The second Cynthia stepped outside, she threw out a Pokéball and summoned her Togekiss, and she shot Togekiss an apologetic look.
"I'm sorry… We got more running around to do." Cynthia said with a sigh, "Canalave City. The quicker I can get there, the better."
Togekiss nuzzled Cynthia's cheek to reassure his trainer, then he lowered himself so that Cynthia could hop on.
"Thanks, Togekiss… You've been such a great help lately. Once things die down a little, I'll be sure to spoil you rotten." She scratched Togekiss's head once she hopped on, and then they were off from Canalave City.
It was a long flight from Snowpoint to Canalave, so Cynthia spent a lot of the airtime talking with Togekiss about anything. She ranted a bit about the whole Diantha relationship troubles, then she ranted some more about Team Galactic being a thorn in her side, then she started to think over some superhero names like Looker was doing for her, and finally she kept apologizing over and over for putting Togekiss through such extensive flight hours. Togekiss made a few noises in response while Cynthia was talking as if he was participating in the gossip. It made the long flight more bearable for them both. Soon enough, they were in Canalave City, and Cynthia touched down near the docks. She would be needing some sea power to get to where she wanted to go, since for some reason, the island was nearly impossible to be found while flying.
Cynthia walked down the docks in search of an old friend, and luckily she managed to spot him by his boat, wiping it down. Cynthia grinned at the sight, and she waved his way, "Eldritch!"
Eldritch looked up from his work, and nearly instantly he recognized Cynthia, "Hey, Champ! Long time no see!"
"Sure is!" Cynthia leaned against one of the stakes on the dock to tie boats to, "How's the wife?"
"Good as always! It was our anniversary last week, actually!" Eldritch let out a hearty laugh.
"Oh, really?! Wow, I'm so happy for you!" Cynthia gleamed at that, "Has Eric started high school yet?"
Eldritch nodded, "He's doing well in all of his classes. We were worried the transition would be hard, but of course a sailor's son never shrinks down from a challenge!"
Cynthia laughed softly, "Of course, of course…"
"To what can I owe this visit to, Champ?"
Cynthia's smile took on a bit of a guilty shade, "You know how you owe me that one favor…? I kind of need to cash that in now…"
Eldritch slapped his hand on Cynthia's shoulder at that, "Ain't no shame in askin'. I'd be glad to pay ya back. What can I do for ya?"
"I need to get to Fullmoon Island." Cynthia breathed out after a moment's pause, voice quivering slightly.
Eldritch's hearty demeanor faded after that, and a sympathetic expression flashed on his face, "So, someone else has fallen victim to the nightmares, huh…"
Nodding slowly, Cynthia crossed her arms and glanced off to the side, "Yeah. Someone pretty special to me, too…"
There was another moment of silence, and then Eldritch motioned to his boat with a tilt of his head, "Hop in. I'll get ya there in no time."
"Thanks, Eldritch…" Cynthia said, vaulting herself into the boat and watching as Eldritch got everything ready to head off, "I appreciate it."
Eldritch soon hopped in after Cynthia, and he went to go man the controls, "I know what it's like. There's no way I'm leaving you feeling as bitter as I did when my son fell under the same thing, Champ. Hang on!"
The boat soon sped off, sailing over the waters and out into the sea. Eldritch wasn't kidding when he said that he'd get Cynthia to Fullmoon Island in no time, because before Cynthia knew it, they were pulling up to the small, forested island. Cynthia hopped out of the boat and headed for the dirt path, sending one last look Eldritch's way.
"I'll be back soon!" She called before returning her attention back to the path. The island was nearly covered with thick forestation, so Cynthia had to wade her way through all of the trees and climb up the steep paths to reach the heart of the island. It took her a few minutes, but eventually she arrived at the small lake in the center of the island, and from there Cynthia was able to see the Lunar Pokémon itself floating over the lake.
Cynthia let out a calming breath, and she slowly approached the edge of the lake, all the while never tearing her gaze away from Cresselia. She was heavily on-guard, knowing from the last time she was at the island how Cresselia handled business. When Cynthia was only a step away from the water, Cresselia lifted its head into the air, letting out a soothing cry as a pink wave rippled from its head. Cynthia stood her ground, steeling herself for what was to come, and eventually she was hit with a burst of drowsiness. Feeling that she was close to succumbing to Cresselia's hypnosis, Cynthia used her last few seconds of consciousness to ensure that she wouldn't be falling in the water when she passed out, and soon everything went black before leading to the pleasant dreams Cresselia leaves in its wake.
