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A Midsummer Knight's Dream (R)

Alter Ego

that evil mod from hell
5,751
Posts
18
Years
Nighttime in Verona City bears little change from the daytime. Although the lack of sun produces more shadow for cover, many of the areas drenched in darkness were the already dark alleys lacing across the city, and the main streets were bathed with neon lights like an iridescent noon.

Okay, I'm probably going out of my depth on the grammar front here, but I'm not used to seeing tenses switched in the middle of a sentence like this. As I said: I'm not sure if it's an error, but I thought I'd point it out since it struck me as unusual when reading. :3

Except in the case of customers, anyone who entered the shop was immediately chased away by the ghost, spectral balls of black energy sailing towards their heels. Eventually, people stopped bothering her, the haunter serving as her guardian and the books her father gave her before his death being her teachers.

You've got a 'were' instead of ' was' here.

Without waiting for a further explanation, Viola grabbed his hand and pulled him into the shop with Haunter following close behind. At first, he protested, but eventually, he allowed himself to trust the stranger under the assumption that it was better than the men that were pursuing him.

'The men' are persons, so that should be 'who' rather than 'that', I believe.

She barely registered much about the people who sat there in front of their plates and cups of coffee, but as she passed, the heads of two men – one portly and the other lanky with straw-colored hair – turned to study her carefully.

"Barely registered much"? I don't know...that sounds sort of like you were going for "barely registered" and then decided on "didn't register much" halfway through or something. o.O I'd say rephrase that somehow.

Toby glanced cautiously from first Romeo then Mercury and back again. His mouth opened in preparation for a comeback as his body inched backwards. Then, the sound of a throat clearing snapped the atmosphere of the psychological showdown. All heads turned towards the waitress, who stood with a coffeepot in one hand and her other hand on her hip.

The underlined bit is another case of a formulation which just seems odd to me.


Yeah, that's about all I could find, and it's mostly things that I can't back up with a clear-cut rule. *Shot for bad reviewing practice* Just thought I'd point out what stuck out to me. Sorry it took so long to get this posted, I've been terribly lazy with my reviews lately. xP

Anyways, good points...erm, everything else won't do, will it? xD Well, I like the mystery of the whole handing over keys thing and how you left it completely open whether there's an impostor loose or if it's Viola experiencing some sort freaky split-personality disorder. Well, odds are that it's an impostor, but you never know. x3 I also enjoyed the little trip down memory lane, especially the ending there. xD It's always nice to see a character's earlier self. ^^

Overall, the plot seems to be thickening further. It's going to be interesting to see what's coming out of this at the end. :3

Aaargh! It's still so short! *Flail* You need to make some mistakes so I can pick up on them and pad my review. >O
 
Last edited:

JX Valentine

Your aquatic overlord
3,277
Posts
19
Years
Ooh. Thanks for the corrections. I'm not sure how I managed to miss some of them, particularly the last one. You're right. It does sound awkward. O_o

Also, thanks for the review in general. I'm a little tempted to use the freaky split-personality idea (because, really, that sounds so cool), but alas, I've already got a plan for this.

And as a couple of side notes...

Sorry it took so long to get this posted, I've been terribly lazy with my reviews lately. xP

I'll never be able to forgive you. XD

I mean, uh, it's okay! We all get lazy sometimes! >.> <.<

Aaargh! It's still so short! *Flail* You need to make some mistakes so I can pick up on them and pad my review. >O

In that case, my next chapter will be in chat and l33t-speak.

"lol im viola and im here 2 take ur key!"
 

JX Valentine

Your aquatic overlord
3,277
Posts
19
Years
Author's Note: Because I've been so busy lately, I unfortunately do not have a chapter ready. Instead, I've opted to try inserting an intermission that I've been playing with for the past several days. Intermissions for A Midsummer Knight's Dream are basically chapters that take place between acts. They're usually side stories, either to explain things that wouldn't be touched in the normal flow of the story (such as, for example, the missions that Viola goes on between arcs, a day at Imogen's restaurant, et cetera). This intermission, meanwhile, just sort of came out of nowhere.

And for that, I apologize for both the rape of the poem itself and the poetry format.



Intermission One: Christmas

'Twas the night before Christmas, and all through the city
Not a creature was stirring, not even a skitty.
Well, actually, more accurately, this was more like a lie
For one little Knight knew that trouble was nigh.

"The Trio is nestled, all snug in their beds
While visions of sugarplums dance in their heads,"
Viola repeated as she lay awake in the dark
While her sense of inner reason responded with snark:

No, they're dreaming of you painting walls with a splatter.
Then, somewhere below she heard such a clatter.
Away to the window she lunged like a flash,
Tore open the shutters and threw up the sash.

The streetlights below continued to blaze
Allowing Viola to spy in a daze.
How could her brain explain it to her—
The sleigh far below pulled by eight skinny stantler?

Then, there was the driver, decked in red and white,
For the life of her, Viola couldn't explain such a sight.
Haunter, below, naturally had no clue
So, as he watched the intruder, he knew what to do.

The stantler and sleigh flew straight to the sky
Through no logical means that Viola could spy
Instead, she fled to the door to awaken Sebastian
With the hope he could interpret the driver's intention

While Haunter slid to the den through the wall
His hands, both cupped to prepare a dark ball.
Between them, an orb which he would soon fling
While he listened to footsteps across the ceiling.

Viola and Haunter heard on the roof
The pawing and prancing of each stantler hoof.
Curious, thought Viola as she entered the room
To stand by her haunter, all prepared for doom.

Down the chimney, which wasn't there before,
Came a wave of soot across the wooden floor,
And following after was an old man with a pack
Of toys and presents slung on his large back.

Before Viola could act, Haunter's ball he threw out
While a pokémon's threat from his mouth he did shout.
When the old man saw where the ball would go,
His eyes twinkled like starlight on fresh-fallen snow.

The ball veered off course and into the soot,
With the old man unharmed, save for a sootier foot.
Surprised, Haunter stared at the old man's white beard.
This may be a godly opponent, the ghost-type feared.

But Viola examined this rosy-cheeked face
Framed with hair whiter than fine, high-class lace.
And that smile – joyful, ancient, and impossibly wide,
Seeing it made her feel oddly warm inside.

He was chubby and plump, like some jolly old elf,
And when Viola saw him, she laughed in spite of herself.
And a wink of the elder's eye and a twist of his head
Soon let her pokémon know he had nothing to dread.

He spoke not a word but went straight to his work
Placing gifts beside the hearth before he turned with a jerk.
With a smile, he placed a finger to the side of his nose,
And giving a nod, up the chimney he rose.

Frantically dashing to the bedroom window,
Viola and Haunter gazed out to the snow.
Though they heard him speak, he was out of sight,
Crying, "Merry Christmas to all, and to all a good night!"
 

JX Valentine

Your aquatic overlord
3,277
Posts
19
Years
Apologies for how long this chapter took to get out.


Act Nine: Anti-Hero

Sometime in the afternoon, the door to Viola's apartment opened. She walked inside, her feet shuffling against the hardwood floor. Her motions were slow and uncertain when she took off her shoes and straightened, as if she was afraid of making a sound. As she turned towards the hall, she nearly ran into the dark purple specter that was her closest companion. She inhaled a sharp gasp while Haunter floated around her head with a warm expression on his face. A smile crossed her own face as she reached up to touch the ghost, and he floated in front of her with his eyes happily closed to receive her touch.

"Where did you head off to, Haunter?" she asked. "You didn't follow me, and it would've been nice if you were there too."

He crooned and rubbed against her affectionately. Her warm smile lingered on her face for a few moments before she let her hand rest on the top of his head. Opening his eyes slowly, Haunter peered into Viola's face as her smile faded slightly. She closed her own eyes and tried to pass around her companion. Regarding her with a sympathetic glance, he floated behind her and pushed his disconnected hands forward to rest on her shoulders. She, meanwhile, merely touched one of his hands as she passed the den on the way to her bedroom. However, she no sooner passed the den as she attracted the attention of its sole occupant.

"Viola."

Immediately, she froze. Behind her, she heard the sound of feet thumping against the wooden floor. Sebastian appeared in the doorway, his dark eyes fixed on Viola's back. With a frown straight ahead, she started walking towards her room again without so much as a syllable uttered towards her roommate. Not wanting to forgo another opportunity, Sebastian pushed himself forward and reached to grab Viola's wrist, much to the annoyance of the ghost, whose body floated towards the side to make room for him. Viola gasped slightly and turned her head towards Sebastian to cast a cold glance his way.

"Listen," he said. "Please, just five minutes."

She hesitated for the first few seconds, the corners of her mouth pulling down again a bit more. However, reluctantly, she nodded slowly. Sebastian exhaled out of relief.

"Right," he said as he looked at his feet. "I know I was crossing the line a few nights ago, and for that, I apologize. I shouldn't have said that. I acknowledge that I was wrong."

Viola turned her head back towards her front but focused her glance on her feet. Noticing her silence, Sebastian lifted his head towards her with a small frown.

"I know I seem harsh towards you, but it's only because I know how dangerous being a Knight can be."

"So, are you acting this way because you think I can't handle it?" she asked softly.

Sebastian straightened and shook his head. "No! Of course not! I mean… Viola, even for the most street-smart player, dying is more likely than winning the Game. It scares me that you would ever think about taking the risk."

Viola scoffed. "But you would?"

Lowering his head, Sebastian muttered, "That's different."

"How can that be different?" Viola half-turned to look at him. "What makes you think you can win if you know that you're more likely to die?"

"It's better me than you!" Sebastian said as he looked away.

Viola shook her head and narrowed her eyes. "Why? Do you really put such little value in your life, or are you patronizing me?"

"You don't understand, Viola." Sebastian tried to stare into her eyes. "I'm doing this for a reason."

Another scoff heaved from Viola's lungs. "Is that so? What are your reasons, Sebastian?"

"You!"

Silence descended in the hallway. Haunter floated between the two humans, glancing from his master to her companion. Viola's eyes fixed on Sebastian with a blank stare, while Sebastian's cheeks took on a slightly pink hue.

"That came out wrong," he said as he rubbed his forehead. "What I mean to say is that… Do you remember how we met?"

Viola nodded. "Of course."

Sebastian removed the hand from his forehead to motion towards her. "I…" He took a deep breath. "I want to pay you back for what you did."

Raising an eyebrow, Viola stared at Sebastian for awhile. Minutes passed, and a sinking feeling began to develop in Sebastian's chest. He closed his eyes, fully expecting her to kick him out in the next instant. However, she merely cracked a smile and chuckled.

"Sei un'idiota," she said.

Sebastian opened his eyes and gave her a strange glance. He literally wasn't fluent in her language, but he had a feeling this reaction was a good thing.

"Why," Viola continued, "would you do something so stupid for me?"

A blush crept across Sebastian's cheeks. "The Midsummer Treasure, Viola. Everyone knows about it. They say with it, you can have your wildest dreams. I'll use it to make us both rich so you don't have to worry about a thing anymore as a proper thanks." He motioned wildly behind him. "You can leave the Wisteria District and live someplace nicer. Think about it!"

Again, Viola shook her head. "I don't want that. I'm happy here."

Sebastian hesitated, the curious glance settling on Viola's face. "Then why are you in the Game?"

After a beat of thought, Viola shrugged. "I don't know." Without further explanation, she turned on her heel and began walking towards the shop. "I'm headed to my workshop. You want to come down with me?"

With a frown, Sebastian fell into step behind her. "Hey! You didn't answer my question!"

Again, Viola shrugged. "I really never thought about it. I don't really care about the Treasure, and you know me, Sebastian. I guess I just wanted a reason to get out of the house."

The response made Sebastian stop in his tracks. He stared at Viola's back for a long while as he puzzled over her reasoning, but he made no effort to ask her to elaborate.

---​

"You! Get back here!"

Toby's feet pounded on the pavement. Next to him, a large, blue turtle pointed a pair of cannons on its back at the fleeing figure who pushed through the crowds. Upon sight of the blastoise, several bystanders screamed and attempted to dodge as water bubbled from the edges of the silver cannons. A roar ripped through the commotion of the street in the Tulip District as water blasted in jets from the turtle to gouge a trench in the cement. The target leapt out of the way at the last moment, the jets doing no more damage more than clipping part of the dark trousers the figure wore. The rest of the body went sprawling.

The corners of Toby's mouth drooped to form a sharp curve downward. His hand rose to beckon Blastoise forward, and with that, the turtle lumbered behind him. Bystanders kept out of the way, each one whispering in terror as they tried to define the parties as Montague or Capulet or fumbling for cell phones. For that reason, Toby hit no resistance in his journey forward until he loomed over the fallen, dark-haired figure he knew to be Knight Illusion. The frown slowly turned into a grin, and he reached forward to grab the collar of the downed Knight.

Suddenly, his Master beeped before he could lay a finger on his victim. With a quick movement, his other hand plunged into his pocket and pulled from it the slender PDA. His eyes narrowed as he read the words on its face, the order to retrieve an item across town. A snort heaved from his nostrils as he pushed the Master back into his pocket. As soon as he turned his eyes back to his quarry to finish what he started, however, he stopped. There, right beneath his hand, was empty air. His mouth opened slightly as he gaped at the disappearance of the figure for a moment before he lifted his head towards the sky. A great bellow ripped from his throat, rippling across the chatter of the street like waves traveling over water. It even echoed off the brick walls of the city before dying away without a response.

The turtle by his side grunted, lowering herself to all fours as her reptilian nostrils flared at something on the ground. Toby tore his eyes away from the sky to glance at what the blastoise was trying to show him. There, where his quarry had been, lay a small, white rectangle. Stooping slightly, he picked up the card and turned it over, examining it carefully. On its face, printed in the shining black of new ink, were the words "Allegro Dolls," followed by an address.

A huff heaved from Toby's lungs as he pocketed the card. Already, he was forming plans for that night.

---​

Viola's hand reached towards the lamp near her head, the one that shone a spotlight on the metal-and-plush creature she was carefully shaping. It, so far, looked much like what a mouse would look like, should the mouse have lacked most of its skin (save for the purple swath that formed its ears, tail, and back) and possessed a metal skeleton and a little, black box for a heart. Her pale fingers stroked its back gently as she stared at its still formless face.

In her distraction, she failed to notice Sebastian leaning over the parapet separating the workshop from the shop floor. For a long time, he had been silent, watching her work as his thoughts wandered. Inevitably, they would meander back to the idea of the Trio, lurking somewhere nearby. By then, he knew that two of them had challenged Viola and failed, and it was, according to his calculations, only a matter of time before the third struck. As he closed his eyes during the last few minutes before Viola stopped, a silent vow had passed through his mind.

Now, when Viola put down her tools, he opened his eyes slowly, the clicking sound of a metal screwdriver on a metal countertop pulling him back to reality. Presently, he watched Viola stroke her latest creation, and in that moment, he forced himself to smile.

"Hey," he said. "That rattata looks good so far."

Viola raised her eyebrow and looked over her shoulder. "You never watch me work."

He shrugged. "I thought it would help if I learned how the magic is made."

Immediately, Viola's eyebrows went up. "Why?"

"In case a customer asks, of course." He reached over the wall and unlocked the gate. "Will you be coming up soon? I'll make us some dinner."

With a huff, Viola put her tools and the unfinished doll in the cupboard just above her workspace. "You're definitely not Sebastian Cross. Who are you, and where are you keeping him hostage?"

Sebastian shook his head. "I can't do anything nice for you?"

"You could, but I'd expect this sort of treatment if I was on my deathbed."

Viola took off her heavy apron and lay it on the counter. At that, she turned and walked across her workshop to push open the gate. Sebastian stepped aside and offered her a half grin.

"Come on," he said. "I thought you said you forgave me for how I treated you."

"No, I didn't," Viola replied with a shrug. "I just said you didn't have to risk your neck for me."

Sebastian frowned. "So, you don't forgive me?"

"I never said that either."

"Wait." He held up a hand. "I don't understand."

Viola flashed him a sympathetic smile. "Forgive you? For acting like a jerk to Romeo, I do, and for thinking that I can't handle being a Knight. But for acting like a jerk because you're looking out for me?" She shrugged again. "I just know you well enough to know that you're just like that. I can't forgive you if it's something you can't help."

