Act 2
Changing Tides
"Where the hell were you!?" A Pikachu frustratingly shouted.
"Same as you," came the much more calm reply from a Kecleon. "Did you forget the Princess gave us both the night off? If anything, you were much closer to her than I was. Care to explain how you let this one by?"
The Pikachu slammed her foot down. "Do not blame this on me!"
"The way I see it, you let the Princess out of your sight. Off duty or not, it was still your responsibility to watch over her." The Kecleon fired back.
She glared at the ground in shame. "I-! Oh, who am I kidding? We both should have been doing our damn jobs instead of goofing off…"
"Agreed." the Kecleon relented. "However, not one person could have predicted something like this. All we can do now is our jobs. Support the Princess in any way we can, and hope that your Gardevoir friend can heal her back up."
Joltier grimaced as she watched the flaring green glow shine from under the door the two were standing next to. "I know she can. She has to."
"I hope so," He said the next part under his breath. "Or we can kiss our jobs goodbye."
Inside the room, the green glow completely filled the empty space. A Gastly sat in a corner quietly observing what was happening in front of him. A Gardevoir was hunched over the critically injured Ninetales. She was sweating profusely and looked strained by the work she was doing, but she kept at it.
An Audino watched with interest as the deep wound on the Princess's body patched itself up. To any common Pokémon, it would seem like a miracle, but the Audino's years as a healer could see the inconsistencies in the work. "Mistrias…"
After a few moments, the wound finally closed itself back up. The green light faded, releasing the Gardevoir from her binding work. Veraloe leaned back into one of the chairs and gasped for breath. Her hands and arms were straining and cramping like dehydrated muscles. She winced as a powerful shock hit her body.
"Are you alright, hon?" The Audino nurse asked her while starting to use rags to clean their patient's bloodied fur.
Veraloe took a few moments to compose herself before joining in on the cleaning. "Of course. I just have never healed someone to such an extent before. It took a much larger toll than I had anticipated."
"I can imagine." The Audino dumped the dirty washcloth she had been using in the clean water basin. After rinsing it she continued to wipe down the Ninetales. "Miss Joltier was right, that power of yours really is something. Barring its messiness, it can be likened to a miracle."
Veraloe ignored the 'messiness' comment for now and frowned at the long scar that was leftover from the wound. "It was not enough. I need to get stronger."
The Audino sighed. "The most important thing is that she is still breathing. If it were just up to my expertise, I am ashamed to admit that I would not have been enough."
Veraloe smiled reassuringly to the dejected healer. "I am sure you would have been more than enough given your experience."
The Audino did not smile back. "No. I would not have been."
"WHAT HAS HAPPENED HERE!?"
Every Pokémon, both in the room and outside, shook at the booming voice that seemed to quake the 500-year-old castle itself. They all tensed up at the new presence now coming towards them.
The King had arrived.
Chapter 28:
Simmer
Rays of sunlight punctured the clear glass windows and into the dark and silent room. A shivering breeze gently squeaked open the unlocked pane, introducing a bout of cold air into an otherwise musty atmosphere. The chirping of some feral birds who had managed to build a nest just outside the window permeated the quiet living space.
Upon a large bed lay a shining blue form. She was bunched up in many bundles of blankets to keep her warm, though not too warm as to cause discomfort. She was part Ice-type, after all. Two large ears followed by a flowing icy-blue mane poked out from under the blankets.
One of the ears twitched, giving the first sign of movement within the room in quite a while. She groggily opened her eyes and peeked out from her small enclosure. She didn't feel bothered by the setting she found herself in. In fact, everything seemed as it should be.
She sat herself up, but not before a dull pain flared from her abdomen. "Nrgh!" She grunted in pain. She clutched the origin of her discomfort and looked down.
The bandages wrapped tightly around her abdomen were, of course, clean as if they were just freshly applied. This is because her wound was already closed. Her Audino nurse had insisted she wear them just in case, and Azaelia was hesitant to defy her.
