Mariko stilled, feeling a shift in the air, a surge in electricity. She looked out, watching the clouds begin to gather ominously in the direction she saw Raiden take off towards. She recognized her brother's storm from anywhere, but concern touched her heart. Tentatively, she reached out to him through their connection-
She nearly fell back on her rear, her expression horrified.
Anger, sorrow, fear. A multitude of emotions slammed into her, and she couldn't process it all, making her ill. Recoiling, she severed the connection before he could notice her intrusion. Her tail swept around her feet as she hunched low to the ground, her expression growing more disturbed as she dwelled on it.
"All alone in this pitiful world, with no one to tend to you-"
The hauntingly familiar voice she heard through the connection resounded in her head. Was she always so… Mariko didn't want to finish that thought before it took a turn for the worse.
Mother couldn't possibly be like that…
She shook her head, focusing her efforts on something else, bringing her wings close before her.
Flickers of light began to form as her eyes narrowed in concentration, warmth spreading to the tips of her wings, almost touching. A small bud began to sprout within the sand, her eyes widening with wonder. She was getting better by the day, something she was proud of.
She exhaled, slumping in the sand, ignoring the throbbing she felt in her head. Despite how satisfying it was, it was taxing, with her energy sapped away. It was something only she could accomplish. A feat she was always praised for.
"You've done wonderfully, Mariko," Mother's praise in her ears. Her tail swayed slightly as she heard her mother's coo. Maybe brother misheard… That's it. The Mother she knew was kind and uplifting. Her eyes were like shimmering jewels after every little accomplishment she had done. Mariko fluffed up, brimming with pride.
She raised her head at the sound of wings beating in the air. Her expression, one of joy for the small life she had created and memories, faltered at the sight of her brother touching down. Her eyes immediately honed in on the bruising beginning to form on his neck.
"Raiden!" Fatigue forgotten, she approached with an outstretched wing, shimmers of light flickering at the tips.
He batted her wing away with an unreadable look. "You don't need to concern yourself with this."
"How can I not!?" Her voice rose in alarm. She always hated the distance in his tone when he acted like this. Ignoring his squirms, she lightly placed the tips of her wing on his throat, aware of the subtle flinch he made. "How many times?" When he didn't answer, her voice dropped in an octave, almost menacingly, as she gave him a pointed look, "How many?"
He winced. "Three," he grunted.
"That's twice too many!" She watched as the lights melded with his skin, the bruises receding away as if afraid of the light. She could see the relief instantly appear on his face before he craned his head away from her. "You know you can't use it more than once. Mo'o warned you," she muttered, bumping her head against his.
"I am aware," he chuffed, nudging her with a slight bump of his own. When their eyes met, she could see his guard lowering briefly to glimpse lingering anger and resentment before his slid shut. "I'm sorry," he rumbled.
"What happened?" She asked in a soft voice filled with worry. She knew he wouldn't use it unless the situationed warranted it. Frowning slightly, she inspected him more thoroughly, seeing not a feather out of place. "Did someone warn you off?" It wouldn't have been the first time it occurred. In their travels, territorial Pokémon took offense to their presence. Though very few were ready to challenge Raiden, a single look from him sent them scurrying away.
"No. No," he repeated, fatigue taking root in his voice as he leaned against her. "I'm fine…" He trailed off, exhaling softly. "It wouldn't be anything I could not handle," he said, with a slight smile.
But you're not fine. She could sense an emotion boiling beneath the surface, something she couldn't name. Irritation. She frowned more deeply, delivering a nip to his nape. "Stupid!"
His eyes flew open, shocked as he flinched away before she could deliver another nip. "Mariko?"
"Stupid brother!" Another nip sharper than before. "Stupid Raiden!"
Wincing, he fended her off with a wing, "Stop it, sister," he groaned. She settled for biting his wing instead, and his eyes flashed hotly, "Enough!"
"When brother stops being stupid, perhaps I will stop," she said, words muffled by feathers. She mustered the fiercest expression she could manage, releasing her bite. "Brother always doesn't tell me more!" Crowding his space, she marched forward, flaring her wings until his back pressed against a tree. She growled. "Raiden always hides! I want to know what troubles you! You can't be the only one allowed to know this!"
Raiden flinched. She checked a look of victory until his expression grew shuttered.
She blinked. "You… won't tell me?" Her heart fell. "I don't… understand." She wrestled with her thoughts. Her face mirrored his as she looked away, "You always have your way in the end," she whispered.
His expression grew torn, tormented even. "That's not it!"
"Then what is it, brother?! What are you not telling me?!" She shouted. She was done retreating into her shell and done watching her brother handling everything on his own.
His jaw twisted and worked, but no words came out. The amount of pain in his expression was insurmountable, leaving her stunned. He hung his head low. "I cannot. I am sorry."
When he shoved off the tree, she allowed him to separate. As he walked away, tail trailing in the sand, she found herself saying, "Is it about… Mother?"
The sudden stiffness in his back told her all she needed to know. She knew he heard her, but not once did he look back as he trekked to his side of the island. She felt a distance she had never experienced before as she watched him go. Like a yawning abyss of the ocean, the place her brother always warned her never to go in.
The same one she believed he was entering, leaving her behind.