Hannah stayed with her mom in their home for one last day. She knew that their house was starting to fall over. The wooden walls were discolored, and time chewed away at the floor. Her entire childhood had been withering away in front of her; a decade's worth of memories she wouldn't be able to look back to.
The new places they would go to might not have her favorite flowers or foods. There might not be trees there to read under. She hated thinking about it.
When the sun began to set, and they had both rested in their beds for the last time, the time came for them to set out with small bags of food.
Hannah resisted the urge to engrave the awful memory waiting behind her as she walked away from home. She knew the path out of the woods her mother took, and could feel the end beyond the tall grass.
The stone road and open plains were a new sight to her, but didn't feel new for long. Hannah walked next to her mother for hours. She kept her mind focused on what she left behind so much, she didn't ask where they were going.
Cinccino Hannah's pace started to slow, and Rhydon noticed.
"Sweetie, are you good?" Rhydon asked.
"My feet are tired," Hannah said.
"Tired?" her mother questioned. "It could be your mood causing that, you know. It's connected to your body's energy. Being positive takes time and effort, though. Hop on my back for a little while."
Hannah felt a bit guilty about adding the weight of her and her stuff to her mother's back, but she took the offer. Thanks to her smooth steps, she fell asleep on her back. Her short nap made the difference she needed to keep walking.
They continued all night, but stopped at dawn for a few minutes to eat. Hannah still wasn't sure where they were going, but it couldn't be much farther with how little food the Rhydon packed. Her mother knew how to prepare well.
By morning, Hannah was gazing up the first mountain she had seen in person. It spanned over several miles, and hid whatever lied underneath with a veil of thick, green leaves. If her mother hadn't told her about them, she might've assumed it was a massive tree.
As the sun rose, they scaled up the side of the mountain. Hannah had practiced walking up mountains on a short hill in the woods. It bored her when her mother told her to do that for a few weeks, but it helped now. The crunch of the soil under her feet played in her ears for another hour.
They came upon a small cave. Rhydon observed it for a moment, then took Cinccino Hannah with her inside. Moss covered the gray rocks outside, but the inside was clean and sparkled with droplets of water on the walls, presumably from recent rain. The cave ceiling seemed smooth.
"Where are we?" Hannah finally asked.
"A place called Counselor Mountains," her mother explained. "We're a short ways away from the city I want to take you to, but I need to get you used to talking to other people. There are friendly people in this area, and I think a month here will help you get ready."
"But how do I talk to others?"
Hannah had "talked" with other people besides her mother who had visited the woods. Generally, it was her mother that did all of the work.
Rhydon set down her bag along, and Cinccino Hannah did the same. She sat down on Rhydon's lap as she explained.
"First, it's polite to establish that the other person knows who you are, like your name or why you're talking to them," Rhydon explained. "Then, as you're both more comfortable with each other you can try talking about more things. Follow what you feel and do the best you can to establish some sort of connection with them."
"Are you going to teach me how to use the Keldeo's horn as a weapon, too?" asked Hannah.
"You can practice with it on your own and learn better than I could teach, but do be careful with it. I don't know about that energy, but it's very intense. Keep it away from trees and other people while you practice, okay?"
"Okay."
Hannah felt like she forgot some of the survival skills she knew when putting them to practice. Her mother had apparently been here before, so she showed Hannah around with different kinds of information about plants she already knew. Hannah started to learn where the plants tended to grow.
After her mother had shown her around a bit, she left Hannah to her own feet. If she got lost, she would ask people for directions back towards the cave. There were a few older people around, but Hannah couldn't find a reason to talk to any of them.
Over the course of the day, Hannah felt strange. Everyone she happened to see gave her an eerie, heavy sense in her chest. As the air cooled and dusk settled in, she returned to the cave with questions.
Rhydon sat back against the cave wall. She seemed to be falling asleep when Hananh's footsteps roused her.
"Hey mom? Why is this place so strange?" Hannah asked. "It feels… awkward. The people here."
"This area was wanted for building materials during the war," her mother explained. "Now that it's over, this is a kind of neutral ground where people outside of society or those who left society live."
