Darkness sat around them, almost palpable. She sensed no technology... But she couldn't without her powers... A sixth sense for her, completely cut off... A missing limb more or less at this point. How people lived without it she failed to understand. Integrating with technology was so sacrosanct to how she lived. It was as natural to her as breathing... All she could hear were leaves rustling in the wind as well as the wings of nocturnal birds and footsteps of other creatures. Why... Why send her somewhere so natural? Never... She spent no time in nature. Nature stood antithetical to the very core of her abilities.

  Despite lacking her magic, she sensed Blake's irritation even through the palpable darkness. A soft growl escaped her throat. "I don't like this... I can't hear anything..."

  "I can hear just fine." Blake's eyes glinted in the moonlight from the dappling between the leaves. Bad comment. Those ears probably facilitated extra sensitive hearing. How stupidly inconsiderate of her. She rubbed the back of her neck. "I can understand to some degree... I'm a technomancer; not being around technology is off putting for me. Being able to sense and interface with it through magic is natural to me. So to lose it... I feel like I've lost a limb." Hopefully that'd smooth things over. She doubted it. Blake seemed very angry. Not that Weiss could blame her... Losing a part of herself... Both of them had.

  Blake let out a spitting noise and Weiss heard her take a step. "Follow me; I can get us out of this forest without any trouble. I can see in the dark and the moon's especially bright. Though it's weird seeing only one..." Weiss heard Blake starting to walk, but she stopped a few steps later. "What?"

  "I...can't really see in the dark like you can. So I can't follow you very easily without getting lost." And her senses were cut. Not that they'd be of much use in this naturalistic environment. She only functioned well within a highly built-out, technological society. Why send her here? She failed to understand. This wasn't the environment she needed to thrive... She hated this new world already. Nothing agreed with her and she didn't agree with it. She hated it.

  Blake sighed and grabbed Weiss' hand. "Come on." Weiss tripped a bit as they started walking. This uneven terrain was foreign to her. Tree roots, small divots, and all of it... Completely alien. Concrete and other similar substances comprised the environments she lived in. She despised being outside already. She hated it. Too much unpredictable. Why send her here? She didn't understand. The Time Witch always seemed to know best from the tales Weiss heard, but she now severely questioned the woman's choices for them. Blake clearly suited this environment far, far more than Weiss.

  How much time passed as they walked, Weiss failed to clock. She lacked an ethis or other time keeping device. "Do you know what time it is?" Hopefully the question wouldn't set Blake off. Would she know how to tell time by the stars and moon? Granted, the canopy of trees dimmed their view of the moon. Weiss failed to see the proper position of it.

  "No. There's only one moon here; I'm used to three. You can easily calculate time on my world when looking at the position of the moons. But there being only one... I can't tell." Blake huffed a bit but kept moving. Weiss sighed. What a mess. Why had the Time Witch sent her here of all places? She didn't understand. Far too much natural environment for her liking. But maybe there was good reason... Maybe she'd grow to understand in due time...

  Blake's hand tensed and then left Weiss' and she heard Blake growling. A rush of wind sounded and Weiss sensed another presence crash into the clearing they stood in.

  Then, a light.

  Weiss' eyes pulsed from the sudden intrusion of the brightness.

  "What are you two doing out in the middle of the forest? I'd ask if you knew it was dangerous or not, but Pereli sent me here." A woman with short brown hair stood in front of them. Almost out of vision, a strange blue creature with a blue mane stood. Its expression was as stern as any Weiss had seen. She swallowed, her heartbeat rising. It reminded her far, far too much of her captors... But Pereli? Who was Pereli? And what was that creature? How had Weiss failed to hear its approach? Blake obviously heard though... Her bearings in natural environments remained...well below par and likely always would... Nature remained in her home, but she never went out to it. Why go somewhere her abilities didn't work?

  Blake and Weiss glanced at each other. "You seem a lot more articulate than I am," Blake muttered. Weiss sighed. Of course it fell on her to be their speaker. She spent a lot of time in high Imperial court due to her family's standing, but this still frustrated her to no end. She shouldn't have to be their spokesperson. Blake stood perfectly capable of speaking. Then again, Weiss' ways remained peaceful whereas Blake seemed more ready to fly off into violence.

