Many centuries ago the legendary pokemon of the world were not as they are today. No, long ago the great beings of the pokemon world lived side by side with mankind, unafraid and trusting of their intentions. Things were simpler back then. There were no evil machines out to catch pokemon and contain them for evil uses, no mechanisms to extract the power of the legendaries, only trust and companionship: the ideal.

In the land of Urael there lived a princess in a great castle. Her parents had left her in charge of her future kingdom so they could travel the world gaining knowledge of their fellow kings and queens of the lands. The princess held no fear for her parents' absence, for she had by her side a legendary companion who would protect her at all costs. As if that wasn't enough, her younger siblings were all about the castle and the royal guard wouldn't have let a joltik slip past them. The princess felt safe. For weeks she went about her duties, knowing full well what was expected of her. With the help of the legendaries that called the castle their home, the kingdom was peaceful and well sustained. All was well... or so it seemed.

One morning the princess saw through her window, a dark shadow seeping over the edge of the horizon. Though far in the distance and hardly noticeable at all, a terrible chill crept down her spine. She summoned a meeting with her brothers and sisters and the kingsguard. This shadow was an ominous sign, they all agreed, and while the king and queen were absent, it was the duty of the princess and those around her to find out the source of darkness and stop it, if need be.

+++++


The halls were quiet that morning, as they always were, but something was different about the silence this time. There seemed to be an ominous vibe settled into the deadened air of the early hours of the day. There were no birds wakening with the rising sun, for the sun's rising rays were not at all how they should have been. They were dampened and dimmed, not at all like the usual spring days that graced the lands of Urael. As the unsettling rays shone through the open balcony doors, Zokura opened her eyes, feeling colder than she should have ever felt this time of the year. As she sat up, rubbing her arms to push the chill from her flesh, she noticed the deep purples and blues of an icy hound drifting about in the wind. Suicune. Swinging her feet to the side of the bed, Zokura pulled a robe from a bedside hook and slid into her flaffy wool slippers. The chill that had made its way into her bones that night was not so easily departing it seemed. As the princess walked slowly to the open patio doors, she opened her mouth to ask the majestic pokemon what it was doing out on the veranda so early in the morning, instead of off purifying the nearby rivers and communing with the pokemon of the village as she usually was, but as she stepped out onto the pale stone, the words did not come.

Brushing the sky blue wisps from her eyes, she stood, silenced. A creeping fear slithering into her heart, a feeling of disturbance she had never felt before in her 26 years of life and wished she would never feel again. Managing to take a few steps forward to Suicune's side, she whispered, "There is evil here," and the icy hound nodded reverently, jaws tensed. Far across the lands, past the quiet city below, beyond the farmers fields, over the lush hills and thick woods, at the peak of the mountains at the lips of the horizon seeped a darkness unlike anything Zokura had ever seen before. The sky was pitch, like ink leaking out of some gap in the skies, bleeding into the morning air like poison eroding blood. Though miles away, Zokura could not have felt more cornered by the mass and her heart struggled to beat evenly, as if tampered with by some unearthly presence. She recollected her breath, her thoughts, and gathered up what words she could and again spoke, bravery struggling to cover the fear within her.

"Summon the guard. Wake my brother and sister. We meet in the counsellor's chambers in one hour." While the last of Zokura's words still lingered in the air, the cool wind of the hound's departure was already swirling around her, tussling wisps of her untamed hair. She lifted her gaze to the horizon once more, staring into the darkness. As she stared, she drew on every ounce of courage, calmness, and critical thinking she could find. All of her training as a leader was kicking in at last after her moments of shock and her sense of responsibility and purpose rushed through her veins. There was a darkness approaching her kingdom, and in the absence of her parents, she was the leader and protector of these lands. Today, she prove her worth or failure as successor to the throne.

+++++

The hour had faded from 5 to 6 and the skies were much brighter now; the darkness seemed to be drowned out by the growing light of the sun, as if withdrawing from the day's brilliance. Zokura bit her lip in wonder at this, and allowed herself to observe the horizon a short while longer before pulling herself away from the sight. She had bathed and dressed, her hair now pulled up and adorned with the crystals and silver tiara given to her at her coming of age. She brushed her hands down her elegant sky blue gown, smoothing out the wrinkles, and collected her Altaria Plume Shawl from her wardrobe to offer herself warmth and comfort throughout the eerie chills of the morning. She felt the presence of her companion moments before the pokemon leapt up to the balcony, taking its age old place at her side. She placed a hand on the cool, clue crystal headpiece of the creature, appreciating the smooth, reassuring texture she had grown so used to.

"You've given the word?" Suicune nodded and slowly pressed on, towards the wooden doors of the room. "Well, I suppose we should be punctual and arrive in time to welcome the members of the guard." She followed the legendary dog before her as they two of them made their way down the long halls of the Evenity Palace to a large, circular room, lined with columns, each carved to depict one of the great legendaries. The center of the room held a large round table with a beautiful, icy blue and white cloth spread across it: the colors of Zokura's mother's rein, as well as her own. At the head of the table, there sat a high backed chair fashioned out of gold and bronze. Zokura could recall a thousand times that she'd seen her father sitting in this very chair, in counsel with his private advisers. " Hmm," she realized at this memory, "did you by chance summon Sir Zion as well?" But Suicune was smiling sweetly and nodding before she finished her sentence. Zokura smiled back and felt a calm pool into her. Suicune had always had a calming effect on Zokura, making her a perfect companion for the princess's ever worrying personality. The pokemon was always close by to remind Zokura that she wasn't Arceus, and that perfection was not possible, yet she was well on her way to achieving what would have been closest. That was all she really wanted, Zokura, was to be as perfect a ruler as her mother and father, and one day she would indeed, of this she was sure.

It wasn't long after she had taken her seat at the head of the table that the sound of footsteps echoed down the hall. Blue eyes focused on the doorway, curious to see who the first arrival would be. Suicune sad nobly at her side, always cautious, always aware, but never apparently concerned.

For most of the castle it would be a slightly cold morning. For most it would be the case. However this was not the case for Alexander. He had the good fortune of a living blanket of fur. In this case he companion Entei or Big Dog if he was feeling the mood to poke fun at the wolf. The bed oddly was completely unused. Just like it had been for twenty two years. No matter what the temperature the young prince would always sleep on the floor with his companion. No matter what the two would be curled up on each other. This morning he was awoken suddenly by his friend.

"Suicine? " He grumbled figuring that would be the only thing to wake up Entei at this horrible hour. "Tell her I'm asleep. My sister is insane." He said trying to get back to sleep but Entei was being forceful. Alex got up grumbling. "Alright Alright. I'm up..." He said grabbing his robe and throwing it on. He and Entei walked off to the Councilor's chamber. He hated being this early. Everyone in the palace knew he was not a morning person. Entei gave a look of respect to his sister as they entered. "I would call the morning good but it's too early to decide that. So morning , Zokura. " He said taking his seat to her left like he always did. Entei sat next to him looking like a statue.

The day started early and ended late for Chau, even for the Royal Guard’s Head. To some it was unnatural, others simply thought he was a machine, but none would be surprised to find him up and about before the earliest sunrises. The human body was adaptable after all and even a few hours of sleep, given enough time to adjust, would prove enough.

---

While his responsibilities were never too far away, waking to the darkness before sunrise offered Chau freedom for a little while. He took a moment to stare at the shadows cast by the torches lining the walls of his room before finally getting out of bed. A window was opened to let some fresh air flow in, and stifling a yawn he looked to his companions. Gardevoir was still rousing, slow as usual, and blinking the weariness from her eyes. Gengar was already wide-awake and in his shadow, a paw protruding to wave at him before it withdrew. Having made sure they were in order, Chau looked to attend to himself; donning his usual attire and equipment, heading down to the kitchen, before finally beginning his daily exercise. Gengar tagged along as usual; Gardevoir was left to her beauty sleep, she had never gotten used to his strange schedule.

---

Sheathing his blade cleanly after a swing, Chau let out a deep breath before he glanced to the horizon again. The towering walls of the castle blocked his view, but he could feel the source of unease that laid past them and far off in the distance. While the first signs of sunrise had done a bit to ease the unpleasant sensation, and it had only dulled since then, it was still of grave concern. Whatever the cause was, Chau had little doubt it would be a threat to the kingdom, if only through its existence. That was how wrong it had felt when he first felt it wash over him mid-way through his exercises, causing him to freeze.

