Athena is greeted by an unwelcome visitor.
For Dainty September prompt: Fashion
Characters: Athena, Gucci, Pandora
Warnings: Mentions of past assassination
Wordcount: 3,468
Vibe: fashion but make it high stakes
AN:
hi i literally just woke up and was hit by the colress pokemas reveal like a bus. so excuse me if this authors note is more incomprehensible than normal
yes the title is a moro arrange again
uhhhh yea. pheromosa empire is very obsessed with fashion and beauty so was a good first prompt lol
on that note to dainty mods if u are here: hi
athena is in a world that’s a hybrid of ultra space from the pkmn series and an original setting. its a mess. i like to use species prompts to further the story in snippets so if this is a bit story heavy sorry lol
ok have fun ill upload a bio for coco later maybe
Another quiet night in the palace.
As it usually was.
At least the silence was no longer an eerie one – ever since the peace resolutions with the kingdoms that the Queen marked as threats, it felt as though her soul had finally been put to rest.
And Athena could finally relax.
It was odd, being set to become the queen of a kingdom of bug people despite not being a bug person, but Athena didn’t mind. The Queen was like family to her, and so were her subjects.
As Athena relaxed in the baths under the desert moon, her worries for the upcoming coronation and reinstatement of the Grand Pheromosan Pageant practically melted away.
That was, until an untimely visitor barged in.
“LADY ATHENA!!”
Jolted out of her tranquil state, Athena spun around with a splash to see a palace attendant, who looked rather concerned.
She knew her privacy – especially when relaxing in the baths – was held with utmost importance. So seeing such an untimely disruption… something had to be wrong.
“What’s wrong?” Athena asked, doing her best to maintain her calm composure.
In reality, she was freaking out – after everything she’d done, did there really have to be another pressing issue?
“The princess… the FORMER princess…” the attendant mumbled, as they were obviously in a panic.
“The Queen’s birth daughter? Who went missing years ago?”
Athena didn’t like where this was going.
“She’s alive! She’s here! She’s… threatening hostages with her scary human partner…”
So as quickly as she could manage, Athena threw on a robe and rushed out with the attendant to the palace’s throne room.
There, the situation was exactly as described – a human dressed in black was keeping guards at bay with a crossbow-like weapon, while a pheromosa that bore the royal coloring sat on the throne.
“This is completely unnecessary.” Athena huffed, locking eye contact with the formerly missing princess.
“Couldn’t you have like, knocked? It’s like you’re trying to stage a coup in here.”
“I am simply taking back what is rightfully mine – but it would appear the palace guards weren’t keen on the idea.” the former princess said, crossing her legs and leaning in Athena’s direction.
“Well, OF COURSE! You came in with an armed partner, and while I don’t want to be one to make assumptions, it really looks like she’s threatening the guards in the corner.”
“Pandora’s methods may be unconventional, but that’s besides the point.” the former princess replies, before standing up and pointing Athena’s way.
“I am Gucci, the rightful heir to the throne! I’ve learned a great deal since my so-called ‘disappearance’, and I’ve decided it’s time for me to redistribute that to the rest of the kingdom!”
Athena simply groaned. This was becoming a headache.
“Look. Look. Ok.” she started.
“We can sort this out… later. It’s late, and I was just about to head to bed. I’ll grant both of you a place to stay here if you promise not to do anything stupid, and we can discuss in the morning.”
There was silence from Gucci, but the human – Pandora – lowered her crossbow and spoke up.
“That sounds alright to me.”
And with nods to each other, Gucci slicked back her antennae.
“Alright, we can compromise on that for now. Be prepared for talks in the morning.”
Athena directed the shaken guards to take Gucci and Pandora to a guest room, and by the time they were out of earshot, she let out the biggest, most frustrated sigh she could manage.
“Just when I thought things were becoming stable after so long…” she huffed, as her attendant came to her side to comfort her.
“I’m confident you’ll do the right thing, Lady Athena.”
–
Athena had a hard time falling asleep that night, as her mind was racing.
Why?
Why would she so suddenly come back?
Keeping the chaos under control before the peace resolutions had already been enough of a strain. She thought she had already done enough to ‘prove’ herself as a leader then.
But now…
Athena was abruptly awoken by a voice outside her bedroom’s doorway.
“Lady Athena? Are you awake?” the same attendant as before spoke softly.
Athena just groaned groggily, stretching.
“Is it important?”