Azaelia's nose perked up from a pleasant scent. She glanced at her bedside table and noticed a meal already prepared- freshly, too by the steam coming off of it. She instead took a sip from the glass of water that stood next to the food. She reveled as the water quenched her dry throat.
Before she had the chance to put the glass down, her father walked into the room. He looked with pleasant surprise upon noticing his daughter's awakened state.
"Ah, daughter. Good morning." he greeted.
Azaelia weakly smiled. "Good morning, father. Where's mother?"
"Ophelia is attending to other matters." He dodged the question. " I can have her come here if you wish to speak with her."
"No, no. That's fine." Azaelia sighed. In the few days she had been stuck in bed, her father visited almost every morning to check on her, but her mother had not come once. She dismissed the implications of the thought quickly before they bogged her down. She had too much to think about recently, anyway.
"May I… help you?" She asked this question with hesitancy as she spotted him holding something.
He approached her bedside table and placed an object next to her food. "Just returning something of yours."
She warily eyed Fiero as he placed a piece of jewelry on the table. She picked it up tenderly as he backed away a few paces. She had missed the feeling of Rainbow's gift on her wrist. They had to remove it from her to clean the… blood. Even the thought caused her to shiver. She gently wrapped the bracelet back over her appendage, feeling more comfortable now that it was back with her. She smiled.
Fiero frowned. "Where is the one I gave you?"
Azaelia froze for a moment. She looked away from Fiero with trepidation. "I have no need of it any longer. I believe this one suits me more." The twilight jewel sparkled in the morning sun.
Fiero remained stoic. "So where have you left it?"
Azaelia pointed towards her bedside table- to the lowest drawer. Fiero stared at it for a second or two before nodding in confirmation. He walked over to the window and opened the drapes fully. Azaelia cringed as the morning light filled the room completely.
"Has the festival concluded?" She asked.
"With a murmur." He responded somewhat discontentedly. "Since news reached the public a few days ago, the city has been quiet- if you discount the damn news outlets, that is. There are no birthday celebrations this year, after all."
"Oh… right." Azaelia's eyes dropped back down to her paws. Her sister's birthday was yesterday. They would always spend it together after the parade. Her heart twitched in pain at the thought.
"I summoned the Council of Five." Fiero plainly stated, drawing Azaelia's attention.
Azaelia's eyes widened. "The Council? They haven't come together since grandfather was king."
Fiero nodded gravely. "Indeed. Even to the best of my ability, I could not stop this incident from getting out. We need to issue some form of response."
"Do you really need the council for that?"
"This is a matter that concerns the whole kingdom. We need to revise all of our security measures. Plus, some... issues must be dealt with in the Northern Province."
"I see. Why are you telling me this?" She asked.
He turned to her. "I want you to be there."
Azaelia blinked in confusion. "But the Council is a private affair. Only the leaders of the four provinces and the King can be present at one time."
"The current heir to the throne must also attend. To prepare them for their reign."
"But I'm not-!"
"You will be there."
Azaelia's head grew hot and her throat dried. She knew what her father implied, even if he didn't directly say it. The weight of the expectations came crashing on her shoulders. In that moment she experienced only a little of what Blaze had her entire life.
Fiero observed Azaelia's expression morph into a more worry-filled frown. He didn't say anything to try and let her process it on her own for a few minutes. A knock at the door drew his attention.
"Ah, miss Veraloe. Good morning." He greeted the Gardevoir nurse. She smiled lightly once seeing who had spoken.
"Good morning, King Fiero. It is a pleasure seeing you here."She respectfully responded. She was carrying something in her hands with visual care. It looked like an old book. She noticed Azaelia's shaken state. "Am I interrupting something?"
"Not too much. What brings you here?" He politely asked.
"Oh!" She held out the book to him. "Lady Azaelia asked me to bring her this last night. I hadn't gotten around to it until now."
"I see." Fiero accepted the book. He frowned once he noticed the title, however. "Why don't you get some breakfast. I still have some things to discuss with my daughter."
Veraloe bowed. "Of course, sir. And again, thank you for letting me stay here."
