Ash follows Sophocles through the city until they reach a graveyard which has to be where the Court of Miracles was located. " It looks like the pendant said it should be somewhere around this graveyard," Sophocles said as he and Ash walked up to one of the headstones which revealed a secret passage. When they got to the bottom of the passage it was a very dark path. So Ash lights up a torch to see where they are going.
As they were walking through the old catacombs Ash wanted to know more about his new friend, especially his relationship with Giovanni.
But as they were talking they didn't know that a group of Gypsies were following them assuming that they could be a threat.
" so tell me Sophocles why are you so scared of Giovanni and why do you let him treat you like that" Ash asked him.
" He is the only one who doesn't see me as a monster and everyone will see me as that because he was the one who adopted me. So the least I can do is respect him." Sophocles responded.
" I bet you regret that decision now, do you? Does it feel nice to see new places that you have never been to or adventures that you might experience? You wouldn't do that if you kept on listening to Giovanni. It wasn't right for what he did to you at the festival and how he talked to you at the bell tower. I don't think you should go back there." Ash said.
"I suppose you're right but I don't want to be down here for long because I don't want to scare anybody. Oh, come on Sophocles. You will never know if you go back there." Ash responded "Hum. I'll think about it, But how long do you think this path goes I wondered what is at the end" Sophocles said.
" I hope that it will be the court of miracles but you know what's weird. We have been down here I would expect a guard or something to stop us from going any further." Ash said
Ash was right there weren't any guards or any traps to stop them but they did get ambushed by Brock and some other gypsy men who were assumed to be trespassers are spies.
As the room darkened, Ash and Sophocles were surrounded by Brock and the gypsy men. They tied them up and carried them all the way deep into the court.
Ash tried to tell them that they are not here to cause any harm to them but the gypsies covered his mouth with a cloth before he could say anything.
Then a group of gypsy men carried him and Sophocles over to the standard where two ropes were, so that they could be hung.
With all the commotion that was coming from the entrance, Rosemary went to go see what was going on. What she saw scared her. So she ran to go tell Felicia. She was practicing her dances until Rosemary came up to her with horrible news.
" woah, Rosemary what's the matter" Felicia asked her Pikachu as she was trying to stop her from pulling on her dress. Which meant that she wanted Felicia to follow her. "All alright Rosemary I'll come with you. I do want to know what all the cheering is about. Come on, let's go see what is going on with Brock" she said as she followed Rosemary. When she got to the crowd she was horrified by what she saw Sophocles and Ash were about to get hanged. So she ran up to the front of the stage so she could stop Brock and free Sophocles and Ash. The boys that were about to be hunged were surprised to see Felicia made it home safe.
" hold on a second Brock, these men or on our side and they are here to help us" Felicia explained to Brock.
" Ash was the one who saved the miller's family and Sophocles helped me escape from the cathedral." Felicia finished. As Felicia was getting the boys out of the ropes Brock started to remember about the soldier that's been helping Felicia get out of trouble with Giovanni and he felt guilty for his misunderstanding and that he also tried to kill him
" Oh yeah. I remember you. You are the soldier who's been getting Felicia out of trouble with Giovanni. I am impressed and I couldn't thank you enough for helping her. I don't know what we would do if we had lost her. So thank you for looking after her. " Brock remembered. Which just made Ash giggle nervously when Felicia was helping him get out of the ropes." haha It's no problem. But thank you for not killing me and my friend here. But that is not why we are here. We came here to warn you guys about Giovanni and it's horrible. " Ash said as he got out of the ropes.
"thank goodness all of you are alright I and Sophocles came here with horrifying news" Ash remembered as he almost forgot why they came to the court of miracles to begin with.
" What's wrong, is everything alright? Have you decided to stay in the court of miracles with us? None of you are hurt are you." Felicia asked worriedly as she and Ash hugged each other
" No It's Giovanni, he knows where all of you are hiding and he is coming at dawn with a thousand men to attack all of you." Ash shouted as he ran to the front of the stage which made all the gypsies panic.
" thank you for telling us, alright everyone, we need to find a better way to keep this place from getting out. We need to close and hide everything and everybody." Brock said.
As Brock and the other gypsies tried to come up with a solution. How they can keep this place a secret from Giovanni and figure out how he had found it in the first place?
Felicia was trying to convince Ash and Sophocles to stay in the court of Miracles with her and her people. Ash didn't want to go back out there and since he is also a Fugitive now too. He thought that living in the court of miracles sounded like a good place to hide because he didn't want Giovanni to know that he had survived the fall off of the bridge.
"I'm so glad that you came down here in one peace and I hope that you are not planning on going out there again so that Giovanni will never know that you had survived the fall, Ash. I am sure that we have enough room down here for the two of you." Felicia asked Ash as the two of them were hugging each other.