With a sigh, he turned to glance at Gengar who had left its usual ‘home’ when he begun the routine. It sat upon a nearby bench with an unhappy expression despite having devoured the portion of meat Chau had intended to eat. Evidently the sensation had not been limited to only him, his companion had felt it too. As he approached, it seemed to snap out of a reverie as it shook its head, looked at him, and then floated over to dive into his shadow. While normally he might have grumbled at his companion being a glutton, today it seemed to need that treat, so he bit into the cornbread without complaint. The other Royal Guards would be awake or awakening soon, and a change of plans was due. ‘Looks like Sorren is getting some work,’ he thought to himself as he began to make his way back to his room.

---

The pair of them only managed to leave the grounds when a familiar sensation touched Chau. His vision swam and the world seemed to twist itself on to a point ahead of him before everything snapped back to normal and Gardevoir had appeared. ‘Morning. Zokura called for a meeting in the counsellor's chambers. I suspect she expects you by the hour. The others will be there too.’ Her speech, or would it be thoughts, was curt and straight to the point as usual. It was rather sudden, but if it was to discuss whatever had happened this morning, and he figured it was, then Chau approved. While he would have liked to grab something more substantial to eat, amongst other things, they would have to wait. He would be hard pressed to reach the chambers on foot as it was, and so he nodded at Gardevoir.

“If you would?”

The world twisted once more, his vision went white, and then… pain. Teleport was an unusual ability, and from what Gardevoir had told him at the least, not meant for humans. Some people could endure it with only discomfort, but frankly he wasn’t one of them. He was a soldier though, pain was nothing new, and the conveniences of such an ability couldn’t be ignored. So even as he allowed himself to lean against the wall outside the chambers, trying to catch his breath, he smiled at her and gave his thanks. It didn’t do much to assuage the frown she had, but it was all he could give.

It only took him a few moments to regain his composure before he straightened out with a grimace; he’d be feeling that for the day. Pushing the pain aside, he smoothed out his clothes and fixed his appearance up as best as he could. At Gardevoir’s nod, he pushed the doors open and stepped inside quietly, closing them behind him. Noticing the two already here immediately, he quickly gave them a bow while Gardevoir did a curtsy at his side. “Princess Zokura. Prince Alexander. Good morning to you both.” Unlike the two, he didn’t take the Head’s seat at the table immediately. Instead, he positioned himself to the side of the door for the moment; taking the position two members of the Royal Guard would normally as he waited for the others.

As the sun rose across the distant horizon, Claire Faust rose from her slumber. Claire had always been an early riser ever since she was a child. At that time though, she had used it to mess with her siblings. Her pampered brothers and sisters were always late risers, and it was the perfect time to get revenge on them for whatever they had put her through the previous day. Of course, that always ended up with getting her in trouble with her parents. She didn't care though, the trouble she got into was totally worth it. Now, she used it for more substantial pursuits and went about her morning routine.

First she donned her armor. It would look to be a somewhat complicated process to anyone who was unfamiliar with the armor. It was simple for her though, as she had done it dozens of times until she could do it in less than a minute or two. She was a guard after all, it was her job to be prepared. As such, she sometimes slept in the armor as well if she had some duty or something to accomplish early in the morning. Next, she grabbed her sword and inspected it, making sure it was as sturdy as the day she first got it. Satisfied, she sheathed it and grabbed her shield. Satisfied, she looked about the room for her companion, Latias. The Legendary was nowhere to be seen, however. Which was odd, Latias would never awaken by herself before noon. Claire simply ignored it, as she was probably up to her usual shenanigans.

---

Claire took a deep breath as she took a seat on a bench, the grounds as lifeless as ever this morning, save for the Head Guard, Sir Chau and his Gengar on the opposite end. She said nothing to him, however. In all the mornings they both had trained here, she didn't think she had ever spoken to him once. She doubted she'd converse much anyways, she had better things to do than chat with the Head Guard. Dueling him would be fun, though she doubted she'd ever get the chance to do so. She unstrapped her helmet and sat it beside her, letting her body cool off a little from her morning work out, catching sight of a flash of red from her peripheral vision as she did so.

"And where have you been?" Claire asked without even looking to see who it was. It was obviously Latias. The legendary rarely parted with her, after she woke.

"Getting you something to eat, silly!" Latias said with a smile, holding out a sandwich in one hand with some iced water in the other. The package smelled faintly of some sort of berries and meat. Claire gave Latias a critical look before speaking.

"You were raiding the palace food stores again, weren't you?" Claire said with a sigh. A look of shock crossed Latias' face. "You know you could get into a lot of trouble for doing that. More importantly, I could as well."

"I-Why would you think that! I wasn't I was doing something nice for you, miss grumpy pants!" Latias gave her a nervous smile. Claire responded simply by giving the legendary a disbelieving look, obviously not believing her. "I...okay, yes I was." Latias dejectedly sighed, rather easily. Claire sighed and stood, donning her helmet once again and stretching her arms and legs to prevent them from getting stiff. Claire took the iced water and sandwich from her, making Latias give her a quizzical look.

"Thanks." She said, a bit uncomfortably as she began walking towards the grounds exit, water and sandwich in either hand. Latias simply smiled and followed behind her silently, though the pokemon kept feeling like it was forgetting to tell Claire something important. Claire ate the sandwich silently as she walked. It was normal for her to eat like this when walking between destinations, it cut down on time she was standing around doing nothing, or sitting. She had to admit though, the sandwich was very good. She wondered briefly what Latias used to make it, but decided that it wasn't that important. "Why are you up so early anyways? Normally you sleep until noon." She asked her friend as she walked.

"Um, well, something seems a bit...off, don't you think?" The legendary said nervously, causing Claire to furrow her eyebrows in thought. She herself didn't sense anything was majorly wrong, but perhaps she was just missing something? "I had this...uneasy feeling this morning. I don't know what it was, but It was what woke me up." Claire stopped for a moment to think, Latias was a legendary, if she felt something was wrong then she couldn't just ignore it. However, she also had no proof that something was legitimately wrong anyways. "Then I decided to eat something while I thought about it! And it went away. Weird, huh?" At this, Claire simply face palmed so hard it could practically be heard across the grounds. Pointing out that this 'uneasy' feeling was probably her just going more than two hours without food would be useless.

"And before you make a smart remark, that reminds me! Apparently Zokura's having a meeting or something soon." At this Claire stopped dead in her tracks and gave her friend a serious look, with a frown.

"When was this?"

"Not long ago." The legendary replied.

"Very well. Let us head that way"

---

Claire had made her way to the councilors chambers quickly. She couldn't rely on Latias' judgement of time that well, at least not in this case. She could very likely be late - though she doubted it from the look of things and the fact that it was still mostly quiet, meaning most of the guard likely hadn't been roused yet. Latias trailed behind her, humming to herself as they approached the doors to the chambers. Claire pushed them open quietly and stepped inside, somewhat surprised to see Sir Chau here.

"Prince. Princess. Sir." She gave the three of them each a salute as she walked into the room. If Zokura called for all of the guard and her siblings, whatever had happened must have been important. She would find out soon enough, though and stood to the side as she quietly waited on the others, Latias still humming happily as she waited beside her.

Seated behind a desk covered in perfect stacks of papers, Zion had his elbows placed upon the only open space his fingers tapping together occasionally. Typically at this point he would be busy filling out various forms, writing letters, and other little tasks that he did for the princess to ease her transition into a leader, but today was not a typical day. Darkness permeated the air, seeping into his old bones. This darkness was not of the natural order, it was sinister, and so Zion had dedicated his morning to the effort of trying to think of what could cause such an imbalance.

He finally broke the silence as he spoke to himself, thinking that perhaps speaking would aid him in his endeavor. “This is out of place, darkness such as this does not simply appear. We should have received word of it from one of the outlying villages, or at the very least a traveler along the roads. Even in the event it went unnoticed by every human one of the Great Pokemon should have sensed it and given that our relations with a large majority are still friendly they would have given us warning.” A soft sigh parted his weathered lips, no matter what he did he could not crack this mystery.