When Cynthia awoke, she was back in her bedroom, and the sun was just beginning to rise. She blinked a few times as she sat up, rubbing at her eyes and trying to remember just what happened. Suddenly she felt an arm snake around her waist, and if she wasn't so tired, Cynthia probably would've jumped and screamed in surprise. She was exhausted though, so she barely even reacted.
"Cynthia, darling… Lay back down, would you please? Just a few more minutes..." A voice groggily whispered.
Cynthia raised an eyebrow. Now this was strange… She normally always slept alone… Turning her head, Cynthia spotted a blissful Diantha laying at her side, seemingly still half-asleep. Now it just got even stranger… But Cynthia would never complain.
"Don't make me ask twice…" Diantha's eyes were closed, but she was smiling regardless.
A grin rising to her lips, Cynthia sank back down onto the bed and got herself situated next to Diantha, absolutely revelling in the fact that Diantha had snuggled right up to her side. Cynthia felt like she was in heaven now that Diantha had finally torn down the wall that prevented them from being together. She could only ever think of one other time in her life where she was this happy…
Diantha rested her chin on Cynthia's shoulder, letting out a content sigh, "That's much better…" She hummed, that smile of hers only widening.
"You're telling me…" Cynthia laughed softly, "Say… Don't you have a job to be getting to?'
"Mmm…" Diantha playfully mulled it over, tilting her head back and forth, "Who's to say I can't be a little late?" She opened her eyes after that, glancing up at Cynthia with a mischievous grin.
"Heh, fine by me…" Cynthia leaned forward, closing her eyes and pressing her lips against Diantha's.
Her heart skipped a beat when she felt Diantha kissing back.
Cynthia's eyes opened, and she was back at the lake on Fullmoon Island. She cursed herself, irritated that the spell Cresselia put her under led to that pitiful dream, and she forced the memory of that to the very back of her mind. Seeing a Lunar Wing lying beside her also helped with Cynthia forgetting the dream she just had. Picking it up gingerly, Cynthia walked from the lake and went back into the forest. It only took her a few minutes to return to Eldritch and the boat, and he looked relieved to see her.
"You were gone a long time." Eldritch noted, "I was worried something happened."
Cynthia shook her head, dismissing the thought with a wave, "Mild hypnosis. No biggie…" She let out a yawn.
Eldritch nodded, and he gestured for Cynthia to join him in his boat, "I am glad to see ya got what you came for, though. Hopefully it helps your friend out just like it did with my son."
Cynthia's gaze went to the Lunar Wing in her hand, and she exhaled a long breath, "Don't worry. I'm making sure that these nightmares of hers come to an end…"
The second that Cynthia reached land and the second after she thanked Eldritch profusely for all his help, Cynthia made her way over to the Canalave Gym. She was let in by the gym staff and was led immediately to Byron's platform so she didn't have to go through the gym's elaborate puzzle just to talk to the Gym Leader. Byron smirked upon seeing Cynthia, and he rested his elbow on his shovel lodged in the ground.
"Well, I certainly didn't expect a visit from you." Byron said, amusement in his voice, "This could boil down to two things… You want a fight, or you need a favor. Which is it?"
"A favor…" Cynthia sighed, "Sorry."
"Don't apologize, Champ. You know I don't mind helping out." Byron tilted his head, "What do you need?"
Cynthia unfolded her hands, revealing the Lunar Wing she had concealed inside, "No one makes these into necklaces with as much care and precision as you do. My friend needs it."
Byron broke away from his shovel, walking towards Cynthia with intrigue on his face. He took the Lunar Wing from her carefully, inspecting it for a few seconds, "You need a fancy-shmancy nightmare warding charm? You came to the right guy. I should be able to get this done in an hour or so."
"Take your time, really." Cynthia shoved her hands in her pockets, gaze trained on the ground, "There's still something I have to do. I'll be gone for awhile while I deal with it, so it's no rush."
