Faernia and Eris: two great civilizations ruled by fairies and dragons respectively. Rune, the Oshawott crown prince of Eris, is tasked with revitalising a peace treaty to prevent war between the two planets. He is thrust from a comfortable life of...
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"What is this?" Ariala whispered, her eyes wavering upon the sight before her. After half a day's worth of travel by Ponyta and cart, her and her small army had reached the Stardust Treasury. They weren't exactly there yet, but the landmark was in sight, less than ten minutes away. The land it stood on brought Ariala near to tears.
A torrent of emotions flushed over her, confusing her on what to think. Even though it defied all logic, the fields and colours of nature stopped dead. There was literally a line dividing the two parts of the planet, one half having grass, hedges, trees, and all other forms of nature, whilst the other half was a colourless wasteland covered in grey, dust, and cracks. The only visible landmark was the Stardust Treasury itself, an enormous rectangular box that was as tall as a city.
"This is the edge of the Tapu's domain. The blessings granted by their terrain stop here, so nature is left to its own rules. Of course, our current technology physically affects nature, so everything outside of the Tapu's domain fails to function," Vincent said. He stared at the blank distance coldly, squinting at something. "This is where the Pokémon that don't worship the Tapu live, outside of their influence."
"Where the protesters live," Ariala said. She slowly shook her head and focused her grip back on Naomi, to which the Ponyta nodded and galloped on their way. "This structure is roofed over. Is the entire city indoors?"
The giant structure looked more like an ancient ruin of some kind, being made of perfectly square stone blocks of the same, colourless material that the planet was made from. No marks or decorations were anywhere across it, but it was being held up by thick iron bars like a prison cell.
Those iron bars ran all the way around it, hiding a single entrance where there was enough space for a Pokémon to fit through. There wasn't enough room for the carriage to go through, so they left it there – the other carriages parked outside implied it was okay to, anyway.
Inside was more pleasant than expected. The uplifting life that filled the Tower of the Tapu was present here on a far greater scale it seemed, as many more Pokémon filled the streets and paths than the group had ever seen. The buildings that lined the city were of inconsistent quality, from straw hut cafes that were a single room, to enormous skyscrapers covered with flashy logos and neon shop signs. Amongst the buildings were convenient overpasses, footbridges that crossed over central roads. Some were so high up that they ran right beside some of the skyscrapers.
"Hey Ariala, how're you holding up? If it gets too loud, let us know, okay?" Nier distracted Ariala for a moment.
Until then, she hadn't noticed the jovial festivities sounding out around her. There were street performers that danced and sung, and muffled conversation from hundreds around. Now that she was paying attention, there was a mixture of delicious aromas that came from the many food stands around that made her feel hungry, even though she had eaten well for breakfast already. Curious still, she approached one of the straw stands, eying its displayed selection.