" Since I have nowhere else to go and am also a fugitive which means I have to hide as well, So maybe Staying down here with you does sound like a good place to hide. The last thing that I ever want to do is be seen by Giovanni, So yeah I would love to live down here with you and the other gypsies, Felicia and it seems like I don't belong anywhere so maybe staying here sounds like a good place to call home," Ash said to her as he was holding her close to him.
" Wonderful. So what about you Sophocles, would you like to stay down here as well? I am sure you don't want to go back to the bell tower for the rest of your life. You will be safe here if we come up with a better way to hide this place from Giovanni. Then I am sure that you will be much happier down here." Felicia explained.
" I don't know Felicia. That is a nice offer but I don't know if I will be able to fit in with your people. I can't disobey my master again. " Sophocles said as he was walking towards the exit but was stopped by Ash.
" Oh come on, Sophocles you know you don't want to go back out there and be with Giovanni especially how he treated you. Look at these Gypsies, they don't seem to be afraid of you and if it wasn't for your help we wouldn't have found this place and told them right before Giovanni attacked them and I couldn't thank you enough for helping me. You were such a big help to me cause if it wasn't for you we wouldn't have got here in time and found Felicia and the Court of Miracles and I am sorry that I didn't believe you that the pendant was a map. Now let's just forget about the past and start a new life in the court of Miracles and remember what I told you on our way over here. You won't experience new places or meet new people if you keep on listening to Giovanni. '' Ash told him.
As Felicia was talking to Ash and Sophocles. Brock couldnt help but overhear their conversation and wanted to join in. " She is right, I don't mind having the two of you stay down here with us. After all, you are the ones who keep on helping us get out of trouble with Giovanni especially Felicia. So I say why not since you are hiding from Giovanni I say that the court of Miracles is the best place to hide but I don't know for how long. So we need to come up with a better plan to keep this place safe since Giovanni now knows about it. We have to come up with a way to keep it more hidden than ever before" Brock said as Felicia, and Ash both gave him an agreement smile.
Giovanni's Ambush
The Court of Miracles isn't going to be a safe place to hide from Giovanni much longer because not only Sophocles had helped Ash find it. He also led Giovanni to the Court of Miracles as well.
" Aww, what a touching Speech. I wouldn't have found this place too if it wasn't for Sophocles either" Said a strong male voice that came from the entrance of the court.
That was when everyone started to look up at the stairs to see where the voice came from which made everyone panic. The Male voice came from Giovanni and his soldiers surrounded all of the gypsies, Felicia, Brock, and Ash. They also caged every single Pokemon that was in the court including Rosemary and Pikachu.
When the guards caught them they tied their hands together as the Judge walked up to Felicia and Ash. He thanked Sophocles for helping him. Thought that adopting him was the best idea he had. But Sophocles on the other hand was ashamed of himself and didn't want any of this to happen.
" Oh, Sophocles. I knew that there was a reason why I adopted you and it was to find what I had been looking for all of these years and I couldn't have found it if it wasn't for you Sophocles. " Giovanni said as he walked past Sophocles and made his way over to Felicia and Ash who were being held by the soldiers.
" What do you mean he had helped you" Felicia asked as she snarled at him as she was about to Spit in his face.
" Will if it wasn't for him. I wouldn't have found you and captured you, my dear" Giovanni said until he noticed a familiar face and was surprised to see him alive.
" no, Sophocles will never do a thing like that. I know you are lying" Felicia snapped at him
"Oh and look who else I caught still alive why isn't it Captain Ash I thought that you would turn into ashes after you fell off the bridge. But I think I can spare your life until tomorrow because we are going to have a bonfire tomorrow in the square and I wouldn't want my former captain to miss that which will be tomorrow hehe" Giovanni said to Ash which made him madder and wanted to bite him in the face if he came any closer.
" grrr, What are you talking about you psychotic lunatic, whatever you have planned. You will not get away with it. I will make sure of that as soon as I get out of this. We will stop you and you will not hurt her. You will have to get past me first. '' Ash said as he was trying to pull away from the soldier's strong grip. " Oh don't worry I have something planned for you and for your Pikachu as well. But first I have something that I want to do with you my dear, " he said as he made his way over to Felicia making her even madder, and then after I'm done with her. Then I will deal with you, boy as well, Now that the Court of Miracles is mine. I can finally get rid of the gypsies once in for all. . Starting with all of you. Now, guards, I want you to arrest all of them and put Sophocles back in the bell tower and make sure he stays there. We have a busy day ahead of us tomorrow." Giovanni ordered his men to arrest everyone in the court and placed them in the Palace of Justice until the next day.
But before Sophocles was about to be taken away he watched all of his friends getting arrested by the guards. He ran up to his master and tried to stop him. But he realized that he was too late. So the guards Grabbed him and dragged him out of the court of miracles as they did with everyone else. But instead, they chained him up against the pillars of the bell tower that were overlooking the city.
We will see what happens to Sophocles and his friends in the next chapter. I hope all of you love this chapter. I see you on the next one.
