Disclaimer: I do not own Pokemon. Nintendo owns the franchise, but on the bright side, I own this fanfic! –smiles-

A/N: Well, I appreciate the feedback and reviews. I wouldn't mind more at all. Talk about greedy!

A/N: I said at the end of the last chapter that N has his reasons for being embittered, dark, serious, brooding and mistrustful. This portrayal is intentional. N will return back to his old self soon, hence Ferriswheelshipping.

N's PoV.

It was no use struggling with these damned Shadow Triad bodyguards intent on protecting Ghetsis. If I were stronger than them, then revenge would be more than sweet. It would justify the resentment and bitterness I felt toward Ghetsis.

Not that I tried to escape from them anyway.

As I thrashed against the tight embrace the Shadow Triad member had on me, he said, "Your Majesty, cooperate or the Jewel of Unova would meet her demise!" His tone seemed amused at that, as if he was trying to will that notion into reality.

I couldn't tell whether he was bluffing or not. Either way, I wouldn't take a risk that would endanger White's life. She had a meaningful life while I have only yet to find my meaning in life. "As your King, I demand for you to release me this instant!" I commanded, hoping the Shadow Triad member would heed my orders.

"Nope," he answered.

In protest, I clamped my teeth on his arm, hearing the man scream in pain. For one moment, I believed he'd release his hold on me, albeit my feral idea failed miserably. Unfortunately, I sealed my own fate with the bite: I felt my arms being twisted behind my back as someone slapped handcuffs on to my wrists, the grooves sinking deep into my skin.

I glared at the Shadow Triad, intense hatred welling up inside me. "You knew this was the plan all along," I realized.

They didn't respond. One of them positioned himself behind me, pushing me forth lightly. I felt his breath tickle my neck, causing me to shudder, revolted. "So, where are you taking me?" I questioned, noticing another replica statue of the mythical Pokemon Zekrom in front of us. Just staring into its eyes made me feel uncomfortable.

One of the Shadow Triad members materialized out of nothingness, examining the statue towering over me. "You're about to find out, my liege," he said mechanically. Taking one last glance at me, the villain grasped the statue's left arm, which whirled around clockwise.

A second later, the statue began to emit earsplitting noises, eventually sliding backward and revealing a flight of stairs descending into the unknown darkness. I knew it was the unknown darkness because I'd never known my castle had secret passageways. Now I felt embarrassed at the fact that my knowledge of the castle was negligent, paling in comparison to that of the Shadow Triad's.

The member positioned behind me prodded me forward with his finger. "We don't have all day," he snapped, "because Lord Ghetsis has other matters to attend to. In fact, these matters are pretty big!" He steered me over to the stairs, twisting and turning into blackness. "You're a King, so you go first."

I had no choice but to follow their orders, since I lacked the ability to defend myself. "You do remember my promise back at the Whirl Islands, right?" I said, parading down the slate black carpet embracing the manmade white marble stairs. In the distance I heard water dripping, albeit faint.

"Try it if you dare," one of the Shadow Triad invited, "because there's no escape." He came into my view, brandishing a slender finger-sized brass key in front of my face, obviously attempting to taunt me. "This is the key to freedom, which you don't have."

I gritted my teeth. "Every cell or dungeon has a weak spot in their architecture, so taunt me with the key all you want! I will escape and search for White." I threw a death glare at the Shadow Triad member, who relented his taunting. It pleased me when he recoiled, aligning himself next to the other Shadow Triad member guiding me to who knew where.

"I have other ways to taunt you, Your Majesty," the member promised. Seemingly out of nowhere, eleven Poke Balls – minute in size – appeared into being in his hands. "White's and your Pokemon. Without them to aid you, you'll surely await the fate your father has in store for you, White and all Pokemon!"

Weakly, I tried to snatch at least one Poke Ball from the Shadow Triad member's hands. I'd forgotten I was handcuffed. Therefore, I tumbled down the stairs, hearing the Shadow Triad bickering with one another. Is this beat-up N day? I wondered, intuitively knowing that this was only the beginning of my pain. Not that I already carried some within.

As I squirmed helplessly, one of the men scooped me up in their muscular arms, saying, "Welcome to your temporary residence, Your Majesty." With one hand, he gestured toward an arched wooden door, barred with sturdy iron rods. "Enjoy the light while you can," he added nastily, pointing skyward to a shaft of artificial light basking us.

His compatriot walked forward, twirling the key in his hands. I examined him pushing one palm on the door whilst inserting the key into the lock. A faint CLICK resonated through the chamber, followed by the dripping of water. The noise was at its strongest here.