The King grunted with appreciation for the gesture. "Anything for the one who saved Azaelia's life. Please, take care."
With one last concerned look to her friend, Veraloe departed. Fiero closed the door before examining the book closer. He gripped it tightly and walked back to the bed.
"I thought I told you to stop reading this?" He held up the closed book. The title read: Arceus, Giratina, and other fairy tales to tell your kids.
"Last time I checked I can read whatever I wish." Azaelia broke from her stupor.
Fiero opened the bookmarked section. He exhaled sharply from the page Azaelia seemed to be reading from. "For what purpose are you researching the Eevee Clan?"
"I was interested."
"Nothing of interest can possibly be garnered from a primitive heretic clan." He dismissed her claim.
The fur on Azaelia's back bristled. "From what I've read they were respectful rulers who only wanted peace."
Fiero forcefully shut the book and tossed it on the bed. Azaelia scrambled to pick it up and held it close to her chest. Fiero clicked his tongue at the motion. "That book is a false history that should have been removed years ago. As an Arkos, you should be proud that they are gone."
"I refuse to be proud of genocide…" She responded in a low voice, clutching the book tighter.
Fiero narrowed his gaze. "Is this because of that Eevee? The 'Shifter'?"
Azaelia hesitated to respond to the accusation. She did not look her father in the eyes. That action was all he needed for an answer.
"That Eevee stole the Flame Plate, an Arkos family treasure that has been in our possession for five hundred years." He grilled her sharply. "It was because of him and his cohorts that you-" his words caught in his throat. "That you almost died."
She grimaced. "Rainbow did not try to kill me!"
"Do not let feelings of false friendship cloud your judgment. Captain Stonerook knows what he saw. For what other purpose would that creature be here?"
"Creature?" she said incredulously.
He ignored her. "He took advantage of your naivety to break into this castle. You led him in yourself."
"You didn't listen to me! I said he saved me! Without him, I would be dead." She retorted.
"You were delirious from the blood loss." He excused her statement. "You have no idea what you think you saw."
Azaelia was in disbelief. Her own father was unwilling to even listen to her- to understand her side of the story. "If you won't believe me then why don't you ask Vera, or Joltier, or even Benit? They know Rainbow as well as I do- if not more!"
"They are biased. They will always take his side without any doubt. Their opinion is unreliable."
"Even if they're right?"
Fiero grunted in discontent. He turned away. "I will not deal with this now. I have a city to quell and hungry reporters to satiate. I hope you get on your feet soon." He strode heavily to the exit. He stopped before he opened it as Azaelia asked him a question.
"Have you… heard from Blaze at all…?"
Despite the prior argument, Fiero felt a lump in his throat hearing the hollow tone his daughter now spoke in. He looked back at her one last time.
"No." He left without another word, the door softly closed behind him.
Azaelia leaned back, the tension dissipating. She didn't like arguing, especially with those close to her. But her father has been so… closed-minded since the incident a few nights ago. She could understand why, though. One of his daughters almost died and the other…
She felt somber upon witnessing her father's face before he left. As usual, it was as neutral as stone, but there was something more in the eyes. A deep pain that extended far into their dark depths. She realized, in that moment, that even a proud king like her father could hurt on a level that she couldn't fully understand.
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~~Veraloe - Castle Arkos - Western Province~~
Veraloe stumbled through the vast corridors of Castle Arkos. While staying here the past few days had been an experience, it still did little to mend her understanding of the labyrinth that was the dark-stone building. Every corridor felt the same and every room was only moderately different from the last. She could understand how one may feel lonely growing up here.
The Gardevoir rubbed her chest, the source of her current discomfort. Her center ached. She theorized that she had overworked her blessing like a muscle. The challenge of Azaelia's injury was a lot for her to take at once, especially considering just how close to 'the end' her friend had been.
Still, Veraloe was surprised that she had yet to recover. It had been a few days of rest since the incident, and yet she did not feel any better. Maybe it just needs more time, she thought to herself.
