azume | Fifth.

ENCOUNTER.

It's taken some discussion on the part of the elders of the town, but it seems that a decision has been made regarding allowing the lot of you to see the Celestic Ruins; it's worthwhile, they think, even if they believe your overall mission to be dangerous to the point of recklessness - after all, those that oppose Team Galactic, as a rule, do not succeed.

But every rule has its exceptions, and the evidence stands strongly in favor of the notion that you may be the exception to this one; the good you've done for the region is undeniable, and they wouldn't be capable of passing this sort of decision at all were it not for you. As such, your patience will be rewarded today; the person who leads you into the place late this morning beckons you inside with the promise of giving you the knowledge they have regarding the legends, information that may help you on your journey from here on out.

The ruins are massive and cavernous, the walls of the cave reinforced with heavy stone columns surrounding large mural depictions of the various legends of Sinnoh; most are foreign to you, though there are some that are not (flowers springing up to cover a barren valley, a massive creature with bright cores pulling the landmasses of the world into place with ropes wrapped around its arms) - however, what's most pressing is the depiction in the center, three vague beings of light surrounding another, larger entity, all of it very nondescript and yet seeming to depict a very specific event despite its simplicity.

This, your guide explains, is the beginning of the world.

In the beginning there was the Creator, and from the Creator came all things - the rulers of Time and Space, followed by the Lake Guardians to govern over all people, humans and Pokémon alike. In their arrogance, Team Galactic believed that they could take control of those Legendary Pokémon responsible for all life, and use them for their own means. Not to change the world as they lived in it, but rather to create a new universe altogether.

During this lesson, life goes on in the town just outside the ruins; people and Pokémon alike can be heard going about their day. Perhaps you'll realize it before your guide stops speaking; perhaps it won't be until there's a lull in the explanation. Either way, it will soon become noticeable that everything has suddenly become very, very quiet.

A stark, staring silence has fallen over the town, and with it comes a sense that something isn't right. That something unnatural has happened, that something is present that shouldn't be; whatever it is, it seems to demand reverence. Not in the way that the Lake Guardians demanded reverence, but in a way that's glaringly and blatantly terrifying.

When the man enters the cavern, he doesn't look like anyone you've seen before.

Like all members of Team Galactic, he's dressed strangely, though his outfit differs greatly from those of the grunts and the commanders alike; it's difficult, honestly, to tell exactly how old he is - he moves with all the abruptness of someone rather young, though his general appearance would imply that he's seen more than enough of the world to be thoroughly tired with it. He carries himself well, straight-backed and tall, with the sort of countenance that implies that he's used to being listened to; the sort of person that receives respect not because he demands it explicitly, but because he already seems to have earned it somehow, and he expects it, and very few people argue the point. His bright blue hair is spiked up and back, away from his face; his gaze is piercing, and his expression is almost alarmingly unreadable.

When he speaks, his voice isn't relaxing to listen to; it's a bit too rough in timbre for that. At the same time, he doesn't seem worked up or agitated. He isn't blank, either, not like the affected; he's just very, very calm as he stops a reasonable distance away, folding his hands behind his back as he regards the group evenly.

"My name is Cyrus; I serve as the leader of Team Galactic, and the creator of the ideal world. I've found your efforts to be remarkable, the strength of your collective spirit undeniable... And yet as one who seeks a permanent end to pointless strife and hostility, and you being those who seek to restore such things to this world... I believe our meeting is long overdue."

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[Aya listens to this and starts to shake, with a mix of anger, sadness, and protectiveness. Her world is one of music and a lot of love, and threatening to take that away is more than she can bear to hear. She knows bad things have happened, but the good outweighs the bad.]

What did my home world ever do to you? We aren't perfect. There are people who have done bad things. But we also have so many beautiful things - we have love, we have music, we have laughter. Why would you want to take that away?

...if you absolutely have to do something to someone from my world, then you can do it to me. Just don't hurt the rest of them.

[Aya is just plain sobbing at this point. She needs an adult.]

Oooooooookay...

[well, age-wise Michael counts as an adult?]

Let's just calm down now here. [He just gonna, um. Pat her on the head? It works for his Mawile. And maybe try to draw her back some too, she doesn't really seem like she needs to be talking to Cyrus right now.]

[He totally counts right now. She's not going to fight being drawn back, at least, and while she's not going to stop crying for a while, she manages a teary 'thank you'.]

[does...does aya need a hug??? jesus h christ, emmeryn absolutely cannot in good faith leave this level of adulting to michael, whose efforts she truly does appreciate but also aya is so sad]

Oh, Aya—

[And Emmeryn is a sister before anything at all so for a moment she sets the queenly strength aside to cross on over and take Aya gently by the shoulders and, assuming she responds well enough to that, pull her into a hug.]

Easy now, it's all right, it's all right...

[Michael looks actually quite relieved to have this duty taken away from him!]

[Aya doesn't wait for Emmeryn to pull her into that hug. She hugs her first, just letting it go for a second.]

T-thank you. I'll - maybe not right now, but I'll be okay eventually.

[that at least very swiftly answers the concern as to how this would be received—and Emmeryn hugs Aya tight, rubs slow circles on her back in reassurance. Aya can cry on Emmeryn all she wants; Lissa has sobbed many a booger on her big sister's outfits before. Emm's got this.]

It's all right, dear, take your time, settle, settle... We've got you, it's going to be all right. Take all the time you need.

[shit like this is why people keep calling you the mom friend behind your back and confusing stray orphans, emmeryn]

[Atsushi might not be the most adult-adult here, but he sort of sees Aya as like a little sister to him...and between Cyrus just blatantly letting it be known he thinks she doesn't know what she's talking about, on top of all of this, Atsushi decides to walk her way.

Hopefully she doesn't mind him leaning down a little beside her, keeping his voice low. He doesn't hug her, at least not yet, unsure how receptive to that she might be.]

Aya-chan...it's going to be alright. As long as we're around to do something, we're not going to just stand around and let anything bad happen to our worlds.

[Like what the fuck even]

[That is absolutely all right. Aya is pretty receptive to hugs but totally gets that it might be weird.]

R-right. I know. It's just...I don't want my friends hurt.

[He's just cautious since so many people from his world are so....volatile. One wrong hug and someone might accidentally make you explode whether they meant to or not.

But the look she gives him makes it hard. In the end, he moves to hug her anyway, giving her a little squeeze.]

I know. But I bet your friends are just as strong as you are, right? They're going to be tough to go up against if they're strong willed, no matter what Cyrus says.

[...though, inwardly, he's not...entirely confident saying that, but Aya absolutely doesn't need to hear that things are hopeless.]

[Oh gods, Aya...

...The others seem to have hugs and the like taken care of, but Camilla will go over to place a gentle hand on her shoulder. It's okay, girl. Let it out.]

[ . . . Aya's breakdown does make Zelda tense a little more. It's so - she can't really be like that. But it does make her tense a fist at her side quietly, wishing on some level to make such an impassioned appeal of Hyrule. Again, she- Continues to be surprised by the other girl but perhaps more to the point Zelda cuts in, ]

Aya. [ . . . ] Aya, not that.

I - I know, I just...I have to do something...

[But at any rate, she knows that she's not thinking straight, and she stands down.]

[ well he's not an adult but. he's not going to let that stand. ]

Aya, nothing's going to happen to you. We're... [ he pauses, trying to find the right words. ] We're a team. We won't let him hurt you.

Fifth.

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