Once more the silence was shattered, this time by the door of his study opening. Deoxys floated through the open passageway, stopping a few feet in front of the desk. ”You have been...summoned? I believe that is the word Suicune used... Yes, Princess Zokura has summoned you to a meeting, these were the words Suicune used. What do they mean?” Deoxys tilted its head slightly staring at Zion inquisitively.

The tension that Zion had been feeling broke down at Deoxys’ words, as they brought a low chuckle out of him. “Oh Deoxys, despite how long you have been at my side you still haven’t adjusted to this world. Summoned means that the Princess as called for me to appear before her, I am guessing to discuss this darkness.”

”Darkness? What darkness? The candles seem to be lighting up the room just fine Zion, and as far as I know there isn't any issues with light anywhere else in the castle. It seems like quite a silly thing to need an advisor for anyway, couldn't she handle that on her own?”

Zion simply chuckled again, his head shaking side to side. ”Never mind Deoxys, would you be so kind as to teleport me to councilors chamber?” Deoxys nodded, wrapping its four tendrils around him. His study twisted and contorted, before everything went blank. Just as suddenly as his vision left it returned accompanied by slight discomfort, a sensation that he had long since gotten used to, and he appeared in his seat at the table. Turning towards Zokura he bowed his head slightly. ”These are troubling times Your Highness, I am sorry that they fall upon your shoulders.” Turning away he nodded to Prince Alex and Chau before turning to acknowledge Claire as well.

Sorren Kain woke with the sun, just as he liked. He made sure not to disturb his partner as he slipped from his bed. He needn't have bothered though, Meloetta just mumbled something in her sleep and rolled over, taking the small amount of blanket that Sorren had claimed for himself during the night. He sighed, what would his life be like without the small muse? He couldn't imagine it now, probably didn't want to. Sorren walked across the cold floor and opened up the cabinet that held his clothing, armor, and most importantly, his sword.

---

Sorren stood perfectly still, the morning breeze trying to push him in one direction then the next. He didn't let it. Moving his arms slowly, he brought both hands to his left side, and in one sudden movement held his sword in one hand and its scabbard in the other. His body rocked a little to either side, but then he regained his balance and was still. Opening both hands, Sorren balanced the blade and scabbard on the side of each palm, and then he brought both back together, sliding the red and black blade back away into the gray scabbard, replacing that to his left side. It looked as if he was done, but then he drew the blade once more suddenly, with enough force to spin his body around, a full circle from where he began.

Someone began clapping. Sorren's eyes snapped open, and he stepped off from the short spike that topped the tower. It was just Meloetta, come to see what he was up to no doubt. "You're finally up?" he said.

"Yes, I slept very pleasantly thank you," she replied in her melodious tones. "You can wake me you know?"

"I know. If there is something worth waking you for, I will." He slid down the steep incline to the edge of the roof, sitting with his legs over the edge. Meloetta offered him an orange slice, which he accepted, spitting a seed down into the courtyard below. With a sigh, Sorren stood back up. "Anything you need to do today?" he asked his small partner.

She finished the rest of the orange, no doubt stolen from the gardens, and tucked the seeds from it into Sorren's pockets. She would make him plant them somewhere later. "Nope," Meloetta replied, "but there is something you have to do."

"Hm, what is it?" He had planned on having a day of rest and relaxation. And yes, he considered waking up early to train atop a tower as relaxation. Meloetta hadn't bothered telling him otherwise, since she was much the same way with her singing.

"A summons, from the princess," she said. Sorren stood there on the edge of the tower roof for a second, not saying anything. "What is it?" his partner asked him.

"I don't want to go," he replied simply, stepping off the edge of the tower and letting himself fall. He stood up on the balcony to his chambers, a drop of just ten feet.

A second later his partner landed lightly on his shoulder. "Anybody ever tell you you have some suicidal tendencies?" she asked, hopping the rest of the way to the floor.

Sorren walked across his room, glancing in the mirror at himself as he walked in front of it, and opened the door to the inner halls. He and his partner walked together to meet with the princess.

---

The doors to the councilor's chamber were pushed open, but no one entered. Just as they had shut, they were pushed open again, and Sorren walked in. He met the eyes of each person in the room, nodding respect to the princess and prince. As the Head of the Royal guard, he was not surprised to find Chau in attendance, but Claire being there told Sorren that the others must have gotten the same summons. So he walked over to his designated seat and sat down. The air in front of him rippled, and then Meloetta appeared there, sitting on the edge of the table. She yawned deeply, somehow making even that sound like a song, and fell onto her back on the table. She swung her legs back and forth, purposely kicking Sorren's chest, humming in her boredom.

"Must you?" he asked.

"Yes," was all he got out of her. He just sighed and leaned further back in his seat. Thankfully, her legs weren't very long.

The arrival of Zokura's younger brother calmed her nerves a great deal. Despite his unusual ways and childish-at-times personality she was fond of him and proud of the man he had grown in to. She smiled kindly as he approached, complaining about the morning in a usual tone before taking his place at her side. Entei bowed its massive head in greeting and the princess nodded with a smile in return. Her blue eyes lingered on the massive, brown beast for a few moments; she could never lose the respect and awe she had for the three elemental hounds that graciously offered their services to the Evenity children. Suicune had been her best friend and a wise confident through her life. Though she could not remember meeting the icy legendary she had heard tales of the grand ice sculpture she had offered up to an infant Zokura, offering her service and abilities for the remainder of the princess' life. At the birth of Alexander it was a shock to find that a second of the hounds had arrived to offer its service. For years the townspeople prayed to Arceus that their luck would be sealed with the arrival of the third hound one day and on the beautiful morning of Adelaide's birth there was much rejoicing across the land as Raiku, the third legendary dog arrived and pledged its allegiance to the kingdom and took its place at the third and final Evenity child's side.

She blinked away her thoughts, returning her attention to her brother. "My apologies brother, it may not turn out to be such a good morning at all, but you should know I would not have called you here at this hour had it not been a serious manner. I ask your patience," She looked over at Suicune and Entei. "And yours' as well. It shouldn't be long until the rest of the guard and Zion arrive." Pausing for a moment, her mind realised Adelaide wasn't present yet, which was surprising considering her personality and tendacies. Zokura half expected the young princess to come bursting in through a window atop Raiku's back, wild-haired and tired-eyed. Her parents had long tried to control the young princess' thirst for adventure and trouble but to no avail. Luckily there was no one Zokura trusted more with the safety of her younger sister than Raiku. She would arrive eventually.

A few moments after Alex's arrival there was a strange buzzing in the air outside the door. Experiance told her a pokemon's teleport was to blame and sure enough, seconds later, Chau Duo stepped into the room, his dark features demanding a level of respect and fear in themselves. Though the man was known to has a... curious past and certainly known to be a fierce soldier, Zokura felt nothing but comfort in his presence. Something in his eyes offered trust and a promise of protection, never harm, to her. An elegant Gardevoir at his side, Chau bowed in respect before addressing the prince and princess. Though she looked, Zokura knew she would not likely catch a glimpse of the Head Guard's elusive gengar that constantly hung about his his shadow. Personally, she found the pokemon fascinating to no end, though she would never make this a public fact as it may draw questions from the public about her sanity. Gengar were neither common nor welcome in most places in the world and many feared them greatly.

"And to you Ser," She smiled warmly at the man, feeling a great comfort in knowing he was neaby during these times. In fact, she felt she would miss her guard each moment they weren't near her so long as that foul shadow lurked over the mountains. "How goes your training Chau Duo? I expect you've been keeping yourself and the rest of the guard in peak condition? I dare not say it but the future may require the use of the King's Guard's skills more often than not." She bit her tongue, it was rude to speak of a counsel concept before the entire summoned party had arrived, but some part of her sensed that Chau already knew why he had been summoned.

It wasn't long before Claire Faust, one of the only two females on the guard, made her appearance. A certain bliss filled Zokura at her arrival with her companion, Latias, close behind. Claire was an interesting person and Zokura had never found a time when she wouldn't be charmed to be in the woman's company. It was strange, Zokura never really had friends growing up, apart from her siblings and her dear Suicune, as the guard was replenished for her generation, the older soldiers falling to retirement and a younger batch recruited to serve her through her years, she found herself surrounded by them more than anyone else. It made sense that she would seek friendship in some of them.

