Note: Huff... Late Happy Single-Awareness Day... Oops! I meant Valentines... Oh well, I managed to get it done... Not to mention I have some tests to worry about. I hope you guys find this chapter more interesting... I'd rather not tell what happens here, I'll leave it to you guys to find out then. Enjoy...
Rose's POV:
The light faded away from a stunningly bright level to a normally lit shade.
I opened my eyes after realizing that day had taken over and that the spell of dusk no longer kept me in slumber,
"Ugh... How long was I asleep," I asked aloud to no-one in particular.
When I lifted my head, I found something under the place where I had laid down. I picked up the small object. It appeared to be a feather bent in the fashion of a Lunar Wing, except that it was embedded with three and a half small gems. I noticed that the gems were specifically colored like the ones in my trial. On my feather, there was a red, green, blue, and a half of the purple gem.
I stood up from the dirty prison floor, shaking off all the dirt that had sullied my gown.
A sudden headache came over me, preventing me from further doing anything else.
"Keep the Divine Crescent, you'll need it later!" Cresselia's voice commanded. After her voice faded, so did my headache.
"How's that possible when I'm stuck in a freaking cell," I silently cursed, sitting down again.
A Magnemite soon passed by my cell. I turned around and slipped a small envelope in my cell.
"LETTER FOR INMATE NUMBER SEVENTY," the Magnemite stated as it floated away without giving me another glance.
I hastily picked up the small envelope. Who would actually take time to send a letter to an infamous outlaw like me anyway? I ripped it open and began to read.
Dear Rose,
Err... I'm really sorry that you've been... uh... arrested... Well, technically, you gave yourself up. I decided to write this letter to tell you that Sandra, Celsus, and I have managed t make it out of the woods safely and it was all thanks to you. I don't care how the world sees you, you'll still be a great friend. I hope to see you soon, for I, along with Celsus and Sandra, have decided to come over to reason for your release. So... uh... see you soon?
P.S. I met a really nice guy... I honestly don't know what he is, but others call him the Venom Bandit... I believe you two should get acquainted sometime...
Your friend, Claire
At the bottom of the letter was a finely sketched portrait of a Froslass along with a Masquerain and a Flygon.
I sighed. I guess I wasn't rid of all my problems yet, considering the fact that I'd be seeing Celsus and Sandra soon.
I then remembered that Darkrai and Cresselia said that they would explain everything to me when I'm awake... Why, then, was my explanation still not present?
"Well, you told me you'd explain the situation to me once I'm awake," I yelled to the ceiling, hoping that the goddess-like legendary would hear me. I honestly doubt that she had ears though...
It was then that a hooded figure came over to my cell.
"Inmate number... ah... seventy-two, you are to come with me for questioning," he gruffly commanded as he opened my cell door.
I frowned... Seventy-two?
"Seventy-two? I thought I was seventy?" I suspiciously asked, finding the hooded guy to be a bit informal in his way of speech, contrary to the Magnemite's way of speaking.
"Erm... Yes... I knew that..." the hooded figure nervously muttered as he began to drag me away.
"Are you even authorized to bring me in for questioning. You don't sound quite similar to the other guards," I gravely questioned, smelling something fishy.
"Silence! You have no right so speak up to me like that!" the hooded figure shot back in a desperate attempt to hide the fact that he was being found out by a prisoner.
"If you say so then," I smiled, silently sticking out my foot to trip the mystery guy.
"Ack!" he grunted as he fell down headfirst.
"I don't think you work for Magnezone, and I know that you think I have some loot on my personage. I'm sorry, but I don't help fellow thieves like-" I stopped my sly remark after unhooding him. It was none other than Blade.
"Blade? What are you-" Blade covered my mouth before I could finish my sentence.
"Shh... I'm not supposed to be doing this! Just lie low and-" he didn't fish his sentence for he was hit by a Thundershock.
"UNAUTHORIZED ORESENCE DETECTED AT SECTOR 70B WITH INMATE NUMBER SEVENTY! HALT NOW OR FACE THE CONSEQUENCES!" a Magnemite swarm coldly echoed.
Blade stood still but I grabbed hold of his arm and began to drag him away as I started running.
"What were you doing, Blade? Gonna just hand your butt to them like that?" I scolded while running swiftly.
