Marowak Dojo ~ Hidden Quarters

[Namohysip]

"It'll be alright," Owen assured, silently downing a Pecha when Cynthian wasn't looking. "That must've been a lot for you to hear... but this is probably why it took so long to get out." He felt it would be wise to not refer to Diyem by name for now.

 

[Adamhuarts]

"It'll be alright," Owen assured, silently downing a Pecha when Cynthian wasn't looking. "That must've been a lot for you to hear... but this is probably why it took so long to get out." He felt it would be wise to not refer to Diyem by name for now.

"You were all so quick to believe him. Either everyone has gone mad, or I'm the one who's mad. It's not fair, Owen. I'm the only one among us who has lived through one of his kind. I'm the only one who knows the kind of horror he's truly capable of." Cynthian said, raising his gaze forward. He paused for a few seconds.

"You also believe him, don't you?" Cynthian asked. Then came another pause. "Why do you believe Di—no, Dark Matter. He said his world accepted him and now he's trying to make amends, but how much of that is true? Why would the very creature that feeds off of suffering and malice be working for the sake of good? It doesn't make sense...

"Maybe he's playing a long con. Maybe he didn't force his control upon us and even gave us this super wonderful revelation to make us buy his whole redemption story easier to get us to let our guard down. Maybe... I've truly gone mad."

 

[Namohysip]

"Cynthian... I think we let our guard down far enough the moment we let him send us to Cibus in the first place," he said. "It just doesn't add up that he'd be trying to deceive us after all this time. It's been almost a whole moon by now, y'know?" He looked ahead, frowning. "I don't really know why he's changed, but he has. I don't think the Dark Matter in those stories, and the Dark Matter we're seeing now can be treated as the same. In fact, they literally aren't... Yours, this world's, and Diyem are all different ones."

Still, he knew that this wouldn't really be speaking to anything that was holding Cynthian back. It wasn't something rational. It was something that Diyem could do nothing about. And, in a roundabout way, Diyem's past was equivalent to what Cynthian had experienced from the Dark Matter of his own.

"Cynthian..." Owen looked down. "I... know, too. I know the sorts of things Diyem did. And... maybe it's just because that's how I am, but... I think he's changed. I don't think we can call him Dark Matter anymore.

"Would Dark Matter have ever, ever said to someone... I forgive you?"

 

[Adamhuarts]

"Cynthian..." Owen looked down. "I... know, too. I know the sorts of things Diyem did. And... maybe it's just because that's how I am, but... I think he's changed. I don't think we can call him Dark Matter anymore.

"Would Dark Matter have ever, ever said to someone... I forgive you?"

"No... but would all the lives he's trampled over ever say that back to him?" Cynthian held his head and exhaled a forced breath.

"I'm sure there were millions of pokemon like me from his world who have had their loved ones stolen, their lives ruined and their souls broken by him. If someone had done that to you or someone else, why would you just forgive them when they say 'I've turned over a new leaf'?" Cynthian looked up at the ceiling with his drenched face and sighed.

"I don't think I can forgive him. I wish I could be just like you and the others. I don't have the heart for it, Owen. I believe in redemption and forgiveness as my remaining mother has taught me, but it's much easier said than done. Diyem hasn't earned his forgiveness, maybe if Cibus does end up getting saved, but if it turns out he's playing us in spite of everything and this world falls to his malice... Don't say I didn't warn you."

 

[Namohysip]

Owen listened, and in some small way he knew Cynthian had a point. Yet, despite that... "There's a difference between being naive and being cautiously optimistic," Owen said. "I get it... Dark Matter tried to destroy the world, and ruined so many lives because of it. He said it himself: Even if he returned everything to how it had been, it doesn't erase what he tried to do. But... If you believe in redemption and forgiveness, yet can't do it here... I don't think there's anything he can do."

"It's not even the same Dark Matter, Cynthian. Who knows what Diyem did compared to yours? We can be careful and still give him a chance. Diyem said himself that he can't stop us, and if he wanted to, why hasn't he already? But if you want to save Cibus... so is Diyem. Have you seen anything that says he isn't?"

 

[Adamhuarts]

"It's not even the same Dark Matter, Cynthian. Who knows what Diyem did compared to yours? We can be careful and still give him a chance. Diyem said himself that he can't stop us, and if he wanted to, why hasn't he already? But if you want to save Cibus... so is Diyem. Have you seen anything that says he isn't?"

