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[i]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.[/i]

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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. [i]Suicune.[/i] 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, [b]"There is evil here,"[/b] 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. 

[i]"Summon the guard. Wake my brother and sister. We meet in the counsellor's chambers in one hour."[/i] 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.

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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. 

[b]"You've given the word?"[/b] Suicune nodded and slowly pressed on, towards the wooden doors of the room. [b]"Well, I suppose we should be punctual and arrive in time to welcome the members of the guard."[/b] 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. [b]" Hmm,"[/b] she realized at this memory, [b]"did you by chance summon Sir Zion as well?"[/b] 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.