Mesprit wakes up in cold sweat. For a moment there, she thought she was choking on her own blood. Agonizing pain throbs over every pore of her body as if she was dying a slow, painful death.

That is, until the red blossoms clear to reveal a ceiling of rainbow crystals and two pairs of golden eyes.

"MESPRIT!" Azelf hugs his sibling. "You're awake! You're finally awake!"

A growl draws her attention to the side, where a scowling Weavile is scratching his head. "Ow… what the hell? My arms feel like two stacks of logs!"

"MY JAWS ARE SORE." Gyarados winces. "UGH… WHY DOES IT FEEL LIKE I JUST GOT SHOCKED BY DISCHARGE?"

Rotom jumps. "What? Don't look at me, zzt. Just because my batteriezzt are drained doesn't mean I did anything bad to you, zzt…"

Honchkrow is rubbing its eyes. "I had the most horribly vivid dream," he mutters. "Someone sliced by wing open."

Crobat frowns. "Strange… I dreamt that someone ripped my wings from my body."

Uxie smacks Mesprit with his tail, bringing her attention back to the present. "I saw your memories," he hisses. "How could you simply let that human absorb Pokemons' energies? His body cannot handle the immense strain!"

Mesprit huffs. "I was only able to do so because of the strength of their bonds, Uxie." She purses her mouth. "Besides… it's the only chance he'll ever have to prove to himself that he's not as useless as he thinks."

Azelf's head snaps up. "The flooding finally stopped. We need to hurry before something very bad happens to the two of them!"

White shifts in the extremities of Cynthia's vision. She rubs the sleep from her eyes and sits up just as Cyrus's eyelids flutter open. She had tried to wipe away as much blood as she could, but the red stuff keeps trickling down his cheeks… as if there is a leaky faucet in his heart.

"Cyrus?" Cynthia passes a hand through those milky, murky windows. Her stomach sinks. Oh Cyrus…

"Am I back in prison?" he croaks.

"What? No. After your final form, you collapsed. We've been in Crystal Cave for quite a while."

"Is INTERPOL on their way here?"

"No."

Cyrus painfully cranes his neck to what he believes is her face. "I cannot feel my arms nor legs. It's the perfect opportunity to apprehend me and lock me away for good." Cynthia's gaze drops to his broken body. It's even worse than their previous reunion at the Old Chateau… and the damage this time is clearly irreversible.

If only he can see this view. From here, one can behold the complete ethereal beauty of Crystal Lake. Memory flashes back to the bubbles in the sky, to her sitting next to him on the beach at dusk.

"Did you leave?" Cyrus whispers. Silence. "Mesprit? Rotom? Is anyone there?"

"Why did you hold back?"

He stiffens. "You were the one holding back. Why did you stop your Draco Meteor?"

So he knew. "Why did you lower yourself so I could grab on before I became a pancake? Why did you warn me about your powers before you electrocuted the damn lake?"

Cyrus's glare would've froze blood if it was aimed correctly. "Baseless assumptions," he snarls.

"I don't think so," Cynthia spits back. "You were always so good at pretending. 'I'm fine.' 'Nothing's wrong.' Repeating all those lies with a perfectly rehearsed smile. I'm sick of it."

A glaring crack appears on Cyrus's icy mask. He clenches his teeth.

"Who's the real you, Cyrus?" Cynthia mutters. "Is it the ambitious man I fought at Celestic Ruins? Or is it the same man that saved me at Foggy Forest? The one that came every night to read me a story?"

She drops her voice. "The very man that I met at Sunyshore's Beach Cave when we were children? Is it the same one that returned to our special place because he succumbed to the vacuous sentimentality in his weak and incomplete heart?"

Cyrus sucks in a painful wheeze. "What did you say? Beach… Cave?"

"Had I met you sooner, would things have been different for me? For us?" Cynthia utters a hollow laugh. "Quite possibly. If I hadn't abandoned you, then your future would still be bright. You're very intelligent, determined, and strong. Being strong isn't all about strength and size, you know. Like Rowan said, you have a lot of potential… but it all went into the wrong ideal."

