like door. The princess froze in her spot, halting the Riolu as her heart nearly stopped in sheer nervousness. Seru blinked, and quickly he hid behind the princess. Despite not enjoying this situation in the slightest, he'd rather have Ryu happy than to have her found out.
The servant let off a soft sigh to herself as she looked at the cherry blossoms as the petals danced onto the still pond. Her black hair was tied into a ponytail, and her blue eyes seemed to stare off into space. She wore a kimono, but it looked much humbler when it was compared to Ryu's, especially with its pale-blue color on them. She had a cup in her hand as she sat down, piping hot steam spouting from the top as she raised the cup to her lips, tasting the sweet tea. She seemed to say something to herself, as if distressed over something.
Ryu slowly walked along, trying her best to be as quiet as possible. The Riolu looked at the servant out of curiosity, wondering what exactly the person had to do for duties around here. He was about to say something to her, but received a cold glare from Ryu. "Don't you dare…", she whispered to the Riolu, stepping once towards the wooden porch, and slowly she placed a foot onto it. But, much to their dismay, the wooden board made a very loud, noticeable sound, as if it had groaned in agony.
Of course, this attracted the attention of the servant. She looked around for a moment, before her eyes spotted Ryu. The woman was about to greet Ryu with a smile and the usual, "Did you have fun today?", but instead her calm look was replaced with one that seemed to be spiteful. "Princess Ryu!", she exclaimed, standing upright as the cup fell to the floor, the tea spilling everywhere.
This obviously made everybody spring up, a nervous look on their face. Ryu had a mortified look on her face as she raised her hands, shaking them lightly. "W-What is it?", she asked in a confused voice, wondering just what she had done wrong.
The servant had a frown spread across her face as she walked towards Ryu. She braced herself for a slap, but that never came. Instead, she heard the Riolu yelp lightly. The servant had gripped the Riolu's wrist as roughly as she could, and she shook the canine roughly. "What were you thinking?! Associating yourself with….With….Filth?!", she asked Ryu in a stern, cross manner, glaring at her in a cold manner, then back towards the Riolu.
"F…Filth?", the Riolu merely managed to make out, before feeling the servant swiftly walk through the gardens, each bob making his arm stretch a bit painfully. The sheer grip the servant had on his wrist made him tear up in pain, and before he knew it he was set on the ground. He was wondering why this was happening, and quickly stood up to object towards this behavior. But then, as swiftly as he had been carried, the servant gave the Riolu a loud, forceful slap across the face, causing him to yelp as he fell to the ground, his hat falling off of his head.
"Now get out of here, before I have you executed!", she shouted out to the Riolu, watching the canine try to stand up again. The servant huffed as she closed the gate, her hands trembling with seething anger as she picked up the rusted lock, placing it on the gate as she glared at the Riolu once more.
Ryu had this look of terror spread across her face as she watched the actions unfold in front of her own eyes. She trembled with confusion, and mostly anger as she watched the servant walk back, hastily approaching the door. She heard a scoff come from the woman, and then a groan. "You are not to talk, look, or associate yourself with that….Trash!", she shouted out towards Ryu, pointing towards the Riolu.
Ryu just wanted to scream, to tell her father about this mutiny. She wanted the servant dead in an instant, but, unwillingly, she looked down and said in a anger-filled, "Fine…."
The servant made a groan, rubbing her temples as she entered the home, muttering something to herself. Seru blinked, finding himself, for the first time, furious towards the servant. He could easily kill her here and now, but there were limits as to what he could and couldn't do around here. The Solosis watched as Ryu walked towards the door, and slam it as hard as she could, making a few panels of it tear. Then, for the first time in a long time, he saw Ryu tear up and fall to her knees, softly sobbing.
"S-Seru….", she said softly, cupping her face in her sleeves, trying her best to stop the tears. But she couldn't. No matter how hard she tried, she couldn't help but cry. Why? Why was she crying this hard?
"Y-Yes, Ryu?", Seru managed to say, floating by the Princess's ears as he eagerly listened to what the princess had to say.
Ryu sniffled as she looked at Seru, her eyes still welling up with tears. "Rush to my b-bedroom….A-And give the Riolu my favorite bracelet…..", she requested, watching Seru look at her in confusion. "P-Please….Please do this….F-For me…."
The Riolu watched the princess and Seru talk on the porch, with her constantly crying. He felt his heart sink, and his cheek stung. His tail twitched out of sorrow, wondering why the servant didn't want him talking to the princess in any way, shape, or form. His heart seemed shattered, and he couldn't help but softly cry himself. This world took another joy away from him, and it left him pained and full of sorrow. He seemed to shake his head as he collapsed onto his knees, wanting to know why all of this was happening to him.
Minutes seemed to pass, and before they knew it, the moon was out, shining brightly upon the garden. The Riolu blinked, wiping his tears away before he noticed a voice talk to him. "Hey…." He felt something touch his forehead, and instinctively the Riolu raised his paws to take it.
"Wha…What is this?", the Riolu asked, noticing that the accessory was made of a soft, silver metal, and on one side was the symbol for the royal family. He looked at it from several angles, trying to determine what it was. He glanced up, seeing Seru's black eyes seem to glisten like lovely coals.
"It's Ryu's favorite bracelet…", the Solosis said to the Riolu, thankfully through telepathy. He floated down towards the canine, looking at the Riolu with sympathy. "And….I'm sorry for treating you like I did earlier…"
The Riolu looked at the bracelet, wondering just what to do with it. "It's….A-Alright….", he said to Seru, a few tears welling up as he thought of the sheer sign of affection that Ryu was showing him. She entrusted him with her favorite bracelet….And they only had spent several hours together. "But…Why would she give me this?"
Seru sighed, and made the bracelet levitate as he slowly pushed it past the Riolu's paws, settling it onto his wrist. "I don't know….Maybe she knows that, someday, you will meet again….", the Solosis looked at the Riolu, and would have made a smile if he had any facial features.
Riolu blinked, then felt his heart beat faster. Despite what had happened with the servant earlier, she still wants to be friends. He looked down at the bracelet, seeing how it glistened in the moonlight as beautifully as the lake's surface. He shut his sky-blue eyes, and smiled, his feelings indescribable to his own words. "Tell Ryu….That I said thanks, and that I'll treasure the bracelet…."
Seru gave off a nod, and briskly floated above the wall, and towards the palace once more. There was an open window, and as he approached it he glanced back at the Riolu before floating into the palace. 'I hope we meet again...'