An embarrassed blush colored Sebastian's cheeks. "Does that bother you? Do you want me to stop?"

At both questions, Viola sighed. "Sometimes, I think you are being overprotective for no reason, but… no. I don't want you to change. I just want you to realize that I'm not a little girl."

Sebastian straightened. His mouth opened slightly, and the blush on his cheeks reddened. One of his hands rose, inching towards Viola's shoulder as he tilted his head.

"Viola, I…"

He hesitated, his mind grasping for the right words to say. The thoughts of another apology crossed his mind, some sort of reassurance that he was aware of what Viola was.

Before he could rest his fingers on the words, however, the window came in. A cry ripped from Viola's throat, and Sebastian could feel himself pulling her over the parapet and onto the linoleum floor. Pain jolted through his shoulder as he felt something cold – what he originally thought was glass – rain down upon him. Panting, he wiped the water away from his cheek as he stared at Viola's black hair. His hand reached for it, resting on the back of her head as she moved to gaze into his eyes.

"Are you okay?" he asked.

Viola nodded and tried to sit up. "Yeah. Just surprised."

Sebastian grabbed her elbow as he sat up to keep her down. Blinking at him, Viola followed him as he moved to push his back against the parapet. With his free hand, he brought his finger to his lips in a signal to keep silent. She nodded again as she rested her own back against the wall and stared at the ceiling. For a long time, there was nothing but silence, but then, the quiet was broken by the sound of boots on shattered glass. Almost by instinct, Viola pressed herself a little more against the parapet while Sebastian's hand inched into his pocket in search of protection. Viola followed suit, praying that Haunter would come down before she summoned another pokémon.

From the other side of the parapet, a rough voice rose. "Hello? I'm here for Knight Illusion!"

Viola froze, her blood turning cold and heavy, like lead. Sebastian sent a sideways glance at her as he attempted to analyze her expression. Her hand wandered towards his wrist, circling it in search of support. His lips drew into a straight line, and he nodded. Pulling away from her, Sebastian slowly stood, his hands in his pocket and ready to draw.

Beyond the parapet was Toby, who turned away from a pile of wet dolls to face Sebastian.

"I'm Knight Tide," he announced. "Identify yourself and your motive."

Toby eyed his fellow Knight carefully. "Knight Azure, here for Knight Illusion."

Sebastian frowned. "Why? What did she do to offend you?"

"She," Toby said with a beat of uncertainty, "fought my friend a few nights ago and took his Key. I'm here to get it back."

At that, Sebastian narrowed his eyes. "I don't know if this is true, but if it is, then there's nothing you can do about it. You know as well as I do that if the battle was fought fairly and if Keys were wagered, then the Key is lost unless the winning Knight had cheated. It's clearly stated in the rulebook."

Toby sneered. "I know that. This is revenge."

"Is that so?" Sebastian pulled a ball from his pocket and clicked the button to enlarge it in his hand. "Then, I'm afraid you must fight me before you may fight Knight Illusion."

"What does this have to do with you?" Toby snapped. "I'm only here for Knight Illusion! Stay out of this, boy!"

Sebastian walked towards the door. "You break into my home, damage part of my livelihood, and threaten my friend. I have everything to do with this." He turned to face Toby while, with his free hand, he reached into his other pocket to pull out his Master. "To defend my honor and the honor of Knight Illusion, I, Knight Tide, challenge Knight Azure to a duel, wagering my Key against his."

Immediately, the Master in his hand beeped as it recorded his words. Seconds later, the one in Toby's pocket activated, and with a grumble, he pulled his own Master into the open and examined the command on its face.

Knight Tide: Duel with Knight Tide. Award for completion: 500 points, promotion to the next rank, and the enemy Midsummer Key. Penalty for denial: 500 points.

Turning on his heel, Sebastian walked towards the door. "We battle outside. I don't need you destroying more of my home."

Grudgingly, Toby thrust his Master in his pocket and followed. As soon as his back was turned, Viola peeked over the parapet, blinking in curiosity but knowing full well that it would be a bad idea to reveal herself at that particular moment.

Outside, the night air blew cool between the buildings. There were a few people milling past, but most people possessed enough sense to stay off the streets. While night in Verona City was no more violent than day in certain districts, it was the fear of the shadows between each building that kept people indoors, where the monsters in the darkness couldn't reach them.

Knights, however, eventually grew used to sharing the world with those monsters – sometimes, even being those monsters. Sebastian felt the night by that point – the cold, the shadows, the street itself. The only thing that he feared the most was the thought of losing the duel and surrendering his chances to accomplish the one goal he wanted most at that point. As he eyed his opponent, he took his position several yards away with a deep breath. He forced his mind to clear as he watched Toby beckon something in the shadows to come forward. Narrowing his eyes, Sebastian was careful not to react as he watched the thing beside the shop lumber forward, a literal monster pulling away from the darkness. It took awhile for Sebastian to make out the hulking figure of the blastoise, her eyes glinting in the meager light from the street lamps as her throat vibrated in a growl.

Sebastian grinned. "Blastoise? Fine. In that case, I'll choose Lapras!"

Flicking the poké ball outward, Sebastian watched as the ball cracked open and released a flash of white light. In seconds, the light morphed and twisted to form a finned creature with a spiked shell on her back. Lapras straightened her long, graceful neck to cast her gray eyes towards her opponent as she let loose a melodic cry.

"Water against water." Toby grinned. "Well, at least you'll go out on an interesting note. Blastoise, Rapid Spin!"

At once, Blastoise dropped to her smooth front. Her head, cannons, and forelegs tucked into her body while her back legs pushed hard on the pavement. The sharp shove sent Blastoise in a quick whirl towards her opponent, who had no time to dodge. Before Sebastian could give her a command, Lapras found herself being pushed backwards as pain laced through her front just after Blastoise collided with her. A startled cry ripped from Lapras' throat while the proud turtle drew her head and limbs from her shell and grinned smugly at her opponent.

The corners of Sebastian's mouth pulled downward in a sharp frown. "Lapras, recover and fight back with Body Slam!"

Shaking off the pain of the strike, Lapras glared at her opponent. Her flippers shoved her forward, launching her in a strange half-shuffle, half-hop towards the turtle. The blastoise grunted in mocking laughter at the sight of the awkward aquatic beast ambling towards him. It was clear to her that the creature was far more suited for a battle on water, rather than one on pavement and earth, and for that, the turtle let herself linger in one spot for far too long. However, when Lapras dragged herself a mere few feet from her target, her flippers pushed her off the ground with surprising force. The elegant creature flew through the air with a cry, throwing her entire body weight onto the turtle before she could recognize that the lapras was a threat. Blastoise's legs spread out from under her, and she shifted, attempting to block the attack with her hard shell. For that reason, although she felt the shock of the entire weight of the lapras come down on her, the shell took most of the attack.

What was worse, though, was that Lapras remained on Blastoise's back. The turtle pushed her limbs underneath her shell to try to force herself onto her hindquarters, but the weight of the pokémon on her back kept her pinned to the ground.

Toby balled his hands into fists. "Come on, Blastoise! Pull out of it with Rapid Spin!"

With a nod, Blastoise drew her head and forelimbs into her hard shell. Then, repeating her motions from moments ago, she used her back legs to propel her into a spin. At first, she moved slowly, her shell grinding against the rough pavement as she leaned towards the lapras' front. Lapras tried to keep her position on top of the turtle, but eventually, the turtle shot from beneath her and sent herself spinning like a top towards the shop.

Sensing where the blastoise was headed, Sebastian's eyes widened. "Lapras, stop her! Use Hydro Pump on the edge of her shell to send her spinning out of the way!"

As soon as she received her orders, Lapras lifted her head and crooned. She inhaled a deep breath, pointing her snout towards the edge of the brown blur headed towards the shop. Opening her mouth, a jet of water rushed forth, raging towards her target. However, at the last second, the blur moved, swerving in a curved path back towards the lapras and away from the stream of water. Lapras cut off her attack in her surprise – but not before gouging a deep trench in the sidewalk just outside of the shop. Meanwhile, Blastoise spun back towards her like a tornado, and before Lapras could realize that her target was close, the turtle slammed into her again and sent her skidding back. She winced and whimpered, feeling the burn of her scraped flippers. Her fore limbs flopped, revealing their rose-red undersides before they rested in front of her.

"That's it, Blastoise!" Toby called. "Keep using Rapid Spin! She can't hit you if you're too fast for her!"

Although Blastoise gave no confirmation, she seemed to hear the order. For that, she continued to spin around Lapras like a wild planet in orbit. Lapras yelped helplessly as she swiveled her graceful neck in order to keep track of the turtle. Unfortunately, no matter how hard she tried, the turtle slipped out of her line of sight frequently, and it was during those moments when her head was turned away that Blastoise darted forward to strike. Already, welts were beginning to develop on her body where Blastoise whipped her.

Sebastian bit his lips. He realized that Lapras lacked any formidable speed on land – at least, the sort of speed that could match Blastoise's. Casting his eyes around the battlefield, he tried to think of a way to stop the turtle… or at least slow it down. Eventually, his eyes fell on one of the lampposts that lined the street, and there, his glance lingered. After a few moments, his gaze trailed back to his lapras as an idea wormed its way into his mind.

"Lapras, Ice Beam the road. Coat as much as you can with ice!"

Raising her head again, Lapras flinched at Blastoise's latest strike. Taking another deep breath, she channeled the energy of her body into her mouth. A cold ball of pale, blue light began to develop above her throat, and the light shined through her cold lips. Her mouth eventually opened to reveal the glow just seconds before, with a crack, a jagged bolt shot from the heart of the ball to the pavement. The frigid energy cut through the air, freezing the water droplets around it as it went. Snow settled on the pavement around the beam's striking point. As the beam passed over the pavement, a slick, black coat of ice developed over the surface. Lapras turned, maintaining the beam to draw a circle of ice around her that slowly grew in all directions.

Not long afterwards, Blastoise hit one of the patches of ice as she went in to strike Lapras. She wobbled in her revolutions, the slick surface throwing her off. Unable to stop, she skidded into Lapras, who cried out at the sudden blow. Unfortunately, immediately, Blastoise ricocheted off Lapras and spun away from her, towards her owner. Toby gasped, watching his turtle roll rapidly towards him as she tried and failed to stop on the layer of ice. Her master knew that if he failed to move, he would be crushed by her attack, yet he, for some reason, found himself rooted to the spot.

Suddenly, a dark ball of energy shot from the side and struck the side of Blastoise's shell with a crack. The strike landed with enough force to change the course of the water-type, sending her spinning into a lamppost across the street, causing the light to bend over her like a flower with its stem bent in half. Upon the collision, Blastoise finally stopped, sticking her head and limbs out of her shell in a daze.

Gaping at his downed blastoise, Toby took a step to the side before turning to face the source of the strike. He found himself staring at a purple ghost floating in front of a familiar young figure.

"Are you okay?" Viola asked.

Slowly, Toby nodded. He opened his mouth, but he found he couldn't speak.

Sebastian sent a wary glance towards Viola. "You really shouldn't have done that."

Viola frowned. "I thought I had to. He could have been hurt."

Toby straightened. "You… you saved my life."

With a shrug, Viola repeated, "I thought I had to."

Toby stepped towards her, the look of surprise being replaced by one of confusion. A realization inched into his skull, but he found himself unable to speak about it. Viola backed away slightly, taking his expression to be something threatening.

A long moment of silence lapsed between the three humans. Sebastian's eyes wandered between Viola and Toby during this time until his eyes settled on something beyond them. Suddenly, his face paled, and he stumbled back in surprise. Viola tore her eyes away from Toby to stare at Sebastian.

"Viola," he said, "look!"

He extended a finger towards the figure past her. She turned her head to glance at what he was seeing, and as soon as she took in the sight herself, she stopped dead.

There, beyond her, was her mirror image. The figure looked, in every way, exactly like her, right down to the fraying of the coat sleeves. Beside the stranger, a ghost hovered – one that looked in every way like Viola's own companion. Viola took a step forward to examine the two carefully as Haunter drifted cautiously by her side.

Before anyone could react, the figure turned and bolted, followed closely by its own haunter. Without even thinking things through, Viola launched herself forward in a dash to follow her twin. Narrowing his eyes, Haunter flew forward, eager to battle the other specter as well as protect his master. As soon as he saw Haunter make his way forward, Sebastian started after Viola as well, but Toby raised an arm to bar his way. When Sebastian came close to it, Toby turned, pushing Sebastian back to grab him.

"Viola! Wait!" Sebastian cried before glaring at Toby. "What do you think you're doing?!"

"What does it look like?" Toby snapped. "Keeping you from running into something you shouldn't be."

A scowl crossed Sebastian's face. "Well, that's apt, coming from someone who burst into our home to exact revenge on an innocent woman, or was that not enough proof that you could have had the wrong person?!"

With a growl, Toby said, "Calm down, boy. Your Viola saved my life. Couldn't have been her, and we'll go to offer help in a moment."

"In a moment?!"

Toby nodded. "First, we have some business to take care of."

By then, Sebastian was ready to hit Toby if it meant getting away. "Oh? And what business might that be?"

Calmly, Toby reached into his pocket to present his Master to Sebastian. "Calling a tie before we both get kicked out of the Game."

That alone was enough to calm Sebastian.

---​

Shadows crossed the opening of the run-down theater. Viola hesitated outside, staring at the chipping, red paint around the sign which formerly proudly announced plays starring once-famous names. The box office was abandoned, with the window broken and the glass scattered across the counter. In the window next to it, a poster hung, faded to the point where the name of the play it advertised had turned completely white. Her eyes fell on the door, half gone and half boarded up; it was the lower half that was missing. She had seen the figure disappear into the darkness of the building through this hole, but she was reluctant to follow.

With a glance towards Haunter, she drew a deep breath. She ducked and sidestepped, sliding beneath the boards to enter the theater. Immediately, her nostrils were assaulted by the smell of mildew as she squinted into the darkness. The lobby was no better than the outside. The counters and furniture were falling apart, with cushions ripped to expose mustard-yellow foam stuffing. Every surface was covered with a thick, gray film of dust. Cobwebs laced from the ceiling downward, and Viola was almost certain she spotted the legs of a spinarak scuttling out of sight behind a battered pillar.

Moving forward, Viola tried not to breathe in the dust and mold as she moved towards the door to the house. The door, once proud and red and manned by ushers in bright, red uniforms, hung awkwardly on its broken hinges with chipping paint on its surface. As soon as Viola lay a hand on it, it swung forward until its hinges snapped loudly, sending the door crashing to the floor. Viola flinched for a few moments before she shifted her eyes towards Haunter, who answered with a cautious stare.

Biting her lip, Viola wandered forward, her hand cautiously reaching for the chairs. As she dragged her fingertips across each arm rest she passed, she pushed away the gray dust into small clumps that fell to the grimy floor. Haunter floated in the darkness behind her, keeping his distance as he scanned the area for possible traps. For a long time, the house was silent, save for Viola's footsteps down the aisle. She struggled in the darkness to keep herself focused, alert to the smallest sound that may signal the presence of an attacker. Despite this vigilance, nothing happened as the minutes ticked away.

But then, she approached the front row. As soon as she drew next to it, her fingertips brushing the armrest, there was a bang, and a spotlight flashed onto center stage. Startled, she kept her eyes fixed on the spot as she heard footsteps fall on the stage from the wings. Her double walked into the open calmly, as if it was a spirit of the stage, a creature that haunted it since its birth. With a smile, it stepped into the spotlight and basked itself in the glory of the yellow glow.

Then, he spoke.

"All the world's a stage, and all the men and women… its players. They have their entrances and their exits, and one man, in his time, plays many parts."

A shiver drove itself down Viola's spine as she stared at the man. He fixed his eyes on her, and his smile broadened as she felt his stare burrow into her soul heart and lay itself on her soul.

"How many parts will you play in this act, I wonder?" he asked.
 

