Character: Alondra Kurt
Species: Meowstic
Age: 21
Year of character creation: 2014
Story: A recluse librarian who lives in Verity. She first told Agatha of the Old World and showed her the Haven of her host, Xerneas, connected to the forest where Claire and Agatha's home resides. As a Mortal Scion, using the full extent of her abilities would cost her life in exchange for miracles. Sick after rescuing Agatha from her wounds by Mesprit, she is watched under the care of the captain of the Veritan royal guard, Damien.
Cinccino Hannah knew that another Scion lived in this sleepy town in Verity. She asked about them early on, but hadn't met this "Alondra Kurt" yet for herself. After their field trip ended, she planned to walk over to the library and introduce herself after a good night's rest.
Unfortunately, if her senses were correct, Hannah couldn't afford that.
A cool summer breeze chilled her the second she threw off her blankets. Beside her, Audino Agatha shifted and groaned. Hannah cringed. Agatha didn't usually sleep this soundly, and now she had to go and ruin it.
"W-what?" Agatha gargled. "What? What is it?"
"I sense something's wrong," murmured Hannah.
"Uh, what?" Agatha's head shot up. "Is it Kite!? Is he back!?"
"No. I sense something is wrong with that Scion you spoke about earlier, this 'Alondra'."
"Perhaps you should go this alone?"
A Wigglytuff stood beside Agatha's bed, Helena. Hannah hadn't spoken to her since before the start of the field trip, hardly at all for that matter, outside of training. Agatha's eyes never locked onto her; only Hannah could see.
"Let's not stack problems onto her back," Helena said. "You can handle this alone, can't you?"
"Hannah?" Agatha asked.
"Oh, uhm, I can handle it," said Hannah. She smiled. "You should get your rest."
"Pft," Agatha spat. "Let's get to business."
Agatha bent down and reached for her prosthetics. Hannah smiled at Helena, who folded her arms and frowned. She clearly wanted her to try harder. Hannah would abide, but Agatha had a harder head than a Rampardos. She'd follow on her own if Hannah didn't take her. With Claire off on her short trip, no one would stop her.
"Please stay close to me?" Hannah asked.
"Yeah," Agatha said. "Got it."
Hannah grabbed her fan while Agatha tied on her prosthetic feet. She pulled the windows shut and kept an arm around Agatha's shoulder so she didn't bump into anything in her tired stupor. Once they walked out into the nightly buzz of bugs outside, Hannah locked the door behind them and set her fan down on the grass. She guided Agatha onto it, held her close, and pulled them up in the air slowly.
Each crisp gust of wind woke Agatha up. Hannah flew slow, since it was so dark out. They'd smack into trees left and right if she went any lower. Once they entered town, lampposts provided enough light for smooth sailing.
"So, what exactly are you 'sensing'?" Agatha asked.
"Scions can tell when another one is using their power closeby."
"Yeah? And?"
"Your friend is a Mortal Scion. I think she may be using powers that would drain her life energy. That's not good."
"Uhhh…"
"What's wrong?"
"There's, uh, more flowers there than I remember."
Hannah stopped them.
One of the lonely buildings out this way had been coated in flowers, none of which she recognized. Their stems ran as long as some tree trunks. Sunlight orange petals sparkled under the light from nearby lampposts. The rest glowed under a mob of fireflies. It looked like the building had been set on fire with plant life. Outside of that, she could only size up a sort of rectangular shape.
Hannah brought them down on top of the hard walkway to the front door. She stepped off, waited for Agatha, and folded her fan back into a staff to carry.
"What should we do?" Agatha asked.
"Don't worry," said Hannah. "Stay behind me, and let me talk. While I do that, search for clues on what happened here. Can you do that?"
Agatha seemed wary, and not only from Alondra. This whole situation with Claire gone and this happening in the middle of the night got to her. Helena had a point; she shouldn't have brought her along. But since she did, Hannah would make the most of it.
A wall of vines and roses parted at the entrance to reveal a plain-looking door. Hannah sensed a spike in trepidation from Agatha. She reached and squeezed her hand, which made her flinch.
"U-uh, I'm good," Agatha assured with an awkward smile.
"It's okay," Hannah said. "I need you close. Remember the plan, okay?"
"Uh, sure."
Hannah pushed open the door with one of her digits. It creaked on its way open.
Red dots and brown splotches ran across everything; the walls, the bookcases, even the book covers. Mushrooms sprang up in random areas. White, orange, green, and red fungi of all shades coated the walls. Glowing yellow mushrooms lit up the library from the ceiling.
On the second floor, Greninja Damien hung by his wrists from vines on the ceiling. His eyes trained on them. Meowstic Alondra sat on the railing in front of him. She turned around and glanced down at them with no reaction.
"What is the meaning of this?" Hannah demanded.
Alondra glanced at Damien, turned back, and shrugged. "At least there's meaning to something I do now."
