"I'm very glad to see you too, Inyssa," Reiko said as she lowered her body and wound her wooden tachi back. "But couldn't you have picked a better time to visit!?"

Her last word was punctuated with a swift and devastating strike, unsheathing the blade in an upwards arc and smacking an unruly Beedril in the face, sending it flying back toward its friends.

"Not like we get much free time nowadays," said Maylene, watching the redhead's back alongside her Lucario, bokken at the ready. "Besides, this is much easier than we were led to believe."

The three of them stood in the middle of a grassy field on the edge of the forest north of Solaceon, the gigantic shadow of Mt. Coronet falling upon them from the east. At least half a dozen of pissed-off Beedril surrounded them, flying in circles and looking for the chance to strike. And while the two experienced rangers dealt with that, Inyssa just stood between them alongside Steven, hands in her pockets.

"Trust me, this is the only free time I had this week," Inyssa sighed. "But you seem to be doing well enough even with me here. Was this a support request?"

"Yup. These things get rowdy come the end of summer, and they cause farmers no end of trouble," said Maylene. "Normally they'd be able to fend for themselves, but we were told there were too many of them this time around."

Reiko nodded, eyes sharp, moving from one enemy to the other. "Which is odd, as there's only a handful here now, even after we used Sweet Scen–gh-hey!"

One of the Beedril shot toward them, seeing an opening, but Reiko reacted instinctively, shooting up like a spring and catching the bug with a horizontal swing, knocking it out. The few that still remained grew restless, sharpening their lances against each other and buzzing murderously.

Two more flew in from each side, targeting Maylene's flank. The girl, fell into position, one leg far back, using one of the bokken as a shield to deflect the blow while stabbing forward with the other, bonking the Beedril on the head hard enough to send it to the ground. Lucario deflected the other one effortlessly, delivering a single blow that knocked it out as well.

Inyssa looked at the small pile of unconscious Beedril, and couldn't help but feel a knot in her stomach despite the circumstances.

"I heard it's still happening all around Sinnoh," she noted, sadly. "Hordes of Pokemon that called Mt. Coronet home, attacking nearby towns."

Maylene got up from her stance, and sighed. "Wildlife restoration has done a lot to mitigate them these past months, but there's still a mountain of work to do. We're pretty much swamped with support requests like this daily."

"Wild Pokemon are the least of our worries. Sinnoh has taken blow after blow, and all kind of nasty sorts are starting to flow into the cracks. Some rumors…" Reiko stopped herself, shaking her head. "Regardless, our labor will bear fruit, eventually." Her voice was calm and composed, like usual, but Inyssa noticed a hint of worry beneath it all. "It's nothing for you to worry about, Inyssa. Aren't you supposed to be embarking on your new journey soon?"

Inyssa raised her arms and shrugged. "That's still a few months away. Therapist insisted I recover for a little longer."

A hearty laugh left Reiko's lips. "If these past few months are anything to go by, you'll be unstoppable by then."

"Seriously, you're like night and day compared to how you were before," said Maylene, a hint of pride in her voice. "Once you're ready, I'm sure you'll take Hoenn by storm."

Inyssa opened her mouth, but the words she wanted to reply with didn't come to her, stuck in her throat as they were. She knew these two were being overtly nice, kind, as people tended to be toward those in recovery like her. Yet it was clear they fully meant their words. It took her aback, making her eyes itch for a moment.

When she found her words, they weren't the ones she'd intended.

"O-on your six, Reiko."

Seriousness fell back on her face like a curtain, and for a second her eyes moved to the right before she fell into a sudden stance, pulling back her tachi once more. Around them, the Beedril had gotten tired of waiting, and shoot toward them in a circle, forming a pincer attack.

"Get down!" Reiko yelled.

Lucario knelt first, and Maylene grabbed onto Inyssa as she threw them both to the ground. An instant later, Reiko let out a cry from deep within her belly and stomped on the ground, using it as an anchor as she unsheathed her blade and slashed in an arc around her, using the full momentum of her muscles.

"Hah!"

Inyssa could almost see the arc in the air, the pure force that exploded in a circle and slammed against all four of the Beedril, hitting them like a hammer. Their flight was stopped short, and they fell to the ground hard, losing consciousness. Her mouth fell open, and her eyes almost sparkled from awe.

"Phew… alright, that should be all of them."

She stood up to her full height and sheathed the blade almost without looking at it, letting it hang alongside its scabbard from her hip. The breath she'd been holding escaped her lips. And as it did so, Inyssa couldn't help but notice the way her chest rose up and down haggardly, nor the glisten of sunlight against the little beads of sweat on her face and forearms. Not to mention the mane of wild, flame-like hair falling all around her body.

Though she'd have rather died than admit it to anyone, Inyssa was suddenly very glad that Reiko liked wearing form-fitting tank tops. Her body was like a fortress, and Inyssa found herself suddenly a fan of architecture.