JX Valentine

Your aquatic overlord
3,277
Posts
19
Years
Act Ten: Frame

The spotlight continued to shine on the figure on the stage. Viola couldn't move. She couldn't speak. Part of her was even certain she couldn't breathe. All she could do was stand there in eternity as she stared at her mirror image.

Then, the spotlight went off, and the house plunged into darkness. Viola heard a scream, and it took her several moments, long after the echo of the piercing voice faded, to realize that it came from her own throat. She crouched in the darkness, eyes frantically searching the stage for a sign or a shadow that would reveal her target's location.

She didn't have to search for long. Somewhere behind her, she heard his voice booming throughout the dark hall.

"I wanted you to follow me, Knight Illusion," he said. "I wanted you to see something."

It took awhile for Viola to find her voice. When she forced it from her throat, it sounded quiet and hoarse. "Who are you?"

The spirit chuckled. "A fellow Knight. Sit. Enjoy the movie."

"Movie?"

She heard a click behind her which gave way into a flutter. A light cast from a hole in the back wall towards a white screen hung over the stage. The first note of an energetic score blared through the theatre, and on the screen, Viola saw the first word of a film. Phoenix.

Looking away from the screen, Viola tried to find her host, but once again, he refused to reveal himself, save for the voice that seemingly came from above her.

"About sixty years ago," he said, "cinema experienced a silent film revival. Verona City was fascinated by the old, and for that, although the budgets were bigger and the effects were flashier, they tried to maintain as much authenticity as possible. The soundtrack, of course, was integrated into the film itself, but other than that missing fragment of magic, in all ways, the films made during this era replicated every last detail that the real silent movies of the advent of cinema itself possessed. Patrons flocked to theaters like this – one-screen, majestic temples to the gods of cinema – to watch the beautiful and the extraordinary. Have you ever seen a silent film, Knight Illusion?"

Viola opened her mouth, but before she could respond, she heard Haunter's sharp cry. Turning her eyes to a spot above her, she spotted her companion struggling against the purple hands of the other ghost. Sucking in a breath, she furrowed her eyebrows and mentally prepared a counterattack.

"Haunter, Night Shade!"

Taking in her order, the ghost narrowed his eyes, which quickly took on a purple glow. He gathered the darkness in his body as he focused on his target. With a crack, a bolt of black energy surged from a point between his eyes towards the body of the ghost in the shadows. Another bolt, however, met his attack, and with a bang, dark energy rippled through the shadows and faded with neither pokémon remotely harmed.

"It would be unwise to attempt to attack again," her opponent said. "My own Pokémon will only return fire with equal force. I come to you under a temporary truce, Knight Illusion. Come sit by me. You'll find me a few more rows back."

Cautiously, Viola began to creep backwards at his advice. As the opening credits faded into one another, her hand passed over the rough upholstery of each seat until she hit the fifth row.

"That's it," the spirit said. "A few more back should be enough."

Her eyes remained on the screen as she backed herself to the ninth row. Then, she sidestepped, navigating in front of the folded seats until a hand reached up to grab her wrist. She gasped and looked down to see her double… except now, his glasses and coat were off. It was clear to her then that this man was real, not a doppelganger bent on stealing her identity. That seemed to comfort her slightly as she sat down next to him, but she couldn't think of why it was a relief to her.

Noting that she was staring at him, the man smiled. "Eyes on the screen, Knight Illusion. I want you to see this."

Turning her eyes towards the screen, she noticed that the first scene – the one that would have told her the setting of the story – faded into the black-and-white image of a city. Something about it looked familiar to her, yet at the same time, the boxy buildings seemed very generic. The camera zoomed in, past walls and softly-lit street lamps to the image of a clock tower with black hands edging closer to midnight.

"Aren't we supposed to be fighting or something?" Viola quietly asked, although her voice contained a nervous tone.

Her fellow Knight lifted a finger to his lips. "Shh. You needn't worry about that, my dear. My charge was made to believe that we would and that I was setting you up to be defeated at the hands of the enemies I've made for you."

The image on the wide screen switched to the scene of a young, dark-haired man working diligently on a metal beast. His comrades watched in anticipation, each one commenting (according to the accompanying cards of text) that the machine needs to be ready by the next election. Something about that struck a chord in Viola, but again, she failed to place her finger on why the movie seemed so familiar.

She shook her head. "I don't understand. Who are you? Why would you imitate me? What charge? What is it that you want with me?"

Her companion couldn't help but grin. "Allow me to answer these one at a time."

He reached over, and one of the haunter floated towards him. As it drifted closer to his arm, the purple of its skin shifted to a bright, bubblegum pink, as if pink dye had been added to water. Then, the hands retracted into the body, which itself began to take on a more liquefied appearance. Finally, the creature dropped onto the Knight's arm and worked its way to his shoulder with small squeaks. Examining his ditto, the Knight smiled and patted it.

"My name is Cesario," he said, "Knight Mirror and a member of the Trio. I trust you've heard of us. We have been watching you carefully ever since we learned you were in the Game."

Viola nodded slightly, her eyes darting from the screen to Cesario rapidly.

"As for your second question," Cesario continued, "my charge is a young woman you've met fairly early in your Knighthood who seems intent on eliminating you on the basis of pride. I must apologize, but I cannot reveal her name as a policy. While I hardly fear Her Majesty—" He frowned slightly as he spat the word out in a tone of heavy sarcasm. "—I'm afraid my colleagues wouldn't find it the least bit amusing if I defied one of the few rules the members of the Trio have created for ourselves."

He paused slightly and checked the screen. The movie shifted into a daytime scene, where men in suits stood staring from metal platforms at workers on an assembly line far below. Sitting back, he chose his next words carefully.

"As for imitating you, that, Knight Illusion, is also part of our façade. I know you have already experienced both Knight Spider and Knight King's individual specialties: explosives and chemicals, respectively. Mine, meanwhile, is deception. I gather as much information as possible with the help of both of my colleagues and build an enemy's list for our target. Presumably, my pawns throughout the city – the gullible fools who are tricked into believing that I am my target – will take care of the job for me, and if the pawn gathers any Keys for us, then we can deal with that later. Better to have one enemy with several Keys than several enemies with one Key. I only get involved directly if the target is particularly difficult and interesting, and even then, my aim is to deceive, not kill, unlike my comrades."

Viola tore her eyes away from the screen just as a single worker stepped away from the assembly line to take a breath. Immediately, men in uniforms descended upon him with their hands grabbing his clothing and punching his defenseless body.

"So you are challenging me, then," she murmured.

With a broad smile, Cesario shook his head. "No, my dear. The Trio is just about to finish doing business with Knight Rose. We've had a more alluring offer from another party to keep you safe. While the Trio generally believes that we should not abandon any job we start, we will if the opposing offer would prove to be more beneficial to us."

At that, Viola raised her eyebrows. "Another offer? From who?"

Cesario shook his head. "Ha! Knight Illusion, I just told you I absolutely cannot reveal our clients!" He waved a hand, as if to dispel the matter. "Enough talking. Look!"

Viola turned her head to see the screen as the music swelled into a chorus of violins. Across the white fabric, a face appeared.

She was, according to Viola, possibly the most beautiful woman to have walked the earth. Her face was in black and white, but Viola could practically see her rose-red lips, the soft china skin, and the sparkling blue eyes. The woman, dressed in a jumpsuit, descended a flight of metal stairs with her eyes towards the sky. With each step, her shoulder-length black hair bounced and caressed her pallid cheeks. Viola herself stopped, her breath catching in her throat.

"Ah," Knight Mirror said. "I see you've fallen for the same trap as many men. You've heard the call of the siren."

Viola found she couldn't speak. Instead, she sat and stared at the screen as she watched the woman's lips move. Her words flashed across the screen on a background of black, a thirty-second interruption that Viola couldn't stand.

Knight Mirror smiled. "That, my dear, is Ophelia Dumont, better known as the Queen of the Neo-Silent Movement. You may have heard of her. It was her, after all, who had our headquarters built. The one who hanged herself from the rafters. The namesake of Dumont Mansion."

For a long time, Viola could only watch as Ophelia – there, Anya – spoke to the workers and consoled them. The inventor Viola had seen earlier watched her from the shadows with an expression Viola shared when she gazed at Ophelia's face. One scene faded into another, day into night, when the man, Frederick, gathered the courage to speak with Anya on the dark corners outside of the tower in which they worked. She gave him a wide-eyed glance, but he motioned wildly towards the shadows.

White words flashed onto the screen. I mean no harm I just want to talk to you. You want hope. So do I.

It was then when Viola finally found her voice. "I don't understand. Why do you want me to see this?"

Knight Mirror tilted his head. "Do you realize what this is, Knight Illusion?"

Viola slowly shook her head, keeping her eyes trained on the screen.

At that point, her companion leaned back. "This is Phoenix, a movie that doesn't exist."

His audience continued to stare at him with a blank gaze.

Noticing her expression, Cesario smiled weakly. "You have no idea about the world around you, do you? My dear, did you know that you have far more dangerous enemies than the Trio and any of our clients?"

Viola shrugged. "You're the only people I've met so far in the Game."

"Oh, my dear," Cesario said with a heavy sigh as he gazed at his lap. "No, this goes beyond the Game."

At that, Viola tilted her head. "How so?"

Cesario leaned back, his eyes rising to watch the scene on the screen for awhile. Already, Anya and Frederick stood by a giant, metal bird head. Frederick threw himself against the head, his lips moving in a whisper to a grave Anya.

I've been forging war, the black-and-white figure murmured, without even realizing it. But you… He lifted his head towards Anya. You can forge peace and love.

Anya's own lips moved, accompanied soon after by her own dialogue card. Don't give me that rubbish. You know as well as I do that they won't listen to just me if I stand by and sing to the people. We need to do what we can to end this. Now. You have the power to do it. What about the machine you've created? The Phoenix?

"The Montagues and the Capulets," Cesario finally said, his voice low and distracted.

Viola shook her head. "What?"

Cesario glanced at her from the corner of his eye. "Have you noticed the party in this movie? How the city consumes itself in violence? The reason why this movie doesn't exist is because it reflects our own state far too eerily. The city government felt uneasy about releasing a film that speaks out against our condition under a two-party system at constant war with itself. So, instead, they banned the movie, ordered the destruction of the original prints, and vowed that its entire production staff would never work in film again. It was only a miracle – and the work of Miss Dumont – that this print survived. Ophelia herself, however, dangled from her ceiling soon after."

On the screen, the scene changed to the tower in which the citizens of the city worked. One of the workers, in his misery, began singing a melody that Anya had sung earlier in the film. Numbly, Viola realized that she'd heard the phrases that appeared on the screen, but she couldn't quite recall when she had heard them.

"I don't suppose, then, you know who made this movie," Cesario said.

Viola shook her head. "Does it matter?"

With a nod, Cesario responded, "More than you even know. How many political parties are in Verona City?"

In response to the question, Viola shrugged.

Cesario eyed her carefully and sighed. "Oh, this will be difficult. My dear, most people would answer that question with 'two': the liberal Montague House and the conservative Capulet House. However, this is not true. There were, in fact, many different houses in the recent past, some of which are still active. For example, there was the Macbeth House, whose drive towards a monarchy eventually led to its own self-destruction, with the last few members being slaughtered in the Game as we speak. Then, there is the Falstaff House, whose pacifist, hedonistic beliefs render them less of a political threat and more of a political joke." At that point, Cesario's voice dropped as he gazed at the screen once more. "And then… you have the people who made this movie. The Prospero House."

Viola glanced at him. "Prospero? I've never heard of that one."

He nodded. "Followers of Montague and Capulet mistake us for anarchists. The truth, however, is that we believe in the overthrow of both houses for the sake of peace. We see the destruction both parties have done to this city, and we believe that because of that, they must be removed from any form of power by any means necessary. Phoenix was, on a level, our propaganda film. It stated our beliefs with the hopes that others from both parties would agree with us and join our cause to bring down the political system and replace it with something new and beautiful."

"We?" Viola blinked. "You're a Prospero?"

Cesario smiled. "Of course. The Prospero House still exists and thrives to this day – barely. Granted, we possess half the power that we did over twenty years ago, when we worked in the open. Ever since the exile of our party leaders then, we have worked underground, hoping each day that the heir of Prospero House will return to Verona City and lead us to a revolution." He shook his head. "You will never hear our history in the books. Even according to the Data Bank, we don't exist. The Montagues and the Capulets made certain that we were erased. It was, amusingly enough, the only thing that they agreed upon since their division early in Verona City's history. To this day, the higher officials would see to it in a heartbeat that the rest of us are eradicated or exiled if we showed our faces now without any sort of unification among us."

Viola leaned back, taking in as much of what her former opponent was telling her as she could. A question still lingered in her mind.

"This all is great, but what does it have to do with me?" Viola asked. "Why would the Montagues and the Capulets hate me for a party I'm not even a member of?"

At that, Cesario bared his teeth. "You have more to do with it than you think. Tell me about your father."

Immediately, Viola's face paled, and an angry flicker passed through her eyes. "That is none of your business. What does my father have to do with anything, anyway?"

Cesario laughed. The sound sent a vibration down Viola's spine, but she realized quickly that her companion's laugh wasn't sinister. It was, instead, simply a laugh of amusement, and that made Viola uneasy.

"My dear," Cesario said, "I know more about your father than you do. All of Prospero knows about your father."

Viola clutched the armrests of her chair until her knuckles turned ghost white. "Why? He was a toymaker from Saffron City. He didn't have anything to do with you."

Cesario smiled the way a kindergarten teacher smiled at a student who just told him two plus two equaled five. "After the first revolution, many Prospero members ran to Saffron and Celadon after being forced from the city. Many of those exiled were incredibly important to our cause."

At that explanation, Viola gazed at him warily. "And my father was one of them?"

"Michele DiAngelo," Cesario said with a nod. "He said so many things during his time that inspired and shaped our philosophy. He was a brilliant man, you know. I wish I could have known him, but I was just a child when he was last seen in public here."

She narrowed her eyes. "If my father was famous, then why didn't I know about it? Why didn't he lead your party when he came back?"

The sympathetic smile returned on Cesario's face. "I'd imagine he was protecting you. My dear, I've already told you that the Montagues and the Capulets would kill the members of our party in an instant if we revealed ourselves in the state we are in now. Our party is too broken, too scattered to work in the open against the Montague and Capulet forces. Your father is a legend to us. If he emerged, then you would have lost him by now."

There was a beat of silence as Viola's fingers curled tighter around the armrests. "I lost him anyway."

As soon as the words left her mouth, Viola's jaw clenched, and her throat tightened around what felt like a painful lump. Her eyes burned with tears, but she refused to cry in front of the man she felt was still her enemy. He, meanwhile, tilted his head, his smile having faded as soon as she spoke that last line. His fingers curled into fists that rested on his knees. On the screen, the movie paraded on during the long silence between them, from a scene of Anya singing to the images of the workers gathering around her, reaching towards her in desperation.

"Every last Prospero in the city who knew your father was in the city mourned for him," Cesario finally said.

Viola pursed her lips. "And that's supposed to make me feel better?"

Cesario shook his head. "No."

At that, Viola bit her lip. "Then why tell me all this? My father is dead, and I don't think you can expect me to take his place."

"I don't," Cesario said. "Nonetheless, you are your father's daughter. The Montagues and the Capulets will not stand to have you exist. You should be prepared."

Viola shook her head. "But I already know Romeo Montague and his friends, and they don't care that I'm a DiAngelo. They didn't even say a word about Prospero when I told them who I was."

Cesario gave her a grave look. "The younger generations do not know your father. Neither does the Data Bank. If you wish to remain alive, do not remind them. Don't give out your surname to anyone else."

Narrowing her eyes, Viola inched towards the far edge of her seat, away from Cesario. "Why do you care about me?"

"My client."

"What would your client want with me?" Viola asked. "I don't know what my father said or did for you, and whatever it was, I… I can't handle politics. You can't expect me to be a leader."

Cesario shrugged once more. "My dear Knight Illusion, you give yourself too little credit. Besides, my client simply wants you alive for another purpose. I couldn't tell you what it is if I knew, but apparently, even the DiAngelo name itself is important to us, regardless of who bears it."