"What?"
Alondra leaned forward on the railing. Her face was pale. "You wouldn't understand what it's like to be a Scion and still unable to do anything without giving away your life. I just want a night where I can just… Let go, and really make the difference I've always wanted to." Alondra reached back for Damien's face and caressed under his chin. "I wonder what that difference will be."
"I understand your frustration…" Hannah mumbled, unsure if she really did, "but you are killing yourself to appease it."
"Yes, I am. And last I checked," Alondra straightened out, "that's my decision to make!"
Alondra flipped over the railing and fell. Hannah's deep blue mask materialized over her eyes. She shoved Agatha to the side and pointed her towards the spiral staircase to reach Damien. Alondra landed with a scowl, only to settle into a tired frown. Gray lines underlaid her eyes.
"Oh," Alondra said, "you're probably used to winning every competition of strength ever since you became Lugia's Scion. That would explain why you would dare."
Hannah needed Alondra to use the least amount of energy as possible. She waited for her to make the first move.
Meowstic Alondra took slow steps forward. Behind her, in the darkness, Audino Agatha crept towards the staircase with a scrunched up jawline.
"Alondra," said Hannah, "I have the Veritan blessing."
Alondra stopped. Agatha took her first steps up the staircase.
"And with my experience," she continued, "I know how emotions shift and change. Yours are switching from second to second. It's not natural. I think something or someone is influencing you. It wouldn't be fair to yourself to make decisions while you're in this state. It is your life on the line. If you could just be patient for the night, maybe we can do something to help."
Alondra's face paused and shifted as she seemed to ponder the question. Hannah's chest lifted. She didn't expect her to listen. Hannah probably wouldn't have if someone told her the same thing back then.
"I suppose I'll give you the benefit of the doubt for a few hours…" Alondra said. "Besides, I need to put someaffairs in order. But do leave Damien here. I like having someone to talk to."
Alondra raised one of her digits and flicked it forward.
A shout swallowed the room. Agatha flew through the air and slammed straight through the top of the front library wall. Stone chunks rained down on Hannah's head, and left a silver ray of moonlight in its wake. Alondra side-eyed her.
"Well what are you waiting for?" Alondra asked. "You have until sunrise."
Alondra waved her paw to shoo her away.
Hannah brought her fan up, too slow. Her mask shattered. Her fan wretched out of her grip, and the world went upside down as a force she threw her back, weightless The library's front door broke apart against her skull. The ground scorched, scraped, and tore her back.
She lied face-up on the ground. Her mouth hung open. Once she finally breathed out again, she squeaked. Agatha sprawled out next to her, caked with dirt. After a few moments, Agatha pushed herself up to a wobbly stand. She grabbed Hannah's arm and pulled her up to sit. Agatha stepped around Hannah, placed her hands on her back, and used Heal Pulse. It stung, but less each second.
A wall of mushrooms and pale fungus grew from nothing. It blocked the library's front entrance again.
"Did she just one shot you?" Agatha asked quietly.
Hannah nodded.
"What are we supposed to do about that?"
"Nothing," Hannah sighed. "Every use of her power drains her further, and as a Mortal Scion, her strength outweighs mine five to one. We can't win in this situation. We need to go to Xerneas' Haven and solve this in the Old World."
"Can we even do that?"
"It may be our only choice if we want to save Alondra. Unless you know four other Scions that can come help us in time."
"Well, no."
"Then let's go back home and get ready," Hannah decided. "Use your phone to figure out how long we have and call for help from whoever answers. Claire will be back sometime tonight, too, right?"
"Don't know when, but yeah."
"Okay. Let's go."
Hannah kept an eye on Agatha. Agatha would never admit it, but Hannah felt her stress like a second heartbeat in her head, omnipresent and explosive. Her prosthetic feet rattled whenever she lifted them as they walked back inside their house. For speed's sake, Hannah let Agatha handle all the texts.
A minute after they were back in Agatha's room, her phone rang. Hannah stared. Agatha grimaced, answered, set it on her bed, slunk down, and leaned back against the bed frame. Hannah knelt next to her.
"Hello?" Claire asked. The voice came out much louder than usual. The rustle of a carriage on a road coated with pebbles loomed in the background."Agatha?"
"Hi," Agatha huffed out.
"Agatha, tell me exactly what happened."
"I, uh… just texted what happened to you…"
"No! I mean. Are you alright?"
"We're fine. But, uh, we really need to go into Xerneas' Haven, soon. What time will you be back?"
"I won't be back until four or five in the morning. Can you wait until then?"
Hannah frowned and glanced at the floor.
"No," Agatha sighed.
"Okay… Bao and Imani are on their way over?"
"Yes. Walter and Natasha were awake too."
"Agatha," Claire said firmly, "I understand the situation. You're right. Someone has to go. But I think you should let Imani, Bao, and Hannah handle this."
