"At last, at last
Bones of my bones and flesh of my flesh, at last"

~ "Like the Dawn" by The Oh Hellos

N closed his eyes and listened to the steady hum of Zekrom's Teravolt as electricity course through its body and traveled to its tail which glowed faintly. He felt strange, riding the legendary pokemon. It felt unnatural and he could sense its uneasiness with him being present. He wondered why it'd been so reverent to him but was afraid to ask. Something deep inside told him not to ask questions; accept the title and continue on. Yet, he felt something he'd never felt before with any other pokemon he'd befriended.

No, not something; everything.

From its heartbeat to its greatest fear, he felt it all under the palms of his hands and he knew that was only a matter of time before said heartbeat stopped. He could see it clearly: the sun and the moon vanishing as the stars bled an otherworldly color that painted the sky in eternal darkness. People and pokemon fleeing in terror as both Zekrom and Reshiram fell like meteors, their wings burned and broken. A great storm would soon envelop the land and consume everything in its path, replacing it with nothingness. He could feel the cold void tugging at him, wanting him, longing for his soul to finally merge with the eternal darkness that was, is, and will be.

"...N," a faint whisper called his name.

"N."

"N!" He lifted his head from Zekrom's shoulder and blinked the fogginess from his vision. Gothitelle was hovering over him with Anthea at her side. "You fell asleep."

"Are we here?" he asked, tucking a loose strand under his cap.

"Yep," Hilbert said, looking faintly amused. "Welcome to Sunflower Sanctuary." N blinked and gazed at the pastel-colored mansion surrounded by its namesake flowers. A brick path led to the entrance where a woman was watching a Lillipup scamper about and chase its tail. It barked in alarm and hid underneath the chair the woman was sitting in.

"Hilbert is that you?" she asked, squinting at them.

"Yeah, Nana, it's me again. I brought some friends with me if you don't mind."

"Oh not at all. The more, the merrier." Hilbert's nana, as she was called, stood up and headed towards them. She smiled warmly as she introduced herself. "I'm Margaret, Hilbert's grandmother. Are you looking for a place to rest?"

"We're actually here to see Ashia." Margaret made a happy noise N couldn't identify and opened the door.

"She's by the fireplace, moping around as usual." Hilda thanked her and guided them to one of the rooms where some elderly people sat, keeping some pokemon. A woman in her fifties was petting a purrloin while staring out the window. The purrloin lifted its head at the sight of them.

"Um, Ashia?" N asked awkwardly. He felt more nervous than ever as the silver-haired woman didn't bother to glance at them. "Is that your name?"

"What do you want?" she muttered.

"It's me. Mother, I...I'm alive." His voice trembled as he spoke and gingerly reached over to touch her hand. The word felt strange on his tongue, yet right at the same time. "I'm home, Mother." Ashia finally looked at him with wide eyes.

"Baby," she whispered. "You're okay." She wrapped her arms around him and nuzzled his neck. "Great Reshiram, you're okay." N couldn't contain the tears in his eyes as she gently stroked his hair. He cried more than he ever had before in his entire life and it felt good. It was as if a burden had been lifted off his back. Murmurs of happiness and congratulations rippled throughout the room making him feel warm inside, something he hadn't felt before. "What happened to you?" his mother asked with worry.

"A lot," Anthea answered, not daring to hide the exhaustion in her voice.

"Oh, sweetheart." Ashia placed her hands on N's cheeks and stared sorrowfully into his eyes. "Please, tell me everything that happened. I need to know." So he did. From his first memory to now, he and Anthea told her everything. He could see his sister ease a little as they shared their experiences. When they'd finished, Ashia looked even more sorrowful. "I'm so sorry, my dears."

"Why did you...?" N didn't finish his sentence. His mother avoided his gaze, making him nervous.

"I used to be a member of Team Plasma," she confessed. "Your father was a member of the International Police serving as a spy to get information on Ghetsis' plans. We discovered the truth when you were a few weeks from being due. We tried to escape after your birth." She saw Anthea frown a little and added, "It was foolish, I know, but I couldn't stay there any longer. Your father, Yasha, he...he and his pokemon died trying to protect me. He was a brave, valiant man, you know."

"So what happened afterward?"

"I didn't have a choice. I had to keep you alive somehow. I was afraid they'd kill you even though your father..." She trailed off before looking at her son. "Can you see future events?" she asked cautiously. "I know it sounds strange but-"

"He can," Anthea replied. "They've all been highly accurate."

"And...the past?"

"If I focus long enough," N admitted. "It takes longer than seeing into the future and a lot harder to control. Did Father have that ability?"

"He could only a few hours into the future but he told me something extremely important." Ashia stood up and beckoned for them to follow.

"What's she gonna say?" Hilda asked, leaning against him. N shrugged. "What? You can see into the future but you can't tell me what your mom's gonna say?"

"It doesn't work like that, Hil," he murmured. They ended up in the backyard where Zekrom was sunbathing. Ashia bowed to it before turning to face them.

"As I said, your father gave me important information about your future," she continued. "He said that you would be the key to opening the doors of infinity."

"What does that mean?" Hilbert asked.

"I'm not sure. He said that the legends about Zekrom and Reshiram were all wrong, that they weren't the original dragon." N was well aware of the tale of the two dragons who were once one. Ghetsis had been only interested in the White Chapter depicting the hero summoning Reshiram. "I think he made a deal with some creature before N was born. He said that N wouldn't die until the gates had been fully opened." That gave him a sick feeling. Would he have to be a pawn to someone else's game again? Would he die once the gates of infinity were opened? Who was the Original Dragon anyway and what did it have to do with him? His mother ran her hand across Zekrom's snout as she mused, "There was something underneath the White Ruins, a secret passageway perhaps. It might give you more information."

"Can't you come with us?" N pleaded. He didn't want to leave her so soon.

"I have a feeling I won't be welcomed down there. You have to do this yourself." Anthea exchanged glances with him. "I'm sorry I can't help you with that. I wish I did."

"Thank you, Mother. It's good to see you." His mother smiled and hugged them both.

"I'm glad you're okay now. C'mon, dinner's in an hour and I want to show you my friends."

Concordia arrived not long before dinner and Ashia was quite pleased to show off her new daughters to the other residents. It was fun watching her brag about how right she'd been to everyone who'd doubted her. Dinner was better than N had expected. It was almost better than Cilan's. Almost. He was happy and for the first time in ages, the hollow pit in his chest wasn't empty anymore. He and his sisters were truly happy and loved by their mother and friends.

However, like all things, happiness doesn't last forever.

Visions of darkness and a storm of hail, lightning, and fire plagued his dreams that night. The void pulled a little harder, beckoning him to an unknown destination. He sat up in the bed given to him and pushed back his hair as his head throbbed. He got out of bed and wandered down the halls to the main living room. With a groan, he slumped into the couch as nightmarish images flashed before him, making his head feel as if it were going to burst. The void was stirring. He could feel it in his bones. It churned and roared like a sea in a violent storm. And in that sea, the eyes of the abyss stared into his soul, welcoming him. "N," it murmured, consuming his senses. "You have to come home."

"Won't you come home to us?"

"Yes," he whispered, feeling dazed. He wasn't quite sure where he was now and thinking made his mind ache. "Just...wait a little longer."