Disclaimer: I do not own anything.
Green tapped his fingers on the carriage's windowsill irritably. He didn't want to have to tag along with his sister all the way to Kanto, and he certainly didn't want to be stuck in that carriage for too long. Blue was singing to herself, over and over, slightly off-key.
"I'm coming home,
I'm coming home,
Tell the world that I'm coming home.
Let the rain,
Wash away,
All the pain of yesterday.
I know my kingdom awaits,
And they've forgiven my mistakes,
So I'm coming home.
I'm coming home,
Tell the world that I'm coming home."
Green groaned. "Do you have to make so much noise, annoying woman?" It was probably improper of him to say such things, but she was Blue, and she was Crystal's best friend and the source of a good percentage of his headaches.
Blue crossed her arms. "Yes. It seems I'm the only one who's actually intrigued by going to Kanto. Plus, I'll get to see my baby." She huffed and stared out the window without saying anything else.
Green sent a sideways glance at Crystal, as if to question what Blue said, but his sister was lost in her thoughts. He sighed. It was going to be a long carriage ride.
Red pulled his cap lower over his head. His bangs brushed against his eyes, but he knew where he was going regardless. He did this almost every week.
It's not as if anyone notices, he thought grimly.
Just outside of ViridianCity was the forest, and at its edge was a small hill with trees atop it. From a distance, Red liked to muse the hill was a large and lumpy round cake with the trees as candles. He always thought of the old Greek tradition of lighting candles on a round cake to make them glow like the moon, in hopes of getting the goddess Artemis's special favour.
Red liked to sit within the grove of trees; no one could see him in such a distance, it was a quiet place to clear his thoughts, and it had a great view. He could see the bounds of the thick ViridianForest, as well as the city and his castle. He felt as though he was obliged to keep an eye on the capital city—if not the whole kingdom in the future—and the grove allowed him to do so.
He had not ever been into the city on his own, but before his mother became ill the two of them used to dress as commoners and take a walk through the streets. In the grove, he did not have to be a common boy nor a prince; he just had to be Red.
Nobody found his absence a bother. No one had ever come looking for him, and he was disappointed that whenever he returned, everything was still in order. Not even his father thought anything of his nonattendance.
Red usually did not have the heart to stay for an extended period of time anyway.
He slumped against his usual tree—the broadest—and cracked open a book.
The carriage was as tiresome as ever as it hobbled along the roads. I suppose this is better than when we were on the boat, Green, who often got seasick, thought. Still, I would not have expected the road from VermillionCity to Viridian to be so long…
Crystal was still in a trance, watching the scenery passing outside with rapt attention. Irksome Blue had kept switching sides of the carriage, apparently uncomfortable. She had settled down finally next to Green, but unfortunately then fell asleep with her head on his shoulder, restricting him from moving.
So he had taken a page from his sister's book and watched out the window, in too much of a daze to pay it much attention. His thoughts were a quiet place to hide in during the long trip to Viridian.
The girl peered out a dirty glass window at the hill just outside the ViridianForest.
"Are you certain you can pull this off?" asked her companion from behind her.
"Positive. Why else would I have been chosen?"
Her companion shrugged, smiling his slimy smile. "Maybe it was a fluke."
The girl finished tying up her long blonde hair and brushed her bangs out of her bright eyes. "Impossible. You just are envious of me because I got the golden job."
He shrugged again and held the door open for her as she passed him. "Well, we cannot afford to lose one of our team, so I am unfortunately forced to put up with you. Stay safe out there, Yellow," he finished with his smile.
The girl scowled. "Do not call me that, you creepy twit."
Another shrug. She was beginning to wonder if he had a shoulder problem. "Fine then, Your Radiance. Have fun and don't get killed."
"Please," she said and left, shouldering her weapon.
Shockingly, it was Crystal who broke the silence of the ever-quiet carriage.
"We're here!"
Green returned from the depths of his thoughts and gazed out of the window. They had entered the bounds of ViridianCity, and now guards on horseback rode at their sides. Citizens—the peasants and the posh alike—stood in clusters around the streets and waved and cheered. As they came further into the city, more people ran from houses and stores to catch a glimpse of the carriage. Crystal began grinning and waving back. Green rolled his eyes; really, she was so predictable.
Green considered waking Blue. She might want to see the city and whoever she had been talking about—her family?—could have been somewhere in the street. He glanced over at her quickly, but then his eyes lingered. She didn't look so troublesome when she was asleep. She seemed outright peaceful.
Unfortunately, that peace did not last very long. Turbulence momentarily knocked the carriage, and Blue jolted awake. "We're here," she observed, her eyes alert but her brain still fuzzy.
Green rolled his eyes as his sister beckoned her to the window. Together, the two best friends continued to wave as the carriage passed through the grand gates of the Viridian Palace.
The girl had entered the forest, hoping to get a better angle on the hill, but unfortunately found that she could not. It was frustrating, much like planning a battle; she could not attack from below, because that would affect her shot and put her at a disadvantage to her enemy.
