Wind. Smoke. Dust. These are what his senses told him were coming. His smarter side was hoping they wouldn't have come. The rest of him was so glad they did. A castle was useless without anyone to attack it, after all. He readied his pike. He had used a few different weapons in his time, but he felt like something with a bit of range this time. He climbed on his faithful Rapidash, Merric. A few squires opened the doors, and with him leading them, the cavalry left the walls. He closed his helmet.
They hadn't found anyone with any substantial armor yet, so it had been pretty easy so far. These were the Order of Zekrom, the most feared in all of Kalos, and this was all they could do?
In response, a few figures gathered on a hill. He raised his visor a moment. Fully suited cavalry, and even a few creatures, powerful by the looks of it.
"Oh marvelous, a challenge!"
***
It was a challenge, and a glorious victory as well. Gregory of Dendemille remembered it somewhat fondly. He lived for the battle. Not because he enjoyed killing. But, to stop those he disagreed with and to protect his own, all while enjoying the energy of it all, he just couldn't help but like it.
Although, the memory wasn't a perfect one. He had been chopped in the leg that day. Somehow he had survived, but it hadn't healed properly. To live within his castle for the rest of his days with nothing but a cane by his side, it was humiliating. He knew that he was pretty lucky to have been injured by that point anyway. He was nearly sixty, an old man. That last battle was a mere 10 years earlier. He was practically one of the legendaries living above! He and his men had compiled enough gold and silver to last them at least a century, and they were still looking for more. He never had a wife or any children, but he was fine with that. Things were pretty nice.
So why did it all feel so wrong? He had all one could need or want, so what was missing. Well, no matter what he told his men, he wasn't happy this way. He had riches, so what? He was the most powerful man in the area, but what did he do with that power? Nothing. He felt even with all the glorious battle he had done, he really hadn't changed much. He felt, oddly enough, somewhat insignificant. Well, that wasn't quite the word for it, it was more like he felt he didn't help nearly as many as he could have. And who would know what would happen once he eventually passed? He didn't really know who'd take his place. He never really had a favorite. Would his little band eventually just pass? He feared no man, and it was rare that he feared a creature. For the first time since he was a child, he was, well, fearful. Of the future.
He was snapped out of his thoughts, when one of his lower-ranked, Lawrence, he vaguely remembered. "Uh, presenting...Lady Turquoise of...what was it? Oh...Corellia!" he said awkwardly.
"Never presented royalty, have you?" Gregory said heartily. Lawrence smiled and relaxed. "Sorry, my liege." he apologized, though he was in higher spirits now. "'Tis alright. You may go." The man bowed and walked off, to be replaced by a golden haired girl, looking barely out of her teenage years in an elaborate blue dress. Even a man of his age had to admit that the girl looked stunning. "Hello, your lordship." She curtsied politely, though she seemed to exaggerate it, in a way. "Well, this is quite a surprise visit, Miss...Turquiose, was it?" He reached to kiss her hand, though she quickly drew it back before he got the chance. She looked at him, looking confused. "Oh, uh..." She seemed to have a realization of something. "Many apologies." She was exasperated and he was somewhat confused. "I just...am not especially used to someone kissing my hand! That's it!" They stood there in silence, a nervous grin on her face. She sighed. "Oh, you've most likely seen odder things in your past. I'm just going to cease this." He was going to ask what she meant, but was quickly met with her glowing. Like how most creatures did when they matured enough. He saw her figure within the white, slowly shrinking, and gaining a simpler shape, also growing something out of her head. When it faded, before him stood not the young lady he saw before, but...
"Manaphy." He knew of the creature. The...Prince of the Sea, he remembered vaguely. That brought up the question of why he was a girl, though...
He or she still spoke in the same voice as before, though it seemed much more...commanding. "I am most glad that's over." She turned to him. He didn't speak, for he was in shock. He also didn't want to disrespect her. It noticed his reaction and sighed. "Please, don't be scared. People and creatures alike always seem to be scared of me and I am deeply annoyed by it." It's tone was a mix of annoyance and worry. Gregory was as still as ever, unchanging. "Please, human. Calm down. I have no reason to harm you. In fact, I require your help." He eased up a little.
"Now, I realize that my sudden arrival is something you aren't prepared for-"
"How are you female?" The lord interrupted. "What?" She looked at him in an odd way. He realized his mistake and apologized. "You simply assume there's but one? There have been many Manaphies. A Phione takes the throne and evolves when the last one has died. We can be either gender. Now, I'd prefer if you didn't interrupt me." He apologized once more. She shook her head in response. "No, no...I should be the one apologizing. I shouldn't burst out at you, for I greatly need your help. Sir Gregory, I require you to assist me in winning a war."