Before I could demand what was going on, the man in possession of the key stepped afoot in the cell, looking around. "You have a visitor." His voice was amplified tenfold, thus giving off the feeling as if he were yelling.

"Another prisoner is in this cell," my captor whispered to me. I tried to discern his facial expression, but with that mask, it was to no avail. "Now . . ."

The Shadow Triad person began to cradle me back and forth before hurling me on to the cell's floor, coated in dust, the corners thick with milky-esque cobwebs. Before I plummeted toward the floor, I screamed, "WHAT DID I DO?" Shortly afterward, I plummeted to the ground, my whole body experiencing absolute agony.

"Now, behave, you two," said my captor, "and don't do anything rash or stupid." He was standing in the sliver of light, thus allowing me to throw daggers at him. Twirling around on his heel, the man slammed the door with such ferocity, the sound echoed through the room, making me want to hold my ears in order to preserve my hearing ability.

"Is he lying about another person being trapped here?" I asked of no one, hoping to hear a reply back. All I heard was the constant dripping of water and . . . ragged breathing?

I don't know how, but I found the courage and will to stand, despite the inability to use my hands. "Who's there?" I demanded, knowing I definitely heard something. With no lighting, it was virtually impossible to see anything but silhouettes. Hopefully there were no skeletons lying around in this grim room.

"Hey, N," a feminine voice said out of the blue, making me jump in surprise.

I almost lost my balance, though I swiftly regained it without the use of my hands. That would've been a disaster if I didn't regain my balance, because how else would I be able to stand up again without free hands?

It wasn't the knowledge of another living, breathing person who was trapped in this musky dungeon with me.

It was the high soprano voice, silvery and musical.

Only one person possessed a soft and powerful voice such as that.

I turned around, searching for the source of the voice, eventually coming face-to-face with an adolescent girl, about my age, with luxurious, thick medium-length hair, the precise shade of muddy water. The bushiness of her hair reminded me of rumpled waves, with the exception of it being tied back with a snowy white ribbon, shielded by a cap emblazoned with a W.

As I scrutinized her face, I lost myself in those unique eyes.

Her eyes were startlingly blue - ocean blue.

"White," I breathed, delighted to see her.

Chapter 3: What His Majesty Saw

N's PoV.

I expected for our reunion to be one-sided, me being happy to see her while she being unhappy to see me.

I yearned to say, "How are you?", but I knew it was both stupid and inappropriate to say those words at such a crucial moment as this.

Plus, White's accusatory glare made me feel uncomfortable. "Were you responsible for all of this?" she demanded, her mouth forming into a thin line. "I thought you've learned from your mistakes, N!" Though she sounded distraught and irate, White had a disappointed edge to her voice.

I took great offense at the accusation. After all, I really liked and respected White. A month ago, perhaps I wouldn't have hesitated using a wicked scheme such as confining her in my palace, but I was too fascinated with her, so I cast that thought aside. It wasn't my style to torture others, but it was Ghetsis's.

I trudged toward her, my arms extended outward. "As if I would lock and chain you up, White," I said, feeling the menacing aura surrounding the teen – nay - Pokemon Champion. "I hold you in high esteem."

There was a thrashing noise, followed by iron clattering against stone. "Let me out of these manacles, then," she insisted, "because I would not stand being your prisoner for one more moment!"

I sighed, knowing I should've seen the signs sooner. "First off, you're not my prisoner," I assured her. "Second of all, I consider you my friend. In fact, you may be my only friend." I wondered how I could discern White's figure through the darkness of the dungeon, which had to have some fracture in its structure. Mother read me fairy tales, and each one had a castle, having at least one dungeon where the protagonist broke free, I mused.

White looked skeptical. "If you're my friend, then give me a reason why you believe me to be a friend of yours." White buckled her knees, albeit winced, her expression pained.

I glanced at her in disbelief, wondering why she would ask a question like that. "We traveled through Unova, you walking the Road of Truth while I walked the Road of Ideals," I explained, "but as we encountered each other and battled time and time again, I noticed not only your strength but also your kindness and purity. Also, with each encounter, I'd learned something from you every time, just as you did."

White frowned. "I did not," she said stubbornly.

I looked at her questioningly.

"Okay, okay!" conceded White. "I learned from you too, N. If anybody asks, don't tell them, all right?"