Rage built up, and bubbled right under Agatha's hiss, "...What?"
"That's what I want."
"Um, okay? And?" Agatha shot to her feet and loomed over the phone as if Claire was in the room. "You're not even here. Why Imani and not me?"
"I've hadyears to train Imani," Claire said, not unlike how Hannah's own mother lectured her. "She is a WPO certified explorer and a young adult. And to get there, she had to face less challenges than what you have. I can't force you to stay. Throughout these past few months, I've allowed things that no responsible parent would, because I understand that other ways to cope with pain are far and few between. But tonight, I hope you have enough respect for me when I say that this is too much."
"But why?" she asked. "I'd have Hannah with me. And Imani."
"Yes, but Kite is still out there. Alondra was the only one who could help when you came down with that sickness that we still don't understand at all. Give your ring to Hannah, and then I want you to go to the restaurant. I've been letting Luke sleep on a futon there until he can find an apartment. Go there with Natasha and Walter and stay there. Luke has a ring of his own."
Agatha's anger melted away. The murky pall of uncertainty took its place. Hannah agreed with Claire on this. The more Agatha's face loosened up to the idea, the less stress boiled in her head.
"Fine," muttered Agatha, eyes on the floor.
"Alright," Claire replied. "Good. Update me regularly. Hannah, be safe."
"I will," Hannah promised.
"Bye."
"Bye."
Agatha raised her hand and shut off the phone call. Her head sunk down.
"There's nothing to worry about," Hannah said. "Alondra will be fine. You should rest."
Agatha snorted.
Claire's plan went into motion. Agatha entrusted Hannah with her ring, and left with Umbreon Walter and Charmander Natasha to the restaurant.
Outside the house, Hannah stood in a circle with Luxray Imani and Torracat Bao. They kept a stoic glare trained down on the earth below, where Hannah planned to set the golden ring down between them. Bao and Imani fell short on words. Hannah figured if it weren't for the situation, they would fall asleep standing up.
"What kinds of differences should we look for?" Imani asked. "In the Haven, I mean."
"Anything," Hannah said. "If this is in the early stages, there might be hints to what happened to Reshiram."
Or her.
"Right," Imani said. "I'll lead. Both of you cover my flanks."
"Yes," stated Hannah.
"Will do." Bao nodded.
Hannah tossed the golden ring on the grass. It glowed, grew, and changed the grass into a view of a thick jungle. Imani jumped down first. Hannah and Bao landed beside her.
Hannah expected a wave of heat and a mushy jungle floor. Instead, her feet hit cold soil like rock. Leaves, weeds, and masses of mushrooms and fungus held stiff. The ring shrunk back down and fell to the ground. Hannah bent down, picked up the ring, and slipped it behind her right ear. Different kinds of cold and sharp vibrations rattled around in her head.
The Valorian and Veritan blessings swarmed around everywhere.
"Were there always Reapers in Xerneas' Haven?" Hannah asked.
"No," Imani whispered. "How many enemies?"
"It's hard to guess… Maybe ten? But none of them are coming closer. And they are rather far."
Much of the tree cover had decayed. Through a web of dry, empty branches against the night sky, Hannah saw a rainbow light of the tree Agatha mentioned before they set off. According to her description of golden branches and a flood of light, it looked the same. Whatever change that Reshiram went through could be happening in real time.
"Stay quiet then," Imani said. "Unmarked territory. You know the drill Bao."
"Yes, quite."
"And so do you," Helena's voice echoed. "Make sure to keep these non-Scions safe."
Cinccino Hannah followed Luxray Imani. Torracat Bao stayed glued to her side. As nice as the blessings were for them, Hannah couldn't sense Acuitan Reapers. They stayed off the beaten path. Along the way, Hannah noticed some of the weeds under her feet were cold to the touch, like ice. The same swaths of fungus she saw in Alondra's library streaked across multiple trees. Dark gray mushrooms appeared more and more, until they covered every inch of dirt.
The dense jungle life Agatha told Hannah to expect around the tree vanished, replaced by a coat of homogenous mushrooms. A few clusters attempted to reach up the side of the tree. The areas around them turned as gray as hard cement.
Footsteps came.
Bao snatched Hannah by her fur and tugged her back. Imani bounded behind the closest tree for cover, and Bao brought Hannah to another one. Hannah crouched over Bao and stayed still.
A regal deer with long legs and an azure pelt sauntered around the base of the tree. Its head hung low, even as it hopped over large tree roots. Masts of fungus dangled back and forth from its antlers. With each step, a rattled crunch came from its legs. The light of the great tree almost made it look like a shadow.
Bao and Imani froze up. Hannah wanted answers. She stepped out from behind cover, nodded to each of them, and walked forward.
Because its body movements were jerky and unhinged, Hannah considered it aggressive. She made herself known with heavy steps. Xerneas' neck creaked as it shifted its gaze onto her forehead.
