They of the Sun
Chapter Seventeen: Appearance

cyra

     Lusamine stood proud as she introduced herself. Her arms extended to either side as if to expand her luminescent being. What was so familiar about her...

    "Welcome to Aether Paradise!" She grinned, repeating the welcoming words Wicke had already offered. Something wasn't sitting quite right the longer we stayed here; it was a creeping feeling, like a little Scolipede crawling up my arms. From the white-clad employees to the angelic white theme of the entire "island"... it's like there was something hiding in the light.

     "President!?" Hau blubbered, his cheeks a slight pink. "But you're so young!"

     My skin crawled at her twinkling laugh. She held a hand up to hide her girlish smile... Gag me. "I'm flattered, Hau! But I am well into my forties." 

     Sen's eyes seemed to pop out of his head as he looked at Hau, whom was also wearing similar expression. I kept my face neutral. This woman had to be... a Gliscor in disguise. Through the cooing of nearby Pokémon and the boys' flattery, the sound of footsteps resounded. And a very familiar aura.

      "Alola, Madam President," a woman's voice drew in the surrounding attention; she commanded it with her being alone. Wearing the same grey and white suit as Dulse, next to her. Her otherworldly eyes took note of the rest of us, a gentle smirk on her face. "Alola, Islanders."

     "Alola, Cyra," Dulse greeted, his arms doing the greeting in an awkward circular motion. Better than the woman next to him. I rolled my eyes to glance over at Sen and Hau who were looking at me oddly. Anywhere I looked in this stupid place there were eyes on me. The absolute last thing I ever wanted.

"Ah! You're acquainted with the Ultra Recon Squad?" Lusamine smiles, an amused gleam in her eyes.

      Sen shook his head along with Hau, almost comically in sync with one another. I had to bite my lip to keep a giggle in. Arceus. I'm being ridiculous.

      "I've only met with Cyra a few times," Dulse explained, his voice calmer than an untouched pond, "Along with Zossie."

     "Quite the social butterfly, I see," Lusamine chuckled, the metaphorical Scolipede creeping up my arms again.

    "Hardly," I snap quietly, rubbing my arms in an attempt to stop my skin from crawling. It was taking everything I had to keep from grabbing Hau and Sen by the collars of their shirts to skadaddle on out of here.

       "Here at Aether we will take care of any creature in need," Lusamine explained. "Even those not from this world... those that are scared and alone..."

      Her eyes grew distant for a moment, but only until she blinked, continuing on. "The Ultra Recon Squad- which Soliera and Dulse are a part of- helps Aether Paradise better understand the anomaly that happens here in Alola. My ... late husband studied them endlessly in hopes to discovering what those creatures were and what these oddities are: Ultra Wormholes."

     Just as the words clicked, the lights flickered. These were the same things that Burnet had been talking about. The lights flickered for a moment, then lit up as the windows above us rippled. It wasn't just the glass, but reality itself warping into blue light. A tunnel into the heavens as a dainty creature appeared, shuddering in... agony?

     Maybe it was just as weirded out by this place as I was. I wouldn't blame it. Especially not with the devilish grin that came across Lusamine's face. It was a huge contrast to my neutral mask and the astonished looks around me. The creature swiveled its head around, panicked. I was so focused on its girlish appearance- the hat, the hair-like stingers that elongated to look like a body, everything about it- that I didn't notice the venomous glow around it. It looked just like-

     "Lillie," Hau whispered from behind me, echoing my thoughts. I felt possessed the moment I moved towards it, my hand reaching down for a PokéBall. Something was so wrong and I wanted out before I got caught up in another mess. The Tapus were enough. Alien Pokémon that are being researched? I'm drawing my line before it becomes a tangled webby mess.

      "Cyra!" Dulse hollered as he yanked me away from the strange life form as it released toxins into the air. I hadn't noticed him release his Naganadel as it shielded us with its wings. The odd...  Pokémon shuddered again, reality around it distorting into ripples. The unsettling ecstasy in Lusamine's eyes didn't die down throughout the entire ordeal.

