Chapter One

The tower seemed aglow that night. It was time for the Festival of Wings, and the inhabitants of the sacred towers readied themselves for the annual ritual. It was the only time of year that the folk in Ecruteak could lay their eyes on the strange, mystical beings that dwelled within the halls of the towers.

Many tales circled the town, some depicting warriors of incredible strength, others of princes of great knowledge. Some even told of a princess who held a sacred power in their heart.

It was in a chamber of Lugia's tower that the so-called princess readied herself for the ceremony. She knew full well the rumours whispered about her, and was not going to deny them their right to dream.

The truth was, she had no powers of any sort. Saina, as was her name, only half fit the rumours. She was, at least in the domains of the towers and the connecting pass, a princess. It wasn't, however, a royalty as given by regular means; one does not get born into the role of princess of the towers. It is by a means of selection, through testing children of the tower when they are young.

Saina remembered clearly when she, and two boys, were called into the chamber of Sage Chambon. The three of them had stood there, with seemingly no idea as to what the purpose of this was.

She had glanced at the other two to find that they were glancing at her. She realised that since all the boys and all the girls were kept separate in each tower, Lugia containing the girls and Ho-oh the boys, it was probably the first time they had laid eyes on a girl their own age. That thought made her even more queasy. It had made Saina feel as though she was representing her entire gender in that very room. As it turned out, she had been right.

As the present Saina sat in the chamber, brushing her hair for the festival, she thought of all that had been said. Of the duties she had to follow, and of the role model she had to become.

The two boys, one blonde haired and the other a reddish-brown, she had come to know as Prince Evan and Prince Roka. On the occasions that they had together, the three had grown close. Close enough to be siblings, even.

Now they were to gather again. Laying her hairbrush gently upon the dressing table, Saina observed the intricate carvings along the wooden frame. She was nervous. It took a few moments for her to calm herself, breathing deeply. Gracefully getting to her feet, she seemingly glided over to a glass mannequin, where the final piece of her ensemble rested.

The aquamarine headpiece fit snugly over the loops and curls of her hair, having been made specifically for her. It matched perfectly with her blue and navy dress, along with her long locks of lavender hair. It had been eleven years since she entered the Sage's chamber, and ever since, the worried, frightened child had only ever been seen in her private chambers.

A worried child walked through the door, and Princess Saina floated out. The Glass Guard, made especially for her from the sands of time and the fires of life, stood watch outside her door. If one would look closely, they could see the glint that revealed the true nature of their structure beneath the well-lathered paint.

Saina paid him no mind as the two of them traversed the floors towards the bottom of the tower. All three royals had their own personal Glass Guard. They were made to protect them, as well as obey their orders. When the one they had to guard dies, they die too.

It might seem like a cruel life, Saina thought as she glanced at its figure behind her, but that is what they're built for. They were built without emotion, in order to fulfil their role properly.

It gave her a sense of security, despite being unable to imagine what they were supposed to guard her from. It was always safe in the towers, so for someone whose sole purpose was to guard, surely it would get boring.

As these thoughts tumbled about in her head, Saina drifted down through the floors. The first part of the ceremony began at a shrine, built midway of the two towers. The three royals, and one individual, who was always the child that was best with Pokémon, along with the Sage, would gather there. They would then proceed when all five were gathered.

And so it was. When Saina arrived at the shrine, after a short, uneventful walk, the two princes, as well as a child who could only be the selected one, were already waiting. The Sage was not yet in sight. Prince Evan seemed fidgety. Saina glanced towards the selected Pokémon handler. A black hound with sharp fangs and an armour like bone formation stood next to him. A Houndour.

While they waited for the Sage, the four of them struck up a conversation. To Saina's surprise, he was just as interested in them as they were of him. Most selected one's before him were strict, and had been smuggishly proud. This one, however, was friendly, and oddly enough, shy.