"...Hi."
Xerneas' voice came out like the dying breath of a weasel.
"Hello," Hannah said. "What are you doing with a physical body?"
Xerneas didn't answer.
"Hello…?"
Xerneas' head turned upside down. Its neck bent into an impossible V-shape. It snapped back into place seconds later and blinked out of sync, one eye after the other. Imani and Bao's terror tickled Hannah's back.
"Your Scion is acting rashly," Hannah tried. "What's going on? What happened to her?"
"My Scion?" Xerneas asked. "Who?"
"Alondra? Alondra Kurt? Your Mortal Scion? She's using your powers too much for no reason. She's going to get herself killed."
"Ah. If she does not respect life, she does not deserve it."
"What have you done to your Scion?" Hannah quietly demanded.
Xerneas walked forward. "I require a Scion with long term value. A Mortal Scion doesn't suit me at all… Ah."
Xerneas' neck twisted around. It looked at Hannah upside down. Ropes of pale fungus swung between their locked eyes.
"Do you think that Audino girl would make a good Scion for me?" Xerneas asked.
Not a good sign. "You are never going to find out," Hannah growled. "If you will not answer my questions, abandon your body at once."
"What questions?"
"Why did you create a body? And what happened before?"
"Before…" Xerneas breathed out. "Before. Each of us were blessed with an equal portion of the planet, and tasked as lords to rule over all life. But then, the greatest of us pitied a dying village on top of the world's tallest mountain. Their prayers reached the heavens, and they granted the first Pharaoh the strength of the Peacekeeper to defeat the three invaders. And then balance turned into a game of curses."
Hannah didn't mean however far back this was, but she wouldn't stop it from continuing. Xerneas' neck extended, rattled, and creaked. Its head circled around her.
"I can smell it," Xerneas cooed. "Yes, yes! You have met the second comet in person… Tell me, tell me. Do you still call them blessings?"
"The royal blessings?" Hannah asked.
"You still call them blessings. You poor creature. They are the chains. See now, how you stand here, thinking yourself unburdened." Xerneas' head circled again. It vibrated with small cackles. "Yes, yes. You are burdened, by the time you missed fleeing from beasts of the night to the arms of your mother under the light of firewood. If you had experienced fear, then you would have known you should have ran in terror from me at the start. You would have known you are about to die."
Xerneas' head slammed down.
Hannah jumped out, backflipped, and landed on her feet. Xerneas' neck snapped back to its normal position. Hannah bent her legs.
"Hi," Xerneas said.
Hannah paused. "What?"
Again, Xerneas blinked out of sync.
"Xerneas?" Hannah asked softly.
Xerneas turned and stomped away. Its legs rattled with every footstep. It continued on like it had before, as if they never spoke.
Hannah didn't want to lose it. Luxray Imani and Torracat Bao stalked up behind her. A large amount of their fear drained out.
"Why did it seem so… strange?" Hannah asked.
"I've seen this before," Bao said.
Hannah turned. "You have?"
"Yes. My grandmother. Before she passed, she developed dementia for a few days."
Hannah's face pinched. "What is 'dementia'?" She struggled to pronounce it like Bao had.
"It's when something is affecting your brain, whether it be age or some kind of illness, that causes you to become forgetful." Bao's eyes turned down. "She would often talk about things we didn't expect, like her first home when she was a girl, or ask where people are that had passed away years ago. It's very painful to watch your loved ones go through it."
"But isn't Xerneas on some kind of higher plane?" Imani asked. "What could cause something like this in something that's basically immortal?"
"Whatever it is, it might lash out at us at any moment. It seems like it also became very belligerent. It just about matches descriptions of Reshiram's personality."
"So we're too late for any information we can make any sense out of," Imani huffed.
"Where did it get that story from?" Hannah wondered. "Reshiram held onto its memory of the ancient past by its existence in that stone. Xerneas didn't have a body. It shouldn't have any memories outside of Alondra's, but it spoke about some kind of past. Where did it get this information?"
"I think we're too late for answers," Bao whispered. "Let's help Alondra now."
"Hannah," said Imani. "Talk to it again and distract it."
"Right."
Imani and Bao spread out towards the shadows. Hannah traced Xerneas' steps. On its path to the other side of the tree, it left behind cut up mushrooms. She followed it back into the dense wood.
At random, Xerneas kicked its legs. Trees snapped in half and crashed down. Hannah watched. Once she figured Imani and Bao had enough time to find a good position, she raised her voice.
"Xerneas!" Hannah called.
Xerneas' head turned around, then its body after it. Wordless, it kicked another tree next to it. It cascaded to the jungle floor in splinters.
"You must surrender your form," Hannah said. "There will be no compromise."
Xerneas' neck bent forward. "You are not the only one who enjoys dealing in absolutes." Its neck twisted around twice over.