"But why?"
"War tires the soul. Sometimes, it needs a lifetime to rest. But if you want to know more, you'll have to talk to them yourself. I don't know much."
After a small, quiet dinner, they went to sleep.
The next day, Cinccino Hannah decided she would approach and talk to someone: an Ursaring she happened upon near a view of a dazzling waterfall. It poured into a river that continued down the mountainside. The cool mist at the base of the waterfall reached up the cliff as a phantom on Hannah's fur. Ursaring sat near the cliff's edge with his claws resting on his legs.
The gentle roar of rushing water may have drowned out Hannah's footsteps, but Ursaring turned around. Faded scars covered his face and chest.
"I'm talking with my son a few minutes more," Ursaring said politely. "If you have something to say, give me a few moments."
"Yes," Hannah said quietly.
Ursaring turned his head back towards the waterfall. Cinccino Hannah sat down on the ground. Her deep blue eyes were trained on his back.
After a short minute, Ursaring's posture and atmosphere relaxed.
"Alright, thank you," said Ursaring. "Sorry to make you wait girl. What is your name?"
"Hannah," Cinccino answered. "I'm uh, staying here to learn to talk to other people."
"You're doing well so far, Hannah," Ursaring said. "My name is Mattheus. Given the situation, you can ask what I'm doing here within reason."
"Okay... What are you doing here?"
"I come here every day to pray to my wife and son," Mattheus said. "Where are you staying?"
"A cave back down the path."
Hannah felt a wave of worry and anxiety come from the Ursaring. She couldn't guess where from.
"You must be more careful," Mattheus said. "There are rules to follow to be safe when dealing with strangers. Before you reveal anything, think about what others are capable of with the information and how much you know about them."
"Oh," Hannah said, realizing. "Right..."
"You seem to want to know more about these mountains. It's not common knowledge for the story behind this place."
"Story?"
"Yes," Mattheus nodded slowly, "the story. Or legend. The people who lived here before had a tale of a great knight pokemon that lived here for centuries and protected and balanced their society with its power."
"For centuries?" Hannah asked.
"They say it was a Creator Legendary pokemon, as they assisted in the creation of the physical world. When the kingdoms heard, they... We had torn this land apart in a battle, along with the people who lived here. And as a desperate attempt to atone, I take care of the land and spread the story about the mistake. Then I will join my family in a better place as the last of us."
Hannah was unsure what to say, but she replied, "That's very kind of you."
"Thank you for listening," Mattheus returned.
Mattheus brought himself up to his legs and faced her. He began to walk with his eyes looking past and over her.
"I have many things to manage," he said. "I'm something of a leader or peacekeeper here. So if you want to talk to me again over a serious matter, follow this river up and you will see my house. It's a cabin made from logs. Have a good rest here."
Over the next few days, Hannah got familiar with a few faces. She saw Mattheus multiple times a day as he interacted with others and took care of the area. She copied a few of his habits to great success: leading off with a smile and raising her arms to be more approachable.
During the night, Cinccino Hannah's ears rose along with Rhydon's. They both woke up glancing outside of the cave.
Hannah wanted to go in front, but Rhydon moved faster towards the cave entrance. She slid her feet hairs above the dirt to keep silent.
Out of the growth, Ursaring Mattheus came out with his hands raised. Hannah's mother relaxed when Hannah did just behind her.
"Mattheus?" Hannah asked. "Is something wrong?"
"I'm sorry," Mattheus said, huffing. "I've come to warn you last. We must leave the mountains immediately."
"Why?" Rhydon questioned.
"There are strange invaders. The Valorians and Veritans are working together militarily to drive them away from here. But they seem to be a large, organized group."
"Wait, is this the first time Valor and Verity have worked together like this?" Hannah asked.
"Yes, it would be," Rhydon answered. "These mountains are both of their embarrassments. It makes sense politically."
"You!" Mattheus cried out suddenly. His eyes fixated on Rhydon, shaking like Hannah had never seen before. "You're the Twilight Hero... aren't you?"
"Twilight Hero?" Hannah repeated. "Mom?"
