Look, guys! A chapter over a thousand words to make up for the last short chapter I wrote.
Chapter 40
April
"Wake up." The voice reaches one ear and goes out the other. I don't even bother opening my eyes. Too tired to move or think. So, I lull in the stage of half-sleeping, letting my mind wander. What happened last night? I'm pretty sure I was helping Kitiro with something... Oh! A map. Probably stayed up too late doing that. "Wake up!" The voice barks again. This time, I attempt to force my eyes open only to droop closed again.
"APRIL! GET UP!" Dawn and Blake shout simultaneously. I'm jolted to a sitting position with my muscles tensed. I blink my eyes rapidly to make out shapes in the blurr. I identify a big red blob in front of me and a blue blob and a black blob to the side that I assume to be Dawn and Blake. My eyes adjust and I can see some details of their faces, both stone-cold.
"April, we've got company." Dawn gestures to the front where the big red blob was. I turn and notice that they're three Ledians standing right in the middle our living quarters. "May I ask why you're here?" Dawn glares at them. I can tell she already doesn't like them being here. Neither do I. Group six wasn't supposed to leave until later. I could've slept in!
"We are here on the request of our squadron leader, Leyorra. She reported that she's wary of what you would decide to do and requested that we ensure your safety." The middle Ledian puffs out his chest and forces his shoulders back as he tries to sound official.
"So. She's told you about us, hasn't she?" Blake barks with so much spite. It's not the Ledians' fault, though. They're simply taking orders. I want to whisper this to Blake, but he's far away.
"Yes. However, she asked me to inform you that she has not told anyone else and had us take an oath not to speak of it to outsiders." Blake leers at them with so much ferocity, it looks as if he's trying to melt their faces right off. I crane my neck up to Dawn who, as I expected, is studying escape options.
"So, she doesn't trust us enough! Is that it!?" Blake shoots at the Ledians.
"That is a matter you may discuss with Leyorra at a later date. For now, we have our orders to-"
"Yeah! We know! To keep us in here like prisoners!" Blake and the head Ledians go back and forth, countering and counter-countering. No one notices when Dawn bends over and whispers the plans to me.
"I'm going to use Dragonbreath to distract them. When I do, fly over them and out the exit. Got it?" I nod. "For now, can you try to distract them while I tell Blake?" Another nod and she leaves my ear. A distraction, huh? I bet I could do that.
"I cannot deviate from my orders, Blake." The Ledian quadruple-counter-counters. I take a deep breath. This plan better work.
"Oh! Well, if we have to stay here for a while, can we at least get breakfast?" I put on my best pretty-pretty-pretty-please-with-two-pecha-berries -on-top face and run up to the middle Ledian. The two others haven't said a word the entire time, but I make sure to look to them, too. Noses wrinkle and eyebrows raise in confusion and surprise at a change from a fiery wrath to childlike requests.
"Er...well I-"
"But, you wouldn't let three wittle pokemon starve, would you? Would you?! Oh! And I was planning to go see my friend Kila today! You'll have to go fetch her and I'll invite Ontinous and maybe even Fido! You'll go tell them that we're having a not-aloud-to-leave-this-room party, right!?
"Eh...um..."
"And don't you forget to bring snacks and games for us either. We might even let you play if you're nice to us! Oh, it's going to be so much fun!"
"Look, I'm not aloud to-"
"Okay, maybe later you big grouch. I have to catch up on my sleep anyway! The sleep that YOU interrupted." I pivot on my heel and walk away with a scoff leaving the three confused on what the heck just happened. On my way back to my bed, Dawn gives a slight and unnoticeable nod at me. I wink back at her. I return to my bed and make it look like I'm about to lie down to rest when I'm really getting ready to take off.
Without warning for the Ledians, Dawn releases a Dragonbreath right at their feet. They flinch in the sudden shimmering blue flame. I jump up and start flying right over them to the exit. The smoke clouds my view, but I can still make out the arch that leads to freedom. I beat my wings furiously, heading full speed for the way out and BAM! My face smacks right into a wall.