"Good morning Claire, and good morning to you dear Latias." She smiled, nodding in acknowledgement once more. "My, Latias, your plumes look simply stunning today, as if groomed by a host of angels. Perhaps our little friend mew had a role in this? I know for a while the little fellow had taken to grooming Suicune in her sleep! Such a playful spirit that one."

Just then, the buzzing of the air returned, this time in a seat opposite the princess. In seconds Zion, her father's royal advisor appeared, his Deoxys at his side. ”These are troubling times Your Highness, I am sorry that they fall upon your shoulders.” His sincerity warmed Zokura. Though hthe man was her father's advisor, the king was wise enough to have requested that Zion stay behind to assist Zokura. She couldn't have been more grateful for the countless numbers of advice he had offered her in the time she had known him. She trusted him, and that was important. For a woman, or a man for that matter, of nobility could never have too many truly trusted companions in their lives.

"I thank you for your concern, and I couldn't agree more on the dimming future, but I was given the responsibility of protecting and ruling these lands in the absence of my beloved parents. I will not let harm fall upon these people. I will not disappoint my mother and father." Looking around, she could see there were still many members whose arrival they waited on, but if she knew the guard, and she did, they would be by shortly.

~~~

As if by cue, it wasn't a moment later that the doors of the great hall opened, though it would have appeared that they had done if of their own accord. They closed shortly after and the princess could not help but raise a brow at the unusual event. Then, the knob clicked once more and Sorren, another of the guard stepped in and took his place at the table. "Ah," she realised, seeing a petite Meloetta materialize on the table before the slender guard.

"Sorren, Meloetta, good day." She then addressed Meloetta personally, who was now kicking at an annoyed Sorren's chest. "My dear Meloetta, you're quite the puzzle bringer with that trait of invisibility you have. You're far too beautiful to conceal." She smiled warmly, adoring the small legendary as much as every other pokemon she came across. Zokura had always been as such, admiring and respecting all kinds of pokemon for what they were and finding beauty in their unique forms. It wouldn't be long now before the meeting began, she would have time to admire beauties later.

The cheerful tune Latias was humming was suddenly interrupted by a very audible high pitched squeal at Zokura's mention of her plumes, accompanied by a grin and a little aerial twirl. She was obviously quite happy with the princesses praise. "Oh you noticed! Yes, Mew did mine right after I fell asleep! I think. I can't really be sure. Since I was a sleep." She chuckled with a grin. Claire resisted the urge for sigh and an eye roll, and mostly remained silent and let Latias finish her little meet and greet. She doubted she'd get a word in edgewise anyways. "You look as lovely as ever this morning as well!" Suddenly, Latias zipped over to the princesses side, before Claire could even try to stop her. "I'm not gonna name any names," Latias said in a hushed tone to the Princess. "But a certain female knight could take a few beauty tips from ya." She continued, with a rather noticeable tilt of her head towards Claire.

Before she could get any farther though, said female knight interrupted the Legendary. "That's enough Latias. I'm sure the Princess has enough to worry about without your shenanigans." Latias simply stuck her tongue out at Claire in reply before slowly moving back to her side, starting to hum the previous tune right were she left off. "And good morning to you as well, Princess Zokura."

As she finished her greeting, Sorren along with Meloetta walked into the room. Claire didn't say much else, after that, and merely pondered what Zion had said about 'troubling times.' What exactly had happened? She had her suspicions, but she was beginning to think something incredibly bad had happened. War perhaps? Had something happened to the King and Queen? She took a deep breath and settled her mind. Letting it run off with wild theories wasn't going to help. She would find out when the others arrived.

“There’s little fault with their skills,” he admitted with a small nod, pausing for a moment, before he continued, “though, some personalities may be problematic.” Two people were on his mind with that comment, namely two ladies of the Royal Guard. Claire and Ana were good enough fighters, great in fact, but he worried that if the two were to ever spar it would escalate quickly. That was only a prediction though; hopefully the two would be mature enough and remember their position to reign in any tempers or competitive streak. That aside, he nodded again to show that, yes, he did indeed suspect why the meeting had been called. “Troubling, but necessary. I do plan to dispatch some men to investigate.”

Anything else on the matter could wait for the others to join them, and they seemed to be doing just that. It must have only been a few moment after he finished when Claire walked in to join them. He returned her salute before turning his attention to the, “Sir,” that came in from the hall. Opening the door, he followed the dark blur that slipped through his legs and into his shadow before looking at the two fully armoured guards standing at attention in front of him. He saluted to the both of them before nodding to either side of the doors.
“Good time men. The other Royal Guards and Princess Adelaide should be joining us shortly.”
“Yes sir.” Having received their orders, the pair of guards took up positions flanking the entrance to the councillor’s chambers. It might have been a tad unnecessary given how the Royal Guard would be gathered inside, but procedures had to be followed after all. Letting the doors close, Chau turned around just in time to catch the final ripples that accompanied a Teleport.

‘Four more,’ he thought as he watched Zion materialize into the Royal Advisor’s seat. Returning the older man’s nod with a slight bow, his attention shifted once again as the door was pushed open once more. Sorren’s entrance was a bit odd, but nothing worth too much concern. Much like the man himself really, but that was a thought for another time. He gave the younger man a nod before closing his eyes to speak with Gengar. ‘Good work.’

Unlike Gardevoir, Gengar was unable to communicate telepathically. It could read his thoughts while it lurked in his shadow, but the transmissions only went one way. He could tell his partner was pleased at the compliment though, emotions being simple enough to be shared. With that addressed, because his Gengar got moody if ignored, Chau focused once more. Or would have if he didn’t have to hold back a chuckle at his companion’s indignation, which was promptly followed up with a bit of sulking.

Wake early, sleep early. Donovan sat cross-legged on a small, wooden watch tower that overlooked one of the small fields that surrounded the palace, perfect for anyone on lookout duty. The sun had yet to rise and the air was still sharp with the biting cold of the night; he could see a few lone figures, lamplighters, walking the streets with their ladders and torches in hand. He turned his gaze to the routes that lead to and from the kingdom. As usual, they were barren save for a single caravan heading out, no doubt carrying much less than it had arrived with.

A gust of wind alerted him to a large figure that had chosen the tower as a perch. Standing just under four feet, the Talonflame shifted uneasily as it rested. The wood creaked slightly under the bird's talons. Donovan smiled and raised his head at the Talonflame. For once, he'd gotten here faster than it.
"Looking handsome as usual, eh? Looks aren't gonna get you too far if you start getting laz-"
The look on the Talonflame's face stopped him. It lacked the usual prideful gaze and, in fact, it carried a look of worry. Donovan stood up and reached for the back of the bird Pokemon's neck. He stroked it softly and felt the bristling feathers relax.
"Hey, what's wrong?"
The Talonflame opened its beak as if to speak and craned its neck at the sky. It dawned on Donovan that it was not as early as he had thought, and the sun had already started to rise. It seemed like the sun was oppressed by a thick layer of darkness, and a feeling of unease crept into the guard's heart. He wasn't too caught up on the latest divination trends, but he knew that whatever was happening was bad.

In a swift motion, he snatched his belongings from the floor and donned it. A recurve bow adorned with figures of three mythical birds, nineteen steel arrows in a leather quiver, a leather pouch filled with all sorts of odds and ends, and his iron breastplate, all were marked with the insignia of Urael. He patted the troubled bird on its right wing and towards one of the towers of the castle. If something happened, he was going to need more support.
"Hey, come on. Go get her over here, I'll need some help."

The Talonflame took off towards the steeple at a great speed, almost too fast to follow. Donovan stood facing the sunrise and waited. He would stay here and be on the watch for... anything. He wasn't sure what, but if the darkness was indeed a herald of bad times to come, he was going to be the first to see what it brought.

---

It didn't take more than ten minutes for the guard's companions to arrive, the Talonflame reclaimed its usual spot but the new arrival, a Staraptor, instead elected to land directly on the platform. The Staraptor chirped happily and flapped her wings at the sight of Donovan, tossing a fair few feathers around the tower. He sputtered and cleared his face of stray plumage, then laughed and chuckled at the brown bird's display of affection.

"Really funny, now..." He clapped once and turned the bird's head towards the darkened sky, now slightly brighter as the sun started to shine through. "See that?" He continued, but the bird turned back and looked at Donovan with a quizzical look on her face. He groaned, poor thing didn't understand what was going on. She might have been one of the strongest of her murmuration, but she was never the brightest.

"That thing's bad keep an eye out for more bad things, got it?" The bird seemed to nod in understanding. "Good." He smiled and gave her a pat on the comb.