At that, Viola stared numbly at the images on the screen. In the silence that lapsed between them, the movie progressed to the image of a riot breaking through the streets of the city. Well-dressed officials pushed against the crowds in desperate attempts to keep them at bay as guards in a large square led Anya by the arms from a court towards a large, glass building. Her mouth never moved, but she cast a glance towards Frederick, hidden in the crowd silently. Eventually, she disappeared through the door, and he made a silent vow to free her.

The scene transitioned then, from the chaos of the streets to a white room. Anya sat, strapped to a chair with a crown of diodes circling her dark head. She stared across a metal table to a bald man in a second chair in front of a box of controls. Two guards stood by him as he reclined and gazed at the prisoner.

His lips finally moved.

Tell me. Who are the leaders of the rebel movement? Tell me, and I will set you free.

Anya shook her head.

Do what you want. No matter what you do to me, I will never surrender, and neither will they.

The bald man's mouth stretched into a thin line. His fingers reached to the box and pressed a button. Anya seized in the chair as the music swelled in a horrifying crescendo. Her back arched, and her mouth opened in a silent scream for several moments before she finally slumped in her chair, breathless and weak. Watching her with a neutral gaze, the bald man waited until she slumped, at which point, he opened his mouth.

Well?

Once again, Anya shook her head, and the bald man's fingers drifted towards the button again.

Viola flinched. Her fingers gripped the arm rests as she watched Anya convulse on the screen in an exaggeration of electrocution. She inhaled, turning her blue eyes towards Cesario, who watched in incredible interest.

"Cesario," Viola said, "do you know anything about my mother?"

Her fellow Knight grinned. "Not enough. I know she was incredibly beautiful, an inspiration to your father. That's all, however."

She nodded with slow, slight movements. "So… What did they do? I mean, were they on the mayor's council or something?"

At that, Cesario pulled his eyes away from the screen and gave her a strange look. Viola shifted uncomfortably as she saw his eyes stare into her, burrow beneath her skin and pierce right through the other side. Finally, he grinned again.

"Do you recall the package that you obtained the night you met my colleague, Knight King?" he asked.

Viola nodded. "Yes."

"Do you still have it?"

"Yes. I think so."

Cesario turned his eyes back towards the screen. "Open it."

---​

The truce came about over two hours ago. Thirty minutes later, both Sebastian and Toby realized that Viola was nowhere to be found. Toby felt he possessed the wisdom and maturity (and, for that matter, a staravia) to go looking for her, so in the meantime, Sebastian sat in the dark store, partly watching the merchandise and partly waiting for the possibility that Viola would return on her own. He sat alone with his Master in his lap and Marowak's poké ball in his hands. Briefly, he thought about company, either calling Imogen or releasing one of his pokémon, but he felt as if he wanted solitude – or, at least, only a certain voice to break the silence. For a long time, he got only that: quiet in which he meditated on a set of questions over and over again.

It was well into the night when the sound of the bell on the front door finally broke his thoughts. Sebastian lifted his head to see Viola and Haunter storming inside with only a distracted greeting from the human. Sebastian jolted to his feet and opened his mouth to speak, but before he could say a word, Viola disappeared through the door to the stairwell.

"Hey!" he called. "Hey! Wait!"

His eyes frantically glanced from the merchandise to the broken window to Haunter, who was just about to disappear into the stairwell. Stumbling away from his chair, Sebastian held out a hand and smacked into the counter. That action stopped Haunter immediately, and the ghost turned his eyes towards Sebastian and chuckled.

Exhaling, Sebastian rubbed his side and maneuvered around the counter as he addressed his partner's pokémon. "Haunter, what happened tonight? Is Viola all right?"

Haunter nodded, bobbing his purple body in mid air with a laugh.

Sebastian heaved a sigh of relief. "Who was that other person? Was she a Knight?"

The ghost nodded again, then held up his large hands. Sebastian gazed at them carefully.

"She won, didn't she?"

After a moment's pause, Haunter lifted his hands, palms towards the ceiling, in a gesture of indifference.

Frowning, Sebastian shook his head. "Thanks, Haunter. You're a big help here. Listen, guard the store while I go talk to Viola, okay? I don't want anyone coming in here."

Haunter nodded once more and proceeded to float towards the broken window. Sebastian watched for awhile before shaking his head. He didn't say a word as he pushed open the door and started up the stairs. With his hands on the banister and his eyes towards the darkness, he frowned.

"Never did like that thing," Sebastian mumbled. "I don't know why she insists on keeping it."

Exhaling another sigh, Sebastian reached the top of the stairs and looked out towards the small hallway above the shop. The door to Viola's apartment was wide open, and a yellow light filtered from the foyer into the hallway. Cautiously, Sebastian made his way into the apartment, nearly tripping over Viola's shoes and coat in the process. Stooping down, he picked up the coat and placed the shoes neatly next to the door.

"That's weird," he muttered. "She doesn't normally leave her things lying around like this." He glanced towards the dark hallway. "She doesn't leave her apartment door open, either."

Sebastian pursed his lips and shut the door quietly behind him, and with careful steps, he made his way into the apartment. His eyes swept over every detail of her living space in search of her as he entered the hall towards the bathroom and bedrooms. Tearing his eyes away from the living room, he peered down the hall and towards another yellow light, this time filtering into the hallway courtesy of a bedroom door that was only left open a crack. Creeping forward, Sebastian slung Viola's coat over his shoulder as he tilted his head. When he approached the door, he placed one hand gingerly on the brass knob and the other on the edge of the wooden door. Squinting, he opened the door a little wider and peered inside.

"Viola?" he whispered.

Inside, she sat on the bed with crumpled brown paper in a ball next to her hip. In her lap, she held a hardcover book. Her hands smoothed a photograph over its cover as her eyes stared at it with a distant expression. He noted with a strange fascination that she wasn't wearing her usual thick-framed glasses. Those were on the nightstand on the far side of the bed.

Sebastian took her lack of response as a sign and stepped into the room. "Viola?"

She looked up, startled by his presence. He stopped, finding himself staring into her eyes with uncertainty.

"Are you all right?" he asked.

Viola forced herself to smile and nod. "Uh, yeah. I, um… I just opened this package. You remember the one I got not too long ago, right?"

Sebastian nodded and started making his way towards the bed. She moved aside a little, giving him enough space to sit down next to her. He took the invitation, cautiously moving to keep himself comfortably on the bed without being too close to her. His eyes tore away from her face and fell instead on the photograph she was holding.

There, he saw two men sitting at two places at a wooden table. The one on the left was a hefty, smiling gentleman with snow-white hair and sparkling, gray eyes. Sebastian could tell at a glance that the man was someone of importance. His black suit seemed pristine, even considering the fading of the photograph, and several of his large fingers sported gleaming rings.

Next to him, half leaning over the man, was a considerably younger figure, not much older than twenty-five. His dark hair was slicked back, and those same eyes stared through Sebastian from where they were set in a thin, pale face behind a familiar pair of thick, black-framed glasses.

Sebastian turned his head towards Viola. His mouth opened in search of a question. She seemed to sense it and turned the photograph over to reveal something written in pencil on the back.

"Salvatore Prospero. '76," she read. Then, she turned the photograph back over. "Salvatore Prospero. Of the Prospero House. I only learned about them tonight, you know. I don't know how my father got involved with them." She pointed to the younger man. "I guess… we do look a little alike, don't we?"

Her voice was starting to break up. She bit her lip and looked away, a hand reaching towards her face. Sebastian's own hand started drifting towards the one left on her lap, but for reasons he couldn't define, it stopped before he touched her. Instead, it retreated to his lap.

"Um…" Viola shook her head and lifted the photograph. "I think his son or relative or someone wrote this book. I found the photograph in it but nothing about how it's related."

She passed the book over to Sebastian. With curious eyes and cautious hands, he looked at the cover, at the silhouette of a rapidash rearing, superimposed over a white flower. Although he knew that no one had seen the image plastered on the city for over twenty years, he knew right away what it meant.

"Gabriele Prospero," Viola said. "I wonder if he's in the city anymore…"

Sebastian looked up, inhaling sharply as if someone had punched him in the chest. He quickly handed Viola the book, prompting her to glance at him with curiosity.

"Viola," he said, "I know I say this a lot, but you do not want to get involved with this. Prospero…" He closed his eyes and began again. "I've told you a long time ago that the Cross family is a high-standing Capulet name. I've… I've never really believed in any of my family's philosophies, especially what they had to say about politics, but…" He opened his eyes. "My mother once told me as a child about the Prospero House. She said that every political party in Verona City – even the Capulets – shared the same basic qualities. That's how she lost her brother."

He paused slightly to take his breath. Glancing towards his companion, he noticed that Viola's eyes were still riveted on him. Upon observing how much she was paying attention, he offered her a smile.

"I remember my mother crying when she told me the story, even years after it happened. My uncle was on the defense forces twenty years ago for the Capulets. He was there when the riots broke out, when the last Prospero struggle happened. It was their ideal right then, Viola. They incited the crowds, told them to torch the buildings in the Sunflower District. The Sunflower District, Viola. That's the heart and soul of our city, and they told thousands of people to destroy it.

"He was killed trying to stop it. They – the police – eventually did, but by that time, there were so many bodies in that district. Capulets, Montagues, Prospero… Both pokémon and human… It was an actual battle." He shrugged. "After that, the Prospero House disappeared from the city. It's too difficult to find out any more about them. Even the Data Bank has nothing to say about them. It's as if every trace of them mysteriously disappears, no matter what you do to look." He paused slightly. "They don't even have an obituary for my uncle."

Finally, Viola managed to open her mouth and speak. "Sebastian… you never told me."

In response, he shrugged. "I never thought you knew anything about the Prosperos." He looked towards her with another grim smile. "If I were you, Viola, I wouldn't open that book again. I don't want you disappearing on me the way the Prosperos did." He started walking towards the door. "Besides, if you disappear on me…"

At that, his voice trailed off, and he stopped at the threshold to the room. He wanted to finish that sentence with a single question, but he just couldn't bring himself to ask it. Viola stared at his back and blinked.

"What?" she asked.

He grinned. "If you disappear on me, then who will help me run the shop?"

With that, Sebastian closed the door behind him and walked down the hall, quietly and slowly. When he reached the living room, he stopped altogether, then looked over his shoulder to see if Viola was following him. Upon seeing that she hadn't even opened the door, he turned swiftly, placed his hands on the wall, and smacked his forehead against the plaster surface.

Meanwhile, in the bedroom, Viola let Sebastian's words sink in as she stared at the photograph. With pursed lips, she flipped it over and read the text on the back again before turning it back to look at her father's face one more time. She'd almost forgotten what he looked like. Her fingers traced over his image, and she felt the hot tears forming at the corners of her eyes. Taking a deep breath, she placed the photograph carefully beside the thick-framed glasses and ran her hands over the cover of the book again.

Then, she flipped to the first page and began to read.

---​

The literal heart of the city – its very center – was a large square known as the Sunflower District, named for the street that ran directly down the center of Verona City and along the square's western edge. On both sides, closer to the center of the city, skyscrapers rose, standing proudly on Verona's skyline as the chambers of commerce, justice, and government.

Further along the street, where Sunflower Street crossed the Gold River to the southern part of the city, sat the mansions of the houses. At the south end sat the manor of the Prince family, its old façade overlooking the Gold River the way it had been for countless years. Several streets to the west, the Montague family mansion sprawled along the riverbank, with the black waters of the river shimmering in the yellow light cast by the building's windows. To the east of the Prince mansion, Capulet Manor sat, surrounded on all sides by high, stone fences and carefully guarded gates. Each guard stood vigilant with guns at their hips, growlithe by their sides, and their eyes staring straight ahead, towards the darkness of the street.

So Romeo went around back and flew over the wall.

He knew he had a high chance of getting caught, and he knew just as well that the Capulets would hardly offer any sort of mercy for him, despite the fact that he was the heir of the ruling party at the time. Nonetheless, he took the first chance he got to climb break away from his friends – from Benvolio – to release a swellow that would carry him by the shoulders over the wall and safely into the garden.

His feet tapped quietly onto the stone walkway, at which point he patted the legs of his bird gently. Her red claws released his shoulders, and her blue and white wings flapped as her beak opened to chirp. Quickly, he whirled around and held a finger to his mouth, then pointed to a nearby tree. Obediently, the bird extended her wings and flew gracefully and quietly into the branches of an apple tree, causing its leaves to rustle slightly as she perched and eyed her master carefully. Pursing his lips, he turned and walked quickly down the walkway, between the patches and bushes of flowers.

The garden, he noted, looked a lot like the one in his family's courtyard. It sprawled across several yards, with walkways lacing between large patches of color (although that color was dulled by the dark of the night). At the center of it was a square several feet wide with a floor of pure marble. At its heart was a white fountain crowned with the party's symbol: a luxray of white stone standing on its hind paws with its forepaws extended in the air in front of it. Its jaws were open, with each pearl tooth sharpened to a point. The luxray, Romeo knew, symbolized the ferocity and the regality that the Capulet House believed they had: they were, in their minds, the lions within the city.

At the other side of the fountain, he saw her back. She was a young woman whose dark, chocolate-colored skin contrasted sharply to her white, loose dress. The back of the dress dipped low, exposing the smooth back of her slender, graceful body. Between the bony shoulder blades, her black, course hair hung low, bunched in a low ponytail by a golden clip. As he cautiously rounded the fountain, he saw her bare, slender arms move, with a thin hand petting a large luxray that sat on the ground near her bare feet. He detected Romeo first, turning to bare his teeth in a menacing growl, but she immediately wrapped her arms around her friend's neck and held him back.

"It's okay," she whispered. "He won't harm us."

Listening to his mistress's words carefully, the luxray relaxed, slipping from her hold to lie down at her feet. She smiled as she reached down to pat the electric-type. Eventually, she looked up, turning her dark eyes onto Romeo.

"I thought you wouldn't come," she said quietly. "You shouldn't be here."

Romeo chuckled and stepped forward. "Yet, you waited for me."

The woman stood. She appeared to be much shorter and younger than Romeo, yet he never attempted to wonder if there was an age difference between them. Instead, as she stepped closer to him, his mind completely blanked.

"Of course I did," she said. "Romeo…"

Slowly, she reached up to caress his cheek. He took a shuddering breath as his face blushed slightly at her touch. His heart began to beat rapidly, and he felt a strange warmth flowing into his fingers. Carefully, he reached towards her hand and held it against the skin of his face.

"I know we've only met tonight," he said, "but I want you to know something. I don't care who you are. You are the most beautiful creature I have ever met. I would sell my name and let your family kill me if it meant that for one night, I got to be with you. But… do you care that I'm a Montague?"

The woman smiled and leaned closer. "That which we call a rose by any other word would smell as sweet. If you expected me to be disgusted by you because of your name, then I'm sorry, Romeo. I've disappointed you."

"Juliet," he whispered.

Before he could say anything else, Juliet ventured close enough to connect her lips to his. He closed his eyes, opting to let the words in his mind fade into oblivion as he wrapped his arms tightly around her small frame.

In the shadows of the garden, someone turned and walked away.
 

Luphinid Silnaek

MAGNEMITE.
100
Posts
15
Years
After having written and lost monolithic reviews twice, I decided I would make something I can economically write and you can read without undue waste to time and effort.

I do love the style you're having here: it's a cross unlike any I've seen before, especially the Victorian-era elements, and it goes unexpectedly well with the story. The age group, additionally, is something of a respite from the usual teenager coming-of-age fics. I never thought I'd revel so in the presence of men and women past the age of puberty. An interesting byproduct is that, for the first time in recorded history, two characters can maintain a close sibling relationship without falling gibbering into the pit of romance.

Some of the characters are a little extreme when in the company of their pet subjects, such as sebastian's irrational worry for Viola and MY GOD the sheer emotion Viola shows on the subject of her father. I do suggest that regarding such uncanny amounts of passion you could explain to us a past incident or reason which would make these cases such an issue withe these people. I think I expect you to, but there's no harm in saying it anyway. (This is indeed my attempt at critique, which is woefully unhelpful.) I also wonder quite why the girl is so intent on getting into trouble, since no sane person who wanted to 'get out of the house' would become involved with deadly political events. Hmm... I think we'll know a lot when the case of her father is elaborated upon.