"You okay, Dawn?" Maylene reached a hand down toward her. "You're looking a bit red. Sorry I threw you so hard there."

Inyssa took her hand and laughed nervously as she pulled up to her feet. "Don't worry, I'm more than fine," she said, both not lying and having trouble keeping her eyes to herself. "Though… that was one hell of a move you used there, Reiko. You swung that thing to hard I almost saw the shockwave."

Busy as she was looking all around to make sure no enemies remained, Reiko acknowledged her comment with a mere shrug.

"Just some leftover dregs of Moltres' power. Even then, it's nothing to write home about," she said. "Master Koga's technique puts mine to shame."

As she stood up, Inyssa rested her hands on her hips and sighed, narrowing her eyes. "Honestly. I can't believe I never got to see you and your flaming, teleporting sword in action. Especially your fight in Mt. Coronet."

It was Reiko's turn to sigh. "That wasn't a fight, it was nothing more than a barbaric display of brute strength. I am not proud of it."

Inyssa could tell she'd pressed on a sensitive nerve, so she decided to change the topic. "Anyway, how come you didn't yell anything when you did that slash just now?"

"Huh?" Reiko looked at her, tilting her head. "I did yell. It helps relieve tension in the body and drive up adrenal–"

"No, no, that's not what I mean!" Inyssa cut her off, frowning. "I mean why didn't you yell something cool? Don't your techniques have names?"

Already sensing what she was getting at, Maylene let out a groan and slowly started dragging her palm across her face, though Reiko didn't seem to get it.

"I.. yes, they do have names, but why would I yell them out loud in the middle of a fight?" she asked, shaking her head. "That's ridiculous."

Inyssa looked like she'd been slapped across the face. Ridiculous? As if Reiko could even hope to understand all the hard work and trouble one went through in order to come up with a good name for an attack. She shook her head, disappointed, and took a step toward her.

"Some legend-bound hero you are," she scoffed. "We gotta have cool names for our attacks–"

"We really, really don't," Maylene whispered against her palm.

"–otherwise no one will respect us. And that goes double if you have a sword! That's like easy mode for this kind of thing. Here, let me give you an example. You could've done something like this…"

Inyssa took a deep breath, closed her eyes and lowered her body into a very vague approximation of the stance she'd seen Reiko perform. Said swordswoman pursed her lips, feeling her eye twitch. It was a struggle not to point out the hundreds of ways in which that stance was completely wrong. Uncaring, Inyssa reached with her right hand for the sheathed blade she pretended to have tied to her waist. Then, she let go of a slow breath, and whispered.

"My blade, calm as still water…" She inhaled sharply, then opened her eyes fully as she stepped forward. "Now! Termination Slash: Dawn!"

In a feat of swiftness that immediately made her lightheaded, Inyssa slashed at the air with her imaginary sword eight times, forming an asterisk, then turned around on the ball of her foot and sheathed said nonexistent sword, looking pleased with herself.

"And then the shockwaves explode behind you once you sheathe your sword," she said. "There, you get that as a freebie."

Reiko couldn't have looked more shocked if her own sword had popped up legs and jumped out of her waist. She blinked once, slowly, before replying.

"I'd be dead ten times over if I did that during battle."

Maylene laughed against her palm. "Dear Mew you're such a fucking nerd."

"You just need good timing is all!" Inyssa said, looking offended. "If you put thought into how you look as you fight, then–"

It was a short-lived sentence, due to Inyssa suddenly springing up, the hairs on her arm standing up on end. A prickly crackle of insight stabbed into her temples. She jolted and looked over her shoulder, her voice denoting danger.

"More of them on our six!"

They heard the buzz a second later. Loud, deep, like rolling stones during a rock-slide. Dozens of crimson eyes broke through the darkness amidst the trees. The Beedril shot toward them, a surprise attack.

"H-how'd you…?" Maylene and her Lucario fell into formation, raising one hand forward. "Shit. Guess the request wasn't off, there really were a bunch of these guys."

Reiko let out a 'Tsk' and reached for her sword. "Inyssa, step back, we'll–"

"There's no need for that."

Inyssa stepped in between them, a smug smile on her face, staring at the oncoming Beedril head on.

"Let me demonstrate my point," she said. "Johnny! Bret! Like we practiced!"

She bellowed her coat and opened both Pokeballs in a way that made it seem like the light was coming from within her. The two shapes materialized before her, and moved almost before they were fully formed with swift, practiced motions.

Letting out a goofy roar, Johnny slammed his hands against the ground, sending powerful shock-waves that carved deep cracks into the ground, separating it into many smaller segments. Then, Bret did the same, only he simply placed his bouquets against the ground, which burst alight.

