Disclaimer: I do not own Pokemon or any of the characters
Crystal threw open the door between their two rooms and Gold shot up when she called his name. He saw her wide eyes shot concern through him and he went to her. She blushed and quickly turned her back to him and he realized that he was completely naked. He quickly pulled a blanket around his waist and turned back to Crystal who held out a piece of paper to him while still looking at the ground.
"This wasn't what I was thinking when you first see me as such," Gold laughed, trying to ease the tension. She did give him a glare as he thought she would, instead she held out the letter to him. He raised his brow and took the letter, his heart racing at the blood stained edges. A stark contrast to the blood, was the light hearted words on the letter. It was nothing more than a letter by his mother to her aunt.
"You might want to sit down," She gently pushed at his shoulder until he sat on his bed. She frowned at his dazed look and placed a hand on his shoulder. Winypon sat at his feet and Gold absentmindedly reached down and scratched the creature. She asked, "What do you think this means?"
"I don't know but I'm going to find out if this connects to my mother. Maybe the butler doesn't know the whole story," his eyes hardened to his namesake metal. He looked down at the dog and changed the subject, "Winypon seems partial to you. I insist that you keep him since he is loyal to you already, a dog is a fine friend after all."
Crystal saw through the gift and sudden change of subject but looked down at the dog. She decided to humour him since the dog's tawny eyes seemed to draw its way into her heart already. She smiled to herself as she pet the dog again. "Thank you, but I still insist on helping you find the truth about your mother. But do not forget about your lessons tomorrow, just because you give me a gift, it does not mean that you may elude them."
"I would not miss them when you're to teach me," He gave her his charming smile and she told herself that her heart merely skipped from annoyance.
Yellow stumbled as Red pulled her to the window and she pulled back. She slipped her wrist from his grip and went to the sketchbook that held all of the drafts of his heirloom that would help them. Her heart told her that committing this act but knew that it was for her brother and the family wouldn't suffer since Red promised to leave behind money for the families. She looked back over her shoulder and hesitantly went to his side with the sketchbook clutched under her arm.
Red nodded at her silent acceptance and she gasped when he suddenly pulled her closer to him. He didn't seem to notice- if he did he didn't draw any attention to it- he lifted her into his arms even as he climbed out the window. Her heart almost stopped from fear and buried her face into his shoulder as he slide down the roof shingles to the tree that grew beside the estate.
Red could feel her shake against him and even as her nails dug into him, he tightened his grip to comfort her. She was so small against him and he told himself that was why he was suddenly protective of her. He had always been protective of others and he was a natural fighter. He would've jumped down but didn't want to scare her more than he already had so climbed down slower.
"It's safe now," He placed her down gently. He noticed that she was a little breathless and her legs weren't as stable as ones should be. She leaned against his chest for a moment before standing straighter. She gave him a weak smile since she knew that if he knew about her illness, he wouldn't take her with him and she needed the money to help Ruby.
Red didn't seem to believe her but hesitantly led her to the two horses by the stable he had left there earlier. "I have something for you."
He reached into his saddlebag and pulled out a mask for her. He moved behind her to tie it into place and she couldn't find any words as he took her sketchbook. He placed her sketchbook into his saddlebag but when he turned, he noticed that she hesitated at the large animals even as he held out his hand to help her onto the creature. She ignored his hand and looked down at her feet when she spoke, "I have never ridden before."
"A fine lady like you has never learned to ride?" He raised a brow but took her hand and gently laid it on the animal's neck. It was warm to her touch but when it moved towards her, she stepped back afraid of what the large creature could do to her.
"You don't need to be afraid of Ratty. Just hold onto the reins and I'll have him follow me," Red assured her. He took her around her waist and lifted her easily onto the creature. He had placed a side saddle for her but he didn't know if she would be able to stay in her seat. He gave her one last reassuring pat before he jumped onto his own horse, pulling on his own mask as he did so. He whistled to Ratty and the creature followed him making Yellow almost pitch forward.
"Where are we going?" She asked as they took the road to town. Red whistled again and the animal trotted up beside him in reaction. She twirled the reins between her fingers and she tilted her head to look at the man from the corner of her eye. "We won't be long, will we? I do not wish to worry my sisters. My sisters are already in bed so they won't discover me missing but…"
"I think I already told you our destination," He said simply. "I want to take back my parents' engagement ring. From what my informant tells me, the ring was bought by the Claymont family and it is kept in their townhome, easy enough to break into. You won't even have to go into the house. I won't leave you for longer than the night."
Blue was so tired when she returned later that night, so much so that she wanted nothing more than to collapse onto her bed. The rehearsal went on longer than she thought it would. The others were still practising their parts but White had insisted on Blue going home early.