Oh, and only because I truly couldn't resist:

One of the workers, in his misery, began singing a melody that Anya had sung earlier in the film. Numbly, Viola realized that she'd heard the phrases that appeared on the screen, but she couldn't quite recall when she had heard them.

Do you not remember that deep meaningful verse? Fine, then, perhaps I should jog your memory:

He spoke not a word but went straight to his work
Placing gifts beside the hearth before he turned with a jerk.
With a smile, he placed a finger to the side of his nose,
And giving a nod, up the chimney he rose.

Frantically dashing to the bedroom window,
Viola and Haunter gazed out to the snow.
Though they heard him speak, he was out of sight,
Crying, "Merry Christmas to all, and to all a good night!"

The poem is gold, by the way.
 

JX Valentine

Your aquatic overlord
3,277
Posts
19
Years
Thanks for the review. =3

I'm sorry that your hard work got lost, though. It happens sometimes. Maybe copy your review to Word (or another word processor) before hitting submit so you have a copy in case PC refuses to process it?

I do love the style you're having here: it's a cross unlike any I've seen before, especially the Victorian-era elements, and it goes unexpectedly well with the story.

Thanks for the compliment.

The Victorian comment caught me off-guard a little, though. If you meant the Shakespeare references, those are actually Elizabethan. Otherwise, I'm probably doing something that I didn't even realize I'm doing, but I'm glad it works well. ^_^;

The age group, additionally, is something of a respite from the usual teenager coming-of-age fics. I never thought I'd revel so in the presence of men and women past the age of puberty.

Thanks. I'll have to agree with you here. A lot of Pokemon fics tend to be centered around the ten to eighteen range, which is only annoying in the sense that the field of fanfiction either ends up being redundant or age groups that I can relate to (or would think would be interesting to explore -- like the age group under ten years old) are excluded, which tends to be frustrating.

An interesting byproduct is that, for the first time in recorded history, two characters can maintain a close sibling relationship without falling gibbering into the pit of romance.

Would it take any of my credibility away if I said Sebastian is sort of falling gibbering into the pit of romance? XD He regards Viola as a sister, but on the other hand, he also may harbor other feelings for her. Viola, meanwhile, is both oblivious and wouldn't care for him past a business partner and roommate anyway.

Meanwhile, the other romantic pairings that may experience lovey-dovey sorts of moments are either sick (Orsino and Olivia, who are actually brother and sister) or really can only end a limited number of ways (Romeo and Juliet).

and MY GOD the sheer emotion Viola shows on the subject of her father.

There's actually an implied explanation about this. Partly, it's because she has a fixation problem. (It extends to a lot of other things she does as well. As in, she fixates on not only her past and her father but also everything from the Knights to the idea of being a part of Romeo's group to the concept of victory in the Game. Really, Viola's attachments fall into two categories: indifference and obsession.)

She was orphaned at a young age (I don't recall if I've ever actually mentioned how old she was, but she was younger than ten years old but old enough to understand what death meant.), and she's spent all those years alone in her father's home, with her father's Pokemon, surrounded by her father's things. She's never actually let herself get close to anyone because of the shock of her father's death and because she never really knew anyone before her father died. (She and her father were more reclusive because they were new to a district where other people have lived for decades -- which is what I meant by the line in the first chapter that she's a "newcomer" too.) Because she was surrounded by her father's things (his possessions, his business, his pokémon, et cetera – she even wears his clothes), her only means of coping and getting by was to cling to everything he left her, including teaching herself his trade. It really didn't help that Haunter is dead set (no pun intended) on protecting her for a few reasons I never actually mentioned but may later. (Well, one of them would be fairly obvious anyway, and it's because she's the daughter of his deceased master.)

So, really, her father ended up being the only person she felt she was ever connected to, and she hangs on to his memory like an obsession to this day because she doesn't know how else to get by (considering she's surrounded by everything he was). So, if someone brings him up, it's like someone is bringing up a really sacred memory.

That and usually, if someone brings up her father, it's usually as an insult (to either him or her) or from an enemy, so she's particularly sensitive about the idea of having her father's name dirtied. It's exactly like telling a "your mom" joke to someone whose mother died slowly and painfully.

I do get what you're saying, though, and I'll try to make things a bit clearer in the story, not only about her father but also about Sebastian's obsession with her (which, looking at it, I kinda contradict myself in terms of what I'm trying to imply as well). I'm guessing the other problems lie with the Trio, Rosaline, and Andrew, then, right?

I also wonder quite why the girl is so intent on getting into trouble, since no sane person who wanted to 'get out of the house' would become involved with deadly political events.

That I can't really say at the moment. Part of it is her fixation problems, but a lot of it is muddled in spoilers. (Elements, though, I think need to be worked out because you're right. It doesn't seem to make much sense that she would want to go out and put herself in danger, considering the fact that Viola is actually fairly meek and submissive, especially in the beginning.)

The poem is gold, by the way.

XD Thanks. There's a few problems with meter, though, but I'm glad you liked it.
 

Bay

6,381
Posts
17
Years
Sorry that this review is a bit short and not too detailed. Kind of playing catch up and also will be busy with uni work. For now this will be an overview of the Prologue to Chapter Ten and I'll say so far I'm liking this.

The actions and the Pokemon battles are good, though there were a couple of times maybe on the Pokemon battles you could have used less words to describe some attacks make it look like the battles are going more of fast pace. You described the attacks well but sometimes as the saying goes, less is more. ;)

I also love the character's interactions and their personalities too. My favorite is defintely Viola, as she has this unique personality and also her nervousness and quiteness reminds me a bit of the main character in my fic, lol. ^O^ And also have to say poor Sebstian not able to open up to his feelings to Viola yet. Come on, you can do it boy! XD (sorry, have a soft spot for characters that aren't able to open up their feelings yet ^^; )

Lastly, like how you're putting a few Shakespeare references in there, at least the ones I know. ^^; So far the only ones I catch are the Hamlet and Romeo and Juliet ones and I thought you put it well in the story. And sorry to ask, but since maybe Viola's name and Sebestain's name are from Shakepear's characters, you don't mind telling me which play(s) have those names ^^;

There's a couple other things I want to metion. First is how at first Haunter's pressence is not menioned too much but then later in the chapters he became more noticeable and his personality is beginning to show too. Don't worry, I'm also trying to fix that too in my stories as I try to have the Pokemon that are out of their pokeballs be noticeable in both their apperance and personality too. ^^;

This next thing I one to mention is from Chapter Ten. I felt you could have Viola react to the news that Knight Rose was the one that hired the Trio, since now she knew why the Trio was going after her in the first place.

Well, so far this story is getting interesting and am wondering what's going to happen next. Can't wait for the next chapter and hope to do a better review for it. ^^
 

Luphinid Silnaek

MAGNEMITE.
100
Posts
15
Years
The border of spam.

I'm sorry that your hard work got lost, though. It happens sometimes. Maybe copy your review to Word (or another word processor) before hitting submit so you have a copy in case PC refuses to process it?

I use Opera's notes, which work quite well, but only if I remember to actually use the damn' things.

The Victorian comment caught me off-guard a little, though. If you meant the Shakespeare references, those are actually Elizabethan. Otherwise, I'm probably doing something that I didn't even realize I'm doing, but I'm glad it works well. ^_^;

Oh, dear. I have my English dates all messed up, you see. I had thought he was Victorian-era, but I mistook that for Elizabethan. This next quote shall represent all paragraphs on its topic for the purpose of converation:

I do get what you're saying, though, and I'll try to make things a bit clearer in the story, not only about her father but also about Sebastian's obsession with her (which, looking at it, I kinda contradict myself in terms of what I'm trying to imply as well). I'm guessing the other problems lie with the Trio, Rosaline, and Andrew, then, right?

I have similar issues in too much implication and insifficient explanation. In theory enough flashback to explain the origin of these traits or an emphasis on the causes of these traits should be enough explanation for an enterprising reader, though I'm only theorizing. Also, as I said, I had expected a definite reason, but was simply a little confused as to the reason itself.

Would it take any of my credibility away if I said Sebastian is sort of falling gibbering into the pit of romance? XD He regards Viola as a sister, but on the other hand, he also may harbor other feelings for her. Viola, meanwhile, is both oblivious and wouldn't care for him past a business partner and roommate anyway.

Meanwhile, the other romantic pairings that may experience lovey-dovey sorts of moments are either sick (Orsino and Olivia, who are actually brother and sister) or really can only end a limited number of ways (Romeo and Juliet).

That is acceptable. It makes me happy. 8D *acid trip*

Also, Bay, I believe Viola and Sebastian are from the Twelfth Night.
 

Alter Ego

that evil mod from hell
5,751
Posts
18
Years
Meh, I've been taking far, FAR too much time with getting this review posted. Sorry about that, things got sort of hectic with double camp in the military (and all the pre-camp stressing that went with it), but late still beats never, right?

She hesitated for the first few seconds, the corners of her mouth pulling down again a bit more. However, reluctantly, she nodded slowly. Sebastian exhaled out of relief.

The more times I recite that underlined bit for myself, the weirder it sounds to me. o.o There are just too many adverbials here, so maybe reword that somehow?

Knight Tide: Duel with Knight Tide. Award for completion: 500 points, promotion to the next rank, and the enemy Midsummer Key. Penalty for denial: 500 points.

Knight Tide is dueling himself? That's rather...schizophrenic. x.O You may want to edit this so Toby won't feel left out. ^^

Not long afterwards, Blastoise hit one of the patches of ice as she went in to strike Lapras. She wobbled in her revolutions, the slick surface throwing her off. Unable to stop, she skidded into Lapras, who cried out at the sudden blow. Unfortunately, immediately, Blastoise ricocheted off Lapras and spun away from her, towards her owner. Toby gasped, watching his turtle roll rapidly towards him as she tried and failed to stop on the layer of ice. Her master knew that if he failed to move, he would be crushed by her attack, yet he, for some reason, found himself rooted to the spot.

Another case of adverbs a bit too close for comfort. Maybe switch around the order there a little?


Yeah, not much on that front as usual. Content-wise, I'm deeply disappointed that Viola didn't have a split-personality disorder, ahem, I'm going to commend your spontaneous choice not to create a dramatic showdown between Viola and Cesario. Everything about the last chapter's ending was screaming ' showdown', so this resolution was a nice surprise. x3 Plus, there was finally a bit more information on Viola's father. I do agree with Bay that it's slightly odd for Viola not to react at all to hearing what Knight Rose has been up to, but then I guess she was too confused/preoccupied with other things to pay much attention to that? Erm...that's the impression I got anyway. xD

Regardless, looking forward to future installments as usual, even if I might not review as frequently as I'd like to. ^^
 

JX Valentine

Your aquatic overlord
3,277
Posts
19
Years
Sorry for the late responses, everyone. x_x It's really rude of me to have not responded for so long, so I thank everyone for your patience and for taking the time to review. (Especially you, Alter Ego, because I'm pretty sure you said something similar in a review that was subsequently chewed up by PC's data crash, so I couldn't go back and see what you had to say.)

Bay said:
The actions and the Pokemon battles are good, though there were a couple of times maybe on the Pokemon battles you could have used less words to describe some attacks make it look like the battles are going more of fast pace. You described the attacks well but sometimes as the saying goes, less is more. ;)

Ah, I understand what you're saying. Thanks, and I'll try to improve for future chapters.

(sorry, have a soft spot for characters that aren't able to open up their feelings yet ^^; )

XD It's okay. And don't worry. There's going to be a decent ending regarding that.

And sorry to ask, but since maybe Viola's name and Sebestain's name are from Shakepear's characters, you don't mind telling me which play(s) have those names ^^;

Yep. As Luphinid said, Sebastian and Viola are a pair of twins in Twelfth Night (or What You Will). They're not twins here for reasons I can't even remember. *shrug*

Also, Cesario, Orsino, and Olivia also the name of a character in the same play. In it, he's the male persona Viola takes in order to work for Duke Orsino, who is in love with Olivia, a countess on the island of Illyria.

There's a couple other things I want to metion. First is how at first Haunter's pressence is not menioned too much but then later in the chapters he became more noticeable and his personality is beginning to show too.

Yeah, good point. I've been playing around with ideas on how to bring him out more without making it seem like I randomly inserted him (because I've tried that with another fic and ended up with exactly that feel ^_^;), but so far, I'm not too sure about it. I might post a revised version later on to see if it works.

This next thing I one to mention is from Chapter Ten. I felt you could have Viola react to the news that Knight Rose was the one that hired the Trio, since now she knew why the Trio was going after her in the first place.

Also a good point. I'll play around with that scene as well, though I'm worried there about taking away the "Oh God, someone else is after me" reaction.

Well, so far this story is getting interesting and am wondering what's going to happen next. Can't wait for the next chapter and hope to do a better review for it. ^^

You did fine. Thanks for the suggestions. =D

Alter Ego said:
There are just too many adverbials here, so maybe reword that somehow?

Sure. I think it's better without the "slowly" (and maybe "however"), so I'll go back to take that out.

Knight Tide is dueling himself? That's rather...schizophrenic. x.O

Oh yes. It's based on an anecdote from a friend of mine. The both of them take martial arts, so during a class, she had to step aside for a moment and told him to spar with himself. Somehow, he managed to do it.

Joking aside (although that story was completely true), thanks for catching that. I'll go back to edit. =3

Another case of adverbs a bit too close for comfort. Maybe switch around the order there a little?

Or maybe drop the "unfortunately." Thanks for pointing that out!

Yeah, not much on that front as usual. Content-wise, I'm deeply disappointed that Viola didn't have a split-personality disorder,

Hey, she might. XD You never know how messed up some people in this fic are.

I do agree with Bay that it's slightly odd for Viola not to react at all to hearing what Knight Rose has been up to, but then I guess she was too confused/preoccupied with other things to pay much attention to that?

Well, sort of. Bay's right in saying I should bring out some reaction at the mention of her name, but she was concerned about the fact that someone else is watching her for reasons she doesn't quite know.

And thanks for the feedback. I was hoping it didn't turn out to sound too boring. ^_^;

That said, the next installment is finally up. Sorry again for the long period between your replies and my response.



Act Eleven: Antagonist

Rosaline Wu rarely set foot in Illyria before she started hiring the Trio for various odd jobs. Her domain was the interior rings, closer to the Sunflower District. Nonetheless, whenever her standing as one of the highest ranking Knights in the organization was threatened (such as by a new Knight she had met on a subway one fateful day), she made sacrifices. Holding her head high, she entered the nightclub and walked straight back, towards Orsino's office. When she was halfway there, his dark-haired sister turned from the bar and wove like silk towards her. The young Knight's pale hand fell on Rosaline's shoulder, which she shrugged off with a saccharine smile.

Offering her own sour smile in return, Maria followed her fellow Knight to the back room. The two women passed into the dark office, with Maria closing the door silently (compared to the booming music outside) behind her. Orsino looked up at the newcomers with a smile from where he sat at his desk.

"Knight Rose," he greeted. "What a pleasant surprise. What brings you to our humble abode?"

"I think you're well aware of my reason for being here," she said.

With a nod, Orsino flipped through the papers in front of him. "Oh yes. Your assignment."

Rosaline raised her thin eyebrows. "Very good. Now, it's my understanding that she's still in the Game. I have, since I've hired you, been keeping a close watch on her."

She stopped here to reach into the folds of her dress. Orsino, with a small smile, looked away in feigned modesty. His eyes fell on the couch, where a shadow stretched and lazily watched. Cesario wore what might as well have been his own clothes at that point (as opposed to his disguise as Viola): a long, brown coat over a clean, white shirt and black slacks. With a bored expression, he rested his cheek on his hand, clad in one of two gray fingerless gloves. For once, he lacked the black wig (thus exposing a bristle-short, brown thatch of hair covering his head), so his dark blue eyes were for once not obscured. Orsino preferred seeing Cesario's eyes that way, considering it was easier to read the actor's expression – although not by much.

