Thought I was done with this. Guess not.
Production[]
Original: Prodigia ~ Royalty & Shadows, also by me
Original Series: Prodigia
Current: Down Memory Lane
Current Series: None
Disclaimers[]
Prodigia: I will not be bringing back the Prodigia series, and major parts of the story will and have been changed.
Dale: Please do not confuse Dale Sunwillow with Dale Starheart, they are two different characters and have nothing to do with each other.
Riolu's Characters: I originally received permission to use Riolu's characters... at least a year ago? Idk, it's been a long time. Most of Riolu's characters have become somewhat irrelevant to this story, and if you spot them, it'll most likely be a cameo unless they appear often throughout the story. Note that the events of this story are not canon to Riolu's fanfictions unless she wants them to be. If you must see the original message where I got permission, go here. For more proof, go here.
If I got any details wrong, Riolu's free to edit this, they are her characters after all.
Gale/Puppet Master Relationship: I have reason to believe the two are related, which is how this story caused such a mess to begin with, drat it- Which led to me saying they're related in this story. However, I believe it's more of a father-son relationship over a sibling relationship, so Dale and this story might be getting a few tweaks... heh.
Note that this story is fanon, and Dale is not a real NPC. Someone actually thought he was canon and it lead to the trend of hating on Gale due to major misconceptions. I do not hate on Gale, neither should you.
Prologue[]
An unusual fairy lay on the roof of a school, watching the stars with a phoenix sleeping next to them. He should probably be working on the Ice Keystone, but he wanted the Trialmasters who disobeyed to learn a bit of a lesson. He wanted the Wardens to be freed as much as anyone else, but things just can't be rushed.
"Gale?" Rang a familiar high pitched voice. The instant the fairy heard the voice however, he jumped to his feet and conjured a shadow lock over the exit to the roof. Sorry Noot, but not now.
As the marking on the fairy's arm became visible as it always does, he rolled down his sleeves, sat back down, and opened his spell book with a sigh. I wish it was as easy to break another's shadow lock as it is to break your own...
Chapter One[]
A druid walked down a path, a crystal hound bounded beside him. For once in a long while the druid wasn't under the affect of one of his father's mind illusions, and he wanted to savor every minute of it. Soon the brown-haired druid reached a fork in the path. The hound wanted to go one way, but the boy knew they should go the other way, back home.
Rock sat down on the path, refusing to budge since the druid wouldn't follow. The boy sighed, "Rock, we need to go back now." The hound got up, growled, and used it's sharp horn to guide the druid down the path.
"OW! What is wrong with you toda-" He was at a lost for words as he saw what was on the path. It wasn't much, just a cabin with a rickety tree house nearby, but the place was filled with memories, memories of a time when his first concern wasn't the Order.
A toddler sat outside a cabin, playing with a fiery bird. The phoenix delighted in the child, loving to be around children. A Vinequeen smiled as she watched, knowing the bird wouldn't hurt him. Meanwhile a wizard was nose deep into his book, paying little to no attention to what occurred outside the cabin.
The phoenix straightened at the sound of barking and flew out of the way as a young crystal hound charged out the dog door, wanting to play. The hound skid to a stop in front of the toddler, who petted it on the tail, still too small to pat it on the head. The crystalline creature led the child back to Vinequeen and laid down beside them. The phoenix let out an irritated squawk before landing on the hound's horn, watching over the peaceful field.
Chapter Two[]
A fairy sat on a branch, one leg hanging out of the tree to balance the weight of his wings. Flame sat a few branches higher, pruning his feathers. The fairy watched the druid, who had walked under the tree, with interest before the crystal hound shoved him onto the pile of leaves as planned. Gale bit down a laugh as the trap sprung, causing the druid to hang upside-down in front of him. He still remembered when he originally set the trap, warding off intruders from the tree house.
The druid flailed, trying to get himself untied, looking at the fairy scornfully, "This isn't funny you know!"
The Ivory Fairy couldn't help himself at this point, and gave up on holding back a laugh. Flame looked up from pruning his feathers and let out a disapproving chirp. "Okay, okay, I'll untie him." He lowered his tail to get a good grip on the druid before untying the rope, pulling him up onto the branch, and then looking at the ground where the crystal hound was. "Thanks Rock, you can go back now." The hound let out a bark before padding off.
"You put him up to this?" The druid said while looking at him, becoming more bewildered by the minute.
"Of course I did. I assumed you might have a few questions from our last encounter, and if you don't, I have a few."
"And what would that be?" The druid asked, eyes narrowed in suspicion.
The fairy's voice became a cold hiss, and he dropped his accent entirely, "What did he tell you?"
The druid attempted not to be intimidated by the fairy, but was startled by his shift of behavior, "What do you mean?"
