Linkage

22

When Cynthia landed at Lake Verity she felt everything within her release. She just saw Saturn sacrifice himself for her. And while she wanted to scream, and deny it, say that she wasn't worth it, she felt as if she were dishonoring him. She could respect what he did.

Especially because she felt alone. Cynthia didn't know where a single one of her allies were, and if they were still allies. It was clear that something was blocking her from seeing shadow auras. She wondered if that was the bond. Because the bond was almost gone she couldn't use it.

Yet, she knew the bond wasn't gone. There were flickers of it, like somewhere deep down it was calling to her to restore it. She needed to find Wes. And that was what she was going to do. She just needed heal her team and cross the lake first.

The ride seemed impossible. She was ready, brimming with a desire to get going. She landed at the central island and walked into the cavern. Cynthia went and gathered water in the vial she kept around her neck.

Now was the time to go after Wes.

Cynthia flew high above the ground on her Togekiss to avoid the possibility of being seen. She landed by Lake Valor and stuck to the trees on her way to Turnback Spring.

Team Galactic was everywhere. She knew that was what would happen, but some pet of her was unable to rationalize it. It hurt her to see that by the hour her region was becoming a dark wasteland. And it hurt. It hurt because she knew it would hurt Wes if he was there with her.

And she knew that this was what she was facing up against.

When she got to Turnback Spring she knew she only had one shot to get to the Distortion World and save Wes. Even though the spring seemed empty to an almost suspicious degree, she pressed on. She was sure her enemy was waiting for her, somewhere, but she couldn't rest.

She took a deep breath as she entered the room of looping caves and channeled Wes's faint presence. Even though it was faint, she was close enough that she could track the right path to take.

It was no long before she was upon the portal to the Distortion World. Intimidated by what faced her, she stepped inside. From her brief view she could see platforms of people doing work, as if the world was just one giant hive mind.

Cynthia tried to ignore the fear, the bile, and the disgust welling within, and pursued Wes. She could feel his presence getting stronger in that sliver of bond they still held. Up until she could see him.

He stood there, blank expression on his face in front of a massive metal contraption. Cynthia was filled with relief to see that he was unharmed. She began to run for him, thankful he was alive, that she could rescue him. She was just so happy that they were finally together at last.

It was when she went for his arms that he twirled out a knife and stabbed her in the side.

And then she saw the dark aura surrounding him.

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He looked at the pathetic blonde laying on the ground. All he had to was take his knife back and stab her again. Then those two people, the ones who told him what to do, would be happy. He walked over prepare to take the knife and do the deed, when she rolled over, surrounded in rainbow aura.

"What did they do to you?" she screamed, in confusion.

He tilted his head as she said this. And then like a wave, feelings of hurt and confusion hit him for a moment. Who was this Cynthia? Why was this small part of him telling him to stop? He tried to hold on to the feeling, but it was fading from his grasp, like water cupped in palms. The rainbow vanished with it.

Instead he watched as she stood up. The knife stuck out of her side. And it appeared to hold in blood. That was fine. If she wanted to keep it, he would just use it against her. And so he kicked, trying to wedge it deeper into her side.

She jump back and kneeled with a hiss at the pain. Something in him screamed, but the overwhelming urge to fight, to kill, became even stronger. He was told to kill her, so he would. He marched over and tried to kick her once again. She caught him though, barely maintaining her balance as she did.

She took a deep breath and cried out to him, "Why are you doing this! Come back to me. This isn't you. I know who you are."

Something surged within him and he felt the orders take over as some small part of him fought back with some unknown, deep, and powerful feeling. Did this woman love him? No, that was impossible. Love was only for weaklings who deserved to die. And that was why he was ordered to take her on. He was going to kill her with that same love. Wes rushed for her as she stood up and got into a fighting stance.

"Why do you think you are?" He asked. "Nobody knows who I am. What makes you think you would?"

She cried as he whirled a punch at her face. "I know you. You're my partner. I came here to rescue you because I love you and you love me!"

This almost elicited a reaction from him. The part that recognized this woman surged with truth, and even almost over overtook the part which followed order, but somehow he managed to suppress that. Everything about him wanted that vulnerable, weaker state to go away. And he prepared for the kill.

Him and Cynthia exchanged blows. He powered himself up with his inner darkness, and went to strike her, but she countered with blue aura. The entirety of the Distortion World seemed to rumble with the battle going on. Ground was spit up and with each block that she made he felt her tire. Now was the time, the time to exploit her weakness.

Mid blow to her temple he shouted. "Oh Cynthia you're such a fool. I never loved you and I never will. To think I'd stoop down to the level of loving someone who isn't even competent enough to save her own partner."

He saw her buckle and give up after that. His blow had her on the ground. She was twitching, helpless, and so he grabbed the knife and Cynthia's wound began to bleed. She rolled around and as he went to stab her heart he heard the shattering of glass.

Liquid flowed across Cynthia's chest, water. She dipped her right hand and with that liquid and said while trying to bite back tears, "Wes! Please don't do this! You're my partner! I love you and you love me."

Upon the mention of his name, Wes froze, leaning above her with the knife in his hand. That small part of that was fighting the orders took over and began to cry at him. He almost killed Cynthia. Guilt began to blossom in his chest and he could see a mixture of shadow and rainbow auras encompass his body as his bond with her began to fight the shadow that ordered him. Cynthia dipped her finger into the liquid of the broken vial and brushed his chin.

"Oh Palkia," she cried, "grant these warriors of Sinnoh linkage from thy holy power of space. It is the land which binds man to a lesser, non-moving existence. Unbind these restrictions for the vassals of Sinnoh to become whole and free."