Breakfast

Icarus awoke from his slumber with a startle, the nightmare fresh on His Highness’s mind. The encounter with The Prime Minister and The Captain of the Royal Guard the night before was taxing his consciousness much more than he was willing to admit, especially since unanswered questions were not something he was particularly used to. The Tyrunt rolled off of his mattress, accidentally sending his Dialga doll to the floor with his tail. Icarus yelped quietly as he carefully picked it up with his mouth and set it back on his bed.

The sound box was still playing the low-volume music station Icarus left on for white noise, so he walked over to the device to shut it off. Adjusting the nobs was slightly uncomfortable for the Tyrunt, given his short arms and clawed hands, but it wasn’t tiresome enough to consider a real bother. He glanced back at his unset bed and frowned. Without his butler, Jakob, around, he was going to have to tidy up his own room…

Did he really, though? No one else was going to see his room other than him. Jakob only cleaned it so he could stay busy, anyways. Such chores were not befitting of a Prince, and Icarus would only assign himself peasant work if it was absolutely, one-hundred percent necessary.

While pushing his door open with his head, Icarus wondered if any other students had arrived. Enough time had passed for all the accepted Pokémon to get their letters by now, surely. He could detect no new smells in the common area, and Melrose’s was still stale. The Pikachu was likely still sulking in her room, an assumption Icarus wasn’t inclined to prove correct. That would require showing an ounce of care for the pathetic little farm girl.

…Besides, she would be fine either way.

The Princeling’s stomach growled at him for a proper breakfast, and Icarus knew the Academy was compelled to feed him upon command. The Tyrunt left the student quarters and strolled through the castle, enjoying the ambiance the Academy brought with it. R.E.D. Academy’s architecture wasn’t too unlike Castle Drakkenburg, but it was just different enough to be a breath of fresh air. It was even nicer to get a moment to walk it alone, without the noisy Guildmaster or that irritating Melrose.

The dining area was just as empty as the rest of the Academy seemed, which was a little off putting to the Prince. Thankfully, no one was around to see him jump out of his scales when a loud crash echoed from the kitchen. Icarus’s tail flicked as he hurried over to where the sound came from; unsurprisingly, it was those ditzy waiters from dinner.

The Pansear was hopped up onto a counter as water from an oversized cauldron was spilling all over the floor. “Ugh, this is a disaster!” She cried out, picking up her tail with her hands so it didn’t get wet. “How did we even manage to screw this up so bad?”

The Panpour sighed as he began cleaning the water, grabbing a mop and pushing the liquid into the surrounding drainage systems. “Relax, Pepper… It was just an accident.” He gave her a dopey smile as he mopped, but the agitated fire type was having none of it. She sent an Incinerate towards her friend’s face, and he barely dodged the swirling flame. “C’mon, don’t be like that…”

“I’ll be however I want to be, thank you!” Pepper growled as she started to punch the counter below her, throwing a monkey-style tantrum. “You and Basil just screw around and make us seem like culinary catastrophes!” The Pansear spat another Incinerate, this time at the floor. Some of the water immediately evaporated from the heat.

The Pansage, who up to this point had stayed completely quiet, started to break down into tears. “I-it’s m-my fault… I sp-spilled the tea! N-now, I’ve spilled the s-s-soup starter… What’s wrong with me!” They covered their eyes and cried out, wailing even while the Panpour placed his hand on their back. The other two watched as their leafy friend collapsed to the floor in the fetal position, laying in a puddle of their own kitchen accident.

“Dammit, Mint, do something!” Pepper gestured wildly at Basil. “How are the two of you supposed to get this mess cleaned up when they’re sobbing and you work at the pace of a snail?!”

“Ya know… you could help out…” Mint frowned up at her while helping Basil back to their feet.

“What? And risk getting WET? Not a chance.”

Icarus finally cleared his throat loud enough to get everyone’s attention. Each Pokémon freaked out in their own unique way; Pepper shrieked, Mint dropped the mop, and Basil knees wobbled as if they were standing in an Earthquake– before they all stood at attention. The little Prince gave a perplexed expression before shrugging it off. “I suppose the Sous Chef still hasn’t arrived yet, hmm?”

Basil sniffled slightly as they attempted to answer, but the words got stuck in their throat.  Seeing his friend struggling, Mint sighed. “Yes Sir, you’re right.”

“It’s easy to tell. You’re all complete disasters without a head of the kitchen.” Icarus gave a particular look to the water on the floor. “I’m not exactly surprised.”