"Still, I'll get to it soon." Byron shielded his mouth with a hand, leaning in and dropping his voice into a whisper, "It's been as slow as a Ferroseed in here lately. It'll give me something to do." He let out a laugh.
Cynthia smiled at that and nodded her head, "Thanks, man… I'll be back after I wrap up the rest of the things I have to do."
"You know where to find me!"
Laughing under her breath, Cynthia just spun around on her heel and walked off, "Thanks again!"
Once stepping foot outside, Cynthia headed for the other side of the city, and when she got to the place she was looking for, Cynthia stopped in front of the building and looked it over. She then dug into her coat pocket and got her wallet out, and she pulled out a card before putting her wallet back. There was a feeling of dread welling inside of her as she toyed with the card in her fingers, but eventually Cynthia let out a shaky breath to calm herself and she used the card to open the door to the abandoned inn.
Stepping inside, Cynthia instantly felt as if a thousand eyes were on her, even if she was alone in the dark, old, deserted inn. Shortly afterwards, a foreign influence invaded her mind, and Cynthia grew weak as a result. A sharp ringing sounded in her ears too, then Cynthia sank to her knees, clutching her head. She knew to expect this though, as this wasn't the first time she stepped into the abandoned inn. This was the only way she knew to get in contact with Darkrai, even if the method came at a great discomfort and price for her. Soon Cynthia passed out, leaving her susceptible to the nightmares that were surely to follow.
The next thing Cynthia knew, she was thrown into a scene similar to the one that played out months ago at Spear Pillar. The second after Cynthia came to, a similar pool of shadows appeared at the altar of Spear Pillar, and gradually that vortex came to grow, reaching further and further across the altar. Dialga and Palkia still struggled within the confines of the Red Chain, but Cynthia immediately noticed something was different in this rendition of her experiences at Spear Pillar, because this time, instead of being at the base of the altar… She was up at the top, where all of the Pokémon were converging.
Giratina shot out from the pool of shadows, sending orbs of darkness towards Dialga and Palkia to free them from the Red Chain's effects. Now all three of the creation trio were free, and then things started to go south from there. Cynthia could feel the gazes of the three Pokémon on her, like she was the culprit, and she was the one who terrorized them all. Cynthia looked around, seeing that she was the only one on top of Spear Pillar, so this wasn't some mistake. Dialga, Palkia, and Giratina were all after her, and there was nowhere for her to go.
Shadow Force, Roar of Time, and Spatial Rend… Those three attacks were the last things Cynthia saw before her world went black.
A black mist surrounded her when she came to, and she was lying in a grassy plain. Cynthia rolled onto her back and propped herself up with her elbows, gazing upwards to see Darkrai hovering over her. It looked as if everything worked out, and she was transported to Newmoon Island in a dream like she wanted. Cynthia sat up, clenching her jaw and just waiting, waiting for someone to make a move.
"Why her?" Cynthia was the first one to break the silence, and she spoke in a merely curious voice. Of course, there was an anger and annoyance inside of her, but she didn't let it show, "Why torment her?"
I had a vision… Darkrai spoke telepathically, Of a great darkness and evil that awaited. It was a message I needed to share with you…
"You still haven't answered my question. Why send it to her and not me?" Cynthia crossed her arms, narrowing her eyes.
The nightmares would stick out to her. With you… You wouldn't have thought of them as anything different, with how often you suffer nightmares of the Reverse World already…
Cynthia let out a growl and averted her gaze. She hated the truth in Darkrai's words, despite how much she wanted to believe otherwise. The Distortion World did still haunt her, even if it was a breakthrough for a researcher like her. She despised how she was so afraid of it, and she certainly despised having Darkrai know of that fear inside of her.
Seeing as Cynthia did not respond, Darkrai just continued to explain itself, I operated with the assumption that she would confide in you of the nightmares, but surprisingly, she is one who likes to keep her secrets. Cynthia grunted at that. I did have to resort to other measures to get her to open up, as regretful as I am to have done it.
"The fact that the dreams actually harmed her, right?"
Yes. Normally I do not go that route, but my options were severely limited at that point. She was very adamant on keeping these nightmares to herself for the longest time.
Cynthia rubbed her arm with a twinge of guilt. She wondered if it was her fault that Diantha was hiding her nightmares, that Cynthia made Diantha feel as if she couldn't come to her with these sorts of things. She swallowed down that thought though, and instead she looked back at Darkrai. "You're going to end these nightmares, right? You can consider the message received."
