Smile Junkies
Chapter 6
Cyrus sat in a chair, in this new world he had made with Dialga. Many had opposed him but they had all fallen and he finally got what he wanted- his own world without emotions, Dialga next to him. Unfortunately, the world had to be made on a parallel dimension since it would have taken too much time to overwrite years of history, or so said Dialga. He sat in this comfy chair in this quaint little house in a quaint little town where all the people were emotionless like him and he was their god. "It's really lonely." Cyrus voiced, Dialga looking at him.
Everything wasn't like how he pictured. Everything was to be perfect but everything was so very cold and hollow. He had been here a week and he was bored and Dialga didn't like him enough to hold a lengthy conversation with him. It was more of a spite-fueled debate than a pleasant observation on various topics. This time, Dialga spoke first though.
"In the Christian Bible, 'God' created the first humans in his Garden- Adam and Eve." Dialga said and what Cyrus thought was to be a boring discussion about religion was actually a realization to him, "Perhaps you need an 'Eve'? Of course, 'God' made 'Lilith' for Adam but they were incompatible, thus, he made 'Eve' from two of Adam's ribs."
Cyrus looked at Dialga, "Are you saying that you're going to make me someone out of my ribs?" Dialga looked at him with boredom, "Do I look like I want to touch you?" Dialga was also somewhat of an asshole. Cyrus thought about it. He was right, maybe he needed an 'Eve'. An Image of Lex appeared in his head briefly before Cyrus stood up, "Dialga, take me back to that old, defective world." "Your mom is 'defective'." "Enough of your jokes." Cyrus said and Dialga snorted, "I can't- No- I won't." "Why not?" Cyrus said as Dialga got up,
"I can't guarantee everything will be the same. We are on a parallel dimensional panel, yes, but time passes differently. I can't promise you that it will be like how it was when you left." Dialga said and Cyrus thought about it, "So- A week here could be a month or something there?" "Perhaps. I won't be able to tell the exact time span until we arrive and it's hard to pin-point a certain time. It's like throwing a…a poke ball sized net into the ocean and hoping you catch a fish. If you still wish to risk it, then I will take you." Cyrus thought about it then nodded. He still wanted to see her. "Yeah." Dialga nodded and the room began to twist and turn before it changed into the flowery fields of Floaroma Town.
"Floaroma Town? Really?" Cyrus said and Dialga let out a short cry, "Like I said. Trying to catch a fish with a pokeball-sized net." "Eternia City is where she lives." Cyrus said, looking at Dialga and it lowered it's neck, "You're not riding me there, if that's what you think." It told him and Cyrus frowned, "I wasn't thinking that." Dialga raised it's head. "Since we are now on the plane, I can move us with more ease." Dialga said and the environment twisted again until it became Eternia City. Cyrus went to the apartment complex that Lex and Champagne lived in, Dialga stopping him before he went in, "You should take caution." Cyrus looked over, Dialga behind him, "From the time you left with me, eight years have passed. You may not be welcomed with open arms." Dialga was right.
Cyrus went down to the first floor where a woman was getting her mail, "Excuse me." He said, the woman looking up, "On the third floor there used to be two sisters. Lex and Champagne. Do you know if they're still there?" The Woman frowned,
"Oh…No, they aren't. I guess you haven't heard." The Woman said, "The girl, Lexia I think? She died." Cyrus stiffened, "A year or two ago maybe? Not too long after she became Champion of the Elite Four I think. Her sister is the care taker of the grounds that her body is on, I think it's called 'Rose Valley'." Cyrus bowed and left, turning to Dialga,
"How!" Dialga looked at him. "How?" Dialga looked up towards the sky for a moment then back at him. "I am not sure." The environment distorted and became vivid once more. "This is 'Rose Valley'." Dialga voiced and Cyrus looked around.
There were in the bottom of a canyon, a crystal clear river cutting through it, rocks on either side to keep things from coming in or going out, and pokemon roamed freely and naturally though this wasn't a habitat for any of them. There were cacti on the canyon cliffs and bird pokemon here and there. There was also a little house- and something floating in the middle of the river, unmoving, and a small pathway to it. Cyrus and Dialga watched as a woman with black hair came out of the house with a huge bucket of poke chow. "Come and Get it!" She called and the bird and land pokemon leisurely made their way towards her as she put poke chow in a variety of little bowls with names, before carrying a different bucket towards the fixture in the middle of the river and threw more poke chow in the water for the water pokemon.
Cyrus noticed a familiar Azurill, sitting on top of something, "Now, you know you're not supposed to be there." Champagne said but it squeaked and held it's ground. "That's enough out of you. Go eat or something." It squeaked defiantly and pouted before Champagne said "FINE!" and walked off. Cyrus and Dialga ventured over. On the fixed land mass was a glass coffin and in it, was Lex's body, hands clasped above her sternum, and a peaceful expression on her face. "There's a lot of pokemon here but they don't look lost." The pokemon weren't lost and Cyrus knew this. They were all her pokemon, peacefully living in an isolated area away from everyone else.
