Hey everyone! Thanks for all the views and the reviews. Great news (I hope) I'm drawing the cover art for VoA. In reality is just Angel's character design, and I'm not sure how good it'll be because I'm using Bonnie as a reference, but we'll see how it turns out.
Cynthia looks over her shoulder at the little girl still refusing to meet her eyes even though it had been over two hours. Having had enough of this awkward silence, she grabs the dusk ball out of her daughter's hands and holds it out of her reach above the younger's head when to attempts to jump to reclaim it.
"You're riding with me and Togekiss." She tells her before the champion climbs onto the avian, who bumps the child with a playful wing to remove the pouty expression painted on her face. The blonde wraps her arms around the child's waist and settles her in front of her body when Angel doesn't comply to orders.
"You could just tell me." The blonde reminds.
"..."
"It can't be that bad, right? It's not like you went around and joined one of those delusion teams that seem to pop up everywhere." Cynthia light humor falls flat when Angel continues to stare at the white feathers. The champion releases a disappointed sigh and remains quiet for the rest of the trip, distracting her troubled thoughts with the feeling of the wind on her face.
…
"Hello girls. Good to see you again." Carolina greets the duo and awkwardly clears her throat when she notices that the child is fiddling with the pokeballs at her waist instead of clutching the veteran trainer's legs as she normally would.
"Grandmother," Cynthia greets and throws a discreet glance at the child before sighing again. "I'll be back Grandmother. I have to make a call."
When the champion leaves, the professor approaches the glum girl and squats down to her eye level, "What's wrong with you two?" A thumb is jerked over her shoulder.
Angel fiddles with her fingers, "Have you ever had a secret you don't think you should tell because it could cause trouble for someone else?"
"Yes, I have, but have you ever considered Cynthia's worried? What happened?" The old lady presses.
"I did something without telling her and she's mad that I won't tell her where I went and what I did."
Carolina stands to soothe her clamping legs, "What's to say she's mad at you?"
"She said so! She said she's disappointed in me, but I have a good reason!" Angel insists as her eyes start to water as her emotions start to rise. The capsules on her waist begin to shake in response.
Carolina raises her brows in subtle surprise. The professor had believed that Cynthia couldn't so much as frown at this child, for her to actually express a negative emotion seemed almost impossible.
Angel goes to wipe away her tears with her sleeve and jerks up when Cynthia announces her return. The champion watches her in confusion when she runs into the building and widens her eyes when she notices the tears leaking from her violet orbs. The hand to her sleeve stops her chase after her.
"Grandmother!" Cynthia protests, but make no violent movement to shake off the grasp.
"Let me talk to you for a minute," Carolina waits a moment for her grandchild to stop fidgeting before continuing. "So will you tell me what happened that has that child not clinging to you like she's connected to you with a Sticky Web."
Cynthia fiddles with the ends of her hair, a nervous twitch she hadn't shown since adolescence, "She snuck out somewhere in the middle of the night and came back soaked to the bone. Tried to play it off as a bathroom break, but she was gone for over an hour, Grandmother."
"She's not a normal child. A legendary pokemon called to her. Who's to say she didn't have a good reason. Perhaps she was helping a pokemon."
"I overheard Angel saying that something is threatening someone and that she's expected to help. Who asks a child for help?" Cynthia voice raises an octave at the question.
"Someone who can't get help from anyone else. Perhaps it is a pokemon, perhaps another human, but if she's not telling you, it's for a reason. She told me it's something that could cause trouble for you and she doesn't want that."
Cynthia smiles fondly at that comment, "She worries too much."
"Yes, she does. She's worried that you're mad at her." Carolina reveals slowly.
The champion immediately stiffens and fists her hands at the comment, "I'm not mad I'm just worried!" She defends.
The champion relaxes when her elder raises a hand and crosses her arms to attempt to settle her emotions. Her fingers fiddle with her sleeves as she waits for the professor to continue.
"You didn't accidentally let anything slip did you?Anything that she could've taken the wrong way. Lord only knows what you and your sister used to fight about because one of you thought you heard the other say something." Carolina reminds as she turns to enter the building that Angel still hadn't come out of.
Cynthia decided not to answer the question in favor of searching for the small white haired child. Business appeared to be running normally. Scholars bustled around screens in the computer and analysis lab and random researchers pluck books off the many shelves.
"What are you doing here?" A screech erupts from the other side of the room and the duo's investigation reveals one of Carolina's newer assistants yelling at Angel, whom was hiding in a corner trying to escape the onslaught of words.
"Leave her alone Macy. She's welcome here." Carolina soothes and the young scholar pivots around to answer the voice.
"Professor! But, she was touching the mural."
"It's just a copy. Leave it be. Get back to work," The elder huffs and watches as the young lady scurries out.
Cynthia leans down and brings the child to her feet. Said child doesn't tear her gaze away from the framed picture. Taking note of her interest, the champion carries the girl over to the mural where Angel's small finger raises to the space above the glass and traces out the engravings.
"You might recognize that one there on the bottom left. That one's Mesprit. Those other two…"
Angel cuts off the professor, "Uxie and Azelf. Knowledge and willpower." She points to two of the smaller spheres encircling the golden core. "Palkia and Dialga. I've heard of them before." She divulges before her finger hesitates on the last sphere and falters. She tilts her head in confusion.
"What makes you think that?" Cynthia inquires as she focuses her attention onto the mural.
"Mesprit," The platinum replies as if it was the most obvious explanation in the world.
"Now this I have to tell the others," Carolina mutters before scurrying out of the room. Incoherent gibberish running from her lips that Angel couldn't comprehend.
Angel feels her body get placed on the ground and Cynthia's face fills her view, "Did I say something again? Grandmother said you thought I was mad at you." The champion's gray eyes follow the violet ones trying to look away and cage them with a look.
Angel let's out a mutter about a traitor before forcibly forcing her head away from Cynthia's piercing gaze. A finger under her chin forces her face up and a tender hand pushes the locks away from her face.
"Aren't you?" The meek voice questions.
"Heavens no! Why would you think that?"
"You said you were disappointed in me," The six year old murmurs, embarrassed.
"Oh Angel," The Celestic native let's out a slightly amused, mostly sympathetic laugh. "I'm not mad, Love. I'm worried. You go off and come back soaked when it's twenty degrees outside. I'm surprised you didn't return blue. I just wish you'd tell me. I can handle whatever's wrong. I can help you help this person."
Angel's eyes widen before they seem to slump with her shoulders, "The guardians have spoke to me of an incoming danger. Something is preparing and once it strikes… I-I don't know."
Cynthia rubs a soothing hand over the child's head as she buries her face into the champion's chest. Tears get absorbed by the fabric as Angel cries from the accumulating pressure forming on her shoulders.
"I'm sorry I wouldn't tell you. I'm scared of this thing, this renegade. It could hurt us, it could kill us and our pokemon, but I can't just let the guardians suffer through this alone."
"Of course not. And they won't suffer. If you say something's going to happen, I will believe you and I will help you."
The mother and daughter share a small smile.