Blue didn't go to bed immediately since she needed to check on Yellow, who hopefully took her mendicant before going to bed. She sighed when she reached Yellow's room and saw the light shining from beneath the door. Most likely Yellow was still awake painting.
"It's time for bed, Yellow." She called softly to now frighten her too much and opened the door so that it didn't make a sound. She didn't register the fear until she saw the half finished painting left unattended. Blue quickly ran to the bed, throwing off the covers to find nothing.
"Yellow!" Blue scream but forced herself not to worry too much. She told herself that Yellow was merely in her studio painting and forgot to put out the candle. Her legs moved before her thought was finished and ran up the steps to the attic. The door slammed open but only darkness greeted, causing her panic to rise. The image of her sister lying dead on the ground flashed before.
Platina! She told herself rationally. She was the only one home so she must know where Yellow was! What a time for Crystal and Lyra to be gone. She was off to Platina's room and didn't bother to knock before entering. She was already asleep and her heart sank, what if she didn't notice anything?
"Platina! I can't find Yellow," Blue shook her sister awake rather violently. Platina took a moment to shake her shock before turning to her sister's fearful eyes and her heart dropped. Blue didn't give her another moment for the fear to sink in before Blue was already pulling her out of the bed.
"You must know where she is! Please tell me that she spoke with!" Blue's eyes welled with tears, if anything had happened to her sister while she was away, there was no one to blame but her own selfishness. Platina shook her head even as she tried to think of where they might be.
"Blue!" Platina tried to pull her sister out of her fright, "She knows not to stress herself and we need to concentrate on finding her. She cannot go far so she is still somewhere on this property! We only need to find her. We should check the stables first to see if she went to check on the new kittens."
"You stay." Blue said quickly, "just in case she returns. I'll wake the servants and tell them to search the estate but that won't be enough. I know some people who would help but I need to go into town. Send Wally to find me if Yellow comes back."
Blue left too quickly for Platina and she could only stare after her sister. She knew Blue's words were logical but she couldn't shake the feeling of being abandoned. Again.
Blue ran down the hall, keeping an eye for Yellow as she ran, almost tripping over her own feet going down the stairs. She hoped dearly that Yellow was only playing with the kittens but the only person she found in the stable was Wally. He saw the fear in her eyes immediately and jumped to his feet.
"Yellow's missing!" She ran to the back stall and saw the kittens sleeping in Poppy's arms. She bit her lip to stop herself from crying out, drawing blood. Blue knew that there weren't many places Yellow could go since she never been far from the estate, she barely stepped outside the estate's boundaries.
"Gather the servants to search the grounds," Blue ordered. She knew that they didn't have enough servants to search the grounds thoroughly but she knew more people who would help. She quickly took her horse from the stall and jumped onto it bareback. She was already riding off as she called over her shoulder, 'I'm going to come back with more people to help us search."
Blue didn't remember much about the journey before she reached the theater. She knew that the other actors would help her and she threw open the doors. She called out but they only stared at her confused. She touched her hair hesitantly and realized that she wasn't Aqua, she didn't mean anything to these people so they wouldn't help her.
"Blue?" Green shot to his feet and went to her side. Why had she come back so quickly? She was shaking visibly and he felt the need to comfort her. She looked up at him desperately then to the others staring at her. He took her face between his hands to make her look directly at him and recognized the fear in them.
"You need to convince them to help me!" She said desperately, "I went home but I can't find my sister anywhere! She's sickly and just the littlest moment of excitement can kill her! The estate is so large and we don't have enough people to help look for her."
Green nodded and turned to the group, "Blue's sister went missing and we need your help to find her. We'll go in groups to search her home and I'll pay you for the time you spend helping us look. I'll rent a wagon to bring us there, show us the way Blue."
"I need to get my sister Lyra as well," Blue told him and he nodded knowing that if he argued, she could very well kill him. Blue was already out the door though and he was left to follow her.
Yellow's heart beat so loudly in the quiet that she was sure it would alert the maids as they stood outside the Birch's townhouse. The owners were at a ball so their home was mostly empty except for the maids that were gathering in the kitchen. Red was working at the window with a knife before pushing the window open.
"This is the master bedroom, I already staked out this house before I went to get you." Red told her and cupped his hands together, "You go in first and then I'll climb in after you. I studied the maid rotation and we have a couple hours before they come by again."
She hesitated before gently placing her feet into his hands. He nodded to her before lifting her so that she was able to climb through the window. She landed rather ungracefully and hoped that none of the maids heard her fall before she scrambled to her feet. Red handed her sketchbook to her before climbing after her himself.