He didn't know how to feel about this. "Wait, you come to me asking for assistance in a war? I know that none are happening nearby." She was
looking at his tapestries, intrigued. "Ahem." He said. "Oh, sorry, never seen cloth up close before. No real use under water. Anyways, it's not a human war. It is one near where I live, deep in the ocean. It is between the army of the sea, and a large amalgamation of fire and ground types. They have sworn allegiance to Groudon, and wish the seas be eradicated." He laughed. "Well, I apologize, Princess, but I don't think I am of any help. I am but a human, and an old one at that." She smiled a small, innocent yet somehow devious smile.
"There is something I may do to help you with that. If you assist me, I shall return you your youth for as long as you wish, and do something to help you live underwater. All you must do is say yes, and the deed is done." He stared at her suspiciously. She was Manaphy. But what if she was but a Zororark, or something? What if she had simply been taught English by human masters?
"Prove it. Prove to me that it can be done." She looked inquisitively at him. "So you wish for a demonstration? Very well." She looked around the well-decorated chamber. "That is a...tapestry, if I remember correctly?" She went up and touched it. Suddenly, it glowed for a few seconds. When the glow subsided, a similar object hung from the wall, though it was made of...
"Scales?" He asked, surprised. It glowed in a variety of colors in the sunlight. The princess giggled. "It's a popular way to make art where I come from. Instead of cloth, it's woven scales of many different creatures. Yes, I can change many things. It's a rather complex magic. It takes a little longer on living things, however." Gregory had trouble processing all of this information. He sat on his throne and wiped his face.
"So what say you, Lord Gregory? I do know how you love to battle, and I can give you plenty of it." He pondered the possibilities. He could once more do that which he did before. No more sitting on the throne discussing politics with those he much wished away from him. It seemed like the perfect outcome. So, why did it seem to him like there was something else to happen here?
She seemed innocent. She seemed blunt with her intentions, which a trickster rarely was. And she was Manaphy after all. She proved it.
"I'll help you." He said simply. Manaphy beamed. "Oh, thank you sir! Now, this may be disorienting, but I trust that you'll be used to it in no time." She floated up to him, and gently touched him on the chest.
He felt...young. Revitalized. "This feels...amazing." He got to...about 30 something, he supposed. His hair was a Raticate brown, and his skin was no longer covered in scabs and roughness. He turned to the princess. "Thank you, this feels amazing!" Even his voice was younger sounding!
...But, Manaphy didn't seem to share his sentiments. She gained a melancholy expression, and hung her head. "I'm afraid that was only the beginning. I apologize for this." Before he could react, she went up and touched his chest again. "Why did you do it once more?!"
He felt like he was...shrinking? He was! But, he didn't feel any younger. He wasn't only shrinking, his proportions were becoming inhuman. The first to go was his neck. He felt it get shorter and shorter, until nothing was left. He felt something rise up from his insides, until he couldn't hold it in any more. He suddenly felt like he was vomiting, though it wasn't anything like food. Out of his mouth came small yellow points of light. They quickly dissipated in the air. He had no idea what just happened, but he didn't have much time to think about it. More was changing. He felt himself grow smaller yet, gaining a blue coloration in most places, with a yellow belly. It felt odd, as the coloration wasn't skin, but rather something like an exoskeleton. It felt quite strange losing his bones.
His head turned black, and near featureless. His eyes turned a uniform yellow with pupils. His mouth was near invisible when closed, though what looked like teeth (though he could actually move them) had jutted out on both sides. He already felt exhausted. He felt that rising feeling again, dreading it once more. This felt much larger than before. It was. He had to let it out for at least 5 seconds. He couldn't see anything but yellow for some time. When his vision returned, he looked over himself. He looked like a creature with human limbs! His shoulders and hips had been absorbed by his torso, leaving him naked. He looked angrily at cause of this. She tried to calm him down. "Now, please don't get angry-"
"You witch! How dare you do this to me!" He tried to run to her, until she used some of her magic to push him away. "I'd rather explain myself once it's over, please. The next part is coming. Sorry if this is uncomfortable at first. You've worn armor plenty though, so this shouldn't be too much of a strain I bet." He looked behind himself, hearing the sound of skidding. "Huh?" His prized armor, the one he used almost every time. It had done him well over the years. It had come to him, almost of it's own accord. "Stop! No!" He didn't know what was even happening by this point, but by arceus was he going to struggle. It seemed to fit itself onto him, rather forcefully. The shoulder pieces broke off from the torso to attach by themselves. The legs wrapped up his own. His helmet planted itself firmly on his head. It was a maskless sort, but he always preferred it for visibility. The arms and most of the torso were nowhere to be found. He didn't know why he had his armor on, and waited in silence for a few seconds. He then felt his legs...curling? In pretty much the opposite direction they were supposed to go. Before he knew it, instead of legs he had armor almost indescribable. Almost like a curled shell. Next came the helmet, which seemed to change in an odd way. It changed proportions mostly. Most of it shrank to accommodate his now smaller head, but the brush on top grew. He ended up with something...odd looking, to say the least. The shoulder pieces stayed roughly the same, though shrank slightly.