“It’s… the visitor. She’s here to see you.”
“Tell her I need at least 20 more minutes.”
“She’s… here here, Athena.”
“Fine. Let her come in.” Athena replied with a defeated sigh.
Athena sat up, as she could hear the tarsi of the attendant and the visitor click on the marble floor.
She rubbed her eyes as Gucci faced her – and it became truly evident how imposing she was. She had the Queen’s height, after all – which made her tower over the attendant and Athena. And while this seemed comforting and protective from the Queen, the energy from Gucci was… different.
“Did you sleep well?” Gucci asked, sitting on a chair Athena kept by her bedside.
“Barely.” Athena mumbled.
“I wonder why that would be.”
“I apologize for how disruptive my partner and I were last night. I had gotten so used to the lack of light in Megalopolis that I lacked the hindsight to remember this place still had light during the day.”
“Uh huh…” Athena replied, not entirely buying Gucci’s excuse. Though one thing did spark her interest.
“You were in Megalopolis? The central city?”
“Yes. It was a combination of not feeling suitable for my role, as well as distaste for how isolated this kingdom is. I wanted to see more of the world.”
“So…” Athena started, looking confused.
“If you feel that way, why are you trying to claim the throne? It doesn’t make any sense to me.”
“In all honesty, it was more Pandora’s suggestion. However, as I said last night… I feel as though the skills and change in outlook I learned in Megalopolis would benefit this kingdom en masse.”
“And you really think they’d listen? Everyone has been so relieved things have been calmer and back to normal, I’m not sure if they’d be receptive to a whole new game plan…”
“I will make it work.”
“But you don’t know this kingdom like I do! The people here are like my family, you just up and abandoned them!”
Athena was starting to get emotional.
“You abandoned her!”
There was a pause as Gucci thought.
“I hadn’t anticipated this much pushback…” she said with a sigh.
“I don’t suspect you’d ever be willing to hand over power that easily.”
“Not in a million years, not to someone so out of touch with their people.”
“What if… we bargained on it?”
Athena’s distress turned to confusion.
“What?”
“I have something you want, but you don’t know it. Perhaps we can make a game out of it, so as to not cause unrest amongst the citizens.”
“I don’t like to gamble with things. Just tell me what you mean.”
“I know who killed the Queen.”
It hit Athena like a shockwave. She gripped her nightgown skirt tightly, as to restrain herself from saying anything she’d regret.
What was Gucci trying to do?
Athena took a breath to speak, but was interrupted by Gucci.
“I’m sure this brings up a lot of questions, but please save them.” she said.
“My idea was a glorious fashion battle, with the throne as the prize. It would be enough to distract from the inner politics of this whole issue.”
“And why would I agree to something as silly as that? Is defending my role the only reason I’d agree?”
“I’ll reveal the killer with your victory and allow you to continue on. However, in the case that I am voted the winner, you will rescind your title and I will take the throne.”
It was a difficult decision, though Athena felt she didn’t have much of a choice.
She had to win.
She had to know.
Athena let out a defeated sigh, and extended her hand to Gucci.
“I suppose… it’s a deal.” she said, in an uncharacteristically serious tone.
“Let the reinstatement of the Grand Pheromosan Pageant be a show for the legends – keep in mind though, I don’t intend on letting you win.”
Gucci just nodded, and shook Athena’s hand in response.
–
So, the preparations began.
Once word rang out of the castle, the hype and gossip amongst citizens commenced.
‘The battle of the century’, they called it, with the highest stakes of any pageant the kingdom had ever seen.
While many remained undecided and wanted to judge solely based on the looks presented, some took to standing by either side with a die-hard dedication.
Some believed that Athena had better charisma and passion for a leader, while others saw Gucci’s return as a ‘sign’.
Nonetheless, the pressure was getting to Athena.
She designed buildings, not clothes! And with a competition of fashion like this, Athena had to pull out all the stops.
She’d been contacted by various designers, offering to design for her – but Athena feared possible intentional sabotage.
Out of the people Athena could trust, the socialite was too busy, her girlfriend emphasized function over fashion, and the scientist had no taste whatsoever.
It was hopeless.
“Lady Athena?”
The familiar voice spoke with an air of concern.
“Come in.” Athena replied, as she sat with her head in her hands, amongst a pile of clothing.
As the attendant stepped into the room, the look of concern on her face only grew.
“You hadn’t left your quarters all day, so I got worried… is everything alright…?”