His name was Tyron. They had dark hair, the colour of charcoal. They had met their Houndour friend, or should it be said, they met him, just outside the borders of the towers sanctity.

When they asked him eagerly what drew him outside the walls, he lost some of his shy demeanour and enthusiastically began to tell them his story.

It had been a quiet day. He had been walking along the inner edges of the walls, when he heard crying. Someone was utterly miserable on the opposite side. He asked them what was wrong.

They told him, after a few exasperated sobs, that they were trapped under a branch and couldn't get out. He offered to get help. They refused, and said that they didn't want to bother anyone. This seemed odd, but he felt it best to respect their wishes.

Instead, he asked what he could do. The mysterious voice said that they would be glad of some food.

So it was set to his resolve that every day he would visit this mysterious voice, as well as lob a parcel of food over the wall. Every day, he did. And, every day, they spoke.

He soon learned that she was a girl from Ecruteak. She had gone on a dare to spy on the people in the sanctuary. When Tyron asked her why, she simply replied "because a dare is to put you up against what you're afraid of, and nothing's more frightful than the unknown."

When she tried to climb a tree to see over the wall, the branch broke, and came crashing down on top of her. She had been there ever since.

For the next week, they talked together and got to know one another. She told him about life outside the walls, and he told her about the life inside.

But there would be one conversation he would never forget.

"What's a family?" he had asked.

"Don't… You have one?" she asked in surprise.

"No… I don't know what it is. Please tell me."

"A family… is made of people you know. Sometimes you love them, sometimes you hate them. They can be kind, they can be cruel. They can be close, they can be distant. They can teach, and they can learn. But most of all, above all, no matter what, you love them. And, even if they don't act like it, they love you too. Because a family is more than actions and words, y'know?"

"I think I get it… But I don't think I have anyone like that…"

"You have me…"

"Really?"

"I'll be your family… and no matter what, family stays with you until the end of time…"

"You're the best!" the curfew bell sounded from Ho-oh's tower. "Oh… I guess I have to go…"

As he got up and walked away, he could've sworn he had heard, "Thank you Tyron, for everything…"

It didn't seem strange at the time, he assumed that she meant for helping her out. So it wasn't until the next day that he started to worry.

As per usual, he had called out and gently tossed the package of food to her. It thudded loudly on the ground. But there was nothing else.

Maybe she was asleep? He sat there and waited for her to wake up. And waited. And waited even more.

By sundown, he had resolved to check on her, despite the strict laws about the wall. So, he ventured to the nearest overhanging tree and climbed over the wall.

It looked completely different outside the wall. It was a whole new world. It was so enthralling; he almost forgot what he came outside for.

Shaking his head, he went to the section where she was, apparently trapped under a branch. To his surprise, there wasn't a tree in sight. Just flowers, and her body lying in the midst of them, along with the parcel he had tossed earlier next to her.

As he came closer, he saw that it wasn't that she had been struck down by a branch, but rather the Houndour nearby had instead. It was caught under the heavy limb, and couldn't move. Around the Houndour lay scattered bones where she had tossed meat towards it in order to keep them alive. She'd sacrificed her life for its own.

He freed the Houndour from its prison, and it had been thankful to him ever since.

As Tyron finished his story, a thoughtful silence came over them. Then Prince Roka spoke up;

"Why didn't you go get help? I know she asked you not to, but-"

"That's alright for you." He muttered, "But for the rest of us, contact with the outside in any form is punishable, and…" His voice faded off with a small croak.

Prince Evan decided to change what was clearly a painful topic; "This girl, she was blind, yes? And the Houndour was her seeing eye Pokémon."

"Yes," he responded, "It was a tumour behind her eyes. She was already dying before Houndour got trapped. She was running away from home, and just… Gave up."

The three royals gave a few moments silence for the poor girl.

"What was her name?" Saina asked.

"Tiffany." He shuffled his feet and looked at the ground. It was best not to question him further.