  Weiss stepped forward and offered a dip of her head, hands folded. "Please forgive our intrusion... I don't know who this 'Pereli' you speak of is, but the Time Witch sent us here to rest and recover from the issues that ail us, mentally, emotionally, and physically. She said this world is peaceful and that we would likely find help here." Hopefully that sounded cognizant enough. Succinct and to the point. Nothing astray.

  The woman blinked and tilted her head. "Time Witch? The hell is the Time Witch?" Weiss' breath caught in her chest. She didn't know the Time Witch? How could somebody not know the Time Witch? She was only one of the most powerful beings in all of the multiverse! Should she desire to do so, she could crush entire universes with her abilities! She could bring anybody to their knees and make them her slaves! But those were not her ways. She offered help, solace, and support to those ailing such as she and Blake.

  "You...don't know Salem, the Time Witch? Only one of the most powerful beings in all of the multiverse...?" She scant believed it. How could somebody not have heard of her?

  Summer shook her head. "Nope. But you clearly need help and I believe your story even if it sounds a little bit crazy. I've done my own share of time traveling and it wasn't fun. Anyway, how are you two feeling? Though... White-haired woman, you look a bit gaunt. We should get you checked out in the med bay when we get back to the Union. What are your names? I'm Summer Young."

  "Weiss Schnee, third in command of the Technomancer's Guild of Acaniel." She bowed, her hands still folded on her chest.

  "Blake Belladonna, guard to Queen Maryam." Blake rested the back of her hand on the sword's hilt and offered a bow. Then her hand dropped from the hilt.

  "Beventi, can you go ahead of us and tell the medbay that we have some people that need checkups?" The strange creature nodded then seemed to disappear into the darkness. A rush of faint wind rustled their hair and clothes, leaving the three women alone.

  "What...is that strange creature?" Weiss couldn't help but inquire. So strange. Yet...clearly intelligent. It spoke no words yet understood Summer's orders to a T. Fascinating, how absolutely fascinating. Even if she hated nature, the way that creature behaved tickled her learning sensibilities.

  "That was Beventi. She's what's called a Suicune. Not surprised you haven't heard of Suicune since they're pretty rare legendary Pokemon."

  "Poh-kay-mon?" Weiss intoned. She looked at Blake who clearly didn't understand either. "What is Poh-kay-mon?" What an obliquely strange word. Did it describe the species? But it seemed as if Suicune was the species while Beventi was the individual's name. Unless she missed something important... She couldn't rely on Blake here either... Neither of them understood.

  "...Wow you guys really aren't from this world if you don't know what a Pokmeon is." Summer stopped and shone the flashlight around. A number of rather large, colorful creatures met their gaze. Most made no attempt to escape the light even though they seemed nocturnal. A small brown owl-like creature with a thick leg and reddish-brown eyes, much like an accipiter. Strange tall, red creatures making beautiful noises with what appeared to be mustaches. And any other number of colorful creatures. "Pokemon are the creatures that inhabit the world alongside humans. There are over a thousand known species at this time, though only a small number inhabit every region." Summer paused. "And since you don't know what Pokemon are, I assume you don't know the difference between Trainers and Rangers."

  "Nope." Blake popped the 'p' in the world noticeably. Weiss opted to shake her head politely. No, she didn't know.

  "Well, there are two different ideologies in the world. Either you train and battle Pokemon or you live alongside them and co-exist with them. We Rangers are the latter. I'm Chairperson of the Ranger Union, so I head and oversee all operations with the regions of Almia, Fiore, and Oblivia. I can explain a bit more once we get back to the Union. But the main thing to know about Pokemon is that they are just as intelligent as any human is. They're just as capable of thought as you and I are." Fascinating. How utterly fascinating. They must learn more about these animals. She failed to have too much interest in animals most of her life, but this fascinated her to absolutely no end.

  "I see... So that's why...Beventi, was it? Could understand your command on its own."

  "Her. She's female."