I sort of smiled. "Umm . . . did you hurt yourself or something?" I inquired, remembering the expression of pain White had worn just a few moments ago, "because that would be bad." I'd noticed the heavy concern in my voice, and flushed. In order to conceal my sudden caring moment, I stared at the ground, with collected dust spread across the black marble floor, void of luster and brilliance.

White chortled. "Is somebody concerned?" she teased. "There's no need to hide it, okay? As for my knees, I slid across the carpet while practicing for the next Pokemon Musical."

I bit back a smile. "You haven't changed one bit." Gazing upon the features of White, I continued, "I know the difference between lying and sarcasm when it comes to you. Right now, you're being sarcastic in order to downplay the agony."

White seemed astonished. For a moment, I thought she'd try to come up with another sarcastic remark. Instead, White admitted, "When I woke up, my knees were throbbing. I don't know if that was Team Plasma's doing or Ghetsis's." When she uttered Ghetsis's name, her mouth twisted slightly, her ocean blue gems flashing murderously.

Immediately, I flared up. "GHETSIS ABDUCTED YOU?" I thundered.

"I came here out of my own free will. Of course he abducted me!" she said.

I stormed over to the wall where White was suspended on, drilling my eyes into hers. "That's what Ghetsis meant by controlling me," I realized. "As long as you're trapped in these castle walls, then I have no choice but to obey every order Ghetsis asks -" I glowered at my poor choice of words. "No, demands of me."

White appeared crestfallen. "So you've only returned because of me being in danger?" she said in a small voice.

I considered White. "Somehow, I don't become enraged when you call me by my name." White seemed flattered at this revelation, but it was instantly quelled by an obstinate expression. "Okay, I only returned because they said I had to cooperate or you'd be dead."

White stared at me, her face awash with tears. "So, if you had a choice, would you have returned?" she asked curiously, although a mere trace of nostalgia was mixed in with the curiosity.

I had no answer to that. If I said yes, then perhaps it would've been a lie. If I said no, not only would it also might be a lie, I would destroy the already rocky friendship I had forged with White, earning her hatred indefinitely.

I only had one response to the question: "I don't know."

White's PoV.

When I heard N say, "I don't know." I felt a whirlwind of emotions: Fury. Nostalgia. Misery. Pain. Loneliness. Abandonment. Why did his answer affect me so badly?

Half of me told me he was a liar, just like his father Ghetsis. On the other hand, my conscience, having a soft, persistent voice, insisted N was uncertain about his future, and he was being sincere with me.

I examined N's brilliant green orbs, ablaze with sincerity. "If you didn't care for me, then you wouldn't have came back," I surmised, raising my eyebrows so high they were in danger of disappearing into my hairline.

N's eyes narrowed. "I had no choice in the matter," he informed me, "because the Shadow Triad dragged me back to Unova."

I felt my heart ignite with anger. His words had a double meaning to them, and I was never one to read between the lines. I was both joyous and livid. I was joyous because maybe N did care about me, and went back to Unova to rescue me. Unfortunately, my anger dismissed this idea, forcing me to believe N didn't care about me one bit.

N waltzed over to me, his hands positioned in front of him. "Damn these handcuffs," he swore. "If only I had a key or lock pick, then maybe I can bust us out of here, assuming they don't have an alarm."

"Use your Pokemon," I suggested. It was so simple and obvious.

N stopped in front of me, his limber profile as still as night. Craning his neck upwards, I had a better look at his eyes. "The Shadow Triad robbed us of our Pokemon, White," he said sadly, "and I think they have our belongings as well."

"Oh. Oh," I squeaked, feeling down at my short-lived idea. "We need a Plan B." Because of my normally reckless nature, I always tended to land in hot water. If there was one thing I knew, I always found a way to prevail, and everything would be all right in the end. "Isn't Steel strong enough to counter Rock?"

N gave a hearty laugh. "When it comes to Pokemon, yes," he admitted, "but the same principle doesn't apply to real life, no matter how much I wish it did." N had a pensive expression on his face as if analyzing the scarce tools we had at hand.

"The next time I go somewhere, I'm gonna carry a lock pick," I said quietly, seeing N saunter through the room with such incredible grace fit for royalty. "Don't you find it peculiar Ghetsis made a mistake handcuffing you?"

"No," N disagreed. "The Shadow Triad handcuffed me, probably because Ghetsis ordered them to. What I don't understand is why Ghetsis wants me back," he added bitterly, wheeling around so I couldn't glimpse his face.