"Hey! I. Shouldn't even be doing this" as one who lives by the law, I should've just remained-" he explained before I cut him off.
"Yeah! Do that and live your entire life in a cell? Listen, that dream we had... We have a huge part to play, so I can't allow an idiotic choice like yours to be made," I arrogantly snapped.
He fell silent as we continued running. I thought he had finally gotten the message but he abruptly stopped, wrenching his hand away from me.
"This is my crime, you better run off!" he told me.
I just gritted my teeth. Great! Why did Blade just have to be a pathetic goodie two-shoes sometimes?
I heard a Magnemite's voice and immediately hid behind a wall near the corner.
"SCANNING," a cold voice said as I peeked, Blade had given himself up, "SPECIES IDENTIFIED. GALLADE, MALE... RECOGNIZABLE BADGE... BLADE?"
"Yes,.. I'm responsible for everything... But please! Please allow me to explain myself to Magnezone before locking me up," Blade pleaded.
The Magnemite seemed confused. But it reluctantly agreed as it began to escort Blade back to a room.
I silently followed them, noticing that Blade had been paralyzed as an extra precaution.
Maybe I should use this opportunity to escape? I silently thought, I had no connection to Blade anyway... Now that he had helped me, I should probably just go on my way now that he had thrown away the destiny that Darkrai and Cresselia had attempted to bestow unto us.
"MISUNDERSTOOD?" a booming voice echoed from the door, making me stop in my tracks.
Blade was actually going to tell the truth? For once, I pitied him. Nobody cares about the truth when you're a wanted outlaw who has stolen countless stuff.
"AND ABOUT ALL THE STUFF SHE STOLE?" Magnezone's voice boomed.
"I'll take responsibility for everything. Each loss will be made up coming from my own pockets," Blade calmly replied.
"WHAT ABOUT HER ESCAPE NOW, HUH? WHAT IF SHE STEALS MORE STUFF?" Magnezone angrily spat.
There was a short silence.
"I promise you that she won't steal anything anymore... I know that she... she can change," Blade reasoned out with some doubt still in is voice.
"AND IF SHE DOESN'T?" Magnezone retorted.
"I'll pay for every damage done," Blade immediately replied.
WHAT! He... H-he was willing to do that? He's... He's something... I guess I did think him to be weird that time. After all, he'd have to be either very innocent or very idiotic to trust a thief not to steal.
I found myself smiling though, despite my previous thoughts... Blade... He really began to catch my attention even more... I slowly walked out of the place and tried to find a nearby tree to hide and wait. All intentions of escaping were extinguished upon seeing Blade's kind act.
"Excuse me!" a passing Gardevoir quickly muttered as she bumped into me.
"Ack!" I grunted, seeing that the Gardevoir was already very far away, "I guess she's in a hurry..."
I climbed up the tree and sat down at a tree branch, waiting for Blade to come out. But I guess I lost track of time as I began to doze off.
"Hey Rose! Long time no see!" Jirachi chimed.
"Woah! How'd you get in here?" I spat back in surprise instead of rudeness.
"Relax, Rose... This is just another telepathically message..." Jirachi giggled.
"What is it this time that you had to really send a message?" I rolled my eyes.
"Well, have Darkrai and Cresselia told you your part yet?" Jirachi smiled.
"Not yet..." I replied.
"Oh, gosh!" Jirachi suddenly put on a grave face, "Then I can't tell you the message yet."
Jirachi sighed heavily as I began to sit down beside him. A few moments of silence were not enough though, as Jorachi began to slyly grin at me.
"I see that secret desire of yours has finally come true now, eh?" Jirachi giggled as he nudged me.
"What? How should I know! You didn't even tell me what my desire was..." I answered irritably.
Jirachi gasped in shock, "It would be pretty clear, you know... Unless... Oh my... Have Blade and you ever... uh... how do I say this-"
"Battled?" I replied, opening one eye, "Yeah... Twice. I lost both times."
"That wasn't what I meant," Jirachi replied uneasily, "Oh, but all this excitement is just unnerving me... Would you like me to just spill it so that you can finally achieve it?"
My eyes widened, so did Jirachi's mischievous grin.
"Oh! Go on then!" I excitedly muttered.
