The air was tense, laden with fear and anticipation. But Cynthia came this far, and she wasn't about to let her opportunity go to waste. She'd chased a talking bird in her dreams, she'd stared an entity of destruction dead in the eye, and she'd damn well get her answers.
What did he know? And what did she have to do with any of this?
One would think the answers would flow forth like water, but this 'Yveltal' was keen on playing his riddles until they came back to bite him. Cynthia had put this must trust, this much blind faith in him… and he was still hiding behind a mask. So she'd get to the bottom, alright. In the simplest way she knew how.
"…Well? Are you going to tell me?" His appearance was becoming a lot less intimidating to her; she even went so far as to use the tone she addressed her brothers with.
Yveltal made a swift movement of one of his claws, mindlessly hacking a tree in half. "I'll advise you not to use that tone with me." He hissed, tapping his wings like a nervous habit.
She blew an angry puff of air to her forehead, scattering several of her bangs. "Well… That doesn't give me much to go on… Why am I even here? What do you want from me?"
Again, he chose silence. But he could hear the irritated huffs coming from behind him… And he could see the sun beginning to rise in the distance… Yveltal was well aware of what was going on. "…You do know what I am, Cynthia? Don't you?"
She meant to respond immediately, but settled on a hesitant nod instead. "Y-yes… At least… I think I do. You're some sort of… spirit of vengeance… right?" She nearly winced at just how insincere her response sounded.
"I suppose you could say that…" He chuckled, bending his neck around to face her. "But you'd only be half right…" He sank his talons into the soft grass, assuming a comfortable sitting position. "I… am Yveltal. A legend to your kind, Cynthia… A Pokémon, in your tongue." He gave a lazy snort and continued. "And it is my duty to punish the wicked."
"S-so the book was telling the truth…?" Cynthia stammered. If it were true… then the book she'd been reading was, what, some sort of prophecy? She was seriously hoping he'd stay and answer her questions this time.
The avian squinted, noticing the orange glow on the horizon. Nonetheless, he was quick to reply. "I suppose it was; some humans have an insatiable fascination with my kind. It wouldn't surprise me if they went to great lengths to ensure accuracy. But I know that's of no concern to you."
Vehemently, she shook her head. "Hardly! I just-" She stopped herself, wanting to pick some concise questions. "I-is that why you're here?"
"I thought that was obvious, Cynthia." He exhaled loudly and refocused. "Your brothers are the center of a maelstrom of pain and misery. Every day they condemn thousands of humans and Pokémon to painful deaths under the banner of justice. This… 'Brotherhood' of theirs is a scar on the face of this earth. One that may only be removed with force…"
Was it just her, or did things suddenly seem a lot more grim? She couldn't count how many times she had had fantasies of hurting her brothers, and yet… this seemed to tip the scale. Yveltal's very tone indicated a very real desire to act… and from what she knew of him, he'd only be glad to do just that.
She hardly meant to defend the vile actions of Matthew and his men, but she found herself in disbelief. "Y-you're… going to kill them then…?"
"…" Yveltal threw her a heavy look, giving her a taste as to the weight on his shoulders. His face was reflecting the experience and morbid reality of the situation at hand, but his chest heaved as though they were new to him.
She didn't need an answer to understand his intentions. Wordlessly, she nodded in compliance. One day or another, she'd have had to toss out that old photograph, anyway…
"You don't need to stain yourself with this place anymore, Cynthia." He caught her by surprise, rousing from his position on the ground. "…You're the light amidst the darkness, after all."
"I… don't understand…" She mumbled, hands stuffed deep in her pockets as she stared at the dirt.
He knew what was on her mind, what was inherently his fault once again. "…When I first came to this place, I was intending to burn it to cinders without a single thought. But when I saw you, standing out your window, staring into space… I found my mind strangely free of the evil thoughts all the others had."
"So I decided to wait. I decided to test your intentions. And do you know what I saw? Day after day, night after night, cramped in a dark cell where no one could hear you, and not a single living creature could see your sorrow… your faith never waned. Not even once. Matthew couldn't bend your good will towards the Pokémon, no matter how hard he tried." Now he was circling about her, sending her deep into her own thoughts.
"I took residence in your dreams, Cynthia, because I wanted to protect you. I didn't want the one little light in this sea of darkness to be snuffed out. But I knew I'd have to do this one day. I knew. That's why I delayed the inevitable for so long…" There was a deep exhale, and she could hear him seating himself on the grass. "This duty of mine is a terrible burden, Cynthia… Because every time I banish the darkness, a little bit of light always goes with it."
"And…?" Caine's voice came clearly, even from his spot in the chair.