She stopped her advance once she reached her goal. The sign just outside the door confirmed it. She aptly knocked on the closed door. "Ms Audino?"
It took a few seconds before the door opened. The Audino nurse looked surprised at her visitor. "Ms Veraloe. How nice to see you this fine afternoon. Is there something you need?" She smiled.
Veraloe folded her hands together politely. "It is also a pleasure to see you. I was hoping I could ask you something?"
Audino blinked. "Of course. Come inside." She stood to the side and held the door open to her visitor. Veraloe accepted the offer and walked in.
The room was small. Two beds sat near the center and a desk was placed on the other side of the room. A bookshelf was filled with worn medical journals and encyclopedias. One of the beds was occupied by a Pidgeotto, so Veraloe took a seat on the open bed. "Thank you for the hospitality."
Audino walked back to her Pidgeotto patient, who was eyeing Veraloe warily, and picked up some stitching tools. "No problem. Just allow me to finish patching up Jason here and then we can talk."
Veraloe tried to ignore the unfriendly stare and observed what her host was working on. She cringed from an open wound on the Pidgeotto's wing, right next to his Prism City Guard armband. "That's quite the cut."
"Hmph." The nurse scoffed. "How he managed to get this torn open from broken glass is beyond me. Especially during the festival."
"It was the Shifter." The Pidgeotto grunted.
Veraloe raised her eyebrow. "Rainbow the Shifter did this to you?" She asked doubtfully.
"Whatever his name is." He flexed a talon. "There I was, stationed by the main entrance with my Arbok partner, and then BAM!" he shouted the onomatopoeia for dramatic effect. "I heard glass shattering above me. I flew up to see what the commotion was all about, and there he was. A Flareon was shot out of the window like a rocket!"
"Could you stay still?" Audino asked grumpily. Jason the guard bashfully nodded.
Veraloe was intrigued now. They had found Rainbow in an alley close by, but she had no idea just how he had managed to land so far away from the castle. "You couldn't have known who it was by then, right?"
"I didn't." He huffed. "But at the time a non-flying Pokemon was falling from a lethal height. I could at least try to save him. But by the time I got close enough to catch him - POP!" He exclaimed once more, causing Audino to sigh.
"I said stay still." She commanded more than asked this time. Jason gulped and obeyed while she continued to work. He continued.
"Anyway, he must have had a Teleportation Gem on him or something, cuz before I managed to catch him he up and disappeared in a big burst of light. Near blinded me…"
"I see." Veraloe wasn't fully satisfied by the answer- especially since she knew Rainbow didn't know what a Teleportation Gem even was. She suspected some sort of legendary-brand intervention. "And how were you injured, exactly?"
"Oh…well I got so disoriented by that where I kinda… SMASHED into a different window." He emoted once more, disrupting Audino from her work yet again. "Oh, uh, sorry." He quickly apologized.
Audino's eye twitched. "Just don't do it again, please." She tried to weave her needle for a few more seconds before huffing. "Did you have to get cut in such a bothersome spot?"
"Didn't have much of a choice…"
"I could give it a go." Veraloe offered.
Audino timidly stopped her work. "Are you sure? I wouldn't want to put our guest to work."
"It's fine, really." Veraloe stood up and stretched her legs. "Take it as thanks for telling me that story. I need an excuse to practice anyway."
"Still…"
Jason shrugged off Audino from his wing. "I say let her do it. I want to see this 'miracle' of hers put to work. You can't say you're not curious yourself." Audino didn't need to answer audibly- you could see it in her eyes. She backed away, letting Veraloe get close.
Veraloe gently placed her hands over the semi-open wound. The telltale glow of Xerneas's Blessing began to fill the room. Audino and Jason's eyes were fixed on the wonder before them, so they didn't notice the sudden pain striking Veraloe. Her chest flared up in aching pain like in the hallway. It subsided as she finished her work.
Jason flexed his wing. "It's like new."
Audino closely examined the freshly healed wound. "Remarkable. It's like the wound didn't close, but rather was healed over."