Luminescent green exploded through the cracks, life's pure essence shooting up all around the Beedril in the form of long, tree-thick vines. They shot up with enough strength to lift up the broken sections of the ground as well. The largest segment in the middle remained in place, while the others formed up around it as walls of stone, as well as a ceiling. The makeshift structure trapped all of the Beedril inside, their buzz becoming angrier, more agitated. The thorn-covered vines keeping the stones in place moved inwards, filtering through the little cracks that connected them.

"Now!" Inyssa yelled, throwing her hand forward in a practiced pose. "Kingdom of Thorns!"

Bret echoed her yell with his own, and bursting with even more verdant light, he made dozens more of those thick vines erupt around the stone structure. They dove toward it with speed and strength enough to break through the rocks, hitting and slashing at the Pokemon inside from all over like a hundred thorny whips.

The buzz stopped, and multiple thumps were heard from inside the structure. Soon, the vines retreated and the rocks fell apart in a circle, revealing inside a pile of about a dozen unconscious Beedril.

"And that," said Inyssa, a hand on her waist," is how it's done."

Reiko stared wide-eyed at the display, but Maylene couldn't have looked more unimpressed.

"You know you could've accomplished the same with like, a Surf, right?"

----------------------------------------

That her third and final errand happened to fall on this day wasn't planned, much less was she aware until the date drew near. But it was no reason to skip it. It might be the last time before she left for her new journey, after all. And it was already a day of goodbyes; one more won't hurt.

Inside a dark, octagonal chamber within Newmoon Island, Shadi knelt in front of the altar placed at the room's center, eyes closed, hand to her chest. It was a gesture she'd come to practice, after six months. It was how her father had taught her to pray. Never had she imagined she'd need that knowledge again, but this was the one debt she was willing to pay back.

Well. Maybe not the only one.

She was alone inside the temple, but not alone within the island. A pair of well-trained guards with belts full of Pokeballs waited outside, and would break the door open without hesitation if they heard the faintest sound or if she took too long. This was the deal she'd struck with Lucian. In exchange for her cooperation in answering a few questions, she was given the right to visit Newmoon and Fullmoon island once every two months, to pay her respects.

And, unwillingly, to meet with her sister.

The air behind the altar shifted, contracted, then became a person with a slight 'pop'. Shadi didn't flinch or open her eyes, already aware of who it was. The person snapped her fingers, and the walls of the room were coated with a film of golden light, making the chamber soundproof. A neat trick.

"Do you mind if I pray with you?" Inyssa asked. The same question as always.

"You're going to," Shadi replied.

Her sister fell to her knees next to her, their shoulders touching, and brought her hands together as she prayed. The chamber itself drank in the silence, appreciative. Or maybe it was the object resting atop the altar, a small crescent wing, brimming with the same darkness as the flowers littered all throughout the island.

This was the third time Inyssa had met with her under these circumstances. And if what she suspected was true about her going on a new journey soon, it might be the last. There was both bitterness and relief at the thought.

And as far as Shadi knew, Inyssa had told no one she'd been meeting with her like this. Not her therapist, not Johanna, not even Barry. Well, perhaps Barry, but if he knew then he looked the other way. Her sister had made it plenty clear during her last two visits; Shadi herself was the only topic Inyssa didn't breach with Barry. She'd known the boy to be plenty empathetic and supportive, but there was a limit to everything, and somewhere down the line Inyssa must've realized that constantly bringing up his father's killer was way past said limit, and bordered on pure cruelty.

A problem that would have been so easily solved if Inyssa had cast her aside, like she'd suggested so many times. But her sister was stubborn to her core, if nothing else.

And so here they were.

"…Well." Shadi finished praying first. She leaned back, sitting on the back of her legs, and opened her eyes. Her voice was raspy from not being used. "I heard today is the big day."

Inyssa stood silent and still as a statue until her sixth breath, then opened her eyes and replied, sounding tired. "I wasn't going to bring it up."

"Even though it was in both of our minds?" asked Shadi. There was no reproach to her voice, but she couldn't help sounding like it. "You're the one that insists on coming to talk to me, we might as well clear the air out."

No reply came, though a very clear 'Is that what you want to do?' was written all over Inyssa's face.

"Should I pick a bunch of flowers from outside the temple and have you send them to Johanna?" Shadi asked, her voice thick with sarcasm. "It really is bold of her, don't you think? To make yet another family for her to ruin while she hasn't even finished ruining her previous one."

"Oh, I think she was thorough enough. Though no one survives a mother unscathed." There wasn't a smile or a laugh, but Inyssa's voice didn't lack irony. "But this is exactly what I didn't come here to discuss."

Shadi scoffed. "You're the uninvited one here."

"Yeah. But if what you want to talk about is your grievances with mom, then discuss it with your therapist, that's what she's for. I've got enough on my plate already," Inyssa said bluntly. "I thought I could get a reprieve from all that, but if you're so insistent then maybe I will leave."