"You're her daughter? And you..." Mattheus questioned. "No need for this now. Will you help them?"
"I don't want to get involved in this sort of thing anymore," Rhydon answered quietly, "especially with my daughter."
"Mom, this mountain is important," Hannah argued. "Why wouldn't we help?"
"Things have happened here that I don't want to happen again," Mattheus added. "I've done my best, but residents here are older or crippled. I moved them higher up in the mountains, but they're not safe. I can't get them out in time…"
"Hannah, you know what we're risking," Rhydon warned. "The decision is yours, but there's more danger of... More danger than you realize."
"Let's do it," she resolved. "I'm ready."
"You've trained your daughter?" Mattheus asked.
"Very well," Rhydon answered, smiling.
"That's good, but I want someone to defend the people directly up top if any sneak by," Mattheus said. He turned to Hannah. "If you follow the river past my house, you'll find an old stone structure with a statue. Go and defend that place."
Ursaring turned his dark eyes towards Rhydon. "You follow me. We will have to do some work ourselves."
Cinccino Hannah left the cave after she took a short moment to organize herself. She brought the Keldeo's horn with her in a bag strapped over her shoulder with the "handle" sticking out from the top. Hannah had been doing practice swings a lot, but it was a slow process. With it being her only weapon, though, she decided to bring it with her.
The noise of the river made her feel less lonely, but didn't help the ominous feeling the night brought. Moonlight reflected off of the wet rocks and highlighted the leaves with blue. Tiny waterfalls going down changed from clear to silver in the light.
As the river waned, Hannah could hear the crickets again. The river disappeared into branches that went in different directions as she trekked up the final slope of a short, grassy hill.
The top evened out into a small plain of flat land. Hannah imagined the view would be as overwhelming as it was on other spots on the mountain, but in the dead of night, she could only see the shadows of the mountain slopes in the distance.
Unshaped, silvery stones jut out from the ground. On the damp grass, a statue with thick arms and legs stood quietly to be in a strange kind of ovular shaped body. There were no details on the statue to make out.
Pokemon huddled together at the base of a gray stone statue. Cinccino Hannah made eye contact with their curiosity, but they didn't seem to feel particularly threatened about a single girl with a familiar face. When she made her way over to them, she hardly recognized them anymore. Some of them were shivering despite the soothing temperature. Their eyes moved more erratically.
Hannah didn't say anything to them at first, and didn't plan to. They may have thought she was joining them in trying to keep safe, but with luck they wouldn't know otherwise.
Hannah sat near a Magby leaning against a gray stone jutting out of the ground. Her name was Helen, and she was too frightened to even greet Hannah when she sat next to her. Hannah learned from her directly that her husband had died during a battle on these mountains. She wasn't ready to leave yet.
Helen normally did well being calm and collected as she carried on, but Hannah became concerned enough to talk. Based on a lack of emotions she felt, Helen must've been fluttering about in a whirlwind of memories.
"Helen? Are you okay?" Hannah asked.
Magby Helen turned to the Cinccino in a choppy motion. Her eyes seemed to click on Hannah after a second.
"Oh, Hannah," Helen answered, "I'm sorry. I'm a little disturbed tonight."
"You're going to be okay," Hannah said.
"I have the feeling of that much... I just can't help but think about who won't be. If it's all happening again for someone else."
Hannah couldn't think of a reply. Helen didn't seem to expect one and continued to stare off into the distance.
When noise echoed from down the hill, Hannah stood up and paced around the area. She pulled Keldeo's horn from her bag. Its weight provided some small comfort. Waves of grief and fear pushed on her back. She kept herself ready.
A pair of footsteps stood out from the small rumble and quakes. They sounded like her mother's, but the pace was off.
A Hariyama walked up the slope. Cinccino Hannah advanced forward. She glanced behind herself to make sure no one else had come. The pokemon huddling under the statue looked ready to run, bargain, or anything in between. She turned back with new resolve.
Hannah pointed the horn's edge towards his face. The height difference cost Hariyama a moment to notice.
"Halt!" Hannah called.
Although it was Hannah's only warning, a small shock ran through her limbs when Hariyama stopped walking. His dark eyes sloped down to meet her's.