A blast of light shot out from its head. Torracat Bao dove out of the bushes. Luxray Imani leapt from undergrowth on the opposite side. Xerneas raised its hoof and lunged.
It pierced through her shoulder.
Imani screamed. She hung by her arm against a tree. Hannah paused. Xerneas stared back at them with its new captive.
"My preference is absolute harmony," Xerneas croaked. "The silence of peacetime will rule all of Verity and Valor. Isn't that what you've been seeking?"
"It certainly sounds fine in the moment," said Hannah, "but I'm asking you to see the light."
Xerneas tilted its head. "Who are you?"
Xerneas turned to Imani and promptly ripped out its hoof. The tip of its hoof glowed with a string of violet light, connected to where it had punctured Imani. Imani groaned and slid to the jungle floor. Her eyes squeezed shut. She clawed and clutched at her shoulder.
"Excuse me," Xerneas said. "I would love to stay, but I'm late for Her Majesty's celebration. She just gave birth to three brothers…"
Xerneas turned and walked away.
Hannah and Bao rushed for Imani. Hannah stopped a few steps away. She had no clue what to do. Bao bent low and searched for the wound. She didn't find one, not even a drop of blood.
"It… healed me?" Imani asked. "W-why?"
"Are you okay?" Bao asked. "Does it hurt?"
"N-no."
Silence.
"It's too unpredictable for us alone," Bao said. "We need to retreat and make a cohesive plan."
An opportunity presented itself. Hannah yanked the ring off her ear and set it down on top of an uneven layer of mushrooms. It grew, and a wave of colors transformed into the grass in front of Agatha's house. Luxray Imani trembled as she stood up. She stalked to the edge of the ring and jumped down. Torracat Bao followed.
Cinccino Hannah walked to the edge of the ring and touched it. Imani and Bao's heads shot up towards her, then vanished. She picked up the ring and pushed it back around her ear.
Now, she could deal with this.
Wigglyuff Helena popped into existence in front of her. She waved her arms around.
"Woa woa woa woa woa!" Helena screamed. "What are you doing?"
"Scions are stronger than their hosts are alone," Hannah said.
"Yes, true. Experienced Scions are! You, on the other paw are a fifteen-year-old baby!"
Hannah stopped. "I turned fifteen?"
"Like, four weeks ago?" Helena frowned and shook her head. "Nevermind that. Look, you're being dumb. That Imani girl is a serious fighter and she just survived off of sheer luck just now, in case you forgot five seconds ago!"
"Imani's not a Scion. And you told me to protect them."
Hannah turned away. Helena floated around and floated in front of her face.
"You're way overestimating how much being a Scion really means," Helena said. "Do you think that after Lugia chose me, that I never had to train, or struggled in battle?" Her tone lowered. "Hannah, when I was alive, I nearly lost one of my arms to a Valorian warlord, a non-Scion. I've gone through battles that took more than everything I had to win. You might be stronger than your average pokemon without any training, but when you get up there in skill level, sometimes being a Scion won't be nearly enough."
"I can't let what happened to me happen to anyone else," Hannah responded.
"You don't have to. Just wait for help," pleaded Helena.
"That's not going to come soon enough."
Hannah walked past her.
"I can't stop you," Helena said, "but if you're doing this, give yourself a wide berth. Attack from plenty of angles, and keep your distance so you can keep tabs on the environment while you fight by yourself."
"I know how to fight."
Xerneas began to move faster. Hannah followed a trail of cut-up mushroom tops. The soil changed to a foamy texture, and bounced under her weight like a sponge. Hannah continued on.
She zoned out for a while. When Hannah realized it, her eyes snapped open wide.
Giant mushrooms, gray and far apart from each other, replaced the trees. Trails of mist floated over their tops. Pale and dark swirls of fungus made up the ground. Still clouds blotted out the sky. The tree, once visible from everywhere, had been replaced by a gray, wilted, wrinkly mushroom, taller than anything Hannah had ever seen before.
"A reality shift?" Hannah asked. After she said it, she realized she was alone, and would have to face it that way.
Xerneas faced her down. Hannah manifested her fan as a staff and held it in front of her. Patches of dark fog leaked from Xerneas' mouth. Its eyes drained, black as pitch. A sinking feeling hung between them, one that told her she shouldn't be here alone. Hannah sucked in a breath, manifested her mask, flourished her fan, and swung.
The torrent of wind rushed past Xerneas, to no effect. Ribbons of fungus flew up from the ground. Xerneas' figure drowned in a cloud of wispy pale fluff. It didn't move in all the time it took for the spores to fall back to the ground. Hannah couldn't imagine how much power it'd take to actually move it.
Xerneas took a step forward. Its leg dug deep, and made the sound of metal slicing through rock. Hannah hopped on her fan and flew upwards. From her paws, she fired off a volley of wind blasts. None held any impact.