"The ring should be in this room," Red muttered to himself before turning to her. She stared at him wide eyed, clearly still at ill ease about what they were going to do but told her, "You should search the drawers while I try to find a safe. Make sure not to leave anything that will draw notice to our presence as you do so."
Yellow went to the drawer but her hands were so shaky that she doubted that she could open the draw without spilling all of its contents to the ground. She managed to do so though without spilling and went through the contents, minding not to leave anything out of place. She didn't know that a woman could have so much jewelry, much less just leave it in disorder.
She looked back at her sketch than to the jewelry, trying to find a golden brand among the jewels. It caught her eye and she gently took it from the pile. It wasn't the right style and from the uneven engraving, she knew it was of a lesser quality so it couldn't be the ring they were looking for. The family paid a great amount for the ring.
"You found it," Red whispered excitedly as he knelt next to her. He took it into his hands and held it up so that it caught the candle light. For my special woman that holds my heart, he smiled at the engraving on the inside of the ring before tucking it into his pocket. It was the one thing he wanted to take back the most but hadn't had the opportunity until now.
"That cannot be the ring," She argued with him softly. "The design is of fine quality, despite its simplicity and the jewels are set expertly but the engraving is rather made rather clumsily. It might be a fake that he sold to these people."
"It's not," Red insisted in a harsh whisper. "My mother had shown me this ring so many times I can make a replica. My father had a jeweler make this ring but insisted on making the engraving himself, that's why it was 'made rather clumsily'. Now we must go before they return."
As if his words cursed them, they heard footsteps come towards them. Yellow rushed to close the drawer even as Red was pulling her to the window. The door was already opening and he pulled her behind the settee. He tucked her into his body and tried to push their bodies as close to the wall as he could.
"Why must we leave that ball so early? And look, that silly maid left the candle again!" Red cursed at that and was glad the shadows hid them enough when the woman went to close the window. She held her breath as she listened to the man and woman maneuver through the room. She could feel Red's breath by her ear and she wanted to disappear.
"So what are going to do with that man?" She heard the woman ask her husband. "That ring he sold us is horrid! We must return it to him and demand him to return our money. Where is that ring with the awful engraving! That engagement ring is a season out of date but it's more than you're bought me."
Red tightened his hold on the wedding band when he heard the man reply, "Just find that brand so we can return it to that man. It should be in your drawer."
"I can't find it, that damn maid must've taken it! The little thief should be thrown out into the gallows where she belongs!" The woman slammed the drawer close and stormed out the door. Red risked a look around the settee and saw that the man follows after his wife.
Yellow let out the breath she was holding even as Red pulled her to her feet and rushed her to the window. He gently lowered her to the ground despite his desperation and the need to escape before they return. He turned back to their hiding spot and noticed her sketchbook lying on the ground. He took it but as he was escaping out the window, he heard someone call out in shock.
He cursed to himself and jumped out the window, not daring to look back. He heard the woman cry out for help but he ignored her screams and led Yellow away to where the horses were tied. He maneuvered them through the alley ways even as he was sure that no one was chasing them anymore. He stopped but realized that Yellow was dragging her feet and breathing much too heavily.
"I'm okay," She said quickly and moved past him to the horse. Ratty moved forward to her and she caught herself on the animal. Red sighed, knowing that she wouldn't tell him what was bothering her, though he thought that she wasn't used to running. She turned and breathed in sharply when she found that he was so closed to her.
He rested his forehead against hers and felt blood rushed to her face. He straightened and stared down at her redden face and wondered at it, "Your face is warm. I think you might be getting sick and I don't want to stress you more than need be. I'm sorry that our first theft was more eventful than I hoped that it would be."
Even as he said that, he couldn't help but think about the words the old earl had said. They could possibly know who the man that stole from his family could be. He needed to get closer to them.
Platina was sitting on Yellow's bed, staring out the window when Dia entered. Her back was to him but she saw his blurred reflection in the window. She barely turned to him when he was beside her and placed a tray next to her. "I was worried about you, being forced to stay here alone waiting for your sister. I brought you some tea too, hopefully it'll help."
"Thank you," She said softly taking the little cup daintily. She sniffed it and realized that it was chamomile with honey, just as she liked. Dia sat next to her and stared out the window, trying to find what captured her attention so.
"I know you want to help find Yellow. With her illness, I know that you must be worried but they will find her," he tried to comfort her but she tilted a look at him. He couldn't read it as easily as her letters but he could see confusion, sadness and frustration.