Shadi flinched, taken aback. Her sister's tone was so blunt, so unafraid that for a moment she couldn't believe it really was Inyssa sitting next to her. And for an even shorter moment, anger boiled up in her stomach at the fact she dared talk to her in such a manner, but she quickly extinguished that thought, dowsing it in sharp, unpleasant guilt.

"…Sorry."

It was only during her last visit that Inyssa had managed to coax that magic word out of her, but it didn't come any easier to it the second time. Her sister relaxed at the sound of it, though. So it accomplished its goal, at least.

She glanced at her, intently, for a moment. "She told me what happened in the hospital six months ago, while I was out. I didn't know it was that bad. You… really loathe her that much, huh?"

Biting down on the response she wanted to give was hard. I often dream of killing her. But she somehow managed it. Regardless of how much naïve hope Inyssa still clung onto, it would be too much for her to hear. Shadi was unaccustomed to controlling herself for other's sakes, but she was willing to go that far for her.

Instead, she tried putting it in lighter terms. "How to say it… you know what Mint told me, the first time she came to visit me in prison? 'You got mommy issues, don't you? I can work with that'."

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Inyssa chortled. It was such a sudden, involuntary laugh that the soundproof barrier around them faltered for a moment.

"I can picture her saying that."

Shadi smiled, despite herself. She'd been unwilling to share details of Mint and her stubborn refusal to leave her alone, but it's not like she had anyone else to talk to regarding their… relationship. It wasn't something she'd bring up during therapy, that was for damn sure.

It wasn't long before the smile dried and fell from her lips, though. "I know what I did to you is a hundred times worse than what she did to me," she admitted, dragging every word. "But I don't have your stupid kindness. And the more she tries to reach out, the more…"

But she stopped there, not wanting to drone on any more than was necessary. Inyssa knew, anyway. Words couldn't paint an accurate picture of what was like to live under such a broken home, no matter how much she tried, urged by the prison's therapist. Only someone who shared said roof during those times could understand.

"Reality will set in, eventually," said Inyssa. "This is the best-case scenario, in any case. She'll still be my mom, you'll still be my sister, but that's as far as it'll go. It's better for her to make a new family of her own, since we can't ever be one again."

Shadi remained silent for a few breaths, then asked. "Did she ever ask you? To be a part of her new family."

The sharpest of little smiles quirked up Inyssa's lips. "So she asked you too. Dear Mew. I get she's a mother and she has to ask, but still…?"

"How did you reply?" she asked, curious.

"I said that I was truly happy for her, but if she ever so much as suggests the idea that Fantina and Sanbica are my family again, I would never speak to her again for as long as I lived," said Inyssa. "And I made sure she knew that I meant it. That drove the point in nice and quick."

"…It's much nicer than what I said to her, at least." She shifted in her spot. Her legs were starting to fall asleep. "I…"

She ran a hand through her thick hair, glancing up with heavy eyelids at the dark-hemmed wing atop the altar. Its pulses felt sharp to her. Hateful. But she knew it was only her imagination.

"I'm starting to understand how Siffa felt. If she hated me half as much as I do mom…"

The realization of what she was saying set in immediately, and she shut her mouth as soon as the dots connected in her mind. But it was too late. Inyssa had gone deathly pale beside her, eyes distant, lips pursed tight and pale.

"Shit. I'm sorry." Shadi scrunched up her face, feeling stupid. She knew better than to mention her to Inyssa. "I'm really sorry, I–"

"It's fine," Inyssa said, swallowing forcefully. Then she tilted her head to the side and smiled forcefully, though not in a derisive way. It looked almost bright. "I know you didn't mean it."

Shadi was left speechless. She really was fucking unbelievable, her sister. Not even a word of anger or reproach, not even a twinge of anger sent her way, despite her mistake. Why? Why did she refuse to treat her like she deserved? Why…?

"I don't get it," she whispered, almost low enough for Inyssa to miss it. "I know it's pointless to keep trying to get rid of you, but… why? Why do you keep coming back? I gave you every excuse you could need for leaving me behind. Forgetting me."

Inyssa's reply was so immediate it felt like a reflex. "Because it's what saved me."

"Huh?"

But of course, infuriatingly cryptic as she'd grown these past few months under Uxie's tutelage, Inyssa placed her hand against the floor and rose to her feet instead of clarifying. Shadi followed, with some difficulty. As she stood up, she saw her sister with folded arms, staring at Darkrai's remains with an unreadable look on her face.

"…I meant it when I said it back then. That I would never forgive you," she said all of a sudden, matter of factly. "But I can't let you go. Not yet. Even if it is selfish."

"It... is," said Shadi. "And disrespectful, honestly. To Barry. I practically killed Palmer yet here you are..." She didn't apologize this time. Just let the words set in for a moment, then added. "This isn't healthy, Niss. You know that."

Inyssa's hands balled unconsciously into fists, lips a pale thin line on her face. She struggled against what she knew was the truth.