At that point, he glanced towards Rosaline, who had by then pulled out her Master. She prodded the screen several times before showing it to Orsino. The corners of her mouth pulled down as he raised an eyebrow at the sight of Viola's profile.

"Knight Illusion, Rank F," Rosaline recited with a low growl. "She's been climbing in rank since I've hired you! Look at the number of Keys she has as well! She's started collecting!"

Orsino nodded. "So she has."

Rosaline furrowed her eyebrows and pressed the screen to exit the window. "You were supposed to make sure she was taken out of the Game."

"Were we?" Orsino moved his gaze towards Olivia in the corner of the room. "Olivia, my dear, could you recite the contract we'd agreed upon with Knight Rose?"

Olivia nodded. "Four million for the first try, two million for the second, zero million for the third."

"I'm well aware of your prices," Rosaline snapped. "Do you honestly forget the other times I've hired you?"

Orsino shrugged. "Well, if you've worked with us for that long, ma cherie, then you should have realized that you need to be extremely clear with what you want. If you aren't, then we're not at fault for taking you literally."

Rosaline's eyes widened slightly, but her voice boomed with enough force to mask her uncertainty. "What are you saying?!"

"Four million for the first try," Olivia said as her lips curled in a grin. "You paid us to try to dispose of Knight Illusion, not to actually dispose of her."

At that, Rosaline whirled around and started towards Olivia. "Don't be ridiculous! You're assassins! You aren't paid to try to kill someone!"

"Are you saying you won't pay, then?" Orsino asked.

Rosaline threw a glare towards him. "Of course I won't! Why on earth would I pay for a job that isn't done?!"

Orsino shrugged, holding his hands to his sides with his palms facing the ceiling. "Then, I'm afraid we'll have to take measures to insist you pay. Olivia, dear."

"Don't you dare touch me!" Rosaline growled.

Her hand reached into the folds of her dress again to not only slip her Master into place but also to draw another object into the open. Within seconds, her pale hand pulled out and enlarged the red and white sphere that contained one of her closest partners. Hardly hesitating, she tossed the poké ball in the air and let it spin above a spot just in front of her until it split open and cast a shower of white light towards the ground. As she reached out to catch the ball again, the light quickly reshaped itself to form a white-haired creature with bouquets of pink and blue flowers adorning her hands. The roserade, seemingly unaware of the circumstances of her summoning, bowed and waited for her next commands.

Olivia, meanwhile, took a step back, trying to leave as much room between herself and the pokémon as she possibly could. She reached into her own pocket for a poké ball, and barely a beat behind Rosaline, she pulled the ball into the open and tossed it into the air. It similarly cracked open, and as Roserade bowed, white light cascaded in front of Olivia to form her ariados.

Rosaline drew in a breath as she cast a glance towards the spider. Noticing her expression, Orsino stood, reaching for a small poké ball on the corner of his desk.

"This is your last warning, Knight Rose," Orsino said calmly. "We have done exactly as the contract we'd agreed upon stated. We have gone through our usual tactics. You will not walk out of this establishment without paying us, nor will you walk out without apologizing for insulting us."

Although Rosaline's expression flickered with insecurity, she still scoffed. "Ha! Know your place. I am a Rank B Knight from Cornflower District with almost twenty Keys to my name. And you? Rank J and Rank M Knights, both from Orchid District. I did not get to where I am by allowing myself to be crushed by con artists such as yourself. I'm not afraid of you."

Orsino nodded. "Very well, then. Olivia."

Without needing another word from Orsino, Olivia pointed at Roserade. "Ariados, Spider Web!"

As soon as she heard the command, Rosaline laughed. "Roserade, dodge and use Leech Seed!"

Quickly, the spider lifted his head and narrowed his purple eyes. A gargling sound came from somewhere near the back of the arachnid's throat just before he parted his sharp pedipalps. A string of white thread burst from the mouth behind them and shot towards the rose pokémon with surprising speed. Just before it struck, the dainty grass-type leapt into the air and pointed both of her rose-adorned arms at the spider. Beneath her, the white thread sailed, landing on the carpeted floor before lacing back towards Ariados in an ornate net. The roserade smirked, preparing for her attack.

Suddenly, something struck her from behind. She shrieked as the things, a storm of white pins, drove themselves into her back. Ungracefully, she fell like a lead brick before landing face-down on the spider web. Weakly, she struggled against the sticky net, but it was no use. The web held her tightly to the floor, smothering her as she pulled desperately at her bonds. Clacking his jaw in amusement, Ariados crawled closer to begin wrapping the rose in white silk.

Sucking in a gasp, Rosaline turned and reached for her pokémon to help. Before she could move more than an inch, however, another storm of white pins struck her side. Poisonous needles sank into her fleshy temple and pierced the thin membrane around her brain. The side of her face was assaulted with pins. Her skin was cut and pierced hundreds of times, her nose was nearly sheared off, and her eyeball began to leak its inner liquid. Pins struck her neck, tearing open her throat and the veins within it. She wheezed in an attempt to scream, but eventually, all feeling left her. Rosaline's dying body finally collapsed after a few minutes of this assault, right next to her beloved roserade. Her blood began to pool under her head, and she fixed her almond-shaped eyes on her partner for the last time.

Everything was still for the next few moments. The pin storm ceased, and all three human occupants stopped to listen closely. Finally, Olivia stooped to take Rosaline's left wrist. Two fingers drew along the smooth underside, but Olivia felt no throb.

Olivia looked to the couch. "Expired."

Cesario sat up, curling his long legs over the side of the sofa like a cat curling his tail. Beside him, a second roserade stood atop the couch. She extended one of her green legs, which immediately began to morph back into a blob of pink. Cesario extended an arm to allow his ditto to creep from the top of the couch safely to a new perch, and once it was safely on his shoulder, he stood and stretched with a yawn.

"Give me her Key," he said. "I was the last to strike."

"Of course."

Olivia grabbed Rosaline's shoulder and roughly turned the late Knight over onto her back. Without a beat of hesitation, she ripped open the silk dress and drew back its folds to reveal the hidden pockets just inside the flaps. Cesario leaned over the body and clicked his tongue as Olivia quickly rummaged through each pocket.

"What a waste," Cesario commented. "She has such a lovely body. It's a shame the mind was no good."

"Perhaps we can cut off her breasts," Olivia said absentmindedly. "Donate them to those in need. The arms too. She has pretty arms."

Finally, she pulled a Key from one of the pockets and held it up for Cesario to examine. Cesario grinned half-heartedly and took the object between two fingers, as if the thing was contaminated. In his pocket, his Master beeped as it began to register the transfer of Keys.

"As enticing as that suggestion is, my dear Olivia, I must remind you that we're not in that kind of business," Cesario replied. "I'm certain, though, that you may be able to think of a few who are, but I know for a fact that your brother may not be as interested or enthused by the idea of branching our fine firm into such provocative territory."

Orsino sighed. "Given the excitement we've had today, all I care about right now is a carpet replacement company. Honestly, I thought we'd agreed that it would be clean."

Cesario smirked and glanced towards his partner. "You know as well as I do that some things simply cannot be helped on a job."

"Perhaps," Orsino replied as his lips drew into a thin line. "In any case, what do we do now?"

"Well, that should be obvious," Cesario said as he slipped his hands behind his back. "We've just completed the first part of our job, so we should proceed to the second." He hesitated for a beat as he glanced at the body. "And get rid of that thing. The two of you are welcome to take whatever can be salvaged – poké balls, money, her Master, whatever you can find useful. It's the least that can be done, given that it seems she won't pay us after all."

Olivia's eyes gleamed as she turned her head towards Cesario. "Oh, you are entirely too kind—"

He glared at her. "No body parts."

---​

Viola preferred her own or Sebastian's cooking, but a free meal was a free meal. She sat in a booth, between the wall and Mercury, who was constantly gesturing wildly to Puck, Rosencrantz, and Guildenstern in the booth next to theirs. In front of her was a cup of black coffee, the steam still curling from its bitter surface. Romeo sat across from her with his eyes out the window. She'd noticed the dark patches under his eyes, but she felt a little shy about asking. Instead, she glanced towards Benvolio, who sat next to Romeo with his own cup of coffee. Briefly, she opened her mouth to speak, but instead, she took in a breath and closed it again. Benvolio caught sight of this action and narrowed his eyes slightly. He placed his cup on the cold table as he turned towards Viola.

"What?" he asked.

"Oh, um…" Viola looked towards the window, mirroring (unintentionally, at least) Romeo's expression. "Nothing."

"If you want to speak," Benvolio said flatly, "then speak."

Viola awkwardly glanced towards him again. "I was just wondering if something happened with Romeo."

Even at the mention of his name, Romeo didn't seem to react. Instead, he only sighed and continued to stare out the window. With a bored expression, Benvolio eyed his cousin and offered a slight shrug, acknowledging the fact that asking him would be out of the question.

"I don't know," he said. "Romeo appeared early this morning on the doorstep of the Montague family mansion, and he seemed every bit as lost as he does now. From what I understand, he separated from the rest of the group when they thought it would be a wise idea to attend a Capulet costume party uninvited. I should assume that someone like Mercury would be too preoccupied to keep my cousin from harm."

Mercury snapped a glare towards Benvolio. "Hey! You talking about me? What did you just say?"

Benvolio ignored her. He took a long drink from his cup and kept his eyes on the table. Mercury scoffed and turned back towards the other booth.

"Stuck up jerk," she muttered.

Viola couldn't help but crack a small smile. Mercury resumed her conversation, and Benvolio leaned back in his seat nonchalantly.

"Why do you put up with that?" Viola asked.

Benvolio tilted his head. "What do you mean?"

"Well…" Viola motioned towards Mercury. "You two don't seem at all alike. Why do you follow them?"

With a huff, Benvolio raised an eyebrow, and for the first time, Viola saw him smile. "Do you know what a House Heir is?"

Viola slowly shook her head.

"Oh, for goodness sake," Benvolio said with a sigh. "You really do lead a sheltered life." Before Viola could respond, he shook his head. "Assuming you don't already know, while we do have elections every four years regarding which party is in power and who achieves what position, the position of Head of House or party leader – the ones who act as advisors to the city council, campaign managers, and chairmen of the party as a whole – is a position passed down through the family who established the party in the first place. So, for example, it can pass from father to son, father to daughter, mother to son, or mother to daughter, depending on the specific House rules. In the Montague House, power passes from the eldest child to the eldest child – or, should the current leader have no children alive or otherwise capable of inheriting power, his sibling's eldest. Romeo's father just happens to be the eldest of his generation, and Romeo is an only child. Therefore, Romeo is the next in line to inherit the title of Head of House.

"Now, you've already asked why I follow Mercury and her band of urchins wherever they go."

Mercury turned again and glared at Benvolio. He once again ignored her, prompting her to turn back around.

"The answer is simple," Benvolio continued. "My cousin, the dear and brilliant man that he is, has decided that Mercury, the sister of the current mayor, would be safe company. I, meanwhile, realize that Mercury's definition of fun is to roam the streets at night and to start drunken brawls with the Capulets, so I've taken it upon myself to watch my cousin in order to ensure the title of Head of House passes safely to Romeo and not to the next in line after him, namely me."

Viola shook her head. "But why wouldn't you want it? You seem like a competent person."

Benvolio smirked, but his expression seemed somewhat softer than it had been before. "I thank you, Viola, but think about it. If the House Heir were to die by the Capulets' hands, the Montagues would demand a retaliation. Verona City, for the past few months, have rested on a balance – the lowest number of violent crimes and homicides in decades. Should the Montagues demand a retaliation, we would be seeing all-out war the likes of which we haven't seen in almost twenty years, all because of the stupidity of my cousin's choice of friends."

Mercury slammed the table with a hand and turned back around to send Benvolio a death glare. "Do you want me to punch you in the face? Because I definitely can!"

As if on cue, a waitress in blue stopped at the table with a tray propped on her shoulder. Benvolio quirked an eyebrow at Mercury as the hurried woman pulled plates of sandwiches from the tray and placed them in front of the four seated at the booth.

"Anything else I could get you?" she asked. "More coffee?"

"A muzzle for him," Mercury snapped with narrowed eyes fixed on Benvolio.

"Ignore her," Benvolio said. "Coffee would be lovely, thank you."

He sent his own glare right back at Mercury as the waitress moved to the other table. Mercury huffed and reached for half of the turkey sandwich in front of her.

"Well, if you're gonna talk about me," she growled.

Viola ventured a small smile as Benvolio continued to ignore Mercury's grumbling. With the grin still on her face, she picked at her own sandwich in thought. Something had been nagging her mind for the past few days, and slowly, she was gathering the courage to talk about it.

"Benvolio," she said, "you know a lot about the Houses, right?"

He glanced at her. "As one of the highest members of the Montague House, I was taught everything there is to know about them from an early age. It was rather difficult to avoid."

She nodded. "Well, then, do you know much about the Prospero House?"

Even Mercury fell silent at the sound of the question. Rosencrantz and Guildenstern twisted in their seats to face her, and Puck craned his neck to watch through the space between their heads. Mercury widened her eyes as she sat dumbly while Benvolio lowered his cup. Only Romeo remained as he had been a moment ago, with his eyes still out the window.

"Um…" Viola glanced at her companions and tucked herself into her corner. "Forget I asked."

"Where did you hear about that?" Benvolio whispered.

Viola shook her head. "Just… just something I heard on the street."

Benvolio placed his hand in the center of the table. "Then do us all a favor and pretend you never heard it. The Prospero House was a dangerous group, Viola. They were anarchists, people whose only goal was to rip apart Verona City at its foundations. All they wanted was mayhem and destruction. That is why they do not exist in this city. Now, listen to me carefully. If you are looking for more information about them, don't. They were masters of propaganda. As soon as you found them, you would be dragged into their circle, and then…" He shook his head slowly. "You would be as good as gone. Do you understand?"

By then, he stared directly into Viola's eyes. She found she couldn't look away. She couldn't do much of anything except stare back. Benvolio had always seemed cold to Viola, but right then, she saw a steady seriousness, a flicker of something actually human in him. Slowly, Viola nodded, and satisfied, Benvolio sat back and picked up his cup again.

"And anyway," Mercury said, clapping her hands together, "Montague House is way better. You're unregistered, right? Ever think about registering Montague?"

Viola blinked at her and opened her mouth to speak. Rosencrantz and Guildenstern both broke into wide smiles at this sudden break from serious conversation.

"Yeah, man!" Rosencrantz said. "Join Montague, get girls!"

"What?" Guildenstern reached up to smack Rosencrantz on the side of the head. "Idiot! What's she look like? A lesbian?"

"Hey, I don't know. So far, she hasn't been all over me. Only girls that aren't all over me are lesbians and Mercury, and Mercury's 'cause she's got no taste in men."

Mercury turned around. "I oughta smack you upside the head for that mouth!"

Before Rosencrantz could reply, there was a chorus of beeping between the two tables. Even Romeo stirred, breaking in concentration to reach into his pocket. Each Knight quickly pulled out a Master, many of which were already blinking with an incoming job. Viola looked around at the rest of the group in confusion. She opened her mouth to ask, but her companions seemed intent on reading what was on their Masters' screens. Unwilling to interrupt, Viola turned her own attention back to the screen of her Master, still displaying the regular desktop for her PDA, rather than any sort of message.

"All right! Let's go!" Mercury said.

At once, the men and Mercury stood, shoveling money out of their pockets and tossing them onto the tables. As the others started towards the door, Benvolio lagged behind, glancing at Viola as she sat for a moment alone.

"Are you all right?" he asked.

Hastily, she shoved her Master back into her pocket. "Uh, yeah. I… I just needed a moment to breathe. I'm ready."

With that, she slid out of the booth and started after the rest of the group. Benvolio eyed her back for a brief moment before starting after her.

---​

The warehouse in question was across the Gold River from Wisteria District, in the southern strip known as Dandelion District. In general, Dandelion District lived up to its name with incredible enthusiasm. Once a busy industrial center situated right against the river, environmental laws a few decades ago shut down a number of factories – and, for that matter, the warehouses that stored raw and finished goods right after or prior to use. As a result, the majority of the district (that is, whatever wasn't still running or being bought up by the wealthy with plans of renovations running through their heads) was abandoned, with dark buildings looming over the river. With the lack of maintenance, every so often, a weed poked its way through cracked concrete to display bright, yellow petals as an act of defiance towards the gray world around it.