A speck of crystal dust drops from the ceiling. Cynthia keeps her breath steady as she speaks. "Somewhere along the line, you left your twisted ambitions behind. This battle was just a show for the Champion of Sinnoh to acknowledge your worth… am I right?"

Silence confirms her question.

Cynthia exhales quietly. "There's a lot of things I want to tell you, but I don't know where to begin. These unprecedented events have really made me step back to reconsider my priorities. A lot of them… include how I've mistreated you, Cyrus.

"I'm aware that I've rejected you time and time again. I blatantly told you to fuck off. I refused to trust you. I've hurt you, both by prowess and words."

B-dup. B-dup. Cynthia's heart throbs in her ribcage. A bitter taste settles on her tongue. "Grandma was right: titles can be a hindrance. Get too self-absorbed, and you'll be lost inside a delusion of grandeur. A veil of grandiose blinds you from seeing who's right in front of you the entire time."

Cyrus is so still he can pass for a corpse. Cynthia reaches a tentative hand to his cheekbones—and he flinches so violently that something cracks in his spine.

"Y-You kept the Red Sunstone," she whispers. "You wanted me to find you. You wanted to go down by my hand."

Silence. Nothing but heavy, horrifying silence. The lack of sound is so unsettling that she has to feel his pulse to make sure he's still alive.

"You… you've changed," Cyrus mumbles.

"Heh. It's about time I grew up." He stiffens when she squeezes his wrist. How can someone who grew up in the city bathed in sunlight be so cold?

"What are you doing?"

"Holding you so I won't lose you again."

"STOP!"

Cynthia instantly drops her grip. "S-Sorry…"

Cyrus purses his lips. "N-No, I didn't mean to… You're crying again. I don't know what to do when you cry, so please stop."

That's when Cynthia notices the puddles on the ground. A wipe of the face results in a soaked sleeve. "But I thought your sight…"

"The timber of your voice," Cyrus grunts. "Whenever you start to cry, your breath stops, and you swallow air… " A pause. "You were crying on the night before the Operation. I didn't need the door slamming in my face to know that you felt like I'd betrayed you."

That statement is a fist to her stomach. "You're the only one who's ever seen me cry."

Cyrus absorbs that realization with a deepening frown. "I can't even offer you a napkin nor console you with empty words… How pathetic of me."

Cynthia barks out a laugh. "I wouldn't offer you a hand when you fell nor tell them to offer proper treatment for your knee… I guess we're both pretty terrible."

"Don't ever talk about yourself like that."

"Hypocrite." Her lips tug. "Actually, there's something only you can do to make me feel better." She slides his Relic Key into his loosening grip. Judging from the way his brows furrow, he knows exactly what he's holding.

"Time and time again I've thrown this stupid rock away…" He sighs heavily. "But it will always come back to haunt me. Death… was no… exception…"

"Cyrus!"

He twitches. "I-I'm awake. Rest assured, I won't… die on you. I just… need to rest my eyes for a second…"

Wings and scales stampede in from beyond the darkness. Cyrus is snoring when a giant blue mass slams against his body.

"Gyarados, wait!" Cynthia yells.

Gyarados freezes, and Weavile crashes into the sea serpent. Honchkrow leers at her while Crobat hops to its dazed Trainer. Rotom passes a sparkling axis through unseeing eyes.

Cyrus gropes for his Pokemon and touches upon Crobat's ear. "Oh… You're all awake. That's… a relief…"

"Cyrus!" Mesprit shoves its head to his chest. "Oh no… Why did you push yourself past your limit? What part of 'use my powers wisely' do you not understand?!"

Azelf peeks through its paws. "Sunny Cy must've glimpsed too far in the future… That's why humans shouldn't meddle in the affairs of the gods."

Uxie scowls. "You and Mesprit are idiots to the whims of your heart! You feel an emotion, and you act on it without thinking! This distraction costed us precious time, child!"