"Well... isn't that considerate?" she whispered under her breath. "What's so different about me that you bothered to tell me that?"

Shadi blinked a few times, struggling to answer due to how sudden the question was. "I… you already know. It's what you said back then… when you... You and my Pokemon, you're the only ones who ever…"

Of course, she couldn't bring herself to say it. It was too much. The mere thought of her Pokemon, a thought she'd been avoiding the same way one avoids a particularly dark and gloomy street, suddenly stabbed into her like a stake of frozen yet boiling poison. Her eyes itched. But the unsaid words hung there in the air nonetheless, and Inyssa understood.

"…Then what about Darkrai?"

Shadi swallowed, the pulse of the lunar wing bearing down on her like a deafening heartbeat. "He's a Pokemon. It's different, I never meant for him or Cresselia to…" She felt her throat dry all of a sudden. Her words changed. "I come here willingly, but… that's it. I'm sorry, but I feel nothing toward anyone else I hurt. I'm broken. You know that better than anyone."

Contrary to what she expected from Inyssa's reaction, she didn't press the issue or try to argue back. Instead, she let out a long sigh and… smiled. A genuine smile, directed at no one in particular, which stunned Shadi into silence as she took a step forward toward the altar.

"Well. In that case," she said, a tired sort of cheer in her voice. "What little good you do feel like doing, you can at least do it well."

"I… what?"

"It is the least we can do," Inyssa said cryptically. "For those who gave their lives so that we'd see another tomorrow. Uxie." She looked up suddenly, at the empty air above the altar. "Could I do it again?"

Shadi heard the legend's voice for the first time then, not in the room but reverberating through her mind. "I would advise against it, as you are."

"And with her?"

No reply came, though Inyssa seemed to understand this as implicit permission. And though Shadi hadn't the slightest idea what the fuck she was talking about, she stepped forward regardless as Inyssa extended her hand back, calling for her.

"Can you help me?"

"Help you… with what?"

"I did this once in Fullmoon Island already," she said. "It just… felt so sad to me that they have to be separated, after all they sacrificed to be together. So I made a replacement… pale imitation though it was." She breathed, then added. "You were a Stigma, right? It should be a lot easier with your help."

Shadi shook her head weakly. "There's… I can't do that. I don't have that power anymore."

"You have a little bit of it left," said Inyssa, so sure of herself that it stunned her. "I can feel it. It's no more than a speck, but… well. What are you waiting for?"

Driven more by curiosity than logic, Shadi walked up the little steps and stood beside her sister, the dark radiance of Darkrai's remains digging into her. She waited, hoping for instructions on what the hell Inyssa intended to do.

But she got none. Instead, Inyssa took off her gloves, slowly, as though through clenched teeth and bated breath. Then she placed one of her hands on Shadi's shoulder, so gently she barely felt its touch, and raised the other one to the spot right next to the black wing.

Later on, alone in her cell, Shadi would replay the following events in her mind over and over, half in wonder, and half because they were so sharply carved into her memory it was like watching a movie whenever she tried to recall.

Inyssa closed her eyes, and immediately the muscles on her face tightened. Effort, concentration. Shadi had seen that expression on her face plenty during their little training sessions. Now, however, it made Inyssa's face look all the more sharper.

Then light burst forth from her hand, and Shadi's attention was swayed down toward the altar, her jaw falling from shock.

No, describing it as just a light would've been wrong. It was a shifting, contracting clump of pure luminescence, only slightly bigger than the wing beside it. Its core was liquid. If molten gold could somehow be set ablaze, that's what it would look like. It seemed to evaporate at the edges, pale wisps hissing and exuding outwards in little trails pushed by the inner force of… whatever that was. It pulsed, too. Loudly, rumbling, as though a storm had gained a heartbeat. And with each pulse, discordant images and sounds invaded her mind, flashing by her so quickly she could barely make them out. All she could make out from them was Cresselia's voice, as well as a bright, almost scorching kind of warmth.

Like that of a parent kindly telling its child to look the other way while they ripped a band aid off.

And Inyssa somehow… molded this thing. Not physically. There was no movement of the hand or fingers, but Shadi felt her… doing something, through the almost invisible thread of light connecting her fingertips to that clump of light. And she was using her to do it. She was tugging at something deep inside Shadi's spirit, siphoning it toward her and using it as a tool for carving. Vertigo came over her in waves. The feeling of being pulled, but not physically, it was… bizarre, unsettling.

"W-what…?"

But her voice was dead in her ears. Whatever this thing was, its heartbeat deafened all around it.

It was getting smaller, too. Parts of it were shaved off and evaporated into mist, Inyssa's pure, unbridled power being surgically carved and shaped into a specific form by using what little of Giratina's power remained inside Shadi. Using it like a scalpel.