---

The skies seemed to slowly be returning to its usual brightness, the gross incandescence of the sun was beginning to pierce through the darkness that had imprisoned it. Two large birds seemed to be coming and going from the watchtower at great speeds, only stopping to give a brief response before being given another area to patrol. One cry meant that there was nothing of note to report, two was the opposite.

A long while passed without anything significant being reported. Donovan loosened up slightly, maybe he was taking this too seriously...
Two shrill noises from his left caught his attention. He saw the Talonflame standing just behind him, a content look on its face. A small strip of cloth was tied to the bird's talon, it had somehow stayed on while it was in flight.

Donovan bent over and loosened the piece of fabric. It was likely a message, though he didn't spare a thought to wonder how they got the Talonflame to stop in the first place.
You are being summoned by the princess. Report to the meeting hall at once.
-M

He stared at the writing on the cloth for a second, then at the palace in the distance. It would at least half an hour to get there! Cursing his situation, he dug around his pouch for a few items. A scroll of paper, a thin stick of charcoal wrapped in a thick blanket, and a string specifically made to be attached to fast Pokemon like the Talonflame standing right there. He quickly scribbled a note on the scroll.
I'm not going to be able to make it to the meeting in a timely manner, I hope you accept this Talonflame as an acceptable substitute for myself. I will arrive in thirty minutes to an hour.
He quickly wrapped the scroll to the bird Pokemon's leg and gave it it a command.
"Get this to the meeting chambers and stay there until I get there, alright?" It stared at Donovan for a second before taking off, confident in its ability to follow that order.

Donovan stared up at the rising sun and made a silent prayer to Tornadus. It was times like these that he wished that he had instead become a mounted knight, perhaps then he'd get to where he needed to faster.

The guard made a whistling sound with his fingers, a signal for the Staraptor to stop searching and follow him, and started making his was down from the ladder.

---

Meanwhile, a large red and gray bird flew through the castle. He made his way through open doors with remarkable dexterity and grace. While reluctant, the guards would let him through any closed doors that he encountered. It didn't occur to him that they were not respecting his power, but rather recognized him as Sir Donovan's partner.

Eventually, he arrived at the meeting hall. With a bit of assistance from two guards stationed at the doors, the Talonflame flapped his way into the large hall, the visages of legends staring down at him. He reckoned that they looked much less intimidated in person, not to imply that he was intimidated by their depictions in the first place. He landed on the clean floors and let out a short screech to draw attention towards him and, more importantly, his message.

Adomorn had been awake for many hours. He could not sleep with the haunting fact that something dark was looming over the horizon. The sky was only turning a light blue as the sun and moon were about to meet each other. He watched the horizon, cold and calculating eyes kept its sight trained at the darkness as his mind worked up different things that it might be. An army? No, impossible, no man or pokemon would dare attack Urael, not when their guard and militia was so strong. Not to mention the guardian legendaries who dwelled in the halls and through out the town. Than what? Moving away from the window he went to his many books that adorned the high ceiling walls, books of all ages and kinds were collected. Taking down a few of the ancient scrolls from their kingdoms archive he began to read. He did not even notice the time of hour, or how the sky was changing colors from the night blue to white clouds, trapped within clear seas. It was the mischievous pokemon Zoroark who brought him out of his trance. The illusionist Pokemon was a trickster by nature and enjoyed playing tricks on many of the castle's help and residence. Still the pokemon would slip away without getting caught a single time. As Adomorn was invested in the scrolls, trying to find something that could explain the strange happenings, he opened one and a snake came out, hissing and trying to sink it's fang into the wizard. The blonde male yelped in fear and was about to throw the scroll when he heard his dark pokemon begin to chuckle softly which soon got louder until he was rolling on the floor laughing. The white robed male glared at his companion in annoyance. "Zoroark, what was the meaning of that?" He asked, eyebrows furrowed as he tried to keep him calm.
It was all too easy Adomorn, you leave yourself susceptible to all my tricks. You should have heard your voice." The pokemon continued to laugh until he remembered something very important. It is already late in the early morning, you must hurry, the princess has called a meeting. Or did you forget throughout your studying?" Asked the pokemon who tilted its head, a smirk curling humorlessly at Adomorn's sudden realization.
The man looked to the window and noticed the sun brightly lighting the room. Quickly he grabbed his staff, fleeing from the room, his Zoroark beside him as they both ran. He hoped the princess would forgive his tardiness.
As the two entered the room, through the closed doors, they silently made it to their seat, bowing their head in good morning and as an apology for being so terribly late. But when he took his seat he noticed that even the young Princess Adelaide was late...where ever she may be.

☾◯☽

Adelaide had always been carefree, an untamed spirit that like lightning, you never knew where it was going to strike. Ever since she could walk she would flee away and find different and hidden places in the palace, though sometimes it was against Raiku's wishes, she would go ahead and sometimes it would end up either finding a treasure (whether it be a secret passage or another room), or getting stuck, getting bit, scaring a clan of Zubats from their resting place and freaking her out, or having her parents or other members of the house finding her and sending her to her room.Either way, Adelaide saw herself as an adventurer and she was a young girl who rode atop her protective companion's back from dawn until dusk.
But now it was different, Raiku would never take her out through the plains anymore. Recently he had detoured their early morning runs and instead leaped through the mountains by the kingdom. Sure it was nice to jump from ledge to ledge, holding tight as she felt the cold chill of mountain air against her face and through her curly mane, but the plains were easier to run and she missed the speed Raiku would go at. Once the two made it so close to the ocean...if it only it wasn't for the Donovan who's bird pokemon followed her and warned her parents about her venturing off too far from home.
The princess stood atop one of the highest peaks on one of the many mountains that Raiku took her to. he said it would be a sight she would love. And as she sat against Raiku, the tiger-like pokemon furling his body around her, she saw a beautiful view of all of Urael. She had never witnessed anything so breathtakingly beautiful, and for a second she could not believe that it was her home. How the sun shined and made each building sparkle, how the greenery made her home seem like a fantasy land out of a story her mother once read to her.
"Wow." Was all she could say, words not able to form.
"'wow' indeed my princess, This is the Kingdom you have lived in for many years and now you can see it from a different view." He said looking over the kingdom. "But that is not only why I brought you here. Look to the horizon, passed the plains." His tone was grave and this alarmed the female. But not as alarming as what she saw next. A distance away she could see the darkness that shrouded the edge of the horizon.
"What is that?" She was concerned, curious, and most of all afraid.
"That I do not know."
"Does my sister know?" She asked in a panic as she stood, Raiku coming up from his lying position and offered his back to her.
"I am sure your sister has seen this. But we must hurry. There is a meeting that you are late for."
The unruly haired female's blue eyes widened as she jumped atop of the giant cat's back as he descended the mountain quickly, taking large leaps and running across the rooftops with such speed the female had to clench the purple waves.
As they neared the castle Raiku jumped from balcony to balcony until he jumped through the window of the gathering place. Raiku skidded to a stop and Adelaide jumped off, not even wanting to look at the reflection of how she might look, especially after the damage the speed and air did to her hair, the normal curly top was a poofy curly top. She looked to her sister and it seemed that Zokura really was not surprised to have seen her sister jump through the window. Maybe a disappointed in how the young, soon to be lady, looked, but definitely not surprised.
Looking around the table the youngest, and last daughter gave each of the members of the guard and her adoring family a big smile and a "Good Morning." Before resting a hand on Raiku who stood protectively at her side. He shook his head a bit, but maybe to hide the inner chuckle he surprised. His lovely princess's hair did look ridiculous.

It wasn't uncommon for Ana to not arrive somewhere on time. This was due to a number of things. For instance, her faithful Haxorus wasn't the speediest of sorts. Or it could be tied to the fact that she slept like a Snorlax. Quite possibly a combination of the two, plus having to eat before being good for most anything in the morning. In the time it took for Haxorus to get the message of a meeting and wake Ana up, they could have made it in time if they just went right to the meeting. But a dragon's appetite is not so easily sated...nor is that of Haxorus. By the time Ana and Haxorus had finished eating, it was clear they were going to be late. Ana had decided to take a little extra time to get her armor on, grab her sword and shield, and do some morning warm-ups. Even if she was in charge, Zokura's requests came after personal morning time. Some things from her bandit past didn't change, it seemed.