It was a few minutes before any of them noticed what the time was. The Sage was late. Very late.

"Where is he?" Evan asked. No-one knew. The gathering of people there to watch the ceremony began to mutter amongst themselves. A runner hurtled towards them.

"Sage Chambon is dead!" He screamed. Tears ran down his face. "HIS comrades killed him!" He pointed at Saina's Glass Guard standing nearby. Roka and Evan looked around, astonished. Neither had noticed that their guards weren't there. But they certainly noticed the outraged mob near the shrine.

"Murderers! Monsters! Magicians!" They screamed. None understood that it couldn't have been the guards… Could it?

Perhaps it would not have been so bad, had one imaginative person not spoken up; "The 'Royals' planned this! They must be behind it! They're their guards!"

Looking for an outlet to channel their rage, the crowd started after the princess and princes.

"I'll hold them off." Tyron said forcefully, as he signalled to Houndour, "run, all of you."

They didn't need telling twice. As the three royals disappeared out of site, the single glass guard following them gave what could have been a worried glance. As Tyron watched them all vanish, he turned back towards the people coming towards him.

"Tiffany," he whispered, "see you soon."

The three huddled in the bottommost floor of Lugia's tower. It was built in the rock under the ground, and was usually used for defence in times of severe danger or war. Now, these three used it to defend themselves from the ones it was used to protect.

The sound of footsteps racing across the floor above made them shudder. Roka glanced at Saina. This could be it.

It all went silent, until a horrendous roaring sound came from all directions. It sounded like the mob was ransacking the building.

They huddled closer together. Three siblings, one family, no blood between them.

Knock knock, knock. Someone was at the door, wanting to get in. They tried to ignore it, instead inspecting the bronze doorknob that was polished until gleaming. Why hadn't they ever appreciated the work of cleaners before now? It was amazing that someone could give up the world in order to make someone else's that little bit tidier.

Knock knock. Again. "Princess? Are you in there?"

She didn't respond. It was the Glass Guard.

"If you are, you really need to get out of there!" It sounded so urgent. Saina looked at Roka.

"Why should we listen to you?" he hissed, "You're just a traitor!"

"Prince Roka," Roka's eyes widened, he wasn't expecting them to recognize his voice, "they've lit the tower on fire. It's coming down right now. You have to get out."

The Princes seemed disbelieving, but Saina wasn't so foolish. "I'm going with him. He's risking that vicious mob to save us, so, as he's my Guard, I may as well return the favour, as if I die, so does he. How foolish, to risk two lives when one has already been placed on the table." She opened the door, and left.

The two Princes shifted about uncomfortably. A minute later, they followed.

"Come on! This way!" The Guard held out his arm for Saina as she struggled behind. He had to half pull, half lift her over a beam that had fallen across their path.

"Which way? I can't see you!" Saina coughed from the smoke and embers that filled her lungs. The Guard picked her up and began to carry her through the debris.

They had gone up to the next floor, when a cough erupted at the bottom of the stairs.

"S… Saina!" coughed Prince Evan. He and Prince Roka were climbing the now rickety staircase towards them.

Before he could stop her, Saina leapt out of the Guard's arms and ran down the stairs to her siblings. "You came." They hugged, and the world fell down around them.

The society of the towers fell; three were recorded in history as perished in the fire. Two feathers floated down from the sky to settle on charred wood and ash.

And a Glass Guard lay under a heap of rubble, forgotten. To think, the Royals never even knew his name.

But he did. And it was this thought that he held onto, as he lay trapped, despite the flames of life being relit in both him and his charge.

It was his one treasure to know and hold.

To remember that his name is Eusine.

Note: This story is also being/been posted on another site, and is rated T due to mild violence in later chapters. (ooh, spoilers!)

Edit: Some changes made based on TheFrogFromHell's review. Thanks for that, although I am aware of my love of commas. It's mostly on purpose. Mostly. xD