He felt like all of his pieces were somehow...part of him. He knew he couldn't take them off now, that was for sure. He didn't want to think about that right now. He hadn't noticed that his arms had shrank while the rest was happening. They were now black as well. His hands weren't really there any more. He didn't know what to do with these! As if in response, he was suddenly assaulted by 2 lances. They were the more showy variety, used for jousting, painted with red stripes. They attached themselves to his arms, and shrank to fit his size. With that he was done.
The fact that he had no legs anymore had kept him lying down, but now he was actually passed out.
***
"Esc..." He grunted, and slowly lifted his eyes. Though his vision was somewhat blurry after just waking up, he noticed that around his woolen bedstead was most of his small army. "Well, he's awake at least." one said. He was surprised to see so many near him, and attempted to voice is concern. "Esc. Escava....esc...ESCAVALIER!" It took him a moment to realize what was happening, as the language seemed perfectly understandable and natural to him. But that was NOT a normal thing for a human to repeat! He looked himself over. He had dearly hoped that was an illusion created by someone wicked while he was asleep, or at least a dream. He turned around in confusion, until he came over a certain blue humanoid creature...in shackles. He didn't quite know how to feel, but went over to her, floating on instinct. He stared at her for who knew how long. She quickly broke the silence that followed, sighing. "I'm sorry. But I didn't want to take the chance that you'd blindly say no. And I did tell you what was going to happen somewhat." Everyone in the room was confused, but it quickly turned to anger. "You turned our lord into a...a monster!" One unsheathed his sword and pointed it at her face. "Would you please listen for a moment?" She was quite annoyed now, though quickly went back to a more neutral state. "I said I would do something to help you live underwater. What did you expect, for me to put a bubble on your head or something? I realize I was keeping some things from you. But honestly, are you really that angry with what happened, lord Gregory? I can sense what things feel, and I can tell your heart isn't completely in it for this hatred of me." He looked himself over. He did look somewhat interesting. He had quite the weaponry and armor on him. He was surely quite formidable. But...he was human! He was...an old man, with a life comprised of lazying around his castle while everyone else did the work. "Esca...Escavalier." he said to her. "Oh, of course. Doing it temporarily is easy. Come over here." The men tried to keep her away, but found their changed leader coming towards her willingly. She touched him on the chest through her restraints. He spoke once more. "Hello. Oh, that's better." He said. "Alright. Now, I hate to say it...but she's right. I..." He sighed. "A knight is nothing without his honor. And I said that I would help her.
"I feel so...rejuvenated. Younger. She's trying to protect the sea from Groudon's army. I feel that I should help her. Unshackle her." Those near were hesitant, but did as they were told. "Thank you." she said, with a hint of sarcasm. "I...apologize if I can no longer be your lord. But, if being one entails so little, I feel that this is better." They all stood awkwardly, staring as their master was leaving. One spoke up. "...Sir?" He asked simply. His shelled master turned to him. "Yes, Wesley?" He stood to attention. "If you're leaving, I'm coming along."
"I think I will as well." Added Addison. "Where he's going, I'm going." Suddenly, everyone was swearing allegiance. Wesley came up to the front. "Princess, if I need to do what he's done, do it." They all decided to do this as well. Manaphy was exhausted by the time they were all finished. They all became creatures like Crawdaunt and Octillery. To help make them recognizable, she explained. "Wait, what about everyone else, like our wives?" One of the men, now a Clawitzer. "We'll...worry about...that...later." She fell into Gregory's bed, though he didn't especially mind. He turned to his merry band, which he could still somehow recognize. Things like scars seemed to transfer, so that probably had something to do with it. "Alright, uh, men. I feel somewhat exhausted still, and I assume you all are as well. Rest, however you do that now. We'll try to move out tomorrow. I...thank you all for doing this." They all replied with something to the effect of "'Tis nothing." He sighed, and went up in one of the towers, looking at the stars. He probably wouldn't see them very often where he was going, but he wouldn't worry about that right now. He would go back to doing what he loved, after so many years of nothing.
For once in a very, very long time, Lord Gregory of Dendemille (Though maybe his title would change soon enough) was really, truly happy.
. He wanted Escavalier, but couldn't think of any songs. You probably know that they aren't a requirement anymore, so it worked out. I hope you like it! I'd be pretty sad if you didn't.