"…We're leaving, whether he likes it or not. Matthew needs to learn he's not the only power around here." Jonathan growled, kicking the door to Caine's house shut.
"Hm," Caine chortled, groaning as he pulled himself to his feet. "I must say, I'm taking a liking to this assertive side of you, Jonathan… I think we'll make quite the team, you and I." He plodded over to a wooden cabinet and fiddled in his pocket, removing a small brass key.
Jonathan nodded, crossing his arms. He watched as Caine flung the doors of the cabinet open, revealing an arsenal of rifles that'd make any hunter green with envy. Jonathan knew his friend was a professional at heart, but the plain, almost bored expression Caine wore on his face as he browsed his weapons… it bothered him. Still, he wasn't about to turn down help of this caliber, not when there was glory to be had.
"Very good." The Huntsman trilled, flicking the cabinet shut. "Why don't you hold these for a second, brother?" He handed his comrade a small stack of weapons, snickering at the befuddled look on his face all the while.
Jonathan watched the man remove his coat and strap two pistols to his hip holsters. He found his eyes beginning to grow as Caine holstered two more pistols into a rig on his chest. He felt a growing urge to gasp as the huntsman strapped two combat knives to his boots. And it was hard standing straight when Caine slung two rifles over his back only to cock a third in his hands.
"My coat, if you would." The Huntsman's hand was shoved into his wide-eyed face, and all he could do was mindlessly comply. "Thank you."
Wiping his face in exaggeration, Jonathan turned to Caine with the map he had found. "Now that you're finished with the theatrics… Can we find a plan to tackle this?"
The Huntsman threw him an incredulous look as he nabbed the map, carrying it over to an empty desk. "You need only have asked." He mumbled, opening a drawer and digging through a bundle of neatly-folded maps. His agile fingers tumbled over one marked 'Redaen' in faded ink and he coiled his hand around just that. With a swift flick of the band holding it into place, the map was unraveled and promptly pinned to the table by Caine.
Redaen was The Brotherhood's home, and it was an agreeably small region. Bordered by Kanto and Hoenn, it was a mountainous place, bogged down by frequent rain and fog. For many years it had remained in isolation to the other regions, and for the longest time its existence as a peninsula went unused. Now, though, travel and trade were well-facilitated through its many harbors, and this was icing on the cake for The Brotherhood.
An uncountable number of immigrants came through Redaen's rocky borders, having found opportunity nowhere else. That, was where Matthew and his men came into play. The Brotherhood was a family because it gave these outcasts a home no one else would. Scorned trainers, ex-team members, wannabe champions… they all had a place among the others, and that place was under Matthew's banner. He'd give them a purpose, and they'd give him their loyalty; bolstering his once tiny tribe was never easier.
These things aside, Jeremy Caine was a man familiar with the land. And as he slid Jonathan's map along his own, his eyes were picking up minute details that'd give him a lead.
"Hrmmm… Tricky, tricky…" He mumbled, inwardly cursing at the ancients and their needlessly complicated puzzles. "If I were to take a guess…" He ran a bony finger along the paper, coming to a stop in the middle of seemingly nowhere. "…This'd be it…"
Jonathan leaned over the table, planting his arms at his sides and getting a good idea of Caine's intuition. There wasn't a single landmark, village, or sign of civilization whatsoever where he had pointed. "…You're sure, then?"
Caine snickered, toying with one of his guns. "Sure as the animals, brother Jonathan."
Cynthia couldn't believe what she was hearing. It was just one surprise after another with Yveltal, and by the time he had spilled his guts to her, she was shaking with confusion. The little voice in her head that was buzzing with questions was now silent, her sugar rush quelled with Yveltal's sobering words of truth.
"So… you've been inside of my head for…" She felt her head drooping, and the urge to faint was growing strong, but she pushed on. "H-how long…?"
"As of now?" Unable to raise an eyebrow, Yveltal settled on an inquisitive tilt of his head. "Three months' time." And despite the gravity of the situation, he mustered a bout of laughter at the thought. "It's quite an interesting place..."
Now she just felt exposed. "Agghhh! You- What did you see?!" She shrieked, backing away from him.
"I don't understand why you feel offended, Cynthia… I didn't read anything I wasn't supposed to." The avian replied, hints of disgust in his tone. "In fact, if it weren't for me, you'd never have had the courage to face yours brothers as you did."
Now he was pushing it. "You were manipulating my emotions?!" Her rage was especially effective in alleviating her nervousness, and for a moment it didn't matter if she was yelling at a monster that could kill her. "Y-you! They could've killed me for those outbursts!"