Xerneas pulled its neck back into a tight curve. Its head slingshot forward. A beam of light raced for her head. Hannah angled her fan to block it.
Her feet went airborne. The force knocked her off the fan and sent her in a wide arc to the ground. She landed soft, but her fan spiraled around in the air in random directions, far out of reach. Xerneas walked straight for her. Its antlers darkened even further. One by one, they fell, lengthened, swung around its face, and brushed the ground with each step.
Xerneas slung its head back, then forward. A wave of antlers came down. Hannah jumped and pushed wind from her paws, dodging them. She rolled back to standing.
Hannah glanced down. Something wrapped around her foot. An antler ripped her from the ground and dangled her upside-down. Hannah pulled on it hard, but it refused to give. Xerneas marched closer. She dug her claws into the antler and ripped it apart.
Her feet hit the ground, right underneath Xerneas' chest. It raised one of its legs. Hannah raised her arms.
She caught it. The sharp point of Xerneas' foot stopped right between her eyes. Xerneas leaned its weight down on it. Her arms trembled. She tore the leg away and jumped back. It scraped her face.
A gash formed on her mask. Hannah jumped and blasted wind out of her paws. A ball of light pierced through and smashed her in the chest. Her arms scraped and bashed against the ground. One of Xerneas' antlers whipped around her tail, yanked her up, and swung her down. Her back cracked on the ground. She ripped the tendril off and stood back up.
Xerneas' head tipped far back, further than it had before. Hannah readied her paws in each direction, ready to blow wind from either to dodge.
A ball of light curved to the left. Hannah blew wind from her left paw to fling herself to the right, but she stuck in place. A tendril had sprouted from underground and wrapped around her leg. It wouldn't unstick.
Her head burned. A dozen cuts formed on her arms and legs. Her mask pulled apart into chunks and exposed her face to burns. Needles poked the back of her head. Her stomach twisted in knots as she struggled to breath. The sky twisted above her. Xerneas' form darkened against the background. Its hooves, step by step, came closer to splitting her in half.
Hannah could still win this, if she could stand up.
Xerneas' gaze shifted upwards. A short rush of flames rained down on its head. Xerneas stumbled back and held still.
An avalanche of footsteps surrounded Hannah. Multiple species pulled her back up to her feet. Audino Agatha, leaned under her chin, studied her face. What was she doing here?
"Agatha?" Hannah asked.
Umbreon Walter skipped next to her. Torracat Bao and Luxray Imani formed a barrier in front of them. Xerneas blinked out of synch, and waited. Its antlers waved around like snakes with their tails pinned to its head.
"Heard you were about to get yourself iced," said Walter.
"How?" Hannah asked. "How are you here?"
The answer dangled in front of her: a gold bracelet on Lopunny Luke's left arm. He walked past and took a position between Bao and Imani and placed his left hand on his hip. A Keldeo's horn hung from his right. Hannah stared at it, hard.
"Just because you made a mistake doesn't mean you have to force yourself to do the impossible to make up for it," Luke said. He brought his right arm back and squeezed his own tail. "And I forgot my mega stone. Screw me…"
"Why didn't you ask me if you felt like doing something stupid?" Agatha asked. She hoisted Hannah up and spread light across her body. Hannah's cold, stinging cuts warmed.
"Um, because you might have something called… uh, 'post-dramatic stress disorder'?"
"Please," Agatha snorted. "My mental health is already soaring out the window. What's a little creepypasta deer going to add to it? Also, close. It's 'traumatic.'"
Xerneas' neck bent into a V-shape, and sounded like a crunchy rubber band. Agatha raised a hand and stroked her neck under her clenched teeth.
A claw scraped Hannah's shoulder. Charmander Natasha stood there. She pulled back her prosthetic arm when Hannah flinched.
"Did you really think we'd just leave you?" Natasha asked. "You kinda helped save my life back at school."
Everyone whipped around.
One of Xerneas' antlers coiled around Luke's foot, pulled tight, and wound back. The Keldeo's horn dropped to the ground. Luke's scream flew away from them. In the following silence, Imani and Bao ran in. Hannah straightened out and ran for the horn. An antler burst up from the ground and coiled around the handle. She dove.
Hannah missed it. She rolled forward and looked up. Xerneas' antler pulled it underground, back towards its head. It held it close to its face. It must've realized how strong it was as a weapon.
How?
Luxray Imani leapt and pounced. Her claws left a trail of sparks in the air. Xerneas walked backwards. Its tendrils lashed and wrapped around Imani to hold her and her electricity back. A single tendril whipped back and forth to protect its back from Torract Bao's fireballs.
Natasha ran forward, bent a knee, and pointed her prosthetic at Xerneas' side.
"It's okay," Natasha said. " I got this…"
A small whirring sound emanated from her arm, then a blaze. A burst of light smashed into Xerneas' side, hard enough to coax out a pained grunt. Natasha's arm whipped up and yanked her backwards. Agatha jogged around her as she sprawled out on the ground.