I stumble backwards and forward again, my hands guiding my way. But, they just press on some sort of invisible wall where the entrance is. I look behind me and I see Blake and Dawn on the ground, trying to recover from their hard impacts. "L-light screen..." Dawn mumbles. Before she can say anything else, a Ledian seizes her main form of escape. The wings on her head that help her fly. Blake's wings get the same result. Held behind his back by the second Ledian.
Before I can wonder where the third is, I'm shoved to the ground and my arms pinned behind my back. The hard gravel bites at my cheek and I can feel my face getting sticky with my blood after the Light Screen impact and this. "You are forbidden to leave." I hear his voice bark in my ear. I twist and turn to break free or even to get some slack, but it's no use. I strain my eyes upward to find Dawn and Blake. They're fighting alright, but not making any progress. The one that holds Dawn speaks up.
"You are ordered by the leaders of Skyborne to remain in your quarters until this war has been won. Someone will bring you your meals and, if you won't cause any trouble, this won't have to happen again. Understood?" I look to Dawn for an answer, her answer to this order of confinement. She stops fighting and nods. I nod too and so does Blake. Satisfied, the Ledian release us and I rush over to Dawn and Blake. We retreat to the back of the room and rest there, testing our arms\wings to make sure they're okay after that tackle. Dawn's face and Blake's have gotten even more damage than mine. They must have gone much faster than me and hit the Light Screen with so much force. Dawn's scar that was caused so long ago was reopened and gushing red. Blake didn't have as much blood on him, but his beak is probably broken a bit. "We'll get a medic to come over to look at you." The Ledian mumbles. I don't turn to look at them. I look around the room. Cloth. Cloth. The red scarf that holds the shiny stone remains on my bed. I dash over and snatch it up. It's not very thick, but it'll stop some of the blood. I rush back to Dawn, the blood beginning to slow down.
"Excuse me? I've got breakfast." I stop in my tracks. All eyes turn to the exit with the invisible wall. A Honchkrow stands before the Light Screen holding a platter with a bunch of berries on it. "Can you turn off the Light Screen, please?" One of the Ledians nod as his eyes glow white briefly and return back to normal. The Honchkrow steps in, no longer blocked by the Light Screen, and sets down the platter at his feet. He notices us huddled at the other side of the room. "Whoa. What happened to them?" He studies our wounds with a bit of disgust. We must really look like a mess now.
"They decided to attempt an escape. We stopped them, but they resisted." Honchkrow stares back and forth between them and us.
"Did you ask a medic to come help them?"
"Not yet. It has to be confirmed with Leyorra that it's alright to let one more pokemon know about what they are." The Honchkrow studies the Ledians now. Almost glaring at them as he puffs out his white chest.
"Don't you think you're being harsh on them?" He rolls each word off his longue with so much elusiveness. Like he's challenging them. Suddenly, the eyes of both the Honchkrow and the Ledians glow red.
"N-no! We can be as strict as we please!" One of the more quiet Ledians yell. The three start walking around in random circles and paths, oblivious to where they're going. I watch as one runs into a wall and the other two bump into each other. "H-hey! Watch where you're going!" The Ledian starts punching empty air and the other soon follows. The Honchkrow turns back to us.
"Quickly. Follow me! The effects of Swagger don't last forever, you know." I blink and clutch my red scarf that was supposed to be Dawn's bandage, not sure what to do. But, Blake steps right up and beckons us over. Trusting Blake's judgement, Dawn and I follow the mysterious Honchkrow that just made our escape. We dash out of the living quarters after him, leaving the confused Ledians to beat up dust particles. "Wait for a sec!" The Honchkrow pivots on his talons and leers at the Ledians, his eyes glowing red again. "Alright. They can't follow us under that Mean Look, now. Let's go!" The Honchkrow takes the lead and we follow.
"Where are we going?" I yell to the leader.
"I'm taking you to group six. You're gonna help us fight Giratina whether Leyorra likes it or not."