This warehouse was surrounded by them. Viola looked at the yellow flowers with slight interest as she passed on the way into the building. The others led the way, ignoring the heads and keeping their own bent down as they quietly entered. Even Mercury had fallen silent at this point, communicating in almost solely gestures as she scanned the building with wary eyes.

Inside, the place had fluorescent lights hanging from the ceiling (or, rather, what was left of it), but none of them were lit. Whatever light that came in either filtered through the dirty windows near the high ceiling, came through the doorway, or shone from the gaping holes overhead. Metal crates, each coated with thick layers of brown rust, lined pathways through the warehouse that often lead to piles of rubble.

"What does it look like?" Puck whispered to Mercury.

Mercury shook her head. "A disc. That's all we've been told."

"****," Puck muttered. "This place is a dump. How are we going to find one disc in all this?"

"I don't know!" Mercury replied, her voice rising slightly in volume. "Let's split up and search. Use your pokémon if you have to."

With that, she started down the closest path alone. Puck hesitated, then shrugged and nodded to Rosencrantz and Guildenstern. All three took separate paths, eyes to the ground in search of one object. Romeo, who had been oddly silent since the diner, took a fifth, but when his hands slipped into his pockets and his head tilted back, Viola realized he wasn't entirely concerned about actually looking for anything. Shrugging the notion off, she stepped forward to take a sixth path when Benvolio reached out to grasp her shoulder.

"Stay with me," he said.

Furrowing her eyebrows, she didn't argue, opting instead to do as she was told. Benvolio waited for a few beats before starting down the same path Viola would have taken, and following close behind him, Viola walked with her hands in her own pockets. A few minutes passed in this manner, with Benvolio silently leading and Viola glancing from crate to crate just behind him. As they walked, a question wormed its way into her skull.

"Why do you need me to follow you?" she asked.

Benvolio pursed his lips. "I want you to be honest with me, now that we're in private."

Viola stopped, the statement having caught her off-guard. "Okay. I wasn't really intending on lying to you."

Turning, Benvolio caught her gaze, and Viola felt her heart skip a beat. She saw in his eyes an incredible intensity, like staring into the face of a marble statue – unwavering, solid, cold but not entirely cruel. Simply unmoving. Unable to look away, she bit her lip.

"Are you or are you not a member of the Prospero House?" he asked.

Without even considering it, she shook her head vigorously. "No! I'm not a member of anything!"

Benvolio lowered his eyelids. "If I find that you were lying, I can be a very ruthless enemy, and as a member of the Montague House, I will have no choice."

Viola nodded. "I-I understand that."

Turning away, Benvolio started forward again. "In all honesty, Viola, I'm fond of you. I find you naïve and possibly submissive, yet I enjoy your sanity in the midst of the trash my cousin chooses to call his friends. I think you may actually be a positive influence on him."

He looked over his shoulder and grinned, but when he did so, he found himself glancing at a grave-looking face. This time, he stopped in his curiosity. He could almost swear her eyes had turned darker as her mouth drew into a thin line.

"Benvolio," she said, "all you've been talking about all day is Romeo. I know he's your cousin, but can't you form opinions based on yourself?"

At that, he snorted and scowled. When he spoke, his voice dropped into a growl. "You should be one to talk. Allowing yourself to be dragged about. You act like a saint, but you stand in the back of our crowd, looking like the wonder-eyed child. Does everything awe you, or are you simply a happy puppet waiting to be played with?"

The reply came quicker and calmer than Benvolio had anticipated. Viola gave him a small smile and brushed past him nonchalantly.

"I am," she said, "but the difference between you and me is that you're stronger than me. You're the next in line after Romeo. Yes, you can influence the House Heir that means so much to you, but it also means you don't have to stand in his shadow and shelter him from the consequences of his every move. It means you're supposed to lend your voice to shape your House as much as you can. You have more power and influence than I can ever hope to hold. That's why I'll always be your puppet – because what am I compared to you?"

Benvolio stood in silence for a moment as he considered her words. He knew she was right. He always knew it. Yet, somehow, hearing her say them struck something in his mind. It both frustrated him and stunned him to the point where he had to wait for his mind to recover and calm itself before he could respond. And even then, he had to clench his jaw and swallow hard first before he could speak.

"You have no idea how the system works," he said.

She shrugged. "You're right. I don't. But your position still says something. Rather than considering yourself support to Romeo, why don't you consider yourself as you are?"

"And you? Will you ever stop considering yourself to be our puppy?"

"I know my place."

Benvolio glared at her back. "Viola, your place is—"

Before he could answer, a loud crash rose from somewhere nearby. Looking up suddenly, Benvolio cursed and started back towards the beginning of the path.

"Never mind," he said. "Come on. One of those idiots might be in trouble."

With a nod, Viola turned and fell into step behind Benvolio. Slowly, her expression faded from the detached state Benvolio had faced to one of determination tinged with worry. As they emerged onto the first path and started up Mercury's, Benvolio risked a glance back. He felt heavily relieved when he saw that the dark look in her eyes had vanished.

The path ended in a clearing of sorts. It was only considered a clearing in that there were no crates stacked one on top of another, but instead, there were only piles of twisted metal and bolts underneath and surrounding what appeared to be a piece of the metal ceiling. Creeping alongside Benvolio, who tucked himself behind one of the crates, Viola glanced towards the clearing to see Mercury standing beside an ambipom in its center. The purple monkey narrowed its eyes as he swayed his double tails in anticipation. Mercury, meanwhile, cast her dark eyes around the clearing.

"All right, you prick! Come out here where I can see you!" she demanded.

From behind the other crates, five people in black began to creep into the clearing. Benvolio took a deep breath and reached out to yank Viola back. She threw him a curious glance as she stumbled backwards to stand beside him.

"Benvolio," she whispered.

He brought a finger to his lips as a motion for her to keep quiet. She pursed her lips, cutting off the questions that were already halfway to her mouth as he turned back to the scene.

"Capulets," he murmured to her. "Too many of them. Mercury needs to get out of there."

Unfortunately, Mercury only straightened and smirked. She placed her dark hands on her hips as she watched one of the Capulets, a tall, dark-haired man with oddly pale skin, step forward to approach her. He narrowed his dark eyes as his jaw clenched in his gaunt face. Beside him, a houndoom stalked with his lips curling to reveal his glistening, white fangs.

"Mercury Prince," the man said. "While I apologize for my intrusion, I can't say that Hyper Beam was entirely necessary. I shouldn't expect much less from you, always rushing in without thinking things through. You've left your ambipom open. I could have attacked and killed you while he was recharging."

Mercury scoffed. "I don't need battling advice from you. Tybalt. I should've realized you were here. You got the disc, huh?"

Tybalt relaxed his shoulders and reached into a pocket of his black overcoat. His pale hand emerged a second later, pulling with it a silver disc in a blue case.

"I believe I have," he said. "You have three choices now. First, you let my friends and me walk out of this warehouse without a fight. Second, in your drive to get the disc and complete your mission, you battle me and lose. Third, the option that I most prefer, you side with us, and I share the spoils with you."

Mercury grinned. "Sounds like a tough decision, but I think I'd be happiest if I pried that thing out of your cold, dead hands. Ambipom, Swift!"

The monkey leapt into the air, channeling energy into its double tails until the pale hands began to glow with a bright, white light. Twirling, he swept his tails around quickly as the light and energy surrounding the hand-shaped tips pulled away in a shower of star-shaped particles. Tybalt stood with his eyes on the monkey before he made a small motion to the houndoom beside him. Without hesitation, the demon hound squatted low to the ground before springing upwards, into the line of fire to shield his master. The stars hit the dog, but he hardly slowed as the space between himself and the ambipom closed rapidly. With a sharp shriek, the monkey fell to the ground, flat on his back. Seconds later, the dog was on top of him, pinning him to the ground with a clawed paw on his chest and the foaming muzzle just inches from the monkey's face.

"As surprising as this may sound, Miss Prince," Tybalt said, "I'm not actually interested in fighting you, even for the disc. I merely wanted to tell you that your likelihood of taking it is low."

Mercury looked from her ambipom to Tybalt with a sweeping glare. "Oh really? So I guess all this is just a nice 'hello, nice to see you, let's have tea and crumpets'?"

Tybalt quirked an eyebrow. He held his tongue, knowing all too well what kinds of troubles fighting with the mayor's sister would bring.

Instead, he said, "Actually, I was looking for the Montague friend you always have around. Romeo, was it?"

Mercury narrowed her eyes. "What do you want from Romeo? And he's not here. I came alone. Of course, if none of you can realize that, I don't blame you. It's not like any of you can count anyway."

"Well, then, I have no reason to tell you," Tybalt replied, his voice rising slightly in volume. "It's not any of your business that Romeo slept with my cousin Juliet last night."

At his last words, Tybalt restrained himself from grinning as he watched Mercury. She stiffened immediately, and her eyes went wide as she thought about it. Her feet shuffled backwards slightly as her head reeled with the thought of it. Then, as quickly as the look of shock passed across her face, it faded into one of pure rage as Mercury lunged for Tybalt.

"You son of a *****! That's not true!"

Silently, Tybalt sidestepped her and prepared to strike back. In that moment, his comrades lowered their guards as they readied themselves to run in to help their leader. For that, they didn't notice the four shadows looming on the crates above them until they jumped. One of them – Rosencrantz, as Viola realized – gave them only a split-second warning.

"Banzai, Capulet *****es!"

Four men dropped from their perches onto four Capulets, and four Capulets went down under their weight. Tybalt spun around to face his struggling comrades, just in time to feel Mercury's fist collide with the side of his head. Following his master's example, Ambipom tensed one of his tails, balling its end up into a tight fist that swung around and collided with the shoulder of the houndoom. With a high-pitched whine, Houndoom was thrown off Ambipom by the force of the Brick Break, eventually slamming into a pile of metal and wire that cut past his black fur and into his muscular shoulder. Tybalt, at the same time, fought back by kicking Mercury into a crate before turning towards Romeo, who slammed the Capulet he had ambushed against another nearby crate.

"Montague!" Tybalt growled. "So, you do dare to show your face around here!"

Romeo kept his ears trained on Tybalt, but he didn't say a word. Instead, he curled his fingers into the collar of the whimpering Capulet he held.

In response to this, Tybalt sneered. "You coward. You won't even turn to face me. I know what you did in our garden last night, you filthy little—"

Mercury punched him again. He stumbled back, intending on getting his footing before Mercury hit him twice more to drive him back. Eventually, she pinned him to a crate with a hand over his throat.

"Don't you dare," she hissed. "Don't you even dare…!"

In the next instant, Tybalt's houndoom leapt onto her, and with a scream, she was pulled back, onto the rusted sheet that had been part of the ceiling with the dog all over her. Ambipom screeched and flung himself onto the dog to fight him off in a blur of purple and black within a rain of blood red spraying across the floor. Viola heard blood-curdling shrieks rippling across the clearing, and it took several stares in their direction and Benvolio's smooth hands clamping over her mouth for her to realize they came from her and not Mercury. When the fight between the dog and the monkey rolled off Mercury's body, Viola could see why no sound came from the other woman. Mercury's throat had been ripped completely open, and her mouth was clawed and bitten until she no longer had a lower jaw. Her dark eyes had already taken on a milky film as they stared straight towards the ceiling in painful horror.

Tybalt breathed in shock for a moment, not because his houndoom had killed someone but instead because he hadn't expected Mercury to lash out at him at all. For a long moment, neither Montagues nor Capulets even moved, save for Romeo, who reached into his pocket for a poké ball. With swift movements, he summoned a pokémon, a white horse with a brilliant, red mane and a sharp horn jutting from her forehead. The rapidash, taller than most Viola had seen, stomped in front of Romeo, grinding her obsidian hooves into the metal debris as it melted slightly beneath her hot touch. Tybalt turned his eyes towards the horse just in time for Romeo to point directly at him.

"Megahorn," he said simply.

Without questioning her master's orders, the mare lowered her head and started into a gallop towards Tybalt. The Capulet turned and launched into a run in a desperate attempt to escape the horse, but she proved to be faster, jamming her horn into his back and ramming him into a crate near the entrance to the pathway where Viola stood. He didn't even scream, merely let a small "guh" push from his throat before he sagged on the horn of the rapidash. With a snort, she pulled away from the crate, leaving a large spot of red blood on the rusted metal. Bending her head down, she allowed the corpse to slip off her horn before she turned back to receive praise from her master. In the meantime, Houndoom craned his neck away from his opponent to see his master, stabbed through the heart and lying on the ground. He barked once before Ambipom leapt viciously on him and finished the battle between them.

Reaching out to his own pokémon, Romeo stroked her forehead as Tybalt's blood trickled between her eyes. He stared back towards the Capulets, who each looked from their downed leader to their adversary staring them in the face with a cold, dangerous glare. Then, without a word, all of them started for the nearest passage. None of the Montagues had anything to say to them.

When Benvolio slowly uncovered Viola's mouth, she took a few deep breaths as she stared at the corpses littering the floor. Her eyes were wider than he had ever seen, and her face was deathly pale.

"Viola," he said, "this is how the Game…"

His voice trailed off. She shook her head loosely, as if only a string attached it to her neck. Then, without warning, she turned and ran back down the corridor. Benvolio turned sharply and began running after her before his cousin glanced towards the corridor.

"Benvolio," he snapped. "We're not finished yet."

Cringing, Benvolio stopped and took a step back. By then, Viola disappeared around a corner.

---​

Outside, it took a few minutes for Viola to emerge, stumbling into the bright, afternoon sun. She couldn't cry. Literally, she couldn't cry. She could only run with her eyes frantically searching for other paths. For this reason, she stumbled along with her mind focused only on the road in front of her instead of anything else around her.

With that narrow focus, it was completely understandable that she passed by him without even realizing he was there.

"He" was a dark-skinned man sitting in a small alley between warehouses. His tattered, gray overcoat and trousers blended with the debris and shadows around him, but his black shoes gleamed oddly in what little light filtered into his nook. A gray, wide-brimmed hat covered most of his face, revealing only dark, coarse hair trailing down the side of his head. When Viola ran past, one of his large hands rose to push the brim up enough to expose his brown eyes as the other hand tightened around the neck of the green bottle in the brown paper bag between his legs. He leaned to the side a little, just enough to catch another glimpse of Viola as she ran away from the warehouse. With a smirk, he straightened and reached into one of the pockets of his ratty coat to pull out a gleaming Master. Pressing the screen a few times, he leaned back as his Master placed a call to someone he knew entirely too well.

"Feste, it's certainly a pleasure to hear from you," Cesario said on the other end with a hint of sarcasm in his voice.

"You'll be even more pleased to hear what I'm about to say," Feste replied with a smooth voice. "I found your girl. She's on the move in Dandelion District."

"Dandelion District? What the hell is she doing there?"

Feste shrugged. "Beats me. But don't you worry. I'll keep an eye on her."

Cesario sighed. "And I suppose you expect me to pay you."

"I'm no fool," Feste replied with a chuckle. "The Great Cesario never pays his friends."

"Ah, good. Then we've come to an agreement." Cesario's voice softened slightly as he added, "Bring her to our meeting hall as soon as you can convince her, Feste. In one piece."

"Relax. You know me. I'll make sure of it."

"Good."

Before Feste could add anything else, the call cut. His nostrils flared slightly as he heaved a sigh and slipped his Master back into his pocket.

"Stupid boy can't run this House if he wanted to," he muttered.

With that, he took a swig from the bottle and stood. Wincing, he swayed slightly, placing a hand on the wall of one of the warehouses for support until he regained his balance. Then, with a breath, he started forward.

"Anything for a Prospero," he said as he raised his bottle again.
 

Bay

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Ya know, I'm glad Rosaline is back as it's been a while since we last heard of her. However, ouch on her death. Was amused though of Olivia wanting to sell some of her body parts. XD Not only Roslaine died, but also Mercury and Tybalt! =O Man, three people died in one chapter? That's unexpected. Also, there are a couple of scenes that brought a smile to my face.