Pepper growled, “What’s that supposed to mean, you little punk?” Mint and Basil both gasped up at their counter-bound friend, whose face grew completely flushed once she realized what she just said. The Pansear covered her mouth and bowed her head. “I’m so sorry, your majesty!” She uncovered her mouth to speak sweetly, her tone sounding nothing like before. It was as if she transformed into a little girl, or some playful damsel. “Please, forgive me…”

“I’m not in the mood to correct your behavior. I just want to know when I can expect to be served breakfast.” Icarus grumbled, and the three Pokémon looked amongst themselves.

“Tee-Hee! Don’t worry, I can’t make you something. What would you like to be served, my liege?” Pepper giggled as she clapped her hands together. “Anything to make up for my ungrateful outburst from before!”

The façade was palpable, but the shift in attitude was appreciated by the peckish Prince. “I’m craving a Tamato Berry omelet. You couldn’t possibly mess that up, could you?” Tryunt gave a sly smile, enjoying the look on Pepper’s face as her eye twitched.

“Hehe! Nope, no way! I’ll have that right up!” Pepper looked down at the floor to try and avoid hopping into the still present puddle. After some searching she found a route, and Icarus watched as she left to retrieve the ingredients. With Basil now distracted from his misery, they and Mint were able to get back to mopping up the kitchen.

The Prince watched them work for a few seconds before stepping through the puddle to look down at the Pansage. They squeaked and tucked their face away, and Icarus couldn’t help but laugh. “At ease, butler. I was actually wondering if you could prepare me some tea with my breakfast.” They looked up at him, completely surprised by the request. “This time, I’ll let you know what tea I desire. That way, you couldn’t possibly screw it up. Cheri Berry is my favorite.” Basil blinked a few times– “Quickly, now!”

The Pansage nodded as soon as Icarus had barked the order at them. “Y-yes, your highness!” They hurried over to the dry storage with an excited smile on their face, eager to redeem themself. Icarus couldn’t help smiling himself, but when Mint gave him a coy look– the Dragon Pokémon growled and stormed out of the kitchen.

The large dining table was still completely empty, which Icarus was decently used to. It was rare for him to eat with anyone other than his Father, and the two of them usually spoke very little, especially after the Queen’s passing.

Icarus sat upon the same chair as the night before and glanced around at the extravagant decor. Without anyone to talk to, thoughts of the nightmare began to encroach on him. The worst part about the dream was none of it made any sense; all the parts failed to connect in any meaningful way. The clearest segment he could remember was the moment that startled him awake, which was… hardly that scary. He was looking up at the sun– right at its blinding light, before it suddenly disappeared. The darkness didn’t appear at once, though. It almost seemed to crawl towards him, and once Icarus was grabbed by shadows…

“L-Lord Icarus,” Basil approached the table with a kettle and tea cup. They placed everything down carefully, but were still shaking badly. They reached for the kettle to pour, but Icarus stopped him.

“Don’t do it until you’re ready.” Icarus commanded. “You’re shaking like a leaf, which means you’re very likely to spill it again.” The Tyrunt watched as the Pansage slowly backed away from the table, looking ashamed once again. “Do you always tremble like that?”

Basil opened their mouth, hesitated, then closed it again. Icarus turned away from them, inspecting the tea set to give Basil some peace from his stares. It was very ornate, replicating the vintage cups that Sinistea were drawn towards. Now that his eyes were away from the butler, Basil started to speak.

“I don’t want to bother you with my humble backstory…” Basil attempted to laugh their nerves away, but hushed up when Icarus looked at them. That’s when the Prince realized something, and wanted to prove his hypothesis.

“It’s alright, you can tell me.” Icarus removed his gaze from the Pansage once again. “I asked about it, didn’t I?”

Basil took a moment, “M-my father was always so insistent that I get on well with the upper class.” They sighed quietly into their chest before continuing. “ That’s why I trained to be a butler, so I could bring my father the wealth he was always so adamant he deserved… However…” Basil reached for the kettle and started to pour the hot water into one of the cups. Their hands were steady. “The day after I graduated training, Father brought me to a party filled with aristocratic Pokémon. To simplify, I made a fool of myself in front of everyone.” They grabbed the tea bag and gently placed it in the hot water. “Sugar?”

“Yes.” Icarus nodded his head, still avoiding eye-contact with Basil. “Three spoonfuls, please.”

Basil did as they were told, adding the sugar to the steeping elixir. “Personally, I prefer honey. Though, it’s a bit harder to get these days…” Basil laughed quietly, now enjoying the conversation. “The cost of everything seems to be going up. Even the Academy is struggling to hire and keep sufficient staff.”

“Not to remain pessimistic, but I’ve noticed.” Icarus growled. “That wasn’t a jab at you and your friends, by the way. It just feels like nothing is being taken seriously around here.”