      "Sludge Bomb! Keep it from moving!" Soliera's collected voice rang out. It was her Pokémon... did they just all have the same one?

      Naganadel aimed its stinger, the tip opening like a canon as it emitted a purple light before launching venomous goo at the wayward creature. Sen gave a holler from beside me as a quick-moving reptilian Pokémon shot past in a flash of red and black. It snapped its jaws at the strange Pokémon, it's tail flailing about as if this was nothing more than a fun play date for it. It had the same aura as Sen... I guess he hadn't been lying about doing his Trials already.

     "Krookodile use Outrage!"

      The Intimidation Pokémon snarled, its snout rising into the air as energy flowed from behind its razor teeth dying to be unleashed. With a roar, a fiery ball flew towards the strange creature that burst upon contact. A cry erupted from someone's mouth. A chilling laugh from from another. Dulse kept his arm secure around me as he pushed me further away from the Ultra Wormhole. There was a flash of light as everything flickered again and the creature was gone in a twist.

     We sat in shocked silence... except for Lusamine trying to keep her girlish giggles to herself. The creeping feeling had intensified even as we turned to look at her and she was nothing but calm, even with the obsession swirling behind her green iris. "Fascinating!"

     "What was that?" Hau asked, teeth slightly gritted. Thank the (cursed) Tapus that I wasn't the only one feeling the weird vibe anymore... That energy the Pokémon had exuded was so familiar. My head was spinning trying to recall where and how I had encountered it. But nothing came as I stood up, brushing of the nonexistent dirt and Dulse's arm from me.

     "I'm leaving. Alola to you all,"I announced without a second thought. If Sen and Hau wanted to stick around for this problem: that was on them. I didn't need anymore people swarming into my line of sight.

     I waited on the elevator for them, catching a glimpse of Lusamine watching me. I couldn't read her expression. Not that I cared. Next to her Soliera and Dulse faced each other, seeming so hush hush. Much to my surprise it took Sen and Hau no time to join me before an Aether employee typed into the control and took us to Wicke. She was the only one who seemed sane, despite how disgustingly sweet she was bidding us farewell with gifts for us all.

     We sat in the comfy cabin of the boat, Hau eating away at his Malasada while Sen tapped away at his gaming device. I was annoyed and worn, thankful that they didn't try to strike up a conversation with anyone outside of the other. I sat in silence, the feeling from Aether still lingering even as I drifted into dreams of portals... drifting from one side of space to another. Time warping and splitting into infinite lines and pools...

•••

omni

    "Lusamine," the man said, coolly. Despite being on the other side of the phone his voice caused her heart to flutter. He was her one and only hope for getting what she wished. Her precious Ultra Beasts...

    Mine to treasure and love.

     "We both know the pain of loss," she could hear him puff on his cigar, taking his time to word his thoughts. What else would she expect from a man of such status, of such wealth, of such power? He was much more in social standing than her once beloved Mohn. "The same loss... an emptiness that can only be filled by what was so cruelly torn from you, no?"

     "Yes," Lusamine whispered, a dull pain filling her chest. She shut her eyes to block that filthy ache, reliving her earlier exhilaration of seeing the Ultra Beast. The one she had seen so many times in her dreams after the very first encounter with Mohn... the one that took hold of her life after ... he... after they left.

      "A constant need to fill that void of compassion that only humans crave. You have research and people that have what I am in need of. What I am looking for will also heed what you are in search of," he continued. She could almost smell the sweet tobacco through the phone and feel his confident gaze. "I see this a fit deal for both of us. Yes?"

      Lusamine smiled, running her hand along the silky satin of her duvet. She sat there like a teen girl, joyful and full of hope. And ambition. A motive. A gateway to her goals. "Aether Foundation is at your disposal, Giovanni."

•••

A/N:

a big thank you to TheRisingFlame to always helping me be motivated. :") He's a wonderful friend and an equally wonderful author.

Hopefully the words will come easier... ~

-sj