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Alexandru rolled over in his bed, stretching his arms over his head as the sun hit his face.

He quickly got up, trampling over the clothes he left on the floor. They were dirty from working in the metal factory, so he had not cleaned them yet. Alexandru fell to the floor with a loud thud, angering the neighbors below. He swiftly picked himself up and threw the dirty clothes in his hamper; however, as he was about to put on his casual clothing for the day, there was a knock on his door. He wiped his brow off from sweating and walked toward the door. Some male Sylveons did not sport head ribbons, and he was one of them. The ribbons on his neck had shades of blue at the ends. His ears were dark blue, and his eyes were a lighter shade of blue.

This better not be Majhen complaining to me. I rarely ever make any noise, Alexandru

thought. As he walked through his small apartment, he put his paw over his nose as the smell in the air was rancid from rotting food. Alexandru struggled with his day-to-day life since he focused too much on work and pay his rent, either too late or too early, but never on time. He opened the door to see his downstairs neighbor, sporting a green tracksuit and smoking a cigarette with his arms crossed.

"What makes you think you can make that much noise in the early hours?" Majhen

asked. He was a Sylveon with dark pink ribbons and ears. He worked alongside Alexandru at the factory. His fur was scruffy and tainted with dirt.

"Sorry, I had just tripped over my work uniform. I did not mean to make that much noise.

I swear by it," Alexandru explained. Majhen huffed and scoffed, suspicious of Alexandru's explanation.

"Consider yourself warned. I'll see you tomorrow at the factory," Majhen then slammed

the door in Alexandru's face. Then he sighed, started getting dressed, grabbed his satchel, and walked out of his building. The city was bustling with people of his status running to work or running to get supplies. Alexandru was looking to get fresh baked goods, as he had nothing to eat at home. With his wage, the bread was the cheapest item, so he bought enough for the week. The nearest bakery was just a few blocks away, so he would be less likely to be robbed or harassed by beggars. The southern region of the country was not always like this, as the citizens of the Kingdom of New Victoria used to have more access to stabilizing their income. Despite the stable economy of the country, the royal family hides money from its citizens. Most of the money is given to nobles and the royal family. It was because of these laws that world peace was guaranteed.Alexandru had a sigh of relief as he made it to the bakery and was happy to see his only friend, Zals. He was a green-colored Sylveon who owned the bakery named "The Crown Bakery." Zals looked up from the bakery counter as he heard the bell ring and suddenly had a wide grin on his face as he saw his favorite blue-colored Sylveon.

"Alexandru! How long has it been?" Zals asked excitedly. Alexandru had a slight smile

on his face and nodded to Zals.

"My usual, Zals. Sorry about not coming in since about a week ago. I have had a lot

going on lately." Alexandru took a seat at the one table that Zals had in his bakery. Zals put fresh bread from the oven into a paper bag. He then took a sugar cookie behind the counter and handed it to Alexandru.

"Here you go, boss," Zals said, handing the bread bag to Alexandru. "You seem like

you're in a tough spot. Your usual is on the house, alright?"

"No, I owe you this time; you spotted me last time," Alexandru said, shaking his head.

He took out his coin pouch and handed what he had left to Zals.

However, Zals shooed Alexandru's gesture and yelled, "I don't need your coin!" Before

he yelled out again, he stopped himself, realizing that someone may have heard him. Another Sylveon in the bakery rushed out to tell a guard that Zals was being disobedient. Zals panicked and dragged Alexandru to the back of the bakery.

"Listen here, Alexandru. This is not your fault, but there is a reason I do not need your

money," said Zals. "Look, I'm about to tell you some secrets of our kingdom before I disappear. The world is not what it seems."

Alexandru jumped at the notion. "What do you mean by that?" he asked.

Zals breathed heavily, knowing he would not be around for much longer. "I have baked

for hundreds of nobles. They do not care about our well-being. All they want is control over our minds and body. You must look around, wake up, and realize something is amidst."

Despite Zals' ramblings, Alexandru nodded in agreement. "You speak of conspiracy,

Zals?" Zals grabbed Alexandru by the shoulders and slammed him on the wall.

"You do not speak of this encounter, but you must speak with the princess and say,

'Greens and blues are the nicest of hues.' You understand me, boy?"

Alexandru nervously nodded, feeling shaken about this new information. Zals hugged

Alexandru goodbye, and then he reached into a cabinet for a giant pot. Then he acted like a fool, putting it on his head and acting as if he did not know what he was doing.

Outside the bakery, he proclaimed, "Look at me, I'm a dumb guard!" A guard, who had

been informed of the situation, knocked Zals out with the butt end of his sword. He was picked up by surrounding guards after falling to the ground.