“I’m stuck.” Athena sighed.
“I have no ideas and there’s only a few days left… all the work I’ve done for the people here will be as good as gone once Gucci kicks me out.”
“Athena…” the attendant replied.
“You know you can ask for help, right?”
“I know, but…” Athena sighed.
“I’ve heard whispers of terrible things about me. That this is ‘finally a chance’ to get rid of me…”
Athena was cut off by the attendant.
“Don’t say that! Just because some have rotten things to say doesn’t mean they’re true!”
“Mm, it’s just been making me paranoid, you know? I’m not sure if those offering help have good intentions or not…”
“I understand. This entire situation is… incomprehensible. I don’t understand how Gucci and her human partner can hold the entire kingdom hostage so easily!” the attendant huffed.
“I wish I could help, but I’ve never shown my creations to anyone before…”
“Wait, what?” Athena said, caught by surprise at the attendant’s final statement.
“You’re… a designer?”
“Well… I’m not sure if I’d call myself one. It’s mostly a hobby in my free time, I’ve told anyone about it before.” the attendant replied, seeming a bit flustered that Athena was interested.
“Please! Can you show me? …If it’s not too much trouble.”
Sheepishly, the attendant nodded and motioned for Athena to follow her to her studio in the palace.
After a short walk, the two arrived, and the attendant nervously slid open her studio apartment’s door.
The lights were off, and it was tough for Athena to see anything until the attendant pulled a string to turn on a floor lamp.
And all of a sudden, the room lit up – and not just because of the lamp. The light refracted by crystals bounced across the room, manifesting as colorful speckles on the walls and floor.
The studio was a bit of a mess, with fabric, tools, and gemstones strewn about. But at the center of it all, was a dress that shone a brilliant purple-blue. Large chunks of crystal made up the skirt’s hem, with a single shoulder strap being covered the same way. On top of the mannequin, a crown made of the same crystals was balanced carefully.
Athena’s eyes lit up.
“This is AMAZING! You made this, all in your free time?!”
“Well… yes, though this was a bit of a special occasion thing…” the attendant replied, flustered by the compliment.
“I wanted to make you a gift for your coronation, but then this whole mess came up…”
With a newfound confidence, Athena put her hands on the attendant’s shoulders.
“We can always repurpose it! After all, there’s a competition I need to win.”
“R-really?! You think it’s that good?”
“Of course, why would I lie about something as beautiful as this! You really have a talent, you know!” Athena said with a smile.
“I think it could maybe use a glittery sheer shawl, but this is perfect!”
After mumbling incomprehensibly for a few seconds, the attendant gathered herself a bit.
“O-of course!! I’m so glad you think this is worthy of such an honor… I’ll get to completing the finishing touches right away!”
“Alright! I guess that leaves me to work on my posture and posing, then.” Athena said brightly.
“Oh, though I do have a question.”
“Hm?”
“So… I know names aren’t really a ‘thing’ amongst pheromosa… but Gucci named herself when she went to Megalopolis. I was wondering if… you had some kind of ‘designer’ name for yourself?”
“Oh, that’s a good question… when you first arrived here, it got me thinking about it a bit, but I thought it was silly.”
“I don’t think it’s silly at all! What did you think of?”
“Well… I thought Coco would sound nice… it’s short and rolls off the tongue nicely, I think.”
Athena smiled warmly in return.
“Well, I guess we both have a contest to win, Coco. Let’s give it our all!”
–
After only a week, the hype that had built up around the event was ready to overflow – citizens of the kingdom, and even some outsiders let in the momentous occasion, were packed to the brim to try and get the best view in the large outdoor theatre.
The main event wasn’t until later, however – because this was the first pageant in almost a year, many designers clamored for their spots in the preshow.
All the while Athena sat waiting backstage.
Coco helped Athena get fitted, and the two rehearsed the planned routine.
“Are you nervous…?” Coco asked – it being glaringly obvious that Coco herself was panicking a bit.
“I was a bit earlier, but… knowing I teamed up with someone who cares as much and is as talented as you helped a lot!” Athena replied with a smile.
“I was born to do this kind of thing – I’m sure Gucci’s gonna have a run for her money.”
Athena had agreed to allow Gucci to walk first – it was a part of her plan, after all.
So, as the desert’s daylight had faded, and the stage lights were dimmed, the announcer spoke.