It was only when Inyssa was almost done that Shadi realized what this was. She'd seen it before, after all. Both within the Institute and during her battle with Inyssa, when she'd summned that shape of light. These were… memories. Made manifest in the real world through Uxie's power, but in a way that Shadi had never seen before.

Because it wasn't just Uxie's power. It was Shadi's, and Giratina's too. Memories alone couldn't survive in the real word like this for long, just like one couldn't hold their breath forever. But whatever Inyssa was taking from her solidified it. It was the opposite of that warm, nostalgic radiance. Awareness, could she have called it? Conscientiousness? It was the dark grey beneath the gold an orange, the basking in a fire's warmth while knowing you couldn't sit in front of it forever, that you'd have to brave into the cold behind you sooner or later

It was the last stage of grief, made manifest. It tasted like dry, throat-scorching alcohol and smelled like the worst, longest autumn one could imagine.

"Is that what it feels like to you?" asked Inyssa. She knew what Shadi was thinking, somehow, and her eyes glittered with it. "Like home?"

Shadi made a sort of swallowing sound, though her throat was too dry for actually gulping. "Y-you too?"

"No. Want to know what it's like for me?" Her eyes went wide, and her voice became thinner, shaking, as though she'd suddenly become someone else. "It's the hazy orange of streetlamps, and the rapport of raining snow on my skin. Boots crunching against snow. It's cold. That can't be all there is, can it? I don't want to ask for help. Can't someone just once come without me begging and crawling, without letting them see the ugliest part of me? It hurts so much. They don't care. No one cares, no one extends their hand first. There's warmth all around me yet I'm so cold. I want to see all this through a window, huddled up, your arms around me. I don't want to be here. I'd die to go back to memories I can't even remember right. I fall asleep next to a cold pile of wood, trying to convince myself it's a bonfire. I'm weak. It eats away at me, please, please come back, please!"

Her last scream was so loud Shadi might have worried the soundproof barrier wouldn't be enough, had she not been in a frozen state of horror. None of those sentences were exaggerations. They weren't Inyssa simply recalling what she once felt. The Inyssa that had actually felt those things was forced to the forefront from her memories, if only for a short time.

And in that last second, during her last words, the sheer want and hurt in her sister's face made realization finally hit her, like a hammer against her nose. And she didn't feel guilty anymore. Just… disappointed. Disgusted, almost.

Because it wasn't just Inyssa complaining about what she'd been through, it was her proving a point. Shadi had met people who felt a terrible nostalgia for the past, for a time where they remembered everything being better. They longed to return to that speck of warmth in their memories, but in chasing it they discovered how muffled that light really was, and became all the weaker for it. She'd never related to that. There was nothing in her past worth remembering, only cold and abandonment.

It was the same for Inyssa, but she had gone back. And unlike those who sought what was no longer there, she saw what was broken and got to work stitching it all back together. And though in rebuilding that lighthouse in her memories she'd been slower to set out to sea, she'd at least made sure there would be a light to guide her path. A light of her own, in absence of what all children should be given by right, yet what so many don't.

It was a lesson Darkrai and Cresselia had played no little part in teaching her, and she poured all of that and all of her thanks into the light beneath her hand. And when the shape finally stabilized, cooling down into something firmer, more substantial, Shadi realized what it was. And her heart felt like it ceased beating inside her chest.

"…That's impossible," she whispered, almost croaking the words.

Inyssa let out a haggard breath, seeming much paler, sweat peppering her face. "Is it?" she asked, as though she'd only considered that for the first time. Maybe that was the only reason she could do it.

Even so, with the proof right before her eyes, Shadi could scarcely believe it. She stared at the glowing, crescent-shaped feather of black and white for what felt like minutes, actual childlike awe clear in every pore of her face. The last time she'd felt anything remotely similar was when she'd attained Darkrai's power for herself. Even then, it couldn't really compare.

Because Inyssa had just materialized from her memories a Lunar Wing. A relic. There were no words for how impossible that should have been. She thought she'd seen the height of what Uxie's powers could do, when wielded by someone with thousands of years of expertise.

But no, not even Alberich could do this. If he could… if he ever found out Inyssa was capable of this…

Shadi turned, slowly, to look at her sister, and only at that moment did the brunt of realization hit her in the face. This was not the Inyssa who would cower at her mere presence, nor was she the one who so defiantly, so terrified, had tried to oppose her. The one she'd tried to break with all her might.

If she succeeded, then whatever emerged from the cracks was much stronger.

"Hah… even with your help, this really takes it out of me," Inyssa whispered, sounding weak. "It's not the real thing, but hopefully Cresselia's warmth will help him recover faster."

Shadi stared at her, wordless, and felt as something ugly and bitter stirred inside her chest, tugging at her heart and lungs. Guilt. So thick she felt it clog up her throat, preventing the words she should have said then from coming out.

I'm… sorry.

But she never got to say them, because then someone rapped at the door from outside, the echo of knuckles against metal reverberating through the room, bringing her back to reality. Inyssa looked over her shoulder, and sighed. Their time was up.