Darkrai nodded, Of course. My work here is done. All I ask is that you take my message to heart. The visions I receive… They're normally not wrong. A darkness looms over this region… A darkness exceeding my power… You helped save this region once before. It is of my belief that you can do it again.
Cynthia clenched her jaw. The last thing she needed was another threat to her region's safety, yet here was another impending apocalypse, presumably by Team Galactic's hand again. With an irritated groan, Cynthia shook her head at the prospect of another high-stake face-off with Team Galactic. For now, she just wanted to get home and forget all of this. "Can you make me wake up now? I gotta get back to Canalave City."
Yes, I will awake you. Though, why do you need to remain in Canalave? Wouldn't you prefer to simply be sent home?
"No. I still have the Lunar Wing to give to Diantha. I need to retrieve it and give it to her at Snowpoint City."
But I already stated that my work here was complete…
"Forgive me if I don't so easily believe you. Besides, I have a feeling she'd more so readily believe a superstitious object rather than me telling her I talked with the bringer of nightmares itself to tell it to lay off."
I understand. I will simply awake you, then. Perhaps I can also transport you to Snowpoint City afterwards so you can avoid the lengthy flight.
"That is preferable, yes." Cynthia sighed, closing her eyes, "Don't send me out with nightmares this time. Or sickeningly sweet dreams. I don't want to see anything when I close my eyes for one damn time today…"
A dark power emanated from Darkrai's head as it reversed the hypnosis effect on Cynthia. Slowly the dream world she was in started to dissipate, and eventually everything disappeared for a short while until she inevitably awoke.
Cynthia left the abandoned inn as quickly as possible, and she went to Byron to pick up the completed Lunar Wing charm. Once she stepped out of the Canalave Gym, Cynthia finally realized the fact that it was dark outside and the streets were mostly empty. A glance at her watch told her that it was past nine in the evening, and Cynthia just grimaced at the sight. Well, she certainly slept the day away, even if that wasn't her intention.
Out of the corner of her eye, Cynthia noticed that her shadow caused by the streetlamps began to morph and elongate, stretching out. She figured that this was Darkrai proving true on its promise, and soon a dark mist surrounded her and shrouded her vision entirely. Within a few moments, a cold air hit her skin and Cynthia felt herself slightly sink into the ground like she was crushing snow beneath her heels. When the mist disappeared, Cynthia was in Snowpoint City. A grin rose to her lips. She had to admit, that was a pretty cool little trick…
The drowsiness and fatigue from the constant hypnosis started to take its toll on Cynthia as she walked to Diantha's hotel. She rubbed at her eyes, feeling the weight of her eyelids and the sluggishness of her blinking. The flight home would surely be an absolute nightmare… Cynthia wondered if she could ring up Darkrai for some more teleportation goodness. But alas, she probably overextended her favors with Darkrai. That sounded improbable, so Cynthia merely had to suck it up, so it seemed.
Cynthia knocked on the door to Diantha's hotel room when she finally arrived, rubbing her forehead as she waited. When the door opened, Cynthia lifted her head, and once her eyes adjusted and were able to properly see despite the fatigue, Cynthia raised an eyebrow at Diantha, "...Oh. You got plans or something?" She said in reference to the clothes Diantha was wearing.
Diantha glanced down at her pink pajamas, "...No? This is just my nightgown…"
"Well, excuse me…" Cynthia smirked languidly, "I didn't realize you slept in a cocktail dress."
Smiling a bit, Diantha just shook her head. She ended up biting down on her lip, stopping herself from talking. She wanted to ask if Cynthia figured out how to stop the nightmares, but she didn't want to seem pushy or needy. Luckily Cynthia started to rummage around in her pockets, and she spoke up soon.
"You'll have to trust me on this…" Cynthia began, pulling out the Lunar Wing charm, "This… This is what will ward off your nightmares."
