Crossover Epilogue: Cloudy Forecast
 
Cyn could only replay the day in her mind as she watched the rain pouring against the glass window of the office above the Den. That morning, a Ninetales had entered the room disguised as the fox of her affection, and the same night she was mourning her demise. The rain was a constant reminder to her of what she had been through, the struggles and the pain, the battling through the Dark Woods...
 
Perhaps that was the worst part, the lack of closure. Raziel was gone, Corona was laying in a bed in the clinic and her friends were left with no where to go. The sun was gone, and all that remained was rain... rain that poured against her window and drew her to look out into the night.
 
“You're up late.”
 
Cyn turned as she heard the voice, only to see the Lucario standing in the doorway that lead to the club below. Illuminated by a flash of lightning she moved back towards the front desk, “I couldn't sleep.”
 
“You have a lot on your mind.” Auric informed her as he took a seat on one of the designated 'waiting chairs'. “Would you like to talk about today's events? I have yet to write a report regarding the recent developments in the Dark Woods.”
 
“I'm good. And no reports, not until we know what's causing it.” Cyn replied lowly as she took her seat behind the desk and leaned on it. She reached over to the nearby desk lamp and pressed it once with her paw, and as the bulb flickered into life she began to go over the paperwork sprawled chaotically before her. “...any visitors today?”
 
“Just one, I'm sure you know who.” The Lucario replied as he turned to face her, “Corona was filled with anger and a lust for vengeance. From the moment she walked in, I knew she wasn't Spice.”
 
“Then why the heck would you send her my way?” Cyn snapped at him, her fur standing on end as her aura flared viciously, “Why would you knowingly put me in danger? I thought we were a team, Auric!”
 
“We are, and I sent her for a reason. It was something you needed to see, how anger and hatred can corrupt someone, how it can control them.” the Lucario replied cryptically before turning to look out the window, “...On an unrelated note, I've noticed a lack of umbrellas in the Den, so I'll be spending the night here.”
 
“Make yourself comfortable. I figured I'd take the pillows in the Hunger room, but I guess we can share.” the Liepard replied dismissively. As silence filled the room the sounds of the rain began to fill her ears once more, they taunted her, reminding her again and again. She found herself digging her claws into the desk.
 
A new scent filled her nose. It was warm and comforting, it felt as though it might lull her into a deep sleep if she let it. As her eyes drifted downwards she saw the gentle steam rising from the murky liquid in the cup before her. “It's green tea.” Auric explained, “Something I brought with me from Virtue, I've found it always helped me clear my mind.”
 
“Virtue?” Cyn asked as she took the cup and took a single, curious sip. All at once she felt herself becoming calmer as the flavour of the tea moved through her form and warmed it, allowing her to ignore the cold from the outside world, "It's alright, I guess" she replied, though her purring betrayed her attempt at indifference.
 
“The home of the Guild, at least here in the Sinnoh.” the Lucario explained before smiling gently, “I'm not sure whether you'd like it there. You like the human cities, but you despise the Guild.”
 
“So it's like a human city there?” Cyn blinked as she put the cup to one side briefly, “I don't know how you manage to hide something so obvious from humans. Dad had a hard enough time finding a place that they wouldn't stumble across, we must've been in the wild for years before we settled.”
 
“When pokemon work together they can accomplish a great many things, Cyn. Clearspring was built by strangers banding together with a desire to be safe from the world.” Auric paused, ensuring his still had the cat's attention. “Pokemon do strange things when they are at risk. Their desire to be safe prevents them from considering the implications of the actions they take to ensure that safety.”
 
“You're talking about Raziel framing me.” the Liepard replied knowingly, to which the Lucario gave a small nod. Cyn breathed out a sigh and shook her head, “Honestly, I don't care about that. I care about what happened to Corona's kids.”
 
“You care that she didn't get her revenge, that she didn't act like you would have in the same situation.” The Lucario replied, leaving Cyn speechless as he continued on with his evaluation, “In your mind Raziel has gotten away with his crimes and Corona lies wounded in the clinic for daring to try to get justice...” he looked into the Liepard's eyes, searching for something he couldn't find in her aura. “I don't mean to pry but I think it reminds you of something you've seen before.”
 
“It does.” Cyn replied with a little sigh as she took another sip of the tea. It was probably best to come clean than have the Lucario sending reports filled with Arceus knows what about her. “Dad built this place from the ground up, he brought the wild pokemon together and convinced them to help eachother. After everything he did for them, they just threw him out on his ass.”
 