"Are you here to protect these people?" Hariyama asked.
Hannah lowered her guard just enough to reply.
"Yes," she said, "who are you?"
"I am General Floyd of Verity," Hariyama said. "Your mother sent me here to escort us all to a safer place."
Hannah's guard flew back up and over where it had been. General Floyd of Verity was a Flygon. For both countries, generals were warriors before anything else. This Hariyama had a sloppy form when he walked, and his muscles weren't as defined.
"I know you are lying," she said.
Hariyama's face twisted in anger. He stepped forward and his feet buckled.
He howled and grabbed at the grass as he was pulled off down the hill. Just when Hannah thought he went out of sight, Hariyama flew off the ground and floated in the air. The outline of his form glowed a blue color.
Hannah's eyes brightened in awe of the sheer psychic power holding Hariyama helplessly in the air. Hariyama tried to summon his body's energy, but was overwhelmed and subdued. A quadruped figure walked slowly and rose up from the hill illuminated by the light.
Valor and Veritan royalty took pride in their personal power in battles. It made sense to Hannah. She knew that they preferred to do things personally to have weight to their ride.
The strong, Veritan blood poured off of a Girafarig's body to her, but Hannah didn't experience it for long. She shut herself away from it by closing an invisible door. Girafarig would be able to sense her own royal blood if she didn't remain careful.
From what Hannah could hear, the Girafarig came alone. She walked forward with a staunch, plain face that she could no longer read the meaning of.
"Cinccino there!" Girafarig called. "Hannah, yes?"
"Yes," Hannah answered.
"The enemies have been defeated. You may lower your weapon."
Hannah didn't realize she was still in her stance. The muscles under her arms were shivering out of her control, making it feel like a weird lump. She lowered the point of the horn into the ground, hoping the Girafarig wouldn't pay much attention to it.
Luckily, Girafarig continued her elegant strides towards the group by the statue. She began to talk to them individually while the Cinccino just stared at her. Hariyama remained trapped in the air, gasping and panting as Girafarig spoke in a quiet, comforting tone.
A pair of large footsteps Hannah recognized as her mother's came over the slope of the hill. Rhydon hastened towards Hannah with a pair of invisible eyes on the Girafarig ahead.
"Hannah," her mother whispered, "come with me. To the cave. Now."
Hannah obeyed without replying. She returned the horn to her bag as they walked back towards the slope. Her mother was almost running, but didn't look like she had much energy left.
When they returned to the cave, Hannah expected an immediate explanation. WhenRhydon bent down and fumbled with her bags against the dark rocks in the shadows, she realized she'd have to ask.
"Mom? What's going on?" Hannah asked.
Rhydon turned to the Cinccino with a rush in her eyes.
"Did she sense you?" Rhydon asked.
"Uhm, no," Hannah answered.
"Are you sure!?"
Rhydon gripped Hannah's shoulders tightly. In a split second, she noticed the small wince and took her hands off of her.
Her mother sighed to herself in disappointment.
"Mom, what's wrong?" Hannah asked.
Rhydon needed a moment to come up with words, but answered, "If she had discovered who you were, our lives would be in danger. That was Martha Verity."
"Why is this the first time I'm hearing her name?" Hannah asked.
"It's a new tradition both Valor and Verity have grown to adhere to. That they won't reveal the identities of royalty to the general public until they are sixteen. Listen to me."
Rhydon brought her dark eyes just a few inches away from Cinccino's blue ones. She was as close as she could be while still talking to her.
"The Veritans and Valorians royal bloodlines are special. If she senses you, they will know who you are and we could be killed. You need to avoid that Girafarig at all costs."
"Why would we be killed?" Hannah asked. "We haven't done anything."
"Because you're not supposed to exist in their eyes, Hannah."
"But then why would they kill you?"
Hannah could see a curtain of angst fall over her mother's face. Even without reading her, Hannah could tell she had a secret to tell.
"They would kill me for... Because," her mother stumbled. "Because, Hannah... They would kill me for tricking them. And disobeying a direct order."