"I am sorry," She stood and went to the window. "But it's not right for you to speak so formally with me. You do not know how I feel, you cannot possibly know my feelings towards my sisters, or how I feel towards anyone. The few days we've known each other do not give you such knowledge."
"I know you better than any of your sisters ever can," he whispered beneath his breath but she heard his soft words. She turned to him then and he regretted his words. Her eyes were hard as she demanded.
"Tell me how I feel then," She challenged him. "Even if you are a servant of Pearl, and I have not met you before that day we did at the ball. How can you possibly suggest you know me? Though you can make the argument that you know me more than my sisters, that's merely because-"
"You feel as though they don't care for you," He said softly seeing the tears threaten to burst through her rage. "But I have seen how they are with each other, with you and I have never known a family with more love though you may have your problems, as all family do. You have your sisters' love more than you know."
Platina snorted at that, "Yellow has Blue. Lyra has Crystal. Ruby left us without thinking of what could come of us! Who do I have? No one but the writings of Charles Dezobry and this estate! Did you know that not even my parents could bear my presence and sent me away to school? The only reliable thing I had was Pearl's letters."
"They wanted to give you an education," he argued softly, hearing her voice soften at the mention of his letters. "They didn't have enough money to send for you that Christmas, they would love to if they could I'm sure. You had some friends at the school-"
"How do you know this?" She turned on him. "I've only told these things to Pearl. He could not have possibly told you these private things about me."
He knew that she would be heartbroken if she thought that Pearl had betrayed her trust. His heart broke at the thought that she loved Pearl and he was the one that put that love in her heart. He hated himself as he lied, not for the first time and he knew not the last.
"No, he did not tell me these things. He only told me that this estate is important to you and to help you with any repairs. I know these things because one day, while I was helping Pearl, I knocked over a box he held the letters in. Curiosity took over me and I read them. I am sorry to have invaded your privacy."
Platina could see the remorse in his eyes and sighed. "It is fine, but you must repay me by helping me bring this estate to its true potential."
Yellow was almost taken of her horse when Blue ran towards her and hugged her sister. They were barely on the property before they saw Blue some towards them. Red jumped from his horse and helped Yellow down even as Blue talked frantically and held onto her sister tighter. Her other sisters came towards them and Yellow gave him a weak smile over her sisters' shoulders.
"Where were you?" Blue demanded when her worry turned to anger. "Did you know how worried I was about you? Where did you go? And you!"
Red flinched when she turned her anger to him. He was taken back when her fist knocked him back. "Who are you? What in God's name were you thinking when you took my sister? Did you think about her health, let alone her safety? Who are you anyways?"
"Red?" It took a moment for Green's shock of seeing his friend to dissolve. Blue was beating him with her fists and winced as if that pain was his own. Red was a good fighter but he couldn't block any of her attacks. He quickly went to stop her by holding her around his waist but she struggled out of his grip. "It's okay, he's a friend of mine. Red wouldn't hurt your sister."
"Why?" Blue demanded.
"Please stop Blue," Yellow went to her sister. She quickly thought of a lie, hoping that her sister would believe her. "Red didn't hurt me. He was only taking me on a ride. I knew you wouldn't allow me to ride so I told him to take me during the night."
Blue turned her glare to Red, "How do you know my sister? I don't know you and I'm sure I would if you know my sister."
"We met at the ball," He told her honestly. His words only seem to anger her more as she reached out to him again. Green stopped her though and held her against himself. He saw Yellow gave him a pleading look but went on, "I don't know why she shouldn't be allowed to ride. She is a natural good rider."
"What are your intentions with my sister?" He asked her suddenly and knew that if he didn't answer her correctly, he would never be able see her again and he still needed her. What would a sister want to hear from that man that stole her sister away in the night?
"I love her!" He said quickly. Blue hesitated at that since she wanted true love for her sister but this man was so careless with her sister!
"I will not have you for a brother if you don't want to protect her," She dismissed him. "But if you court my sister properly, I might reconsider though. Come Yellow, we have to get you back into bed to take your mendicant. Luckily you haven't stressed yourself too much."
Yellow looked over her shoulder to Red and he saw the sadness in her eyes. He began to understand why she was so instant on returning quickly. Her sisters were so overprotective of her, for what reason he could only say love. He stepped forward with Ratty blocking them and held out the reins to her.
"Take Ratty, he has a liking for you I realize. I'll gift you with your first horse for the many rides to come," He promised her. He turned her gaze to Blue and spoke softly, "She should be able to enjoy life, should she not."
Blue went to slap him but he moved back to quickly for her. He jumped onto his horse but turned back and smiled to Yellow before ridding to Green.
Hope you all had a great holiday even if this is a little late to be saying so ^-^" Review if you like.