“It’s finally time for the main event of the night! A showdown of legendary proportions – will the missing princess return to her role, or will the peacebringer royal retain her role and reveal what we all want to know?!”
The crowd roared, and the music began once again.
“Having studied fashion from the Outside World in Megalopolis, going by the designer name of Gucci, it’s the mysteriously reappearing princess modeling her own outfit!”
The lights were rhythmically turned on to the beat of the music, lining the runway. When the lights illuminated Gucci, she struck a pose, and began down the catwalk.
She was wearing a massive bulky white puffer coat, which took up most of her silhouette. Her posture was serious, refined, sleek – her stride didn’t seem to be broken by the large coat at all.
She continued to vogue until the end of the runway, where she stopped in her tracks. She did a twirl at impressive speeds, before skidding to an abrupt stop – throwing off the coat to better reveal a shiny white pantsuit with minor crystal flairs.
The crowd cheered and awed, seeing that this fashion was clearly inspired by what Gucci had learned about the dimension beyond their own.
After posing for about a minute, Gucci returned down the runway, posing one final time before heading backstage.
Athena was worried.
Something as remarkable as outside world fashion seemed like hard competition…
But Athena had faith in herself and Coco.
She knew she could do this for her kingdom.
She knew she could do this for her Queen.
The lights went out again, and the announcer’s voice blared.
“The ever-charismatic princess Athena is here with a special never-before-scene designer, ‘Coco’! She’s here to get some answers – but will she be able to top Gucci’s distinctive style?!”
Lights on. Deep breath.
Her posture was very closed off at first, huddling the sheer-fabric shawl over her shoulders as it shimmered softly.
The crowd waited in anticipation, as Athena walked down the runway with a reserved posture – though her sly smile told a different story.
Upon reaching the midway point of the catwalk Athena stopped dead in her tracks. She paused for a moment, until…
Athena threw back her shawl, completely reversing her closed up stance. With all the spotlights on her, the crystal dress, refracted light brilliantly shined across the audience in a mesmerizing blue-purple hue.
She practically skipped down the rest of the runway, her hooves tapping rhythmically to the music. And as she did so, the glittering projected light danced as well.
The crowd was silent in awe, but broke out in excited cheers once Athena posed at the end of the catwalk.
And just as Gucci did, Athena returned backstage after her voguing was over.
“Alright – let’s get our votes in-!! You all have one hour, so don’t be slow if you want your voice to count!”
And so, for one hour, Athena sat in a state of pure anxiety.
She was confident she did a good job, but…
Did she do well enough?
Clicking of Tarsi could be heard outside of Athena’s waiting room.
She perked up a bit, expecting it to be Coco – though Athena’s stomach sunk into dread when she saw that it was, in fact, Gucci – followed by the human she had first appeared with.
“That was rather impressive.” she said.
Athena didn’t respond. She was frozen.
“I’ll see you on stage in 15.”
With that, Gucci left just as quickly as she came.
The next 15 minutes seemed to pass eternally fast. Athena was broken out of her trance by the announcer, who came by to call her up to the stage.
So, for now, Athena had to mask her fear – because while this could turn into a waking nightmare, this could also be the chance for justice she’d been waiting years for.
Gucci and Athena stood on opposite sides of the judge, joined by the human Pandora and Coco respectively.
“I think it’s going to be okay.” Coco whispered, a smile on her face – albeit a nervous one.
The announcer thanked everyone for voting, then pointed towards two large, crystal vases.
“It’s time to see once and for all – who this kingdom’s next queen will be!”
Soon after the announcer spoke, assistants sitting on scaffolding above began to pour a liquid into the respective vases – which caused them to light up, as it appeared to be the special water from the bioluminescent craters found beyond the desert.
It seemed impossibly close, with both vases filled completely to the brim…
Until the one on Athena’s side overflowed.
The crowd erupted with cheers, and Athena found herself crying by the time she was able to process what this meant.
Grabbing Coco, she twirled her around in a spinning hug, thanking her profusely.
“We did it! We really did it!” she said in between happy tears.
Gucci and Pandora were silent as the announcer congratulated both Athena and Coco – however, after the announcer was done, Gucci requested the voice amplifier.
“I congratulate Athena on defending her title – I suppose I don’t want to waste my time fulfilling my end of the deal.” she said with a nod.
“The one who killed the Queen…”
A deafening shot echoed out – the same sound as the day the Queen was killed – as Pandora pulled out a crossbow and fired into the air.
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