Her mother turned her struggling face away from her. Hannah didn't look away, simply staring as she went through her bags.
"You know how to survive on your own for a while," Rhydon said. "But there's something I can't ignore and have to do with them. But you need to go."
"What can't you ignore?" Hannah asked.
"The attackers tonight weren't normal, and unfortunately, I have to do something to snuff out whatever's started or no one else will. But I can't have you around Martha."
"But if I just don't-"
"It'd still only be a matter of time," her mother argued. "But I can't ignore what happened here tonight. It's too big, Hannah. I need you to do this."
"I'm not leaving," Hannah said plainly. "No. I've been around people who are missing family the entire time we've been up here. This isn't how it happens to me."
"Hannah..." her mother pleaded, "please. That's not going to happen."
"You don't know that. And whatever I need to do to convince you to let me stay, I will do it."
Hannah felt like she stepped on something. Rhydon turned around with a grim face.
"I'll prove that I can go with you. If I have to," Hannah said.
"Hannah," her mother said, "please don't even say-"
"You know I'm not scared."
Rhydon stood up and looked down at the Cinccino.
"If I win, you'll let me go with you," Hannah said.
Hannah continued to face her with the most serious face she could make. She recognized the plain face of her mother covering something negative inside as she walked past.
Hannah followed behind her mother's back. She clutched the strap of her bag against herself. Her mother looked taller.
Cinccino Hannah followed Rhydon through a thicket of trees on a path she didn't know. Her blue eyes were trained up at the back of Rhydon's head, although she occasionally had to look down for the foliage and tree roots.
The small moon started to poke out from under the clouds when they found a small clearing. surrounded by trees. Silvery light came down through leaves in small rays, leaving small circles of well-lit grass across the area with the tune of the crickets.
Hannah stopped following the Rhydon just a short ways into the clearing while she continued on to the other side of it.
Hannah's mother turned around and took a hard, rougher stance she had never seen before. It wasn't a stable stance for demonstration, but a simple one with her legs slightly apart and her arms up and ready.
Cinccino Hannah walked over to the side of a tree and set her bag down. She returned to face her, holding Keldeo's horn sturdily in front of herself with her legs slightly apart.
"You first," her mother said.
Hannah knew she'd say that, but didn't know how to approach. Her mother had more years of training than she had been alive. There wasn't any good way to approach. From a practical standpoint, she would be running away.
Hannah flung herself forward and led off with a jab of the horn in her hands. It slid across Rhydon's left forearm. Rhydon jabbed her forehead with her right. The horn flew out of Hannah's grip. She fell on her back.
Rhydon put her foot on her chest. She didn't hold back the painful weight. Hannah handled it fine, but she couldn't move.
"You can't come with me, Hannah," Rhydon said.
Hannah pushed her weight up with her arms and a heave. They shook under the weight, but held fast.
Rhydon put her weight down on her foot. sticking Hannah struggled and managed to get her feet under her again. She pushed off and caused Rhydon's foot to slam into the ground as she hopped back. Rhydon stood still and stared at her. She let Hannah catch her breath.
Hannah could still feel the shadow of the pressure in her stomach, trying to quickly fill it with air.
"Hannah, please," Rhydon said, "be reasonable."
"You had me..." Hannah huffed, "around people all week. People who've lost their families and wish they did more. Of course I want to protect you."
"I'm the one trying to protect you."
"When did it stop being us working together?" Hannah asked.
"When it got this dangerous," her mother said.
"Then what's even the point!? Why did you get called the 'Twilight Hero'? Why are you the one taking care of me? Why is it suddenly your mission that you have to go on without me when you're the only person I know!? That's not fair!"
Rhydon's body relaxed. She walked to Hannah and bent down. She embraced her in a gentle, warm hug. Hannah leaned into it and closed her eyes.
"I'm sorry," her mother said. "I should have told you about myself. I just don't want you to be afraid of me. You wouldn't have anyone to look up to if I told you everything about me."
"Yes I do!" Hannah said with a muffled voice. "You're still you. What you've done won't change that. Not to me..."
"I really want to believe that."
"You can."