"Yeah," Agatha said. "Kickback could use some work."
Agatha jumped up with her boosters and rocketed into the fight. Umbreon Walter moved to help Natasha up.
All of the pressure eased Xerneas' grasp on the horn. Hannah blasted wind towards it. Xerneas' antlers flung around. The horn flew out of its grip and tumbled on the ground. Its antlers sunk into the ground. They dug under the horn, rose up, and wove together into a dome.
Hannah imagined that would only let Xerneas move within a short radius of it. Hannah couldn't sense emotions from it, but it must've been afraid of the horn. Everyone's attention landed on the dome. Xerneas' head lowered. Its neck twisted into a tornado, glowed, and released a ball of light, straight for Natasha and Walter. Hannah flung herself at them.
She tackled them out of the way. The heat from the light seared the edge of her tail.
Audino Agatha burst forward and kicked Xerneas across the face. Its head reared back, then rebound. Its forehead bashed her chest. Flakes of metal scattered in the air. Agatha's feet grinded against the fungus on the ground. She stayed calm, still standing. With no antlers to guard itself, Luxray Imani tackled Xerneas head on.
"Help me out again!" Natasha grunted.
"Hannah, babysit Natasha!" Walter called. "I'm going for it…"
"What- Babysit!?"
Umbreon Walter dashed off towards the horn. Xerneas took notice. It turned to him, but Torracat Bao placed herself between them. Hannah stayed. She anchored herself behind Natasha while she finagled with her arm. Her pride stung from how one of Agatha's inventions did more damage than her wind, but she wouldn't complain now.
A bubble of rainbow light stole Xerneas' gaze. It burst open. Glassy, neon shards fizzled out in the air. Audino Agatha stood tall with her arms curled in front of her chest and her feet spread wide. She'd mega evolved.
"Okay," Agatha's voice cut through the silence. "You're annoying me."
Xerneas stopped. Umbreon Walter bit and tore at the dome of antlers for the horn. He made slow, steady progress. Natasha waited with another shot ready. Luxray Imani stood in front of Xerneas with a number of gashes on her pelt, and Torracat Bao caught her breath. Hannah stayed behind Natasha.
"Well?" Agatha asked. "What are you waiting for?"
"You look just like him with that face," Xerneas said. "That is… remarkable."
Walter pulled the horn out. He fell back, and it dropped to the ground. Thorns and bristles stabbed into his paws. Xerneas didn't react to the sound. Hannah stepped from behind Natasha and crept towards it.
"Like who?" Agatha threatened.
Xerneas' antlers rumbled through the ground and pulled back up to its head. Walter picked up the horn and moved towards Hannah. He handed her the handle, then backed away. Hannah aimed for Xerneas' head. As soon as she pointed the tip, Xerneas whipped its head around to her.
The Keldeo's horn dangled right next to Xerneas' eyes. Its antlers closed around its body in a sphere. Hannah looked down. The horn in her hands warmed, burned her paws, and grew lumps. She pulled her face back, let it fall, and jumped back.
"Get back!"
Bright light accompanied an ear-splitting explosion.
Cinccino Hannah's body ached. The stench of smoke covered her body. Flames crackled and died all around her. Rainwater ran along the sides of her face and soaked into her gnarled fur. Her head throbbed.
She wondered how Xerneas made a fake horn, and how it exploded. After what Bao said, she didn't think Xerneas would have the presence of mind to formulate a plan mid-battle, much less remember it. She underestimated it.
Did the others survive?
Hannah trembled as she sat up. Umbreon Walter and Charmander Natasha huddled together, bruised up, but safe enough. They were at a distance to start with. The others, not so much.
Luxray Imani and Torracat Bao sprawled out motionless. And Agatha…
"Ggggyrraaaaaagh!"
Audino Agatha howled.
She'd been lifted up in the air. Two of Xerneas' antlers pierced through her arms. Lopunny Luke laid underneath one of Xerneas' sword-like hooves. His trembling arm reached up for the Keldeo's horn, nowhere near reaching it.
Hannah's heart lurched. She forced herself up and stomped forward. Each step sent a lightning strike up pain up her legs, but it got easier. After four steps, she broke out into a full-fledged sprint. Agatha writhed and pulled away. Hannah jumped in.
Three tendrils blocked Hannah's arm from reaching the horn. She blasted wind behind her and pushed forward. Xerneas leaned its weight towards her to resist.
Agatha shot off her right booster. Her foot dug into Xerneas' side. A shot from Natasha's arm hit Xerneas' front legs and broke its balance.
Hannah slipped through. The horn burst ablaze in her grip. Xerneas' antlers recoiled away from the heat. She brought the tip down on its neck.
A kind of pressure built up in Hannah's chest. The horn struck true. Xerneas' body and antlers stilled. It turned its gaze down at Hannah.