  "Oh, my bad then. But all of this is truly fascinating." She wanted to learn more. How could such a world exist and she not know about it? It boggled the mind. Then again, the multiverse was large. So she supposed it made some sense not everyone knew of the Time Witch. Did this world have a creator? Or did its formation happen naturally? Many worlds happened both through creation and natural processes... She visited and learned about so many even if most of her education focused on Selia.

  "So where are you from and what's your story?" Blake and Weiss glanced at each other over Summer's words. It seemed neither of them wished to speak of their histories.

  "I'm a technomancer from Acaniel. My most potent magic is based off of working with and controlling technology... The Time Witch took it for the time being though. I was separated from my family in a coup against my kingdom and came here to heal." Yes, she technically lied... Even a lie by omission remained a lie. But not even a day passed since she escaped her prison. She was not yet ready to talk about it. Even talking to the Time Witch had been difficult on her... It hurt so much to think about what she'd been through... She still worried about her sister and mother and whatever fate they met... Both were strong women, but neither bore magic as she did. Nor were they learned in self-defense... She could only imagine what fate befell them.

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  She heard Summer let out a small noise but the woman nodded before looking at Blake. "A similar story. My kingdom was upended by a coup. I was my queen's personal guard but I was separated from her. I need time to recoup my strength and mental abilities." Once again, came Summer's small noise. What passed through the woman's mind? She couldn't pin it down. Did she understand they lied? Blake obviously held back a great deal as well. Weiss...simply needed more time to process. She only slept, bathed, and ate following her flight from the dungeon. Only absolute necessities taken care of.

  "Normally we don't let civilians stay with Rangers, but since you two don't have anywhere else to go, you can stay in the Ranger lodgings until we figure out what to do with you. But both of you mentioned needing healing... On what fronts do you need it? I can arrange whatever you need as head of the Union: therapy, doctor's visits, whatever have you." That seemed a lofty promise, but Weiss sensed no deceit behind her words.

  "Therapy...would probably be good for me in the future, but I need time to process what I've been through." She needed to wait. Though she guessed her mind would rot from PTSD soon enough. She knew not of the diagnostic criteria, though; she only knew that it existed. Selia was a mostly calm world, but wars broke out every so often. Soldiers and mages alike could return with horrible malformities of the mind due to the extended violence they experienced. She could only imagine the effects of the coup and fighting in the streets did to the citizens of Acaniel... Mister Gele fought so hard to get what he wanted, yet he still failed to do so to her knowledge. She prayed that he rotted for eternity once defeated.

  No answer came from Blake though. "I can handle things on my own. I just need rest and time to hone my abilities more. Are there people skilled in combat here?"

  "Beventi only. There haven't been wars here in quite a long time. She was head of the army in ancient Oblivia, but that civilisation's been dead for over a millennium now. However, her skills are top tier especially if you train with weapons like swords. What sorta sword is that?" Summer asked.

  Blake took it out of its sheath and it glowed faintly. "A plasma saber. It's much more advanced than any normal sword. But a lot of principles remain in place. The only thing is not to touch the blade. Otherwise, there goes your extremity." She put it back in its sheath. Weiss stepped away from Blake half a step. She never fought with anything like that, though similar weapons were common on Selia. She was a mage through and through. Offensive magic stood well on its own. She knew how to fight with basic daggers in case of worse coming to worse, but that was it. She didn't excel in physical arts. She simply relied on her magic above all else.

  "Afraid, little noble?" Blake's scornful tone made Weiss look away. No, she wanted nothing to do with anything like this. Violence unsettled her. Having to fight against Gele's coup upset her enough. She knew offensive magic, but she vowed to never use it. She broke that vow though... There was no way around it. Either she fought or she fell. Her life depended on it as well the lives of all of those in Acaniel. She tried to fight hard and long, but she failed. She'd been captured and tortured. Blake knew not the hardships she'd faced. She severely needed therapy. though she doubted the therapists here would be equipped to handle what she'd been through...