"I'm sorry…"

"It wasn't a waste of time!" Cynthia snaps. "Cyrus fought valiantly to the end! This battle proved that the bonds he shares with his Pokemon are strong, and he would've won if not for the fact that his body was breaking down!

"He held on for so long out of sheer willpower alone, something I could never do. Cyrus is the strongest person I know!"

The Lake Guardians stare at her. Cyrus yanks his head away when she turns back.

Then Azelf claps. "Yay! The sun and moon stopped fighting! You're friends again!" To that, Cynthia's cheeks flush. Cyrus makes an odd whimpering sound in his throat.

The awkwardness is ended by Crobat's tapping its wing against Cyrus's cheekbones. He gently rubs its fangs. "Are you doing well, Honchkrow?" Crobat shrieks. "I-I mean, Crobat. I'm sorry."

Mesprit drags its paws down its face. "I have never seen a human who cries tears of blood. Do you cry blood, Cynthia?"

"N-No…"

"Something is fundamentally wrong with you," Uxie huffs.

Cyrus chuckles. "Tell me about it."

"If I could, I would slap some sense back into that dense noggin of yours."

"You'll have to go sixth." Mesprit gestures to the whispering Pokemon. "They already called dibs. Ah, and Cynthia's Pokemon want a jab at him too."

Cyrus's eyes crinkle. "I think that's a splendid idea. Go for it."

Cynthia waves her hands. "Hey, isn't there any way to heal Cyrus? You three are mythical Pokemon—"

"Why are your eyes red?" asks Azelf.

"Allergies. Cyrus—"

"Ah, so you heart finally came to terms with what it's been rejecting." Mesprit flashes a mischievous wink. "I approve."

"What do you mean?" says Uxie.

"Well, it's very juicy tea. A lot of misunderstanding—"

"Cynthia was speaking," Cyrus interjects coldly, effectively shutting down the conversation. He turns so his hair hides the bright pink flush of his ears. "Cynthia, please continue."

"Y-Yes. Uxie, Mesprit, Azelf… can't you help Cyrus? We can't face Dialga in this state!"

"The fool brought it on himself."

"Uxie is right."

"Cyrus, you are not helping."

Azelf grasps its paws behind its back, gaze wandering as it mulls over its thoughts. Then it gasps. "There is a way! We can use that."

Mesprit covers its mouth. "No… That that?"

"What is that?" Uxie cries.

"We can fix totally Sunny Cy with that!" Azelf exclaims.

"Do not ignore me!"

Mesprit crosses its arms. "For the Guardian of Knowledge and the eldest sibling, you really are clueless."

Cynthia strikes a fist against her palm. "Of course! Cyrus, remember what you transcribed from the Celestic Ruins? Cyrus?" Weavile splashes cold water into his face. Cynthia grabs his shoulders, turning him to face her. "Cyrus, the Celestic Ruins. What did you get from the hieroglyphics?"

Cyrus squints. "When the Pokemon of the Lakes meet again… Knowledge, Willpower, and Emotion will be united as one and… and a great power will… be… unleashed…" Then his head rolls forward into her shoulders.

"See, even Sunny Cy knows," says Azelf. "Come now. We have to try something. Anything is better than nothing."

"But we've never tried it!" Uxie moans. "What if—"

"We'll get nothing done if we sit here and think! Sis!"

Mesprit sighs. Nevertheless, it links paws with Azelf. The two younger siblings glare at Uxie, who eventually relents.

Following the Lake Guardians' wishes, Cynthia carefully sets Cyrus down on the lake. He looks so peaceful as he floats on the shimmering surface, blood dispersing around him like a velvet casket.

A hush falls over Crystal Lake. Glowing orbs of pink, blue, and gold hover above Cyrus's head. Uxie, the head of the triangular formation, raises its tails to the heavens and chants.

A beam of light shoots down from the sky. The chanting swells in volume. Specks of multicolored light orbit around the central triangle, spinning faster and faster until the lake is entirely blinded by radiance.

"YOOM…TAH!" And with a collective cry from Uxie, Mesprit, and Azelf, the pillar of light shatters into a million rainbow sparkles.