They did make it, though. Granted, it wasn't until after a handful of other people already did, but Ana would hate to be the first one to a meeting anyway. Bellies full, warm-ups done, and fully awake, Ana and Haxorus had been making their way to where the meeting was to be held. When they finally arrived, it seemed they were not the only ones late. "Good morning, all. Sorry I'm late, but somebody got us lost on the way." A deep grunt from Haxorus proved as a clear objection to Ana's statement, or a claim that it was her that got lost instead of the imposing Dragon-type Pokemon. Taking a seat at the table, her Haxorus faithfully standing behind her, Ana waited for the others to arrive. Even if waiting wasn't her strong suit, it was important to look good in front of the royal family and guards, given her activities before becoming one of them could lead to distrust if she made a bad impression.

A bit of commotion filled the hall when a large grey and red bird entered the room. On most occasions a Talonflame would be the bearer of news from her parents. Zokura's heart skipped with anticipation at the possibility of hearing from her mother and father. Rising, she made her way directly to where the bird stood, tall and proud. But when she looked at the talonflame again she noticed it was not one of the messengers, no this pokemon was much larger and of a more pristine pedigree. It was one of Donovan's birds, no doubt. No other birds were of the calibre of Donovan Johansen's. Yet in its beak it held a letter, which the princess kindly accepted with a curtsey of thankyou. She said nothing for a moment, unfolding and reading the cursive within then nodded.

"Thankyou for informing us of Ser Donovan's late but certain arrival, you have my deepest appreciation for your services." She reached out a hand politely and stroked the neck feathers of the pokemon, enjoying it's soft plumage. She then returned to her place at the table, setting the letter on the dark wood surface.

With the arrival of Ana and Haxorus, Adomorn and Zoroark, and an unusual, though far from surprising, entrace from her younger sister and Raiku, Zokura found it was finally time to begin. She adjusted her seating, tuning her posture and clearing her throat quietly before speaking to the group.

"My apologies to you all for summing you here at such an early hour. I know many of you have other rituals and practices you'd be doing at this time of the morning, but I assure you, I would not pull you from your lives and duties was there not a great importance placed on the reason." She took a breath then, clearing her mind and pushing back her nervous thoughts of the darkness she had witnessed earlier today. "There is an unsettling presence nearing our kingdom's boarders in the east. Some of you, I feel, may know of what I speak. There is a darkness that slithered up from the night and fought with the sun, trying to snuff out its light. The sun won this time but tomorrow I fear the display may creep into view again, and the day after that, and every day after that until the darkness swells and takes the skies."

She shuttered lightly at the thought of the discomfort the sight had brought her mere few hours before. Though she felt a deep sense of security surrounded by these people, her family close by and her parents far off in the west, she could not help but dwell on that darkness.

"Those of you who did not lay eyes on this darkness of which I speak, you will be requested to rise before the sun tomorrow and gaze upon this shroud of unease for one cannot truly understand the direty of the situation at hand without feeling the negative radiance expelled by the shadow on the horizon." She looked then to her little sister, her cherished little sister.

"Adelaide, I ask that you no longer leave the immediate kingdom. Even the farthest of the farmer's fields is too far for you to stray until this issue has been addressed properly. Raiku, for her safety, for your own, and for my sanity, I ask you to enforce this request." She felt terrible confining the free-spirited young woman but her love for the girl and Adelaide's safety took priority over her sister's feelings and resentments towards Zokura.

"The reason you were all called here, was to be informed and to provide your respected and valuable input into a plan of action to be taken. I understand you may not fully grasp the concept of a darkness seeping over the horizon, what it might mean, or what we're to do about it. But your minds are sharp, and you all deserve to know what threatens our lands that we might deal with it appropriately." She stopped for a moment, considering if she should continue, but decided to open the floor for input instead, knowing when to speak and when to listen.

"Speak now, my friends, and speak freely; we are of equal worth in these chambers."

Claire waited patiently for the others to arrive, deciding to not take a seat at the table and stay by Latias's side, who was still humming happily to herself. Aodomorn arrived soon enough, followed by his Zoroark. Claire had never liked Zoroark much, but Latias seemed to enjoy the pokemons company, obvious by the fact Latias waved at him when he entered. Perhaps it was because they both liked getting up to no good. She was sure they both worked together on some of their shenanigans before, even if she had no proof. Adomorn was followed shortly by Princess Adelaide riding her Raikou through one of the windows. Claire refrained from sighing at her entrance. She was used to her antics by now. She had a constant companion who was very similar in behavior after all, but Adelaide was a princess, she should act a bit more like one. Though, as long as she didn't get hurt in the process of her antics she supposed there was nothing to worry about.

And lastly, Ana came waltzing in, followed by her slow as usual Haxorus. She had no strong opinions of Ana one way or another, but she seemed like a capable fighter and a decent person if she would stop being so lazy and take things more seriously. She had never sparred with her herself, Chau had always conveniently tried to prevent that from happening. She had always planned to one day, but things kept pushing that back. Haxorus, on the other hand, she liked a lot. Claire had always liked dragon pokemon, be it from their sheer power, or simply just from the way they looked. Claire was interrupted from her thoughts, however, as Zokura began to speak about the reason they had been summoned here.

"My apologies to you all for summing you here at such an early hour. I know many of you have other rituals and practices you'd be doing at this time of the morning, but I assure you, I would not pull you from your lives and duties was there not a great importance placed on the reason. There is an unsettling presence nearing our kingdom's boarders in the east. Some of you, I feel, may know of what I speak. There is a darkness that slithered up from the night and fought with the sun, trying to snuff out its light. The sun won this time but tomorrow I fear the display may creep into view again, and the day after that, and every day after that until the darkness swells and takes the skies."

In the small silence, Claire nearly let out a high pitch squeal as something poked her in the side. "Hehe, and you thought I was just hungry." Latias whispered, as she gave Claire a somewhat smug look. Claire said nothing, but merely rolled her eyes and folded her arms. She had more important things to do than to argue with Latias right now.

"Those of you who did not lay eyes on this darkness of which I speak, you will be requested to rise before the sun tomorrow and gaze upon this shroud of unease for one cannot truly understand the direty of the situation at hand without feeling the negative radiance expelled by the shadow on the horizon. Adelaide, I ask that you no longer leave the immediate kingdom. Even the farthest of the farmer's fields is too far for you to stray until this issue has been addressed properly. Raiku, for her safety, for your own, and for my sanity, I ask you to enforce this request."

Both reasonable demands. While she hadn't seen it herself, she had to wonder what this darkness was. If it had appeared so suddenly, it likely wasn't invaders from another kingdom. If this was indeed the unease Latias felt when she had awoken this morning, the it was likely a very serious matter.

"The reason you were all called here, was to be informed and to provide your respected and valuable input into a plan of action to be taken. I understand you may not fully grasp the concept of a darkness seeping over the horizon, what it might mean, or what we're to do about it. But your minds are sharp, and you all deserve to know what threatens our lands that we might deal with it appropriately. Speak now, my friends, and speak freely; we are of equal worth in these chambers."

Claire was silent, as she closed her eyes to think. She hadn't seen this darkness herself, as she was training all morning. By the time she had stopped to eat, the sun had already banished the darkness. To be honest, it was hard to think of a countermeasure to something they had so little knowledge of. At this point, it could be anything. They should send a scout. Of course, she'd nominate herself for such a position. She was quite curious as to what this 'darkness' was. Sorren was likely going to get it though, if they did send scouts. That was his area of expertise after all.

"I think it would be best to send someone to see what exactly this darkness you speak of is, princess." She stated simply, as she looked over the others in the room.

Judging by the Talonflame’s arrival Chau guessed the man it partnered with would not be making it on a time, a guess that was made correct by Zokura shortly after she retrieved its message. With another attendee accounted for, there were only a few other individuals the group was waiting on. Frankly, the Head expected at least another to show up late as she usually did, and unsurprisingly, the meeting only began after Ana finally walked through the doors to take her seat. With all members in attendance, Chau gave the door several sharp raps to signal to the guards outside before he finally moved to take his seat at the table. He did crack a small smile at Adelaide’s appearance and motioned for the youngest to take care of her hair as he approached the table; only her whims dictated whether she would catch the motion and, even then, listen.