"I remember a pair of… crystal orange eyes," Xerneas said. "Yes. Beware, Christmas Eve."
Cinccino Hannah woke up on soft grass. She opened her eyes and shot up to her feet. All around her, Audino Agatha, Luxray Imani, Torracat Bao, Umbreon Walter, Charmander Natasha, and Lopunny Luke laid out on the grass with their eyes closed and wounds gone. Hannah checked herself to find the same. All of her pain vanished like a bad dream.
Heavy, warm air rested on her shoulders. It took a moment to click: they left the Old World. Agatha's house stood not too far away. The edge of dawn poked over the treeline.
Bent on her knees, a female Meowstic faced away from them, Alondra. She must have healed them. Hannah sensed her exhaustion. She decided to walk closer to her.
"Nope," Alondra blurted. She pushed her hand out behind herself. "Nope. Don't tell me you know what this feels like."
"I think everyone knows what shame feels like," said Hannah. "But, uhm… Well, your request ruined a lot of what I was about to talk about."
Alondra sighed.
"Alondra!"
Hannah turned.
Mightyena Claire ran at them. She stopped and inspected the others, decided they were alright, and hobbled to Alondra. Her back sagged in the middle. Alondra seemed to resist tearing herself away and running. Claire's claws placed on her shoulder.
"Alondra," Claire said. "Are you okay?"
Alondra dove into her chest. Claire pulled her into a hug.
"I was just sitting alone in my room," Alondra mumbled. "And out of nowhere, I just felt like I was on my own, hoping to be picked by parents again. I didn't want to keep feeling like that! I just wanted it to stop! I just wanted to forget! I'm sorry…"
Claire placed her paw on her head. "I know… I know. I remember. You're so strong. Do you know that?"
"But I-"
"I'm so proud of you. It's not easy to find your place in life. But no matter what even Xerneas or anyone else says, you do have a place in it."
Alondra broke down crying.
A small ball of light, the color of a faded rainbow, danced over Hannah's forehead.
"Xerneas?" she asked quietly.
The light stilled and calmed. A warmth spread through the air. It reacted to her voice.
"Xerneas," Hannah said, "tell me? What was going on?"
"When I first met Alondra," said Xerneas, "she entered this forest and didn't expect to leave. I was in shock that my destined Scion didn't even understand the first fundamental of life, that it's worth living. I thought she learned that long ago, but I was wrong. She was only doing it because I promised her it was, not because she believed it. I should have pushed her to do different things, live in different ways. But when she became a Mortal Scion, a part of me lost hope." The light dimmed. "Thank you. No matter my struggle, the thoughts wouldn't leave me."
"Do you remember what happened to you?" Hannah asked.
"Nay, I do not. I fear Alondra's memory failed her when it happened, and any that I once owned are now gone."
"But I'm confused. Without a body, how did you maintain your memories of the ancient past until now?"
"I didn't. If I spoke of anything in those regards, it was from memories implanted when it happened. I'm certain we will work out the clues in time. Let us rest."
The rainbow light faded away.
Out of the woods, Greninja Damien walked out with thorns and bristles hanging from his body. Meowstic Alondra heard his approach, pulled back to see him, and filled up with fear.
"D-damien," she stammered. "I-"
"Alondra," said Damien. His weary eyes lit up. "You are so much more than what came before or what your ultimate 'destiny' is. You've got a golden heart. Even the way you walk and handle yourself is filled with compassion for those around you. And even if someone makes you forget it, I never will."
"Why don't we find you some help, dear?" Claire asked. "Make sure you're alright at the hospital? You look run-down."
Alondra's eyes floated between them. She twiddled her paws and looked away. Damien bent down, picked her up, and carried her off. Claire stayed. She checked on everyone on the ground; most of whom were too tired to stay awake long enough to listen.
Walter and Natasha ran back home before their parents could notice they left. Hannah and Claire carried Luke, Agatha, Imani, and Bao back inside to rest. While they did, Hannah recounted what happened.
"I don't understand," Mightyena Claire said with Audino Agatha on her back. "Why was Xerneas so afraid of that horn?"
"I don't know," Hannah said. "But it ended the battle quickly. Holding it feels… strange."
"Where is it?"
Where…?
Hannah looked around. She didn't see the horn anywhere. A cold, hard sensation slammed into her chest, dulled by the sunrise.
"I don't know," Hannah said, realizing.
Claire groaned. "You're grounded by the way. I can't believe you did that…"
Hannah followed towards their front door. "What does that mean?"
"It means I won't allow you to do things and might make you do extra chores as a punishment for disobeying your elders."
"Does this mean I'm not allowed to fly?"
"No," Claire sighed. "That's not why it's called being grounded…"
Hannah watched Agatha's face. Her arms dangled back and forth against Claire's sides. She sensed a return to peaceful sleep, but it wasn't because of anything Hannah did. She had to get stronger.