"You love your father," I observed, "but he's unworthy of love and forgiveness, N. No matter how hard you try to see any humanity inside him, there is no love or kindness in his heart. Only a monster. And that monster must be stopped, and face retribution for his crimes."

N shook his head. "Half of me hates myself for listening to him, but another half of me reminds me he's my father, no matter what," he insisted. "After all, family forgives one another." He turned around, his eyes rimmed with light red. "I wouldn't expect for you to understand, White."

My heart felt as if it were being squeezed tightly, for the cold tone N had used pierced my very soul. "I've noticed you're pure of heart," I said, "but you'll learn one day about who to forgive and who not to forgive."

N's face contorted with disbelief. "You're so narrow-minded." He kicked the wall before wincing in pain.

"You never think outside the box," I shot at him, watching N work his way around the room, kicking the walls with as much force as he could. There's something about N besides the innocence, I thought. He seems to be fragile and frail in a way. Or he seemed to be.

N was panting. "You're insensitive," he managed to say, gingerly kicking another bricked section. "In fact, I wonder why I see you as my nemesis." Between his words, he kicked each brick, hoping he would find a passageway or perhaps a crack.

I laughed. "You're a hypocrite," I said, noticing N was more than halfway done examining the walls with his feet. There was still no sign of a brick emitting a strange noise. In the distance, I heard N's mouth rippling a growl.

"You're the most hardheaded person alive," he told me, his velvety, serene voice rising up a couple of octaves.

I glowered at him. "You're still close-minded," I said, kind of enjoying the bickering with N.

I also had the impression our argument was helping N in his fruitless attempt to bust out of this miserable and darkened cell. As I watched him kick the last few bricks, he said finally, "You're stubborn, White." All of a sudden, N growled.

"You've done a lot of kicking," I commented, truly worried for the King of Team Plasma. "These walls won't budge." When N trudged over to me, I amended, "We can't give up, no matter hopeless it seems!" The throbbing in my knees seemed to die down, making it slightly easier to use my legs.

I had an idea. It was kind of thoughtless, but what choice did N and I have? We had no Pokemon, no crowbar or a lock pick.

N was dealing a kick at the padlock, which banged against the wooden door. "I know it won't work, but maybe . . ." N kicked the door, but nothing happened. Out of desperation, N rattled the iron bars, even trying to pull them towards his direction.

"We have to get out of here," he said, his voice thick with dogged determination. He started to wheel around, walking in the opposite direction, slumping.

My eyes widened, realizing what N was going to do. "It's too risky. You can injure yourself!" I yelled, hoping to reach through to N. Unfortunately, I knew that would be impossible.

N inhaled and exhaled, before charging towards the door, his eyes alight with determination. A couple of seconds later, he made contact with the door, which made a loud BANG. For a split second, the noise echoed through the room. At the same time, N collapsed onto the floor, sending a plume of dust upwards into the stagnant, musky air.

"N!" I cried.

Out of frustration, I kicked my foot at the wall where I was imprisoned, unable to comprehend what I was doing. All that mattered was a weakly rising N, who seemed dazed, but otherwise okay. However, what I didn't expect was a CRACK, almost inaudible.

Suddenly, more cracks followed suit before the bricks peeled off from the mortar, collapsing on to the dungeon floor. Simultaneously, I felt the manacles loosen from my forearms, meaning I was free.

N flashed a rare smile. "Congratulations," he told me warmly.

N stretched his hands out, showing me the chains connecting one handcuff to the other. "Your forearms are red," he noted. "Now, it's my turn to be freed."

I nodded. Wheeling around, I spotted a stray brick with thin cracks crawling around the rough and seemingly tough surface. I picked it up, feeling its weight. I was suddenly unsure about this. "I don't know if I can properly use this brick without hurting you, me or both of us," I admitted. "By the way, I didn't mean to argue with you."

N's face darkened. "Just free me," he said forcefully.

With some difficulty, I positioned the brick between my hands. Glancing at N, I couldn't help but say, "Do you trust me?"

"I do," he answered.

Doubtful, I probed N's bright green eyes, sparkling with truthfulness.

"Are you ready?" I asked.

"Yes," he replied.

Taking one last look at N, I took a deep breath.

Then, I raised the brick high into the air and swung it down, aiming straight for the chains between the handcuffs, closing my eyes as I did so.

A/N: "What His Majesty Saw" is finished. So Read and Review if you may! I look forward to the feedback.

This chapter has been edited for grammar mistakes. Changes have been made without affecting the plot. History is being edited in order to promote its sequel, Eventide.

Edited On: 11/01/15