It hit her then that this would be the last time she saw her sister in Mew knows how long. What she felt at the thought was something she tried to swallow down as hard as she could, but Inyssa turning to smile at her made it near impossible.

"I'll send you letters," she said. "Promise me you'll at least answer them. Please."

A part of her. The selfish, usual Shadi, wanted to nod and say yes. To keep what remained of... whatever the hell this bond was between them. But she owed her sister to do the responsible thing for once. She looked away, and whispered.

"Live your life, Niss. Then come back when you've had more time to process everything," she said. "We'll see then.'

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The wedding was, for Inyssa, akin to a slow dance where she and her mother mostly tried avoiding each other.

She'd done everything in her power to support Johanna, to help her along and give advice when needed. But even now, after the ceremony and the vows, now during the party in Sapphirl's Garden on the outskirts of Floaroma, she found herself being unreasonably careful.

Barry and her stood close enough to Fantina and her mom that they'd be available if anything was needed of them, but not so much that she could be mistaken as 'part of the picture' as it were. She'd even requested to sit on a different table during lunch. Vi, Fantina's head maid and the only person associated with the Gym leader she could stand, occasionally sat down with them and –while not eating because she was a ghost– chatted amiably, helping them pass the time. Helping them blend in.

Because Inyssa knew, and Johanna knew especially because she'd made sure she knew. Inyssa was supportive, she was loving, she was everything her mother needed during this happy yet chaotic day.

But she was not a part of it. Of all this, whatever it was. She was Johanna's daughter, and Fantina was now Johanna's wife, but the three of them were not a family. She didn't know why, but the very thought made her so deeply uncomfortable…

She was happy for her mom, though. Genuinely. But that's as far as she could tell what the hell happened inside her chest whenever she looked at her. It would probably take a lifetime of exhausting processing for her to unmake the knot of complicated maternal feelings inside her chest.

Until then, the two of them were supportive, but kept each other at arm's length.

Luckily, the day wasn't all careful dancing around uncomfortable topics. There was amazing food and drink and good company from those invited; Gym leaders and Frontier Brains especially. But there was something specific she and Barry were looking forward to. Someone they hadn't seen in over a month. And if what they'd heard was true, this might be the last time they saw her in quite a while.

Metchi being Metchi, though, of course had to show up fashionably late, wearing her best approximation of a formal outfit; a pair of black dress pants and a white shirt with the sleeves rolled back and the first two buttons undone. The first thing she did was grab a glass of champagne from the tray offered by Vi. The second was notice them.

"Hey." She raised the glass and smiled, an aloof look on her face. "How's it g–?"

"Metchi!"

That Barry stumbled past the tables excitedly toward her and ensnared her in a big, strong hug was no surprise. Metchi had clearly expected it, because she set the glass down as soon as she saw him move. Rolling her eyes, she gave the boy a pat on the back and chuckled.

"Good to see you too, beanpole," she said. "But you're kinda crushing my spine there so–"

What she wasn't expecting, though, was for Inyssa to hug her just as tight, and just as close, without saying a word. Metchi looked down at her, surprised. Even Barry let go of the hug and glanced toward her, a tiny smile on his face.

Inyssa had a complicated relationship with physical touch, even before Uxie came into the fray. Normally, Barry was the only one she could touch without feeling at least some sort of unease. Yet she didn't doubt for a second before hugging Metchi, hiding her face in between her neck and shoulder and staying very still because the little shakes and quivers inside her were pouring out.

Softer than she'd spoken before, Metchi placed the same hand on her shoulder and smiled. "Hey, short stuff."

"H-hey," she whispered, and looked up at her only when she'd gathered herself. "I'm glad you came."

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For the rest of the wedding, Inyssa forgot completely about her mother and everyone else, and just enjoyed a nice afternoon of chat and snacks with Barry and Metchi. The latter of which she now had no scruples calling a friend. Though in truth, she saw her as more than just that. There was a specific word, a specific feeling she associated with Metchi, but it was too embarrassing for her to ever say it aloud.

Even while acting as the interim leader of one of the biggest ranger bases in Sinnoh, Metchi still had time during those six months to be of immense help for Inyssa and Barry. She was the only one beside them who understood what they'd been through. And particular though she may be on the semantics of the word, the young couple saw her as the only one of the three who really deserved the title of hero.

Anyone would think so, if they'd seen her back then. Alone, breathless, standing against the brunt of eternity just to buy them time. But of course, Metchi refused to let that secret slip. She didn't want the spotlight, as much as she may deserve it. And so she was happy to remain the least interesting of the three 'heroes' who'd saved Sinnoh.

Inyssa knew, though, and she made sure she would never forget it.

Even though the three of them wouldn't see each other for some time. Metchi told them first. She'd be departing tomorrow for Hoenn, and hopefully –that last word said through a sudden inhale– she'd be able to rebuild the life she'd left behind.