"Must have been a baker driven crazy. Looks like no treachery here," a guard said. "He

will be back once the court proves him to be sane." Alexandru walked out of the bakery with a loaf of bread and a cookie in a paper bag. Though he was not sure if Zals would work at the bakery again, he replayed the guard's words in his head as he walked home. Previous to this, he had seen a similar situation in which his previous foreman had been taken away the next day and replaced by another because he had become ill. However, he was not sure why Zals would be sent away. Maybe he was being spied on by the guards.

Finally, after Alexandru arrived at his apartment. Although stressed, he did his best not to

slam the door. He did not want another stressor. He also felt a sense of disbelief at what he heard from Zals. However, there was no sense of deception in his voice. Alexandru had one piece of information key to knowing if what Zals said was true. It was easy to remember since it rhymed. Alexandru knew he was short on free time, so he ensured that what he heard from Zals was true and that the princess, Silvia, was aware of the truth about the world. How he would get to the princess would be a challenge. However, he had little time to think about that as he got a knock on his door.

"Great," Alexandru sighed, painstakingly walking to the door. He opened it up, and to his

surprise, it was a guard.

"Alexandru Lupei?" the guard asked.

"Y-yes, that is me. Is there something wrong?" Alexandru asked, feigning ignorance. "Correct. You were coming out of the bakery as Zals Ajutor was having a meltdown,

were you not?" the guard asked, sounding serious. Alexandru froze, panting as if something terrible was about to happen. He figured they would jail him for a short time until his trial or be a witness for Zals' trial. He was not sure, so he kept feigning ignorance.

With the most confident tone of voice he could use, Alexandru said, "I-I do not have a

clue who he was or what he was talking about. Please, I would not betray this country." The guard chuckled, entertained at the idea of scaring Alexandru to think he was in deep trouble. However, he had other duties to attend to, as he was on a tight schedule.

"The royal court has declared that since you do not have a terrible record, and have

knowledge about the bakery, and was a good friend to Zals, you would be the one to deliver the baked goods to the castle," the guard explained. Alexandru had a sigh of relief.

Wait, the castle? I could get in contact with the princess! This is a great opportunity! He

thought to himself. He mustered up some words so he could respond to the guard.

"It would be my honor to do this for the royal family," he said calmly.The guard nodded

and gave Alexandru a scroll. It had instructions on entering the castle accordingly. If someone came tried to enter the castle grounds, the guards were commanded to arrest anyone who enters improperly. He prepared himself to deliver the baked goods to the castle. He did not know how he could meet Silvia, but he would figure that out once he got there. After some time, he arrived at the castle, which was in the north. Since he was far away, he had to take a caravan, which cost him a lot because of the long distance. He first stopped at the bakery, picking up baked goods that were the most fresh-looking.

After taking the caravan hours later, he arrived at the castle. It was magnificent, with

gleaming stained glass windows and rustic stone. Parts of the castle looked like they had taken hits from cannonballs from previous wars. However, it looked like it would take more than a war to take down the castle. Alexandru took a deep breath and gathered up the baked goods. He made his way to the front of the castle doors, which were made of dark oak wood.

He looked at the instructions they gave him before saying aloud, "The crown is all, and

all is the crown." At first, there was silence, but then the doors shuddered and open. Alexandru walked into the atrium and was yelled at as soon as he took a step.

"Do not step on the carpet! That is for royalty only, not a peasant like you!" someone

shouted from afar. Alexandru looked up and saw that it was King Korol, a red Sylveon. He immediately put the baked goods on a nearby table and bowed down.

"My great apologies, your majesty," Alexandru said softly.

"Rise, my child," King Korol commanded. "You are the baker who brought me these

delicious goods?"

"Y-yes, I mean, I am technically his apprentice and I am supposed to deliver the baked

goods to the royal family," Alexandru explained. King Korol took a gander at the baked goods and sniffed them.

"That smells good. Please go to the kitchen, which is down the right hall, and bring the

goods there, and help my servants," King Korol ordered.

Alexandru bowed again, but only slightly, and said, "Yes, your majesty." He took the

baked goods and hurried to the kitchen. Suddenly, a door opened in the hallway, and a beautiful, normal-colored Sylveon walked into the hall. She donned a crystal crown. Alexandru could not take his eyes off her. However, he had to shake off his admiration since he realized she was part of the mission. He had to give his respect first.

Alexandru bowed, saying, "My princess, lovely to meet you." However, the princess did

not hear him. She looked at him and realized what he was doing.

"The kitchen is down the hall. Please hurry," the princess said.