Unlike some of the others, Chau did have an idea of what Zokura spoke of. While he hadn’t managed to set his own eyes on the encroaching darkness like the princess had, it was enough to know his thoughts on the matter hadn’t been unwarranted. When the princess finally finished with her speech, Chau made to speak, but Claire’s voice rang out first. After she finished, he stood up with a nod in her direction before turning to face those at the table.

“As Claire has stated, the most important thing right now is to find out what we are dealing with. In all likelihood, the task will be your’s Sorren, but the decision will be made tomorrow. That aside if this darkness is as Princess Zokura has described, I suspect the heaviest burdens will fall on our companions and partners. To that end, I expect every one of you,” turning to each member of the Royal Guard present, “to push them. We must be ready should things turn for the worst. I would also ask for Ser Zion and Adomorn,” nodding at the two men respectively, “to scour for any piece of information that may relate to this. Even legends, which are mainly the works of Legendaries, may be of use.” With all that said and done, he gave another nod to the room as a whole before he sat down. While he had intended to say something to Adelaide, he trusted that what Zokura had said would be enough for the young lady. If not? Well, then she would be deserving of a few harsh, but true, words.

"Speak now, my friends, and speak freely; we are of equal worth in these chambers."

"I think it would be best to send someone to see what exactly this darkness you speak of is, princess."

“As Claire has stated, the most important thing right now is to find out what we are dealing with. In all likelihood, the task will be your’s Sorren, but the decision will be made tomorrow. That aside if this darkness is as Princess Zokura has described, I suspect the heaviest burdens will fall on our companions and partners. To that end, I expect every one of you to push them. We must be ready should things turn for the worst. I would also ask for Ser Zion and Adomorn to scour for any piece of information that may relate to this. Even legends, which are mainly the works of Legendaries, may be of use.”

"If I may," Ana started, standing up only after Chau sat down, "Knowing your enemy is only half the battle. Whatever this darkness you're talking about is, something has to be the cause, correct? This kind of thing doesn't just happen, after all. I think we should go there, find the source, and eliminate it." Same old Ana. "I'm aware of the danger, but that's precisely why we should get this done quick. We don't want whatever's causing this to get comfortable blacking out our skies, do we?" Nodding to Chau and Zokura, the guard continued "If neither of you object, I would like to personally head this operation. I have past experiences as a leader, and in sudden attacks on the enemy."

A grunt of approval sounded from the Haxorus behind her. With that dragon's nod and approval, Ana sat back down. Her plan was a fairly simple one, so there wasn't much need to explain the details. There weren't many details to explain to begin with.

“As Claire has stated, the most important thing right now is to find out what we are dealing with. In all likelihood, the task will be your’s Sorren, but the decision will be made tomorrow. That aside if this darkness is as Princess Zokura has described, I suspect the heaviest burdens will fall on our companions and partners. To that end, I expect every one of you to push them. We must be ready should things turn for the worst. I would also ask for Ser Zion and Adomorn to scour for any piece of information that may relate to this. Even legends, which are mainly the works of Legendaries, may be of use.”

"If I may knowing your enemy is only half the battle. Whatever this darkness you're talking about is, something has to be the cause, correct? This kind of thing doesn't just happen, after all. I think we should go there, find the source, and eliminate it. I'm aware of the danger, but that's precisely why we should get this done quick. We don't want whatever's causing this to get comfortable blacking out our skies, do we? If neither of you object, I would like to personally head this operation. I have past experiences as a leader, and in sudden attacks on the enemy."

Claire listened to Chau's words, and nodded. She agreed with most of the things he had said. Information was key in any strategy, which is why Ana's suggestion annoyed her slightly. She knew of her history as a bandit. She didn't like that too much, but she had proved herself to be a person worth respecting in some regard, so Claire had no qualms about that. What she didn't like, was the way she did things. Aside from the fact she probably wanted to just rush in, attack whatever was up there and hope for the best, she wanted to be the leader as well. She was fine, with the second part as long as she was given decent, well thought out orders. Decent and well thought out, she did not think Ana was capable of.

"And if we act hastily and send people there to just blindly attack whatever it is, it could be disastrous." Claire stated after Ana. "You're guerrilla tactics may have served you well as a bandit, but this is an entirely different game, Ana." She said in a serious tone, pausing for a moment to collect her thoughts. "Caution and stealth here will prove more valuable than an outright attack. Send Sorren and possibly someone else as a scout, and wait for them to find it, and report back with some information on what exactly we're dealing with here before we do anything else. Then we could possibly send some people to attack, if the situation calls for it. A large force makes us much too visible, and the enemy will react accordingly either by attacking us, or by retreating to a place that we can't find them. Remember," Claire gave Ana and the others present a serious look. "The enemy already has an upper hand here. They know of us, but we don't know of it. It is likely they are prepared for most forms of retaliation. We do not need to give them more of an advantage by playing into their hands."

A slight smile danced across Zion’s lips as he listened to the Royal Guards going back and forth over the two presented strategies. It was a familiar scenario to him, though it was long ago that Zion himself was a soldier back before he had even met the king and queen. Those days were far behind him now, and he had no urge to seek glory in battle. Thus far Chau’s words had seemed the most sensible, not at all surprising given his position as Head of the Royal Guards.

As the exchange between Ana and Claire reached a lull, Zion raised his hand slightly. While the others stood while speaking he opted to remain seated. “If this were a conventional enemy I would agree wholeheartedly with Ana, sweeping them away in a surprise attack could very well save more lives than it would cause. However under these circumstances I believe it would be the exact opposite. As of the moment we have no knowledge of what we are facing. It could be a single enemy, or an entire horde.” Lifting a hand he released a cough into it. After taking a moment to righten himself, Zion continued. “I believe that our best course of action is to follow the plan presented by Ser Chau and Claire. Sorren should be sent out to assess the situation to the best of his ability, however I do not think that Melotta alone should accompany him.” Turning his gaze, his eyes landed upon Chau. “I would not suggest this normally, but I believe the need is dire enough. Ser Chau do you think that Gengar would be willing to work alongside Melotta and Sorren?” Shifting his view once more, he stopped upon Sorren. “And in the event that Gengar would do this Sorren, would you be willing?”

Adomorn sat at his seat, his chin leaning against his fist as he listened to the conversations, blue eyes scanning across the table at each persons expression. There were many ideas being made. His eyes rested on Zokura. She was the princess of this kingdom and she herself must have been feeling very nervous about the whole unknown situation, yet she did well at keeping calm in front of the others.

"I would also ask for Ser Zion and Adomorn to scour for any piece of information that may relate to this. Even legends, which are mainly the works of Legendaries, may be of use."

Adomorn nodded in agreement and shifted in his position, sitting properly while his eyes went to Zion. 'That would be quite wise. But there is only so much that my own library could hold. There should be more information in the catacombs, possibly.' He thought as Ana began to talk about her plan. The blonde blinked back to reality when Zoroark flicked the male with the end of it's ponytail. Looking over to Zoroark he noticed a certain look in it's eyes that made the Guard very curious as to what the pokemon might be thinking. Than teal eyes met blue and Adomorn understood what Zoroark wanted. After Zion asked his question Adomorn spoke up, respectfully bowing his head to the royal adviser. "If I may, a birds eye view might also be useful. Talonflame and Staraptor could examine from a safe distance overhead, along with Zoroark who is willing to be dropped on the ground to perform a recon. We should at least have an idea who our enemy is. If it is other humans who are planning an attack, or a pokemon, Zoroark could create an illusion to confuse the opponent. But Chau I leave that up to you to decide. I will do all that I can do in getting the information that is needed. Maybe a similar pattern as this, I have started research all ready and I will continue my search into the catacombs for more information that lies there." He bowed his head again and than looked to Zoroark who seemed content and nodded as well, arms crossed. Though the pokemon could poke fun and play tricks, Zoroark knew when it was time to be serious, and this unknown darkness made that mischievous chuckle vanish.

☾◯☽

As Adelaide smiled sheepishly to her brother she continued to lovingly pet Raikou as he mind sped with her thoughts about what was going on with the horizon. It still left a haunting feeling in the pit of her stomach. Looking to Chau, she watched the man go to the door and signal it to close. Secretly, Adelaide had always found the Head of the Guards to very handsome, and for the longest the only one who knew aside from her was Raikou. This was until Alexander found her one day gazing at the male when she was the tender age of 14 and beginning to find others of the opposite gender attractive. From there it wasn't long till Zokura. Luckily her parents did not know, and if they did they made it appear they had no knowledge of it. When he was returning and indicated to fix her hair she did as he said and, embarrassed, twisted her long curly hair to one side. It was when her sister spoke did she stop her finger fumbling and pay attention.