"Take me back to earlier. Before this happened." Cyrus told Dialga that looked at him, "Why should I? If I took you back, you changing these events may have dire consequences." "Just a year or two." Dialga let out a short cry, "I can't." "You mean you won't?" "No, I mean I CAN NOT. A year or two is too risky." "Then what?" "I can take us back four years but then if you want me to move time again I can only return us to the other planet." Cyrus thought about it. Four years? Beggars couldn't be choosers but… "Take me four years back then but to Eternia City." "I see your self-centeredness has put you on the path to be flung head-first into destruction." Dialga said before the environment distorted as Cyrus slowly got over the fact that what he saw was a future that could be changed.
Cyrus entered the apartment building, going to Champagne and Lex's apartment and knocking on the door. Champagne opened it up and blinked in surprise, "Oh, uh, Cyrus, right?" Champagne asked and Cyrus nodded, "Oh, this is for my sister." Champagne said and back handed him across the face. "No one makes her cry!" Champagne yelled and Cyrus regained his composure, "Why are you here anyways, Mr. Gloom?"
"To…well…see Lex." Cyrus said and Champagne sighed,
"Too bad, she's not here." Champagne said as Cyrus immediately thought she was dead, "She's at the Match-Maker today." "Match-Maker?" Cyrus questioned and Champagne nodded, "Once you vanished she did a few more things before deciding to settle down so she met up with a Match-Maker to go on those arranged-marriage dates trying to find a husband." Cyrus looked down and Champagne smirked impishly, "You know, I may not like you as a person but you make Lex really happy so I'll help you out." Cyrus looked at her and Champagne held up a blank application, "But first, we gotta fill this out, ok?"
(A/N: In Japan there are still traditionalists about arranged marriages though some families are too shy to ask neighbors. Thus, they hire a Match-Maker, or someone who sets up 'meetings' between traditionalist young people who are looking for a spouse. A parent/ guardian attends each meeting, one per candidate, and the young people meet. There is usually a high success rate though modern Japan now has more couples freely marrying without a match maker.)
-Match-Maker, Eternia City-
"Thank you for your time, Lexia." The candidate said, him and his mother bowing before leaving as Lex looked at the Match-maker, "Looks like a twenty-percent chance really isn't a good match for you." Lex frowned, "Maybe you're better off a trainer than a wife, dear?" The Match-maker said as she tried to be enthusiastic and encouraging but Lex only lowered her head.
"Match-Maker, there's someone else here who's not on the list." A boy said, coming into the room and giving a piece of paper to the Match-Maker woman who looked it over. "D-Dear me!" The Woman said and Lex looked over at her curiously, "Send him in right away. A hundred percent match up with you, dearie!" Lex blinked at the rare occurrence but tried to smile, too tired from sitting in a stuffy room with even stuffier men. In came Cyrus, attended by Mars, and Lex blushed. "Please sit down." The Match-Maker said and Cyrus knelt down on the cushion across from her in a traditional kimono with his hair down and Lex blushed.
Her own kimono was black with gold embellishes and the ruff of it was black fur. Her hair was also up in a bun. Dialga also barged in, standing behind Cyrus and looked at Lex. "Please tell us about your self Mr-" The Match Maker said and Cyrus interjected, "Cyrus." He said sharply, "As the paper says, I am strong, reliant and strong willed." Lex blushed and Mars laughed nervously, having let him the kimono and did his hair, "Lexia," Lex twitched to attention, "There is no possibility for a ending solution unless you are part of the equation." Cyrus said and she stared at him, "That…Came out wrong." Cyrus said, lowering his head, trying to think of something else but there was the sound of something joyful and he looked up. It was Lex laughing,
"Hahahaha." Lex laughed as she smiled and stopped, still smiling at him and His cheeks felt hot looking at her, "Ok." She said, accepting his awkward way of asking her to marry him, "But I have one condition." She said and put her finger tips together shyly, "I know you really don't like this place. It has it's flaws, like everyone and everything it supports but that's what's beautiful about this place. All the flaws. So if you could just give this place another chance I'd be really grateful." Cyrus nodded,
"Alright." He said, sitting up and pushing his bangs up with a hand, a few strands still in his face and she smiled, "Have you fallen for me yet, Lexia?" The Match-maker and Mars watched, mesmerized by the adorable scene as Lex smiled,
"Yes…I think I have, Cyrus." Lex answered and he blushed, grumbling something and she smiled softly, "Emotions aren't that bad. They let you express what you feel the most. It's what helps me smile." Cyrus nodded, "OH and by the way, I really want kids." He blushed harder,
"Wait- how old are you?" Cyrus asked and Lex blushed a little darker,
"I'll be twenty-five this up coming week." Lex said and Cyrus did the math. Unfortunately he wasn't the best at math. "I was nineteen when we first met." Cyrus nodded and she smiled, the two bowing at one another to conclude the meeting, "Please take care of me." "Me too."