Diantha raised an eyebrow, taking the charm from Cynthia and looking it over. She reasonably seemed a bit skeptical, but nonetheless she still accepted it, "Well, I do trust you…"
"These things are called Lunar Wings. They're the feathers left behind by the Legendary Pokémon, Cresselia. They really do work. I've seen it wake and heal people caught in the deepest of nightmares." Cynthia explained, but then she paused, "...Or, if this helps convince you more, I kind of talked to the bringer of nightmares itself to tell it to lay off…"
"Now I feel like you're messing with me." Diantha laughed softly.
Cynthia shook her head, grinning all the while, "I swear I'm not. Even if I did tell Darkrai to step off, I still think you should wear that Lunar Wing. It reverses any and all ailments of Darkrai's hypnosis, so perhaps it'll heal that bruise…" She trailed off, gaze eyeing Diantha's shoulder.
Diantha drew in a breath and nodded her head, fidgeting under Cynthia's gaze, "That would be...optimal, yes." She grew quiet for a moment, dropping her gaze to the ground, "I… I really hope this wasn't too much of a bother for you, Cynthia… It seems it took you a long time to get this, since you left here at around noon…"
Scratching the back of her neck, Cynthia flashed a brief smile, "I… really didn't do a lot, in hindsight. I just got put under Hypnosis a lot. A whole lot…" She laughed uneasily, trying to make Diantha feel better. She yawned afterwards, still groggy from all the sleep spells casted on her, and that was when Diantha noticed the dark circles beneath Cynthia's eyes.
"You look exhausted." Diantha pointed out. She seemed hesitant in continuing and she bit her lip, like she was mulling something over in her head, but she quietly spoke back up, "...I don't feel right in letting you fly home like this..."
Cynthia raised an eyebrow. There was part of her that got the hint, but there was another half that insisted that Diantha wouldn't go there, especially after what happened the night prior. She thought she was just reading things wrong, or maybe Diantha was referring to the fact her Gardevoir might know Teleport as a fifth move. She didn't want to actually invest her hopes in the other option…
"L-Look… I'll understand if you decline, because… you know, everything, but… it's late, the flight back to Celestic Town is long, and… well, you look seconds away from passing out so I don't want you to fall asleep and fall off of Togekiss on the way home… So, I guess what I'm saying is that, if you want to… Would you rather just… stay here for the night?"
Cynthia was more than shocked at this offer, especially because she forced herself to not get her hopes up. It was the absolute last thing she was expecting, and her stunned silence must have sent a wrong vibe, as Diantha started to try and explain herself.
"Like I said, you don't have to!" Diantha stammered, "I just… I'd feel terrible if I didn't at least offer… I didn't want anything bad to happen because you decided to help me out."
"Sorry, I was just… shocked." Cynthia shook her head, trying to compose herself. Her eyelids still felt heavy, and she was starting to see Diantha's side of things. It would be a bit risky to take that long flight back to Celestic Town, so maybe this was Cynthia's best option… "I… I think I might take you up on that offer. I'm really...super tired."
Diantha grinned for a split second, "I've been on the receiving end of a few rogue Hypnosis moves from Gardevoir in the past. I know how it can drain all the energy out of you." She stepped back to let Cynthia inside, and once Cynthia was in and closed the door, Diantha went to go grab something.
Cynthia looked around at the hotel room, which honestly was more spacious than most apartments. She ran a hand through her hair, now starting to realize the repercussions of her decision. Not only was Cynthia probably going to have to sleep in her outfit, but she was going to have to sleep on the couch in the room. It wasn't terrible, but it certainly wasn't ideal either. Cynthia didn't want to think of the other option of where she could sleep…
While Cynthia was lost in thought, Diantha threw something at her, and Cynthia just barely was able to catch it. It was a black t-shirt and some athletic shorts. Diantha sent her a small grin.
"Figured you wouldn't want to sleep in that." She teased, and then she grabbed onto the edges of her nightgown, "Or a 'cocktail dress,' as you called my sleepwear."
Cynthia laughed a bit at that, "Well, I have a feeling one of your nightgowns would only be a shirt on me..."
Diantha pouted, pursing her lips and placing her hands on her waist, "...You're not that much taller than me. I'm not in heels like you are right now."
Tilting her head, Cynthia reached down and slipped off her heels, then she walked over to Diantha and gazed down at her, a smile on her lips the entire time. There was still a considerable gap between the both of them- roughly four inches or so. "You were saying?" Cynthia taunted.