And also much like a battle, blood would need to be spilled.
She was trained for this, trained to analyze a situation to get the job done fast and leaving without a trace. So she made the best use of her surroundings and managed to scale a tall tree. Fortunately enough, she could spot her target from her position.
Prince Red.
She smirked to herself, wondering vaguely why he was out on the hilltop when he probably should have been back at the castle. Was the princess of Johto not arriving that day? Perhaps that had slipped his mind. Whatever had happened, it was in the girl's favour.
She aimed her bow right at his head and let loose an arrow.
The Viridian Palace was cut from a different stone, but aside from the different layout it was relatively similar to Johto's castle; large and difficult to navigate, full of fancy and occasionally useless things. Crystal had heard, though, that it had a famously wonderful library, so that peaked her interest.
Court officials came to greet her and her brother while the staff whisked away Blue to brief her on how the castle was run. Green was introduced to the officials, but forgot their names nearly as soon as they stopped shaking his hand.
Finally, in all his glory, King Corvus stepped forward. He did not need to be wearing a crown or ornate robes; anyone could tell he was a king.
He smiled serenely at the pair of royals, like they were particularly swift horses. "Princess Crystal, Prince Green," he greeted them. "It is truly a pleasure to have you here in our palace." He sent them a withering expression. "Unfortunately, not a soul has seen my son Red since this morning. Please pardon his rudeness."
Crystal curtseyed. "He needs no pardoning for his absence; I believe we may have arrived sooner than expected."
King Corvus laughed heartily. "Such a polite girl. You and my son shall get along famously." He turned to address Green. "Might I show you to the main council room? I was hoping you would attend while you are here in Kanto. What say you?"
Green nodded and followed fearlessly after the king. Crystal stood, wiping her clammy hands on her skirts, and wondering where Prince Red was. For a moment, she allowed herself to daydream that he was deep in his studies and she might have intellectual conversations with him, or that he snuck off and had secret adventures like her. Perhaps if he was similar to her in any ways then marrying him would not be so difficult.
Of course, the arrow missed by a mile.
It hit the trunk of the broad tree about a foot above the prince's head. The girl cursed and he snapped his book shut.
"Who's there?" he called loudly. The girl rolled her eyes. As if I would ever answer, she thought disdainfully. She slid from the tree before Prince Red could investigate, and raced back into the city. Her one regret was having to tell her noisy companion about what had happened.
At first, he just blinked at her. Then he asked, rather incredulously, "How could you have just run away after a loss? A true warrior stands and fight, Yellow, you coward!"
She fought down the urge to punch him. "I am not a coward, and do not call me by that name!" She sighed and slumped down to the floor. "Today is perhaps an off day."
Her companion sighed along with her. "I suppose so. But, hear this; we shall prevail. If we did not succeed today, then we shall await another chance. Mark my words, Yellow—"
"It's not Yellow."
"—we will eventually succeed. All the wrongs shall be righted. We shall make our family proud. And we will shine brilliantly."
The girl smirked. "No objections to that. You just wait, and watch me shine."
Crystal immediately looked up from where she was sitting when Prince Red entered the room. He strode over to a councilman, and they exchanged a few words in which seemed to shock the councilman quite a lot, because his eyes widened and he sped off. Another man tapped Red on the shoulder and not-so-discreetly pointed Crystal out.
Red approached Crystal and let out a breath. "I apologize for my absence, but I just was almost assassinated," he explained nonchalantly. "You know, the usual. Just another day." He spoke to her as if she were an old friend, which she liked instantly.
"How could that have happened?" she inquired, appalled.
A sheepish expression crossed his face. "There's a grove on the hill nestled between the city and the forest. An old trail from the castle leads there, so I am not technically leaving unguarded, but at least it is a quiet place to think. I guess it truly was vulnerable, because the next thing I know there's an arrow sticking out of the tree right above my head." Suddenly he paused and winced. "I didn't introduce myself."
"You need no introduction," Crystal replied, rising and curtseying. "It is a pleasure to meet you."
He bowed. "The same for you, Your Highness."
Crystal and Red were seated together at dinner that night—an incredible feast, to say the least—which gave them to talk, as they were already technically engaged, but in truth they had not much to discuss. Occasionally, when they got a conversation started it would become rapt, but the awkwardness that had not been present for their first meeting found them. Red was not a studier, more of a man of action; Crystal was more sensible.
Perhaps that is why we would be a good pair, Crystal thought to herself as she buttered a roll absent-mindedly. We will balance each other out…if we ever get the chance to become accustomed to one another.
As dinner dragged on, Crystal was surprised to discover that the conversation never turned to Red's near-assassination. It constantly revolved around political affairs, social gatherings, even a novelist called Shauntal who would soon become Crystal's publicist in introducing her to Kanto, but never to Red.