“I never did hear the history of Clearspring,” Auric raised an eyebrow at the new information, “Or what happened to your father.”
 
“Guzzler happened,” the Liepard replied bitterly as she pushed the cup away from herself and wiped her muzzle with her paw, “When he and his group showed up, a lot of pokemon went into a panic... they were afraid, and my father helped them evacuate the village. Those who went into the woods kind of got lost. They haven't been seen since.”
 
“I'm sorry.” Auric lowered his gaze before resting back on the chair, “But from what you're telling me, he wasn't exiled, he left of his own accord.”
 
“He may have chosen to left, but 'Chancellor' Moss chose from allowing him to return.” Cyn replied bitterly, “That damn snake with all his paperwork and laws, turning pokemon against eachother for 'profit'. My dad's living in the wild and he's sitting up in his mansion trying to keep me and Typh from having any say on what happens to the town our father built.”
 
“There's no need to get worked up. It won't help anyone.” Auric told her, reaching out a hand towards her shoulder, but the cat was quick to swat it away. The Lucario retracted his hand and watched as she chugged back the rest of the tea.
 
“You know what? I'm going for a walk. Maybe it'll clear my head, more than staying here and talking to you anyway.” Cyn snapped as she climbed off the chair and moved to leave, constantly hissing and muttering under her breath. “Arceus damn it, I should have done something. I could've gotten her away from that tree and still have time to go back for Fang.”
 
“Corona will live, Cyn. Leaf is the best doctor Clearspring has. He won't let her die.” Auric told her as he moved to get up with her, “She has gone through so much pain... but at the end of the day, she made her choice. I think it was a wise one, she didn't let her desire for revenge get in the way of what truly mattered to her, what she was on her mission for in the first place.”
 
“Her family.” Cyn whispered, her eyes slowly opening as the realization dawned on her. she turned to Auric, trying to maintain her composure. “If she had gone through with killing Raziel... What about Fang and Sol? would they have stayed by her side?"
 
“We'll never know, and I'm glad we don't have to.” Auric replied as he turned his attention back to the window, “As to your earlier question, I let Corona reach you because I knew two things for certain. The first was that she wouldn't stop until she had gotten her revenge, specifically on you. She would have destroyed the town searching for you if she had to.”
 
Cyn narrowed her eyes at the Lucario's back, “...And?” she asked, though she seriously doubted he'd be able to bring it back after his last sentence.
 
“I knew that you would have a Reviver seed, and so any pain you felt would be temporary... but if I had not let her act on her desires, her pain would be eternal.” He gestured with his hand, “Festering inside her until she could no longer take it... do you understand, Cyn?”
 
“I understand.” The Liepard replied as she leaned on the desk, only to bring a key out from behind it and shake it gently in Auric's direction, “I understand that you're going to be spending the night tied to the wall while I try to crack the enigma that is your sexual interest."
 
"Back to your old self so quickly?" Auric blinked. It was hard to tell in the darkness of the room, but the Liepard could have sworn she had seen a hint of red cross his cheeks.
 
"Yeah... it was going to be Spice, but he's staying in the new base tonight." Cyn purred as she swayed her tail back and forth and leaned over the desk to look the Lucario in the eye before giving him a playful wink. "Call it my 'revenge fantasy', you wouldn't want me living in eternal inner pain, would you?”
 
"I... suppose not." Auric replied slowly, unable to generate a reaction beyond that as he decided to try the door handle for good measure. As it rattled at his attempts he determined it was in fact locked, with him on the wrong side to guard himself from the cat's advances, “Did I mention I also considered Xatu's warning before I allowed Corona to go?”
 
“Excuses excuses.” Cyn replied as she gestured to the door with her paw. After a moment of hesitation the Lucario slowly began to move towards the stairs that lead down to the Den, and once again the office room was silent other than for the sound of rain tapping against the window. The Liepard turned to look out into the darkness once more, she could see the lights of the cottages slowly going out one by one until finally all that remained were the shadows.
 
She thought of her father, somewhere among the shadows and taking shelter from the storm. She thought of Corona, resting in a bed as the doctor tended to her wounds to the best of his abilities while her friends watched onwards... she thought of Moss, enjoying another night in his mansion and looking out at all the 'commoner' houses. She felt the searing fire of revenge, slowly burning away at her heart until Auric's words returned back to her.
 
'Festering pain' wasn't the kind of thing that Cyn wanted to deal with forever. She turned away from the front door and made her way down the stairs into the Den, using her tail to close the door behind her and block the sounds of the rain from bothering her for the rest of the night.