She almost went through another door to leave the hallway when Alexandru suddenly

said, "Greens and blues are the nicest of hues." The princess froze in her tracks.

She turned around and said, "We will expose The Kingdom for unpaid dues." Alexandru

had a curious look.

Was she supposed to say this? He asked himself.

"You must be the one that is helping lead the revolution. We must make haste, come with

me," the princess ordered. Alexandru bowed once more and said, "Yes, my princess." The princess whispered, "Just call me Silvia. We are equals as of today." Alexandru and Silvia walked separately to the kitchen, where some cooks and servants were working on their tasks. Silvia clapped her paws in a specific rhythm, and the cooks and servants all lined up, standing at attention.

"What is the next course of action, my lady?" one of the Sylveons asked. Silvia walked

back and forth along the line of cooks and servants. She was observing them as if she suspected someone to do something nefarious. She stopped in front of one of the younger Sylveons, who looked nervous.

"You there. Are you loyal to the cause?" Silvia asked in an accusatory tone. It shocked

Alexandru that the princess would do something that would be abhorrent.

Interrupting her, Alexandru asked hesitatingly, "Silvia, are you sure that a young servant

would betray you?" Silvia turned around and stared at Alexandru menacingly.

She snapped at Alexandru, shouting, "You will not question how I function. Once we

head out, you will listen to everything I have to say. I thought you were part of the movement."

Alexandru backed up, and stuttered, "I-I was thrown into this by Zals. He was my friend,

and he asked me to do this. I was not sure what I was getting myself into. I should take my leave." He gathered his things and attempted to leave. However, the others in the room blocked his path.

"It is too late, my child," an older servant said. She wiped her brow, as she was nervous

as well. She was a gray Sylveon with weary eyes and looked like she had been through many hardships. Alexandru turned around to face the servant, who spoke.

"Since the beginning, I have had to endure a lot of pain from the royal family. Korol was

hiding secrets, and he did not hide them well from anyone close to him. After all, he drunkenly revealed his secrets to me. I dared not to question what he spouted, but I kept it under wraps until I knew full well that I had support from someone I could trust. That is when I confided in the princess, and she already knew what was happening. She believed in the cause."

Alexandru then went up to the servant, and then quietly asked, "What did he say?" She

looked down, attempting to recall what the king said.

"He said something like, 'I have fooled the population into a sense of eternal world

peace. It is bliss, but I need to ensure that no one will act out. If that happens, the kingdom will fall. So, I have been strict on the population of this nation ever since I have been in power. That is why your mother has been absent.' When I learned of this, I had a grim feeling she was at peace. However, I knew I would never see her again." The servant cried, and the other servants tended to her.

She continued after wiping away her tears, "That was a long time ago. And, my mother

took the fall for me. She was not a violent being. Korol does not know my true identity. I am the infamous Andreea, a former soldier." The servants and Silvia nodded in remembrance of the story that Andreea has told many times before. Then, Silvia climbed on top of the table in the middle of the kitchen.

"Thank you for that, Andreea. I will always appreciate your work. However, it seems we

are missing Zals. Will he be joining us later?" Silvia asked Alexandru.

"I am not sure. The guards took him after he told me about what was going on,"

answered Alexandru. Silvia sighed and somberly took her crown off.

"I am sorry to say this, but I believe we have lost a comrade. Please, before we depart, a

moment of silence for our fallen friend, Zals." Everyone, including Alexandru, took off their caps or bonnets and prayed. Then, Silvia put her crown back on and climbed down to the floor.

"We have lost precious time, but it is not as much of an issue as we had to catch you up.

What is your name, friend?" Silvia asked.

"I am Alexandru Lupei. I will do what I am asked so that we can save the people of this

country," Alexandru responded in a valiant tone.

"Very well, Alexandru. Everyone here, prepare for New Dawn," commanded Silvia. The

servants and cooks nodded and transformed some of the equipment in the kitchen into weapons, as well as other helpful tools for their tasks. Alexandru was surprised, as he saw that several objects in the kitchen could easily become weapons. He figured that was why Zals was also a baker since it was easier to hide weapons in a kitchen or a normal-looking business.

"Alexandru, I will pretend you are my assistant now, and I have hired you as a servant.

We will head outside of the country to proceed with our plan. Understood?" Silvia asked.

Alexandru nodded, saying, "I will do what it takes. For you, for the people, and

Zals."Silvia smiled and walked out of the kitchen. Alexandru followed her and felt overwhelmed, but content that he was part of a group that could make a difference in millions of citizens' lives.

New Dawn, he thought. That is a fitting name for our group.