"Is that good?" Jason frowned.
"On a small scale, yes. So you should be fine."
"Great!" He jumped up and stretched his legs. "I gotta report to Stonerook. Thanks for patching me up, doc." He looked at Veraloe, who was leaning on the opposite bed and catching her breath. "And I guess thanks for showing me that cool trick."
Veraloes dismissively waved the guard off as if to say 'no problem'. Jason seemed to get what she meant because he soon left the two healers alone. Audino sighed before sitting across from the recovering champion.
"That power of yours really is something special, Ms Veraloe. Where did you learn to do such a thing?"
Veraloe looked down at her outstretched hand. "Just something I was born with, apparently. Perhaps given to me from my mother."
Audino raised her eyebrow. "Must be one special mother. I'd love to meet her one day."
Veraloe smiled. "I'm afraid she likes to keep to herself nowadays. She's kind but doesn't like the company of strangers much."
"That's a shame." Audino sighed. "I'd like to know the origin of that fairy-tale-like healing power."
"That is actually what I wanted to ask you. You mentioned a name while I healed the Princess a few days ago." Vera explained. "You said 'Mistrias.' Where have you heard that name before?"
Audino blinked with a neutral expression. "You mean you've never read 'Mistrias the Miracle' before?"
Veraloe felt somewhat embarrassed from her ignorance considering Audino's nonplussed response. "Am I meant to?"
Audino realized the situation she had put Veraloe into and backtracked. She waved her hands dismissively. "Oh, of course not! Sorry. It's just a little surprising, is all."
"Is it really that popular of a tale?"
"Maybe not for normal Pokemon, but definitely for healers like us." Audino paced over to her desk and began to search. "It's a very popular story for healers-in-training. There aren't many good role models for our job, you know?"
"I'm sure. What is it about?"
Audino placed aside a few books as she now scoured her bookshelf. "Well, it's been maybe one or two, well, decades since I've read it. I was hoping I still had the book it's in with me, but unfortunately not."
Veraloe sat down on the bed and placed her hands on her lap, intent on listening. "Could you recall what you know?"
Audino scratched her chin. "I can certainly try, though it may be much more paraphrased than the original text."
"That is fine with me."
"Alright. So, Mistrias was a Roserade who lived long, long ago, predating even the Arkosian rule. She happily lived with her husband and child in a small, peaceful village. One day, the village was infested with a deadly plague, and both her husband and her kid were infected. Seeking help, she asked a forest spirit to help them. The spirit agreed and gave her the power to heal any wound. However, the spirit warned that this power came at a cost and should not be overused."
Vearloe frowned at the familiar feeling. "And then?"
Audino crossed her arms. "Mistrias healed her child and husband as soon as possible. She was going to give up the power, as per the spirit's warning, but something stopped her. Seeing the rest of the village sick and in pain, she disregarded the warning and healed them as well; every single person in the village was cured."
"I'm sensing that things are about to turn for the worse," Veraloe predicted.
"Well, Mistrias soon found out what the warning meant. The power had taken over her body with every person she helped, sapping her strength until it was all gone. She died only a few days after."
"So Mistrias had given her own life in exchange for others to have theirs back." Veraloe summarized. "She selflessly helped others because she had the power to, even if it ended up backfiring."
"If you want to look at it that way. But I don't think so." Audino disagreed. "Mistrias was reckless and illogical, disregarding her own health until it killed her." She sighed. "As healers, we feel the need to treat everyone we can at any time. Oftentimes an overzealous healer will feel the draining blowback from overdoing it- at least mentally. I misspoke, it's more of a cautionary tale than one to derive a role model from."
Veraloe absently rubbed her chest. Mistrias's story had hit home much more than she thought. Veraloe had always done as much as she could to help those who were hurt. She used her blessing often, feeling the need to aid everyone she could. But maybe that was starting to hurt her in the long run. Her aching chest seemed to be a sign of this.
Mistrias the Roserade, the power to heal all wounds, and a drawback for overuse…
"You said this story originates from a book. Do you happen to remember which one?"