She also had no trouble seeing past Inyssa's taut expression, and into the hurt and worry behind it. Metchi chuckled at that, shaking her head.

"What's with the long faces? You'll be traveling through Hoenn soon, right? It's not outta the question that we might run into each other."

Barry nodded, though he looked crestfallen too. "I know, but…"

"I guess it just won't be the same," said Inyssa, glancing to the side. "You… did so much for us. It just feels…"

She couldn't find the words. But there was no need to. Metchi looked at them, pensive for a moment, then closed her eyes and said:

"You don't always get to say goodbye," she said, voice heavier. "It doesn't have to be forever, of course. But shit happens. Life moves on. I already lost so many people, snatched up by this bitch of a life without warning, to the point where I know how fortunate an actual goodbye can be. So I'm grateful."

Barry knew. His lips twitched, then quivered, and his eyes burst golden with the effort to keep what he felt from spilling out. Inyssa moved to take his hand without question. Grasping it with her own.

"I'll keep an eye out for you two when I can," added Metchi. "But in case we never meet again… I'll remember you for sure. And I hope you remember me too."

Through the stab of pain Inyssa felt in her chest just then, she forced a smile and said. "That's my job."

"Ha. Ain't it?" Metchi smiled, genuinely smiled at that. "I'll make sure Azelf pulls its weight too and make sure I never forget you two annoying dumbasses."

"Hmph. Do not use my powers so frivolously," the legend's voice echoed in their heads.

"Up yours, buddy."

Barry's expression softened at that, and he even managed to form a smile, though his voice came out weak. "Same here… and thanks. For real, Metchi. A-and we hope you can go back to that life you wanted. We'll be cheering for you."

"Indeed. Do take care, will you?" Mesprit said haughtily. "Regardless of you carrying my sibling around for however long you last, you are quite interesting yourself. May your flame continue to burn, in such an entertaining way."

"And may we meet once more, someday, somewhere" added Uxie, as usual a warm gravitas to its voice.

Inyssa found that she couldn't join in yet, as the words seemed stuck in her throat again. Funny, how often that happened. It was lucky that Metchi decided to speak again.

"You don't hafta worry about me. I'll make do. Just like always." She looked so unconcerned, so sure of that fact. "Road's been bumpy as hell, but I can't say it hasn't been fun 'til now. Even with all the shit that's gone down. I got to make a difference, and I managed to lead a ranger base again, despite the odds… I even got to see the two of you grow up."

That took the two of them aback. They made some sort of noise inside their throat and stared, their eyes widening a bit.

"Who'd have thought those scrawny kids who rescued me off the path to Hearthome would've become so strong and dependable?" She asked the question to no one, then laughed and brought her gaze back from the past, looking straight at them. "You and I bickered plenty back then, short stuff, but the truth is… finding you two that day changed me. I was a wretch. Probably days away from giving up. But you two reminded me of what it's like to care, and that made all the difference in the world. So thank you. Really."

And it was with Metchi's next smile, so open and warm when she was usually so reserved, that Inyssa truly, finally, came back to herself. All of her. All of the little parts and ridges, the cracks that the Moonless Night had carved into her, coming together. Whole. And suddenly she couldn't find it in her to hold her emotions back anymore.

"W-what are you talking about? I'm the one who should thank you. You fought tooth and nail for a pair of kids you didn't even like at first, a-and… you were there for me, after Shadi… disappeared. It's because of you that I… that I found my way home at all."

She returned the smile as best she could, wavy as it was, tears running down her cheeks. Then, she spoke the words that had seemed so bone-chillingly embarrassing to her only a minute before, so self-indulgent. But she didn't care anymore.

"T-thank you… so much… sis."

Neither of them had ever seen Metchi so taken aback, so… affected. Whatever thin walls she'd still kept up were broken, and she leaned back almost a step, her smile wavering, her eyelids fluttering. She let out a weak 'Ha', trying to sound at least a little bit aloof.

"D-damn… this how you repay me, with a surprise attack like that? That's low…" She tried looking away, but the wetness in her eyes was unmistakable. "Hey… promise me, alright? Promise me you'll be okay. And in exchange, I promise I'll look for you when you come to Hoenn. Yeah?"

She raised a firm arm toward them, hand curled into a fist, and the two of them met it instantly, three set of knuckles bumping against each other.

"Y-yeah!"

"Yeah… we promise."

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And you snap out of it. Or are snapped out of it. Never again will you lay a hand against yourself, not so long as there are plums to eat and somebody–anybody–who gives enough of a damn to haul them to you. So long as you bear the least nibblet of love for any other creature in this dark world, though in love portions are never stingy. There are no smidgens or pinches, only rolling abundance. That’s how you acquire the resolution for survival that the coming years are about to demand. You don’t earn it. It’s given.

Cherry - Mary Karr