Adelaide thought her sister was the ideal ruler or Urael, Adelaide could never see herself on the thrown ruling this beautiful kingdom. No, it was Zokura who had the air, the look, the speech and the pride of a ruler like her mother and father. With that said, it made Adelaide feel the pressure of what was happening. Her sister had saw the darkness as well and called the meeting.

"Adelaide, I ask that you no longer leave the immediate kingdom. Even the farthest of the farmer's fields is too far for you to stray until this issue has been addressed properly. Raiku, for her safety, for your own, and for my sanity, I ask you to enforce this request."

The tiger-like pokemon nodded, red eyes closing as he bowed his head to the ruler of the kingdom. He knew though that his own mistress would not take so kindly to the idea, but that would only mean he would have to be stern with where they went, especially with this unknown force about. When Raikou stood straight again Adelaide had moved her hand away from her petting and placed them on her lap.

The big blue eyed princess bit her lip and kept her eyes down and focused on the embroidery on the skirt of her dress. She did want to just stay by the castle, and with Zokura's request she knew Raikou would follow it no matter how many times she begged. Of course she would still go out no matter what, but it was the thought of her freedom being held at a taunt leash. She was angry not so much at her sister, but at the whole situation, at the darkness that appeared. As the meeting continued, the guards conversing with on another, she relaxed only slightly. Raikou saw this and placed his massive head on her lap. She relented and continued his petting listening to each guard. Even she had an idea, but that she would keep to herself. She was curious about what was out there.

Unfortunately, Adelaide had no idea of the saying, "Curiosity killed the Skitty"

Zokura sat quietly, listening to the words of the guards and her royal advisor, her eyes following the movement of speech from one person to the next.

"I think it would be best to send someone to see what exactly this darkness you speak of is, princess." Claire was right, there was no point in trying to cumulate an appropriate offence without knowing what kind of defence they were up against. When the female guard had silenced herself, it was Chau that spoke up next. While Zokura valued each of their opinions, she was especially attentive to the words of the head guard; he did not achieve the honoured position he held by under-thinking he decision and options.

“As Claire has stated, the most important thing right now is to find out what we are dealing with. In all likelihood, the task will be your’s Sorren, but the decision will be made tomorrow. He spoke with purpose and definite reason, it was clear the man was playing out possible outcomes in his mind and considered an intel gathering mission to be the most successful first movement. Two, so far, had offered the idea of identifying what lay on the horizon before any further action. Zokura furrowed her brow. Though Sorren was specifically trained for missions like this, she did not like the idea of sending any of her guard into the unknown darkness that seeped into the skies.

"I suspect the heaviest burdens will fall on our companions and partners. To that end, I expect every one of you" At these words, the princess could not help but glance around the room at each of the majestic, powerful pokemon that had offered their services to the royal guard and family. The idea of these selfless pokemon being injured in their duty simply appalled her. It would appear ruling a kingdom was not so simple when the safety of those around you were at risk. She wondered if she could truly handle this. Was she the ruler these lands needed? Deserved? Was there not a fiercer, war-wise leader that could protect them better? What would her father do in the face of such peril? Her mother's words then wafted into her conscious mind.

"A queen must work twice as hard as a King. People respect and trust men as rulers by default, they naturally feel safe at the strong, worn hands of a king. But a queen... we do not have it so easy. People do not think a noble-born woman can run a keep and win a war. No, my dear, we must watch carefully for a moment to demand the attention and respect of the people, to prove our capability and forever claim their loyalty. A queen has many tools at her disposal, Zokura, and if used properly, she may tear down even the fiercest of kings and their kingdoms. Pay great mind to what surrounds you. Find that moment, that turning point, and seize your place as a true leader of the people." This was her moment... she needed to clear her mind and take hold of this misfortune. She needed to be the leader her mother was, be the leader she knew she could be.

When Ana spoke next, the others were quick to turn down her bold proposition. "Knowing your enemy is only half the battle. Whatever this darkness you're talking about is, something has to be the cause, correct? This kind of thing doesn't just happen, after all. I think we should go there, find the source, and eliminate it." But Zokura heard something the other's did not hear and noticed that Ana was the only one to identify an important point.

"You're guerrilla tactics may have served you well as a bandit, but this is an entirely different game, Ana." The rivalry between the two momentarily showed its face. "Caution and stealth here will prove more valuable than an outright attack. Send Sorren and possibly someone else as a scout, and wait for them to find it, and report back with some information on what exactly we're dealing with here before we do anything else...The enemy already has an upper hand here. They know of us, but we don't know of it. It is likely they are prepared for most forms of retaliation. We do not need to give them more of an advantage by playing into their hands." Zokura paid close attention to the words of each. Then, Zion, her dear friend and trusted advisor spoke.

“If this were a conventional enemy I would agree wholeheartedly with Ana, sweeping them away in a surprise attack could very well save more lives than it would cause. However under these circumstances I believe it would be the exact opposite. As of the moment we have no knowledge of what we are facing. It could be a single enemy, or an entire horde.” He was wise as could be and spoke many of the words swirling about in her own mind. Then, the man suggested an interesting proposition involving Chau's gengar. Zokura was surprised at the idea and was curious as to what gengar, Chau, and Sorren would say. When Zion fell quiet, Zokura looked around, ensuring she was in the right to speak without interrupting. As she shifted her weight to stand up, Suicune approached the table and stood at her side.

"It would appear there are two options being presented here: attack, or seek knowledge then attack." Came the velvety voice of the great hound. "I hear many references to this darkness as being an army, a horde, a force. But it would be wise to consider this: what army, what horde, what force of man could blacken the sky and consume the very light of the sun? Who, I ask you? If there there is a man on this earth with such power, I would not dare face him, for he would hold an unnatural power." She turned her large head and gazed out at the horizon through the massive window behind her.

"This darkness is not the work of a man nor the work of a man's army. This is the power of a pokemon, or the pooled power of many. The strength of the darkness I witnessed this morning would lead me to believe a legendary is involved, it could be one of many or multiple. Giratina, the ruler of the otherworld has great power and a far from fair temper. Rayquaza, ruler of the higher skies may have opened up a darkness from beyond our world. Yveltal, the great bringer of destruction may be ascending a path of ruin on the distant lands. Zekrom, Reshiram, Regigigas, any could have brought up a great disturbance in the natural order. There are many possibilities of pokemon created imbalance, for our power is great but we are not perfect. Do not underestimate the strength of the pokemon you will face, and I saw will, because no man can blacken the skies. Not in our world." The icy legendary stepped back and sat, reclaiming her natural silence.

Zokura nodded fondly at her companion's wisdom before standing to speak. "There is much that is right in the words offered here today; we cannot attack blindly at the risk of over-empowerment. Something must, indeed, be causing this and it would be unwise to assume we are facing a simple foe, large or small. We must seek knowledge from the legends, for they are words of endless wisdom and experience. This job will be offered to you, Sorren, but you will not go alone. Who goes with you, be it one or two companions, will yet be decided. Ana is right on the concept of snuffing out this disaster as soon as possible. We must act quickly, but we cannot be rash. Chau, you are to arrange a training regime to elevate the preparedness of the legendaries of our keep and the soldiers of your guard. Adomorn, Zion, if you would comply with Chau Duo's suggestion and seek out knowledge in your own ways."

It was hard to make sense of the many statements offered in the short time elapsed in the meeting, but she would try to arrange each vital piece of information that was offered up. Before reclaiming her seat she spoke a final few words.

"Now are the times, more than ever, to trust your companions. Suicune made a vital point, and I believe she is right. No man could create what seeps into our skies, but we haven't a clue to what legendary lies in wait and what minions and support it has at its heels. This will be no ordinary battle." She sat, her brow furrowed as her mind ran wild. Was she making the right decisions? What did the guard think? She wished for her mother and father's advice and consolation now, more than ever, but knew she solely owned this responsibility.