"Fine then," Jirachi winked, "Your true desire is to be-"
"Rose, wake up!" a voice tore away my dream.
I opened my eyes. Blade had yelled at me, causing me to wake up. It was already nighttime.
"Wha-" I screamed in shock as I fell off the tree branch and directly on too of him.
My fall made us both rolled sideways like a wheel until we hit a rock,
"Ugh..." Blade groaned as he began to sit up.
"Oww... Please get off me!" I groaned, feeling his heavy weight pound on my delicate bones.
"Oops, sorry," Blade quickly replied as he began to stand.
I stood up and brushed off all the soot on me and faced Boade.
"What took you so long?" I irritably scolded, annoyed that Jirachi wasn't able to tell me my true desire because of his interference.
"Well, excuse me. There were some complications and I had to sacrifice some stuff just to clear your name!" he teamed up. It was then that I noticed his badge..l it was a Normal Rank badge now.
"T-they... demoted you?" I bit my tongue, ashamed at my cold remark, "I... I'm sorry... Blade..."
He held back his tears, "Never mind that... We have to get to the beach... Darkrai and Cresselia want us to be there... They want us to bring our Divine Crescent pieces... May I see yours?"
"Sure... Just wai-" I stopped speaking. My feather... thing was gone from my bag, "No! No, it can't be!"
"What's the matter?" Blade calmly asked.
"My... my Divine... Crescent... It's... It's gone!" I choked.
Blade seemed to look nervous but he hid it well behind his calm demeanor.
"It's probably... lost somewhere here... I promise I'll help you find it tomorrow, after we get some sleep..." Blade replied in exhaustion.
"Fine," I replied as I started to gather some leaves for a pillow.
For once, my night was an uneventful one. I was having a "normal" dream where a Riolu was having a friendly conversation with me. We were just talking when all of a sudden... WHAP!
I opened my eyes to catch a glimpse if a mischievous Pelipper flying above me. He had dropped a stack of newspapers directly on top of me.
"Ugh..." I groaned as Blade, who was already awake, proceeded to read a copy of the newspaper.
His eyes grew wide upon the reading the headline so I knew that something was up. I took a glance at another copy and realized something fishy. The headline itself made me open my mouth in disbelief: "MYSTERIOUS THIEF ROSE AT LARGE AGAIN!"
The headline was followed up by a snapshot of a Gardevoir. My eyes widened upon seeing the picture... It can't be... Oh, Arceus! It was the Gardevoir yesterday!
"Rose," Blade calmly approached me.
"Blade! This may sound crazy, but I assure you that I'm innocent this time!" I frantically explained.
Blade sternly glared back at me.
"I guess you won't trust me, huh?" I sighed, I knew that Blade would not trust me after all we had been through... I kinda felt sad about the fact that even he refused to trust the friend he had made and changed.
I felt his hand on my shoulder.
"I trust you, Rose... After all, you were sleeping next to me the whole night. It was stated that the crime happened in the middle of the night, now... You were explaining?" he smiled,
I smiled back. I hope my first impression of Blade was wrong, for I began to get a different idea of who Blade really is.
I then explained to him everything that happened yesterday.
Once he understood, we began to set out to clear my name. Roses are red, and Blade's promise will soon be due, for we know an imposter is afoot, and I'll prove that only one claim about me is true!
Note: Rose VS Rose... Now that's something I've ALWAYS wanted to just scream out. Anyway, there were some cameo appearances in this chappie... I couldn't help putting them up here... "Venom Bandit" is a reference to Lordrereland's "Antivenom", you guys should go check it out because it's quite awesome. The Riolu from Rose's dream was a small reference to wishbone23's "Love Starts in a Tree" and "Love Starts in a Dream", you guys should go check it out too. Anyway, I hope you guys had a happy Valentines, because I didn't... I spent it at home studying biology... Either way, as always... The best gift one can ever give a writer is a review. I'd sure enjoy a review, whether the opinion is good or bad.
P.S. On a sidenote, next week's chappie MIGHT be delayed because I need some time to make an extra Valentines special oneshot (a spinoff of What a Thief Can't Steal and a certain "other fic") that was SUPPOSEDLY for Valentines Day, but my schoolwork apparently wants my undivided attention. Oh well...
Seeya guys! 'Till next chappie!