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~~Prism City Dungeon - Western Province~~
Cold, stone bricks encased the dead hallways of the prison. The only light came from the small openings near the tops of the walls, indicating the subterranean nature of the structure. Small puddles of dank water pooled on the cobbled floor.
Nary a sound was made in the prison except for the quiet murmurings of the few who called the place home. Well, the current residents would reject that notion. A certain pair of siblings quietly observed the cell across the hall from their own.
"Do ya think he's dead?"
"Can't be. I saw him laughing to himself this morning. Damn freak."
A Duskull squinted with his one eye at the target of his and his sister's curiosity. The Zoroark newcomer sat cross-legged in the center of his cell. He was unmoving, as he had been for the past few hours.
"Should we check?"
The Dusclops sister pondered for a moment before picking up a small, loose pebble from the floor. She made a quick underhand toss with it, sending it flying through the enclosed space. The two watched as it lightly bonked the Zoroark on the head.
"Huh." The Dusclops sighed after a few seconds with no reaction elicited. "Maybe he really is dead."
The two jumped as the entryway door slammed open. A small Lombre guard came sauntering in; a pep in his step.
"Alright, inmates! Head count!" The guard exclaimed with some markable excitement. He approached the twins. "Shaid, Caid! Sound off!"
Shaid the Dusclops groaned in response. "If I didn't have these cuffs I'd kill you, Guardy."
"Maybe if we didn't threaten him we'd get out earlier." Caid the Duskull chirped up.
"Well, that's two." The guard made a mental check. He approached the only other occupied cell. "C'mon, assassin, speak up!" The Zoroark still did not move. The Lombre rapped on the metal bars of the cell. "Wake up!"
"I think he's dead, boss," Shaid said with mirth.
The Lombre turned his back to the Zoroark to address the speaker. "Excuse me? What makes you say that?"
"It's true," Caid confirmed. "He hasn't moved in hours."
"And why didn't you alert the guard outside?"
Shaid crossed her arms. "I'm sorry, I didn't think that was in our job description. On that note, you should really pay us more."
The Lombre wasn't listening to her anymore. He anxiously held his head.
Oh c'mon Garland, you just got this transfer! No way you just let a prisoner die on your watch! I should make sure…
Garland turned back around hesitantly to glance at the body-
"OH CRAP!"
He suddenly jumped in shock with a hand over his heart. The Zoroark was now standing close to the bars, his lanky frame taking up most of the space. He held his head in a downward position, his eyes large and observing the Lombre. A smile was on his face.
"Afternoon there, officer. Garland, right?"
Garland felt a shiver strike down his spine. The Zoroark's smile was sharp and gleeful. One could mistake it as friendly. But he could see that his prisoner's eyes did not match the smile. Not even close.
"H-how do you know my name?" Garland sputtered, caught off guard.
"Hey, hey, don't be so nervous. After all" Synphony held up his wrists, showcasing a jade-green pair of handcuffs strapped to them. "I've got your reassurances on."
Garland took a few breaths to steady himself. "Right, right…" While he stood back upright with some amount of confidence, he was a pace further away than he was before. "You can back away from the bars now, inmate."
Synphony took a moment before complying. He shifted further back into the cell and found a spot near some shadow in the corner. His eyes never left Garland's.
The Lombre guard shifted uncomfortably on his feet. He flexed his hand behind his back warily. "Okay… so that's everyone accounted for. I'm just gonna…" he stepped to the exit door, taking care to keep the Zoroark in his field of vision. A few more steps and he reached the door, the angle of sight now obscuring the source of his troubles.
"Oh!" he heard Synphony call out. "Before you go-!"
Garland paused halfway through the door to his freedom. His grip tightened when he saw the Zoroark's long snout slowly peer through the gap in the cell's bars. His sharp teeth shine in the limited lighting.
"You can tell your king that he can visit me anytime."
Not another word and Garland slammed the door behind him. Though he could still hear the light giggling coming from within.