Rhydon bent down and gazed into Hannah's eyes. She stared back, waiting for her to continue.
"Please?" Hannah asked. "We can think of something together."
"I wish I could see if you wanted to just unhear what I'll say," said Rhydon. "But I guess you've made your choice. Right?"
"Yes," Hannah answered.
Rhydon released Cinccino Hannah from the gentle hug and sat with her legs on the ground. Hannah copied her.
"The Twilight 'Hero,'" Rhydon said. "That's what they called me because of something I did. Well..."
Rhydon shifted uncomfortably, straightening out and relaxing her back again.
"At the end of the war, there were sections of both Veritan and Valorian generals. They disobeyed orders and continued to fight. As they all went against the government's wishes, someone had to take care of them to stop the fighting once and for all."
Rhydon leaned to her left, picking up a stick from the ground. She used it to draw in the dirt, but Hannah continued to look at her wavering eyes.
"It's true they were bloodthirsty factions, but it didn't change that I killed so many people. I executed the generals personally," she choked. "And it... changed me. There was only one thing left to do, and I would have been free to marry into the Valorian royal family myself. All I had to do was prove myself by personally taking care of one last 'mistake'."
"Was it me?" Hannah asked.
"Yes," Rhydon choked back tears. "And I was different. And in truth, I didn't even bat an eye swinging a one-hundred pound blade at a... defenseless egg. And the only reason I didn't was because a vision stopped me. Of this."
Hannah's mother had drawn a picture of a bird-like species with wings like hands and a mask on its face. Its tail and back had square-like ridges coming out from them.
"Lugia," Rhydon said, "stopped my arm somehow. In my vision, it said it would curse the land with storms unless I saved you. So, I pretended that I did the deed, and denied the marriage proposal. When you were born, I realized that I was the only one making mistakes. Sparing those lives didn't even occur to me until I saw you looking at me that way... As if I was some caring, loving person without you even knowing how to talk."
"Do you think Lugia really exists?" Hannah asked quietly.
"I'm not sure. But my vision did."
"So, is this why you want to go so badly? There's... redemption to be done?"
"There always will be," her mother said.
"Then let me add to it."
"Hannah, Martha Verity isn't the only danger," Rhydon said. "These people have been trying to spark another war by trying to frame attacks on cargo and other areas on the other kingdoms. They're dangerous."
"That's what we have each other for, though," Hannah smiled. "And, well. I wasn't trying my best there."
"I know that," Rhydon shook her head. "I know you can handle it."
"Then let's make something new. Something better."
Hannah stood up excitedly.
"Oh, I know!" Hannah said. "Like those explorers in the old days. Their whole lives were about helping people. So let's make a Guild. Like in those stories."
"I never quite understood why those were your favorites," said Rhydon, smiling.
"They were all amazing. I mean, like, imagine?"
"Which part?"
"The traveling Guilds," she said. "The ones that just go anywhere. There are such different stories around the same Guilds. The books where the writers were old Guild members that you had me read were magical."
"Have I been keeping you from that?"
"Oh, it's fine," Hannah said. "I understand. But that is what I want to do."
"I didn't realize you had picked something that you want to do."
"Well, it's good... Right?"
"You can do whatever you want, Hannah," Rhydon said. "But each Guild had their own name. We'd need one, too."
Hannah thought about what would be a good name. She put together random thoughts, including the night sky over their heads and what they had talked about.
"Twilight is like the sunrise or sunset, right? Well, that's past us. Let's be called the Nightlight Guild. Like the stars."
"Like the stars," her mother repeated laughing, "alright. This will just be our first mission, then. Yes?"
"Yes."
"Alright," Rhydon said. She put her hands on her knees and pushed while she stood up. "They've set up a camp not too far from here. We'll join them."
"Right."
"But remember," Rhydon said with a stern tone, "no feeling others emotions for a while. I know it's annoying, but you already know why you'll have to live with it."
"Yes."
Her mother led Hannah out of the clearing. Just before the trees choked the sky, she stole a last glimpse at the night sky.
It was as if all of the stars were out. Hannah almost felt like she had to wave goodbye back, but jogged ahead when her mother called her.