"When he came into the Academy, what did he tell you?"
"That..." He trailed off, still having trouble believing it.
"That what?" Gale asked the druid hostilely, not wanting anyone to know his... past activities.
"...you used to work for the order... and that you're my-"
"Don't say it." He sighed and stood up on the branch before flying down, "Just follow me, okay?"
The druid silently druid stepped in and out of the tree, popping into reality next to the fairy.
A young fairy slept on a blanket, a baby crystal hound snuggled up next to it. In another room, a fairy and wizard argued about the younger fairy, who continued to sleep. At the windowsill sat a phoenix, not only watching over the little one, but listening in on the conversation. The bird was migrating with the other remaining phoenixes when it saw something curious going on. Soon it found the cabin, and noticed the child. The parents no where in sight, it decided to remain.
At hearing arguing, it was about to go... until he heard what they were arguing about. The bird became more and more worried for the sleeping fairy, to the point it melted the window and dove inside. The movement woke up the puppy of a crystal hound, who cocked it's head at the bird. He simply chirped soothingly causing it to fall back asleep, and from that moment forward, the phoenix watched over the child.
Chapter Three[]
"I thought this place would be falling apart by now..." The druid said while looking around the cabin.
Gale was tending to a plant of to the corner, trying to avoid the druid's gaze. "It's hard to forget where you grew up. I don't know why I came back here to be honest."
"Wait. If you lived here too... how come I never seen you-"
"You never told me your name. I mean, you probably know mine, but I don't know yours."
"Name's Zion, did the Trialmasters at the Academy never mention anything?"
The fairy glanced back at him, "No... I don't really speak to them unless I have to."
"Oh," Zion awkwardly ruffled his hair, "So how come I never seen you-"
"I was kicked out. Father didn't want me anymore so... he got rid of me." He responded with a sigh.
The druid's eyes widened, "Why?"
"Well, I didn't obey him, he was always wanting me to help him with some plot so the Order can rise again, but I never really wanted to. After my mom died he decided I was more trouble than I was worth."
An eight-year-old fairy was petting his phoenix when he heard a commotion going on outside his room. He cautiously walked to the doorway and peeked out. Shadows wisped around the wizard as he argued with a fairy. The fairy noticed and she repeatedly said the wizard's name with no avail, he already let himself be consumed by the shadows. His thoughts..... his heart.... his soul... lost to oblivion.
As the wizard readied a royal roar out of pure anger, the little boy hid behind the door, heart pounding in fear. Finally there was silence, but it was too silent. The young fairy never forgot the dead body that lied outside his door, he never forgot how they died, and he never forgot how empty the wizard's gaze was, not caring for anyone, not even himself.
Scarred. The fairy was scarred for life and all the wizard did was send him away. Motherless and then homeless, it was as if the world had turned against him...
Chapter Four[]
Zion had listened to the fairy's story, only able to think about his own experiences. So it's been this way forever...
Quickly the druid realized he'll never be enough to his father, no matter how hard he tried. He was nothing more than a servant. Or slave.
Thoughts bitter, he didn't even notice the phoenix land on him. Gale watched the bird carefully, "You're lucky that he likes you."
"Hm?" Zion looked up, his train of negative thoughts now broken.
"Phoenixes are very picky when choosing a master, and earning one's trust is surprisingly difficult."
The druid looked at Flame, "I guess I am a bit lucky, but that's just about it..."
Th fairy sat down, now noticing how glum the druid was, "You know Zion, I was scarred for life, but I found a way to live with it. How come you haven't?"
"That happened to you a long time ago, you don't understand. I have to deal with the same thing everyday. No matter what I do I'm just never-"
"Enough?" He finished for Zion, knowing very well how he felt. The druid nodded in response. "Well, that's expected while living with him. I guess you just need to find a way to look past that, otherwise you'll never feel better about it."
A shadowed figure looked down on a young druid disappointedly, he had once again failed at his task. A crystalline hound sat among the bushes, Pippet watching silently besides it.
The druid looked at the ground waiting for whatever punishment the figure had in store. Suddenly a chilling sensation ran up his spine and he slowly lost sense of everything going on around him. Terrified, he tried to step back on instinct, but found himself unable to. Within seconds his gaze grew cloudy, within in days the innocence of a child... was shattered.
Epilogue[]
Zion didn't respond to the fairy, but kept what he said in mind. As the druid walked down the path, questions swarmed in his head as usual. Rock was waiting up ahead, and watched as the boy walked past before padding behind him.
Life has many paths, but this one was an surprisingly worn dirt road, coated with memories he just wanted to forget. This is a path the Order treaded centuries ago, and even now.
Yet the difference between then and now is that there is an spoken decision that must be made by a single person - Zion... someday. To continue supporting his father? Or to find another path walk upon.