Cyrus twitches. Cynthia waits with bated breath as he drags his gaze to her face.

"So you were crying," he says with a faint smile. "You have some snot on your—"

And Cynthia yanks him into an embrace. Bones jab into flesh. She presses her face into the crevice of his neck, burying herself into the presence of her lost childhood friend.

"Save your tears for something more important," Cyrus mutters, his breath a wintry breeze against her ears. And yet, he's not pushing her away.

"You are precious to me," Cynthia whispers back. "Cyrus you fucking idiot, don't ever downplay your worth. You have no idea how much you matter to other people."

"Zzzt!"

The Pokemon rush towards Cyrus, who extends his arms… only for Rotom to smack him in the thickest spot of his skull. He barely has time to react when Crobat bashes him in the chin. A vengeful Honchkrow chops its wing into his back. Gyarados headbutts him, sending him rolling to a snarling Weavile who pounces down with sharpened claws.

"Ooh, me next!" Azelf swings a painful uppercut with its tails.

"I second that!" Uxie throws a meek punch that sends Cyrus crumbling.

Mesprit's paws are whipping up a tornado. "This is for your self-depreciating dark humor!" SLAP! "This is for costing me precious hours of sleep worrying about you!" SLAP! "T-This is for not loving yourself! A great sin!" SLAP!

After everyone is satisfied, his Pokemon squeeze themselves into Cyrus's chest. He looks a bit taken back, but he returns the embrace.

"I can't express how thankful I am for all of you," Cyrus says softly. "I've been so lucky…" Then he raises his head. "Cynthia… Do you want to slap me too?"

"Maybe later," she says. "I'll go after Jupiter goes."

Cyrus sighs. "She won't hold back. I owe countless people explanations and apologies… but I'm done running away." He pulls himself up. "I would apologize to you too, but that's all I've been doing. Now I'll prove to you the convictions of my words. I will fight by your side, and I will help you save the world."

Shocked silence follows his solemn proclamation. Cynthia's eyeballs are bulging out of her skull. Gyarados's gaping jaws are scraping against the ground. Uxie, Mesprit, and Azelf are all gawking at him as if he'd died and revived a third time.

Cynthia slaps herself. "Cyrus… You…"

Cyrus slowly looks down. He lifts one foot. Then the other. He jumps. And soon he's running around with his Pokemon like a hyperactive child.

"Sunny Cy can walk again!" Azelf cheers. "We fixed him! Let's play!"

Mesprit wipes a tear from its eyes. "It was only yesterday when he was a dismembered torso… Now's he playing tag with my little brother… Oh! I feel so old…!"

"You are old," Uxie grumbles. "Hey! Be careful!" Too late. In his excitement, Cyrus trips over his feet. But he instantly picks himself up and cartwheels back to the main platform.

"Cynthia!" he shouts with glee. "I can walk! I can run again!"

But Cynthia adverts her gaze. "If it wasn't for me, you would never have ended up in a wheelchair in the first place…"

Cyrus shakes his head fervently. "Nonsense." Four shimmering Time Gears are placed into her hands. "Go on. There's no one standing in your way anymore."

Cynthia's lips tug. "In our way. Come on." She holds out her palm… and he shyly slips his hand into hers.

The fifth and final Time Gear is just within arm's reach. Cynthia turns to her companion. "Ready? On three. One… now!"

And Crystal Cave plunges into darkness.

"Cyrus. Can you catch up?"

"Do not underestimate me, Cynthia."

And the two of them ski down the crystal bridge, hand-in-hand, side-by-side. Upon touching ground level, they leap forward into a sprint.

Shrill laugher ricochets down the cavern walls. "What is so funny about outrunning certain demise?" Uxie groans. "Human children are so strange."

"WAAAHAAA!" Mesprit cackles. "WHEEE! Now this is what I call running away in style! Smell you later, Uxie!"

Azelf giggles. "This is the first time the three of us has ever done anything fun together… And it's all thanks to those two." The Pokemon tightens its grip on its siblings' paws. "WHEEE! Back to that haunted manor we go!"