LUNA

Luna Love wasn't sure whether or not to call it a victory. She had received the news the day after the fight that Slateport had lost no men, just as her brother had miraculously predicted, yet the Brightflame army had captured Swampert. She knew that with his new hostage, Carlos Brightflame would demand a king's price for the safe return of a king's Spirit Pokémon. What should he ask for? Territory? Gold? Goods? Slaves? She shuddered as she realized the unspeakable crime of slavery might be the price she would have to pay for her son's life.

He is a king, I will have him safe no matter the price.

Chris Marsh was also her son, and suddenly the acting Queen of Slateport faced a terrible choice. Should it come to slaves, would I send off a hundred, a thousand mothers' sons for the sake of my own? She wished none of this had ever happened.

The hard life and guilt of a Queen's responsibilities was left at the Marsh's wooden hall today. She would hear no cases, listen to no pleas, or give no judgment to the common folk today. She had deferred that task to Chief Granite, still waiting for the time to sail to Dewford with Princess Lily and Apollo's daughter, Hera. To her niece, Luna gave the task of organizing letters and requests for hearings for the following day. This day, Luna spent on the calm beach with young Lily, playing in the sands and the shallows.

Despite all her woes, Luna smiled at Lily's continued enthusiasm for the hatching of the Princess's Egg. The five year old had come up with a brilliant plan to bury the egg in the sand, only a sliver of its pale blue shell open to sunlight.

"A momma Swellow sits on her eggs," Lily had said so excitedly. "Nanna the Nursemaid says it keeps them warm and healthy, and makes them hatch quicker. I think today's the day!"

Luna smiled and went with her daughter to the beach when she said that, with Gardevoir the only company she needed in her stress.

Today was a bright day, and hot. A few puffs of clouds were seen in the sky, and each on reminded Luna of the day she had fallen in love with Sam Marsh. I remember we tried to determine all the Pokémon that they looked like. Now they all look like you, my love, she thought sadly.

Out on the horizon was a single ship sailing into the distance. Stubble was being taken to Petalburg City, as far away from the reaches of Ahab and Sootopolis's tyrannical navy. The thought of the boldness of the Glamour Empress was another thing for Luna to worry about. By all accounts, Stubble's tiny lifeboat was found in Slateport waters.

Has she finally run all the merchants and traders out of her seas? Does Sootopolis now want to devour us as well? After the ridiculous amount of taxes imposed on trade in the Eastern Sea, all the Merchants, or at least the ones who would rather keep their earnings and their heads, had moved into trade in Slateport. The "Forsaken Islands" of Mossdeep and Evergrande were seldom heard from anymore, as few sailing vessels dared to brave Empress Glamour's waters.

There was a glimmering in the water near the ship in the distance as it gradually shrank into the blue horizon. The hot sun made many dancing images appear to the mind's eye.

"Mama, come play in the water!" Lily called out.

Luna smiled, "Sweetling, I'm watching your egg so that I may call you up here when it finally decides to hatch." She looked down at the pale blue egg, the sliver of shell to be seen through the sand had shrank as if the egg itself was digging farther under the beach. The hot weather truly did play tricks on the eyes.

Suddenly, a splash of cool spray hit Luna's face. She spit out the bitter saltiness in shock only to find Lily standing in the waxing and waning waves, with laughter enough to calm a storm. "It is a great crime to disrespect your queen!" Luna called with a smile on her face, wiping the sea-water from her lips.

"It is a great fun to play with momma!" laughed Lily in response.

"Gardevoir, see to it that this young lady's insolence doesn't go unpunished!" Luna laughed as she stood up and puffed out her chest.

The tall graceful spirit Pokémon glided gracefully into the water and began using her Psychic abilities to turn the shallow waves into little soldiers, whose sole purpose was to tickle the young Princess into submission.

Luna smiled with a motherly pride as her chuckle soon turned into a girlish giggle. Lily's laughter rang off the water for what must have been miles. Joy of my life, my child, she thought as her eyes glowed. Your father should have stayed to meet you. Lily, thank you for being the beacon of happiness for me, when all my woes fill my head. If only Chris could be here to play with you this moment, instead of asleep from his wounds in Mauville. For a moment, Luna forgot all her troubles and woes. For a moment.