  She frowned as she thought more. "Are there any ways to block nightmares here? The Time Witch's sanctum blocked them for me but I'm not sure about here." The sanctum supposedly had the ability to keep most illnesses and negative side effects at bay. She hadn't studied the sanctum in depth but from what little she knew... It was a haven for those suffering, but it only held people over until they could arrive at their new worlds. She knew not what this world held. But the fact that Summer held a flashlight meant electricity at least existed here, though she couldn't be sure what level their technology sat at.

  "Hm, not really... But if you're here in Almia, there are two Pokemon here known as the Dream Walkers: Darkrai and Cresselia. Darkrai is a Pokemon that brings nightmares while Cresselia protects people from them. And before you jump to any conclusions, Rafesan, the Darkrai, isn't an evil being. He uses his abilities to help people therapeutically. I'll see if I can't get ahold of Veshana to see if she'll be willing to give up a Lunar Wing--that's the only effective way to block nightmares here. She's busy now, though, so it'll have to wait until the morning." Well, that was better than Weiss expected. Nightmare blockers in the form of medication existed in Acaniel. However, with her trapped in the dungeons, she failed to have access to them. And she needed a psychiatrist to sign off in the first place. It wasn't like she exactly had access to one while trapped in the dungeons...

  "All right. I...probably won't sleep tonight." She couldn't see how she'd react to her nightmares, but they plagued her when they left her alone. She wanted nothing more than to sleep peacefully. She needed time and space to heal and recoup from the months of torture. Locked in that darkened room... She shuddered and wrapped her arms around herself. Hopefully this could provide the healing she so desperately needed. All she could do was hope.

  "Are you sure? You really do look ex-- Then again, if your nightmares are that bad... I can understand." Summer sighed. "I lost my family when I was young and then there was the entire Oblivia thing... Both of those events left me with nightmares that lasted for a long time. Some nights, they still bother me, but it's greatly lessened with time and healing...and meds." If Summer spoke openly, hopefully this world contained no issues with mental health. She didn't want to be discriminated against due to suffering severe PTSD. She knew she suffered it, no ifs, ands, or buts about it. The symptoms crippled her even when the captors slipped up. She felt so isolated, alone, and cold. Who could understand what she'd been through?

  Weiss didn't reply and the conversation ground to a halt through the rest of the forest trek. Eventually, a large building loomed over them, windows winking in the darkness at them. Summer led them up to one of the upper floors and toward a room where a doctor stood outside. "Here. Let's get you two checked out first and foremost." Summer tapped her chin. "Actually, do your world have any sort of immunisations?"

  Weiss nodded. "Yes; they're standard for all children, though I don't have any medical records with me in order to see what I've been given..." Not like medical records were a prime concern when she fled. She could've accessed medical systems without a problem, though the consequences of hacking systems like that would be severe when the Guild found out. The diseases across the worlds would likely be vastly different though…

  Blake also nodded. "Same here. Completely standard, few exceptions allowed when giving childhood immunisations. And I didn't bring medical records either. I had to escape by the skin of my teeth with my life."

  "Well, we can start giving you guys a few immunisations and a basic checkup as well. It's required that all people staying in a Ranger-affiliated base need to be immunised. We can work on those over the coming weeks if you guys are planning on staying long-term."

  Weiss glanced at Blake and the two looked at each other. "Well, we are planning on staying long term until we can begin to heal," Blake said, "so getting those immunisations will be good. We're...not sure what all we can do here, though. We know nothing of the world; we were simply dumped here unceremoniously." Why the Time Witch offered them no information... She didn't understand. They ought to have basics. Right? But The Time Witch offered no recompense for their knowledge. She wanted nothing more than to sleep soundly and recover from the literal torture they put her through. It might take years, years for recovery. She hoped not. By then, the coup could conclude and Mister Gele might rule over Acaniel... She prayed that wasn't the case. Acaniel deserved so much better than that madman who used tactics outlawed millennia ago and all countries agreed not to use.

  "Hm. Well, give me a bit to think, then I'll see what I can do. Just give me tonight and I might have some answers in the morning. Until then..." They entered a room where two nurses stood by. "They'll give you basic checkups and can show you to where you'll be staying for the night."