She decided to ask him about that, and he let out a quiet, wry laugh. "It should not be news. I mean, if a noble stood out in the open with no guards, which one of their enemies would not jump to shoot at them?"
"I suppose you have a point."
"And that aside," Red went on, "it isn't as if my father minds. He believes that experience teaches more than reprimanding. Or so I would assume."
Crystal nodded and pushed away her roll. What kind of ruler was King Corvus if he blatantly ignored his son's endangerment? I cannot expect him to be exactly like Grandfather, she thought to herself, but I do think that a proper king should rule with his heart and his head, and that would include caring for his own son, the heir.
Crystal did not get the chance to confide in her brother during the entire dinner, and was too tired afterwards to go searching for him. Blue found her eventually and led her through the winding halls of the castle to her chamber. Crystal was amazed that her lady-in-waiting could already navigate so easily.
Crystal flopped down on her bed and let out a long breath. "Blue…I am not sure if I can do this."
Blue sat down beside her and undid her pigtails, combing through her long, navy hair. "How do you figure that? You're Crystal Oak, the intelligent and impassive! Nothing should stand to discourage you."
Crystal closed her eyes. "This place…this place is just so alien to me," she admitted. "I thought it would be an adventure at the least. But I just feel overwhelmed already."
"Well it's only your first day here," Blue stated reassuringly. "You cannot expect to feel at ease right away."
"You're right." Crystal paused and opened her eyes. "Do they really call me 'the intelligent and impassive'?"
Blue shrugged. "The Johto staff did sometimes."
Crystal considered it. "I like it."
She sat up and Blue pulled her into an embrace. "You'll be fine, Crys. I know you will. You'll get to know that Red fellow and live a happily ever after as the greatest monarchs Kanto has ever seen."
"Do you think I should tell Red in advance how prickly I tend to get?" Crystal asked.
"No," Blue answered without hesitation. Then she giggled mischievously. "Let's just wait and see how long it takes him to figure that out! Oh ho ho!"
A/N:
You know what, I tried. I tried to come up with chapter titles that were witty and amusing but I CAN'T.
Oh whoops, Yellow appeared before I expected her to...but, er...she's not exactly what you'd expect, is she now?
When Red describes the hill as "a large and lumpy round cake with the trees as candles" I'm talking about the old Greek tradition of putting candles on a round cake to make them glow like the moon in hopes to gain Artemis's special favour.
Another, fairly important note: There are some stories out there that have ideas that bear similarities to ideas that I have had; either that, or I think they the story could turn into a similar story to mine, or an idea could turn into a similar idea...you get the point. But I want all my readers to know, I have literally STOPPED reading like one or two stories because I believe that they might have similar ideas, and I don't want to say that I've read them because then people will think I took the ideas. I guarentee you, the ideas presented in this story have not been swayed by any others. I wanted to say this now because yesterday I almost started reading one of the stories that I had decided not to read by accident.
Oh and does anyone recognize the song? I put it in the original version of this story, because I thought it fit Blue, and I didn't want to take it out.
So, here's another very irritating, very uneventful chapter. I believe we will have about one and a half more of these before something actually happens...T^T rah, me and my stupid plans.
Rant over! Thanks for reading!
-Silvia
Responses to reviews:
Vi ChaN91312
Yes I made them already married...Lorelei isn't very nice to Crystal. But still, it was arranged for them as well. Oldrival will come in! ...Eventually *hangs head in shame* my chapters tend to be uneventful.
Yellow is here~! ...well, sort-of. Specialshipping will be involved :) Agency will be in Part Two.
He didn't seem shocked? I knew I wrote that scene badly. Well, he knew Crystal was different/special, but he never would have guessed she was a princess until he found the fire agate (because I'm obsessed with symbolism)
NoProb101
Green at the moment is just grumpy...I think we all know who needs to change that *glances at Blue* I hope the microscopic Oldrival moment in this chapter suffices.
Blue is such a matchmaker XD
Well, I didn't know what to have Red do during that chapter so...I made a cat come.
(Me: *walks into room* If you had a cat, what would you name it?
Brother: *immediately* Muffins.
Me: *slowly walks out*)
So that's how that happened.
I love how you just already know what's going to happen XD but Yellow tends to be a tad unpredictable. I hope. Maybe.
Thank you so much for your support :D
pokemonredshipper
YOU'RE BACK! Thank you for reviewing :) you were one of the reviewers that I've wanted to write this for, I hope I won't let you down :D
DragonHalf
Well said! Thanks very much for reviewing :)
patsu18
It does? Already? Seriously?
I'm like planning out other parts of the story and now I'm just wondering how you're going to react :I :D
King Ruby is like owo his wife is so crazy. Sorry, but...the king and queen of Hoenn make their appearance in Part Three T^T so far away...
SEE WHAT? THERE'S NOBODY HERE *hides Dia under desk*
(and yes I can make him Gold and Cheren's father because I'm the writer and I like to put the dexholders in happy little families)