The little soldiers in the shallow water melted back into the tides as Gardevoir's attention was fixated at the ship that for some reason had sailed no farther since Luna had last given it a glance. Why are the mast and sails pointing sideways?

The only sounds to be heard was the sound of the waves slowly caressing over the sandy beach and Lily's laughter. "Gardevoir, why did you stop?" asked the young Princess. Silence was Lily's only answer.

Luna only saw the shadow dart underneath the waves, she had no time to warn Gardevoir. Salt and spray and surf showered the shallows where Luna and her daughter were. When the mist cleared and the water wiped from her eyes, a monstrous blue sea-serpent Pokémon was wrapped around the spirit Pokémon and squeezing the life from it. Gardevoir's eyes were flashing pink, but not even its Psychic powers could dominate the will of the Gyarados.

Lily screamed and tried to run out of the water towards her mother, but the water and sand were hard to get a sure footing, and the Princess slipped before she could make it out of the tide's line. Her little girl was crying now. Luna was already running for her child with a mother's instinct when she was knocked back from a blast of water from the vicious Pokémon's mouth.

What's happening? She thought to herself in a panic. Is it the breeding season for Gyarados? Luna tried to get back up and make another run for her daughter only to the same result: Gyarados had hit her with another attack, this time the force of the water hit her in the knee and she felt a sickening popping noise. Luna collapsed instantly, unable to stand.

She stared at the scene before her: Gardevoir, being crushed like the prey of a Seviper; Lily, crying in fear of the suddenness and ferocity of the beast; and Luna, dragging herself with all her might towards the beach to hold her daughter, to protect her by any means necessary. She locked eyes with the Gyarados and it growled, a deep rumbling like the waves of a great storm.

Why isn't it doing anything else, just standing there? Luna was helpless and confused, but thankfully nothing more had happened. Perhaps Gardevoir's Psychic abilities were keeping the Gyarados at bay.

"Momma! Momma, I'm scared!" called Lily.

"Don't worry, my love! Everything is going to be fine!" But was it going to be? Luna had no idea if Gardevoir was indeed keeping Gyarados's primal urges in check. What if Gardevoir can't hold out? If she dies, then... Luna didn't want to even think about what it would mean for her family, or how Lily or Chris would understand when he woke.

She heard splashing along the beach. Someone is coming, they can help... Just hold on a little more, Gardevoir... "HELP!" she screamed, her voice broken in terror at the man running along the beach towards them. As he got closer, she saw that he had long black hair, and black whiskers along his face as if he hadn't shaved in weeks. Stubble? She thought. But he was on the ship... It made no matter to her.

Stubble stopped, wide eyed at the Gyarados, at Lily, and Luna. He was frozen, his face blank. This poor man has been through too much already. "I know it must be hard for you, but for the love of the gods please help us!" The tears were as salty as the waves washing down her cheeks and into the sand.

Stubble looked up again at the Gyarados, and began to slowly approach the scene. Yet as Stubble began walking towards Gyarados, the massive serpent didn't blast him as it had broken Luna's knee.

Instead, he lifted up little Lily, who held onto their savior close as if he were her long-dead father, and turned back towards Luna. "Thank you, oh thank you!" she said. "Get her out of harm's way, and run for help, I think Gardevoir can hold out a little longer. I... I can't move."

Stubble didn't even acknowledge her as she sat Lily down next to Luna. She reached out to hold her daughter's hand, she didn't know whether her daughter would ever see her mother again.

Before their fingers could touch, Lily was pulled back by her hair by Stubble, who instantly flashed a jagged sailor's knife at his belt. Lily was speechless, shaking and trembling from pain and shock. It was then that Luna realized that this man wasn't here to help.

"Who... why?" she asked, pleading to him with her eyes not to harm them. "I can give you anything please. Money, treasure, whatever it is you ask."

"You ask who?" excitement was dancing in Stubble's pupil. "As if you don't already know."

He held up the knife to Lily's throat. "I am Ahab." He yanked the blade across her daughter's neck, and blood sprayed all over the sand.

Luna screamed in anguish as her young daughter fell lifeless and bloody onto the beach.