“It is rather unfortunate that all these issues seem to be taking place the year you’re admitted into the school.” Basil sighed. Despite the frown in their tone, it was nice to hear them speak without that nervous stutter every few words. The Pansage removed the sufficiently steeped tea bag and placed it on the tray. “Careful, Sire, it’s still hot.” Their tail swished happily as Basil picked up the tray and returned to the kitchen with all the supplies.

Icarus looked down at the cup. “There, that wasn’t so hard, was it?” The Tyrunt mumbled to himself.

It wasn’t much longer before Pepper left the kitchen with the Prince’s omelet. It smelled delicious, urging the Tyrunt’s stomach to howl once again. “Bon appétit!” Pepper sang as she twirled into placing the plate on the table. “It was an honor to make it for you!”

“Sure it was,” Icarus grumbled as he started to gobble up the food. He could feel Pepper giving him the stink eye, but the amount the Prince cared was slim at most.

“Don’t expect personal breakfasts like this when the semester starts, m’kay?” A bit of her actual personality started to slip through again. “Once all the students are present, things are going to be seriously different around here.”

“Would you buzz off? I’m trying to eat.” Icarus snorted. Pepper balled her hands into little fists before scurrying off.

Icarus was quick to finish the omelet, and it was as delicious as it was perfectly spicy. The Tyrunt burped while he was still alone in the room, and slowly started to drink his now cool-enough-to-consume Cheri tea. Such a pleasant morning was welcome after last night’s shenanigans.

“WHOA! I can’t believe we’re really here, Xavian!”

Well, it was pleasant.

A Pikachu burst into the dining hall, an Axew trailing behind him. “A fated hero arrives on the scene. A new chapter of his life is beckoning, and this Academy is the ideal setting for Adventure! New Friends! Challenges–” The Axew nudged their very excited friend and pointed towards the Tyrunt glaring at them from across the room. The Pikachu gasped and hurried over to him. “I see we weren’t the first to arrive! Good morning, fellow Seeker of Education!”

The Axew blushed and hurried over, bowing their head. “My sincerest apologies, Your Majesty.”

The Pikachu’s eyes widened to the size of saucers. “Your Majesty? Xavian–” He leaned in close to his friend. He was speaking in a hushed tone, as if he was trying to whisper, but his volume was exactly the same as his speaking voice. “So, this is that Prince you were telling me about?”

“Yes, this is The Prince Icarus Excaliburn Drakkenburg The II, Heir to the Adstronian Empire.” Xavian grumbled. They were actually speaking quietly, but the two of them were so close to Icarus that it hardly mattered how loudly they were talking. “So, could you please behave yourself for five minutes ?”

“Hello, Prince Icarus Drakkenburn! I am Owin Thunderstrike! Chosen Hero of Lightning!” The Pikachu laughed and held his paw out for a handshake. Icarus didn’t return the gesture, so the Pikachu… very awkwardly placed his hand behind his head.

“It’s Drakkenburg.”

“Right! Right… of course.” Owin smiled bashfully. Xavian’s face was in their hands. ”Drakkenburg… That’s what I said, isn’t it?”

“Ah! There you two are!” Zephyr flew into the dining room after them. “Adeline told me she had sent you this way.”

“Good morning, Headmaster Zephyr.” Xavian bowed their head again, this time towards the Flygon. “We arrived just a few minutes ago. Miss Adeline said we could wait here for some breakfast.”

Zephyr nodded his head, “I’ll ask the chefs to make you both something! It shouldn’t take long–” The Headmaster started to fly towards the kitchen, but was halted by Icarus standing suddenly.

“For F– You can’t just fly in here like everything is–” Icarus took a deep breath. “Guildmaster. What of that Litten you were so worried about last night?”

“Oh, Xander? Yeah, he’s fine.” Zephyr laughed. “I learned about his whereabouts last night. He’s safe and sound in one of Constealla’s Inns!” He turned back towards the Kitchen, but stopped again when he heard the Prince snarl.

“And you haven’t bothered telling his friend that everything is okay?! She was worried sick last night, you imbecile!” His tail lashed from rage. “Have you no sense of urgency when it comes to the mental and physical safety of your student body–”

“Hey hey hey! Calm down, Icarus! Of course I told Melrose!” Zephyr laughed nervously. “I let her know this morning, before you woke up. She’s at the hotel with him right now, hanging out. Weren’t you wondering where she had gone?”

Icarus felt his stomach sink to his feet and his face heat up like the very tea kettle Basil poured their hot water from. The room went silent, and every Pokémon inside it was now staring at him. The Tyrunt could hardly take it. Without another word, he rushed out of the dining hall– his heavy footsteps trailing off as he sprinted for his room.

Owin blinked a few times. “Haha! That was weird!”

Zephyr rubbed the back of his head and chuckled softly to himself, the smile on his face growing ever so slightly. “Yeah, it was… wasn’t it?”