There was a moment of silence before Diantha turned from Cynthia, shoving her away, "...Change. I can't look at you right now."
Cynthia just let out another laugh, grinning to herself while she went to the restroom to change. She came out a few moments later in the clothes Diantha gave her, pulling her hair back and tying it up so it wouldn't be a hassle as she slept. She also sent her sister a text now that she had the time to, then Cynthia just let out a tired yawn.
"So, could I get, like… a pillow and a blanket or something?" Cynthia asked, pointing to the couch with her thumb.
Diantha just bit down on her lip, "Yeah, but… You don't have to sleep on the couch, you know. You can join me if you want."
Perhaps it was the fact that the comfort of a soft bed was so appealing to her, or maybe it was the fact she was so exhausted that she couldn't stop to think about how much of a bad decision it would be to take Diantha up on that offer, but Cynthia agreed. She slid right under the covers and sprawled out on the bed, letting out a content sigh. Diantha pursed her lips and placed her hands on her waist at the sight, standing by the side of the bed.
"...Now, you have to leave some room for me too, y'know." Diantha chided, shaking her head disapprovingly.
Cynthia slid over a bit and retracted her arms, leaving Diantha with at least half of the bed, "Sorry. When you spend more than half your day sleeping in a pond or on an abandoned inn floor, a bed feels like straight heaven…"
Diantha blinked a few times, "Do I… Do I want to ask what all happened?"
"No." Cynthia said immediately, "You don't. You really don't."
Nodding her head with a quirk of an eyebrow, Diantha took the Lunar Wing and clasped it around her neck before turning off the light and laying down. Things were silent for a while after that, as the both of them tried to get some sleep, but even though Cynthia was absolutely exhausted, she did her best to stay awake. She was silently and subtly waiting for Diantha to fall asleep first. Once a good share of time had passed, Cynthia opened a single eye, looking over towards Diantha.
"I know you're not sleeping." Cynthia said, voice weighed down with exhaustion, "You're not even trying to."
"It's that obvious, huh?" Diantha sighed, shifting in the bed.
"The only other people who try to sleep the way you are are people in coffins." Cynthia pointed out, "That's not exactly a comfortable sleeping position."
Diantha just stayed quiet, turning her gaze away. After the brief silence, Cynthia spoke up again, "Are you still afraid?"
Diantha shuffled uneasily in the bed, stalling in giving her answer. Eventually she let out a long sigh, running a hand down her arm, "...Yes."
"Hey." Cynthia rolled over onto her back and outstretched her arm closest to Diantha, motioning for her to come closer with a wave of her hand, "Come on. You're safe with me."
There was a twinkle of hesitation in Diantha's eye, but after a second of mulling it over, she did move closer to Cynthia, resting her head on Cynthia's shoulder. Cynthia wrapped her arm around Diantha to keep her close and secure.
"Trust me on this one, Diantha." Cynthia said quietly, "I wouldn't have returned if I wasn't absolutely certain that you would be safe tonight. I would have worked until I knew for sure that these nightmares would never happen again. The creature causing those nightmares stated that it was finished with the whole ordeal. That charm around your neck is just to guarantee that, and I have a hunch that it will heal that bruise of yours, too. I'll make sure nothing happens to you."
Diantha just gulped at that, slowly but surely nodding her head. Something felt wrong about this, and there was still an incessant feeling inside of her telling her not to get this close to Cynthia, but Diantha couldn't help it. She was tired, and she felt safe for once since she started having these nightmares. She closed her eyes after a little while, making herself comfortable. "Thank you, Cynthia…"
Cynthia flashed a brief smile. She moved her hand from Diantha's torso to her head, and she began to play with some of Diantha's hair gingerly as they laid there. "Don't mention it. Just get some rest. You're safe now. It'll all be fine…"
The hand softly playing with her hair was enough to slowly lull Diantha to sleep, and soon enough Cynthia noticed Diantha's breathing level out. Letting out a soft sigh, Cynthia finally closed her eyes and situated herself to fall asleep as well, but not before saying one last thing to Diantha.
"I'm sorry this happened to you, Diantha…" Cynthia whispered, "Everything that's happened since you've gotten here, everything that happened between us.. It's all been my fault. I'm sorry…"
While they managed to get through the night without nightmares, they didn't have blissful dreams either.