  "Okay. Thank you." Weiss dipped her head in gratitude, then Summer left. The nurses separated her and Blake, giving each of them a basic checkup as well as a few immunisations. The woman did frown though.

  "You're...incredibly light. Your BMI is well below where it should be. What happened to you? You look like you haven't eaten properly in months."

  Weiss glanced away. "I was tortured." That would be all she felt comfortable saying. She couldn't dwell on it too much, lest she fall into flashbacks. She needed therapy. Badly. At least this world wasn't so primitive they didn't have therapy, but to not have nightmare blockers... What a frustration. She hoped this 'lunar wing' thing Summer spoke of could help protect her mind from the darkness that stalked her mind. She wished for release from the terrible events that transpired after her capture.

  The nurse seemed not to know what to say. She nodded and then led the way to a room. The light flicked on and Blake settled on one of the bunk beds. "I'm going to need darkness to sleep, you know. Do you plan on sitting up in the darkness with nothing to do until morning?" Weiss frowned at her words. True, though. Weiss couldn't have the light on or else she'd disturb Blake. Even if Blake's rudeness put her off, she didn't want to upset her sleep cycle.

  "I suppose I can go see if there's a library or something..." She wished she had her magic. Touching any sort of technology would fill her in on what its uses were and how it'd been constructed. Maybe a library existed that she could use? She hoped so. She needed to fill the hours somehow. She would almost assuredly wake up screaming should she attempt to sleep. She needed sleep badly, but she fought the idea of waking others up with her screaming.

  She excused herself from the room, frowning at the layout of the unfamiliar building. What to do, what to do... A more portly man with a messy mop of brown hair walked by, followed by a strange, pink quadruped animal. Its thick tail curled over its head, a white tip adorning the end of its tail. "Oh,are you one of the two that Chairperson Summer invited into the Union? I'm Muprh, head of Union PR. Can I help you with something?" The man smiled at her and she offered him a hesitant one in return. She backed up a half step. Men had been the one to torture her. She held no fear before but now... They spoke of threat and danger to her.

  "I was wondering if there was a library or something I could use to occupy my time tonight. I already told Summer I wouldn't be sleeping tonight, and I'd rather not bother Blake by staying up and sitting in darkness all night." That, and the silent darkness would set her off. It would remind her far too much of the long hours she spent alone in the dungeons, deprived of all visual stimulus until another torture session came. So many long hours of silence, her mind turning over and over and over until she drove herself insane.

  "Normally it's closed to the public, but given the strange circumstances, I can probably allow you to use the library. Follow me." The pink creature stayed behind as Murph started walking, Weiss, a few steps behind. She felt her body urging her to run, that this was simply a trap. Something would happen. He would hurt her somehow. The worst hadn't happened to her somehow...but it felt like only a matter of time until then. One day, one man would cross that line and she would be past the point of no return...

  As they went up into the building, Weiss continued to feel eyes on the back of her neck. How, she couldn't explain it. But something followed her and them. She hoped and prayed that she was in no danger. Mister Gele wouldn't have been able to track her through the Time Witch's home... She shook it off and followed Murph to the library. A cozy but still large collection of knowledge. Soft carpet dulled their steps. A few people dressed in red and yellow uniforms sat at various tables, reading to their heart's content. "So what do you want to read first?" Murph asked.

  "Nonfiction would be best." She needed to learn about this world and its quirks. These creatures, the Pokemon, demanded the majority of her attention. What were they? So unlike anything she'd seen at home. Granted, most of her animal education came through books or observing in zoos. She rarely ever went out into nature. She felt isolated and alone where her main magic didn't work. Why bother when she felt so exposed?

  Murph led her to the nonfiction section, then excused herself. With that done, Weiss skimmed the bookshelves, frowning. How could they still use physical books here? Such a rare commodity in Acaniel, yet incredibly prolific here. Her family retained one of the larger collections of physical books, about five hundred manuscripts, but that was all. Here... Thousands upon thousands... How this organisation system worked, she failed to understand. Libraries simply existed as study areas now in Acaniel due to the lack of physical manuscripts. Eventually, though, she gathered several books and sat down and began to read. It was going to be a long night for her...