"Yeah, man!" Rosencrantz said. "Join Montague, get girls!"

"What?" Guildenstern reached up to smack Rosencrantz on the side of the head. "Idiot! What's she look like? A lesbian?"

Aw, poor Viola. I bet she's speechless of that comment, huh? XD Also, this reminds me of this one Simpsons episode in which Lisa was dreaming that she was meeting some women and they keeping saying join this college and you'll experience this. XD Not sure if you seen that episode, though. ^^;

Four men dropped from their perches onto four Capulets, and four Capulets went down under their weight. Tybalt spun around to face his struggling comrades, just in time to feel Mercury's fist collide with the side of his head. Following his master's example, Ambipom tensed one of his tails, balling its end up into a tight fist that swung around and collided with the shoulder of the houndoom.

Really love this part because of trainer and Pokemon doing the same thing. XD

The only thing I want to say is I felt you left the Ambipom and Houndoom in the open, since there was no clear winner mentioned nor anyone stopping them. Then again, everyone was in shock of Mercury and Tybalt's death.

In short, quite like this chapter a lot and can't wait to see what happens next. :D
 

JX Valentine

Your aquatic overlord
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Thanks for the review. =D

Ya know, I'm glad Rosaline is back as it's been a while since we last heard of her.

Yeah, I probably should've done more with her, but she really was a *****.

Not only Roslaine died, but also Mercury and Tybalt!

In a move that I certainly did not copy from Romeo and Juliet. *nod*

Aw, poor Viola. I bet she's speechless of that comment, huh? XD

Or secretly agreeing. XD

Also, this reminds me of this one Simpsons episode in which Lisa was dreaming that she was meeting some women and they keeping saying join this college and you'll experience this. XD Not sure if you seen that episode, though. ^^;

I remember that. XD One of the schools who decide to go "exploring" at the end of that bit is the one that I go to, and trust the Simpsons to hit the nail on the head.

Really love this part because of trainer and Pokemon doing the same thing. XD

Thank you. =D I love it when it happens in the anime, so that kinda leaked into the fic.

The only thing I want to say is I felt you left the Ambipom and Houndoom in the open, since there was no clear winner mentioned nor anyone stopping them. Then again, everyone was in shock of Mercury and Tybalt's death.

Hmm. Good point. I'll edit in a line that states that Ambipom won (because, yeah, he was supposed to), maybe do something with him after the battle too because his trainer just died.

In short, quite like this chapter a lot and can't wait to see what happens next. :D

Thanks. =D I promise, I'll take less time getting it up than I did with this chapter. Or, at least, I'll try. ^_^;
 

JX Valentine

Your aquatic overlord
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Author's Note: Gasp! Off of a nearly year-long hiatus?

Also, random capitalization and errors in the previous chapters will be worked on. Sorry, folks.

---​

Intermission Two: Recap

Dear reader,

Hi. It's me. Viola. It's been over a year since we all told you part of our story, hasn't it? Or almost one, anyway. In any case, you're probably wondering what's exactly going on, so in case you've forgotten (which is really likely), I was asked to tell you as much as I know.

So, let's start from the beginning. My name is Viola DiAngelo, and I live in a city surrounded by a desert – Verona City. You've probably never heard of it; it's somewhere between Celadon City and Saffron City, except imagine that it's enough years from when you're probably alive to now. So, Celadon doesn't exactly exist anymore. I could go into why, but that story's longer than you really care to know. Trust me on this.

Anyway, my father and I were originally from Saffron City, but he came here when I was a baby to set up a toy shop called Allegro Dolls. He died when I was twelve. That's okay, though, because I've got all his pokémon taking care of me, especially Haunter. Meanwhile, I've been making dolls the way he taught me, and I sell them to support myself.

A lot of people in Wisteria District – that's the part of Verona where I live – stopped noticing me after awhile because I'm quiet and, well, Haunter doesn't like strangers. So, for a long time, they left me alone. It's Sebastian they interact with more anyway.

Oh, Sebastian? He's my business partner and best friend. I gave him a place to stay when he ran away from home (and that's a long story I'd rather he told himself), and he's been with me ever since. It's because of him that I've been doing better at business. Well, at least, I'm not impoverished anymore. He also looks after me and worries all the time about my well being. I find it annoying, but Haunter? He thinks Sebastian likes me. Right.

Now that you know a bit about us (or, well, me), let me tell you about the Game. Its full name is the Midsummer Game, and it was organized by… well, I really don't know. In any case, it's a game that's been taking place across Verona City. Think of it like a cross between a scavenger hunt and a free-for-all battle. The rules are pretty simple. First, you have to get a key called the Midsummer Key. Then, survive long enough to take it to the Dumont Mansion in the middle of the city to get it registered. By then, you'll be known as a Midsummer Knight, what we call the players. After that, you're given missions – anything from solve a puzzle to fight someone to deliver a package – to complete, but the trick is to survive whatever they tell you to do.

I keep saying "survive," but really, I'm not exaggerating. People are crazy in this game. It has something to do with the prize, an object called the Midsummer Treasure, which has the ability to grant a man's every wish. In any case, everyone involved in the game is most likely out to kill you. So far, I've nearly been blown up and poisoned, and my friends have been stabbed and maimed by pokémon.

There are, of course, people who aren't quite as crazy. Sebastian's a Midsummer Knight with me (although he's none too pleased that I'm playing), and I've met a lot of great people along the way. For starters, there's Imogen, a cook and possibly the friendliest player in the game. I'm not sure how she managed to last this long, but then again, she seems to get all the easy missions. For another, there's Romeo Montague, Mercury Prince, and the others, all of whom are high-ranked members or friends of the Montague House. Well, at least, they're not crazy in the homicidal sense, anyway.

That's another thing to keep in mind in this city. In Verona, there's two major political parties: the Montague House and the Capulet House. I don't know the difference myself, but I know that they hate each other to such an extreme level that the high ranks constantly try to sabotage each other while the low ranks participate in pretty violent street fights. It's something that's always on the news. You don't go out at night by yourself because of this sort of thing.

There's more parties than that, of course. Recently, I've learned about the Prospero House, a party that intended on overthrowing the two-party system in order to forge peace in the city. It was disbanded over twenty years ago after the Capulets and the Montagues banded together for once to kill off most of the party and chase its leaders out of the city. It figures that the only time those two can have peace is if someone else threatens to end their rivalry themselves.

A few members of the Prospero House are still in the city, though, most of whom are now underground. For one, there's the Trio, a group that I thought were assassins who were out to get me (thanks to a Knight I met earlier in the game, apparently). It turns out that they're actually on my side – or, at least, following someone else who wants me alive. Cesario, a member of the Trio, tried to explain the party and what happened to it twenty years ago, but frankly, I still don't understand what I have to do with all of this.

Maybe I'll find out soon enough.

Anyway, that's where we are now. To put it in short, there's a war between two political parties, a game that's taking place all over the city, and me, who's caught up in both because I had nothing better to do. Things are about to get interesting, so I hope to see you around.

Love,
Viola
 

JX Valentine

Your aquatic overlord
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Act Twelve: Motivation

It had only been three days, yet for Sebastian, it felt like an eternity. He watched from across the street as the repairmen worked on fixing the front window of Allegro Dolls. Volunteers carefully sorted through the mess inside, discarding the damaged goods and cleaning the dirtied floors. Sebastian didn't have time for it himself. When Viola was there, he kept busy with missions. Now that she wasn't, he was scouring the Database for any sign of her. He'd received little help before that day. Imogen and Toby would look for her of course, but the haunter she kept disappeared sometime during the first mission. Somehow, he wasn't particularly surprised.

"I never thought that little DiAngelo girl would get caught up in this sort of nastiness."

Sebastian glanced to the side to find a plump, older woman sweeping the stoop of her store. Her dark eyes were fixed on the sidewalk.

"To think, that shy little thing, a Knight!" she muttered. "Of course, we all knew she was hiding something. She was entirely too quiet, you know."

For a few beats, an awkward silence descended upon them. Sebastian looked towards the shop window again, and the woman swept next to him. He closed his eyes briefly, trying to will her away. Naturally, she remained oblivious to his discomfort.

That is, until finally, his Master rang. Exhaling, Sebastian quickly drew it from his pocket. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw the older woman recoil before turning swiftly and walking into her shop. Sebastian couldn't help but let his lips curl into a satisfied smirk as he heard the door slam behind him.

Finally, he pressed the button and raised the device. Immediately, the display was replaced by an image of Imogen.

"Did you find her?" he asked.

"Hello to you too," she drawled. "No, not yet."

Sebastian frowned. "Where are you?"

Imogen glanced away from the camera. "Lily District."

Immediately, Sebastian's eyebrows raised. "Lily District? What the hell are you doing there? There's nothing but whorehouses there!"

Imogen glared at him. "We've looked everywhere else!"

Sebastian straightened. His jaw set, and he closed his eyes. Noticing his pale expression, Imogen softened her own into a smile.

"Look, I know it's taking awhile," she said, "but she's out there. She can't have gotten far. She's still in the Game, and anyway, where would she go?"

Opening his eyes, Sebastian allowed his mouth to twitch. A ghost of a smile flickered across his lips. Imogen noticed and took this to be encouragement.

"We'll find her. Don't you worry. Now, if you don't mind, I'll look in Clematis District. If I don't find her, I'll start again tomorrow."

Sebastian nodded. "Right. Thanks. Take care."

Imogen frowned. "Take your own advice. I can see those bags under your eyes. You haven't been sleeping, boy."

With a chuckle, Sebastian shook his head. "No, I haven't."

She sighed. "Go get some sleep or something. Can't have Viola come back to find you in a mess, now, can we?"

Sebastian forced himself to smile. "No. We can't."

Imogen nodded and offered a grin of her own. "Good. I'll call you after I'm done in Clematis."

She hesitated momentarily, as if to study his face. Sebastian froze, watching her through the screen of his Master. Then, finally, she turned her end over, and the call was cut. For awhile, Sebastian stood in silence with his Master in his hands. A sigh heaved from his lungs as he looked grimly at the front of the store. It wasn't that he was pessimistic. It was simply that he really didn't want to imagine the store without his own partner.

The thought sent a shiver down his spine and a deep frown across his mouth. Sebastian slipped his hands and Master into his pockets and looked towards the sky, as if he'd see an answer overhead. When nothing happened, he sighed again and walked across the street. The workmen barely acknowledged him as he approached the door, but when he reached for the handle, a hand rested on his shoulder.

When he looked up, he expected to see one of the workers. What he saw instead was Benvolio Montague, a face he'd only previously seen in the newspapers. Benvolio's eyes narrowed.

"Knight Tide," he said. "Sebastian Cross, co-owner of Allegro Dolls. I presume that is you."

Sebastian tried to shrug the hand away, but it remained firm on his shoulder. Realizing that, he frowned. "You'd be correct."

Benvolio nodded and held a disc in front of his companion. "We need to talk."

"Do we?" Sebastian furrowed his eyebrows as his voice took on a sharper tone. "About what, if I may ask?"

At the sound of Sebastian's voice, Benvolio removed his hand and took a step back.

"Were you aware that Viola DiAngelo is not your partner's real name?" he asked.

---​

On the other side of the city, halfway across one of the many bridges spanning the Gold River, Viola stood with her arms on the metal barrier between herself and the edge of the bridge. Her chin rested on her arms, and her eyes were fixed on the brown water running under the bridge. She sniffed. It didn't occur to her that it'd been three days since she ran from the warehouse. It also didn't occur to her that she hadn't slept more than four hours during those three days, and she only stopped to eat twice. She couldn't quite decide if it was worth it or not to continue – not just the Midsummer Game but in general. Yet, at the same time, she had already cried, already despaired over her lost friend, and already gotten over the shock of watching her other friend kill. At that point, she was empty, almost indifferent to everything. All she really wanted to do was to lay down and never move again.

In her coat pocket, her Master beeped. Viola closed her eyes and tried to will it silent. Still, it buzzed somewhat more urgently the more she tried to ignore it. Finally, she drew it out of her pocket and, without looking at it, threw it off the bridge.

Seconds later, a dark purple, disembodied hand reached to catch the device. Crooked fingers on its twin brushed the screen, and a moment later, the beeping stopped. Viola shivered as she sensed the cold of Haunter's body behind her. His hands rose to present her with the silent PDA. In response, Viola turned her head.

"I don't want to, Haunter," she muttered.

He growled.

"What?" She frowned. "You want me to be just like them?" She stuck her fingers between her face and her glasses to rub her eyes. "Mercury's dead. Did you know that? They killed someone else too."

"Haun."

As soon as Viola drew her fingers from beneath her glasses, the ghost shoved the Master into her hands. She glared at him.

"What? What is it?"

He said nothing. Instead, he hovered in front of her with his mouth curving into a twisted frown. His eyes took on a strange glint, an expression Viola couldn't read. Not that she ever could read his expression in the first place, despite the years that they had been together and despite the fact that he could read her perfectly. He was never her family; rather, he was close enough to know her and love her but too far for her to do the same completely.

"You don't think I should quit the Game. Is that right?" Viola asked.

Haunter smiled and nodded.

She frowned. "Why should I? It's not worth it. What do I want from all this?"

For a moment, Haunter floated. He brought his fingers to his mouth in thought before grinning and reaching for her glasses. She shut her eyes as he pulled them away from her. Holding them to his face, he waited until she turned and regarded him with a raised eyebrow.

"Papa?" she whispered. "What about him?"

He narrowed his eyes. "Haun!"

The wind blew across the bridge. Viola stared at Haunter for a long moment before, slowly, her eyes widened in realization.

Haunter grinned. "Haun!"

Viola's mouth twitched. She reached for her glasses and slipped them on, feeling the familiar weight on her face. Slipping her Master from her pocket, she tapped her way past the warnings and demotions to the actual assignment.

Go to Daisy District. Retrieve Mercury Prince's Key before Knight Saturn. Rewards: Two ranks, 1000 points.

At once, Viola narrowed her eyes. The thought of someone stealing from the dead – much less Mercury – left a cold sensation in her stomach.

"Come on, Haunter," she said. "We've got work to do."

The ghost floated closer, but his master didn't move. He sent her a curious glance.

"Haunter?" She paused briefly. "Thanks for reminding me."

Her partner hesitated for a moment. Then, his crooked mouth smiled, and he nodded once.

"Haun!"

A small grin crossed Viola's face as she turned and walked south.
 

Bay

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Nice Intermission there. Heh, glad I read it as now I'm refreshed as to what happened in the story, or at least the gist of it. XD

Hm, Viola not her real name? Either Benvolio is lying, or maybe this is Viola's papa's doing (him being in the Prospero House and all). Guess we'll have to wait and see.

I like how Haunter got to Viola's senses and made her realize why she decided to be in the game in the first place. I think though Viola rushed in her decision a bit. Maybe you could have had her thought about this a bit more or something.

Looking forward to the next chapter!
 

JX Valentine

Your aquatic overlord
3,277
Posts
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Nice Intermission there. Heh, glad I read it as now I'm refreshed as to what happened in the story, or at least the gist of it. XD

Thanks. I was hoping it wouldn't be redundant, at least. I figured it'd be nice for the people who don't want to go through the massive tl;dr bit to refresh themselves about what this story's about after I spent almost a year doing... other... stuff. *whistles innocently*

I think though Viola rushed in her decision a bit. Maybe you could have had her thought about this a bit more or something.

Ooh. I was thinking this chapter was a bit short, so I'll play around with trying to lengthen that part to see what happens. Thanks!

All I can say is wow... you've made something amazing. Have you thought of putting it on fanfiction.net ? =) Fa-mazing, I'm glad I read this.

Thank you. And oddly enough, it is. Or, at least, the first two chapters are. I'd made a promise to put the rest up every Sunday, but I've been procrastinating in responding to some of the reviews I got for my other work there and, um, don't want to look like I'm blowing people off. ^_^; Hopefully, I'll get to it this weekend, so updates should resume sometime soon.

I'm glad you liked it, though. =D
 
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