"No." Cynthian's resentments and rationality fought for dominance in his mind. He didn't want to believe Diyem was any different than Cibus' and his world's Dark Matter, and yet he also didn't feel the same kind of visceral malice he'd experienced at the hand of Dark Matter. Diyem wasn't even talking in the same warped voice that had plagued Cynthian's mind for a while year before Dark Matter was banished from his world.

"I don't know... I don't know what to believe, Owen. That's why I'm scared," Cynthian finally admitted, though hesitation was still prevalent in his voice. "I know they're not the same Dark Matter, but that doesn't make me any less scared about all of this."

 

[Namohysip]

Owen nodded. "He's our leader here, and he's the one guiding us. Along with Maple and God Squad, right?" He tried to assure him. "If... you really aren't that sure, and you don't want to trust him... how about you trust us instead, then? We're all in this together."

 

[Adamhuarts]

Owen nodded. "He's our leader here, and he's the one guiding us. Along with Maple and God Squad, right?" He tried to assure him. "If... you really aren't that sure, and you don't want to trust him... how about you trust us instead, then? We're all in this together."

"I do trust you guys. I'd never met such such kind and incredible mons like you guys till I got here. You've all been too kind to me, even Curio was there for me when I one of those shades got inside me." Cynthian sniffled while he wiped his face with his flowers. "I never would've gotten the strength to stand up if I hadn't met all of you."

Cynthian leaned his head against Owen and stared vacantly at the wall ahead. His heart was still conflicted about Diyem.

"I think you're a good judge of character, Owen. If you really believe in Diyem, then maybe he's not as bad as I think he is. But... I'm sorry... I still need time to accept all of this."

 

[Namohysip]

Owen gently brought an arm over Cynthian's shoulders. "It's alright," he said. "I think everyone understands that. Just focus on us for now, okay? We can get through this together. Right now we have the same goal, right? Save Cibus and fight those abnormalities that we've been dealing with."

 

[Adamhuarts]

"You're right. Thank you, Owen." Cynthian smiled for the first time since Diyem's revelation. His heart was finally beginning to feel more at ease. "And... I'll give Diyem the benefit of the doubt for now."

 

[Namohysip]

"...If you ever want to talk to him," Owen said gently, "how about you call me to come along or something? Maybe having me around might help. I'll even go Grass if the fire's a little scary."

 

[Adamhuarts]

Cynthian's eyes drifted towards Owen's tail flame, and he turned away as soon as his eyes fell upon it. He had been instinctively avoiding looking at it at all during their conversation, probably because it didn't actually feel hot. Did Owen do that.

"Yes please, I'd appreciate that." Cynthian adjusted his seating and tucked his legs in. "I... never really understood what Dark Matter's true nature. I was so sure it was just a monster that fed off misery, but if Diyem is actually trying to save a world from falling into misery then... I just don't know. Talking to him might help, I guess."

 

[Namohysip]

When Cynthian looked back at Owen, it was a completely different look. Green feathers like leaves; an olive-colored front; even his claws seemed to be a deep, moss-like color rather than their sharper orange tips. His flame had gone away in favor of a white daffodil.

"I guess in some ways, everything can change." Owen grinned.

 

[Adamhuarts]

Cynthian stared at Owen for what felt like an hour. He didn't really think much of it when Owen said he was 'going grass', and he never would've guessed he meant that literally.

"You look... beautiful," Cynthian said with a chuckle. "I guess I can commend you for that clever metaphor. How long have you been able to do this?"

 

[Namohysip]

"Ever since I got Radiance," Owen replied with a little laugh. "Not much of a big deal for me anymore. Was a little bit of a scare back then, since it also triggered... a big chunk of my memories coming back. But I'm better now."

 

[Adamhuarts]

"Oh that's right! You'd lost your memories when we first found you here. You must be glad to have them back and remember who you were now, right?" Cynthian asked, leaning closer again.

"Though I'm surprised you haven't really change much even after the fact. I never would've guessed your memories came back if you hadn't told me just now. The fact that you didn't become a different person is a good thing, because that means you've always been a kind hearted mon through and through," Cynthian said with a cheerful smile.

 

[Namohysip]

Owen was glad he didn't have a flame anymore, because he suspected it would have dimmed noticeably there. "Yeah," he said with a less enthusiastic nod than usual. He hadn't changed much to others, which was a good thing in some ways. It was ironic, in a way. He had spent a lot of his time without his full memories back home, and he had behaved the same. Then when he got them back, he had to try to keep things the same somehow, even if, inside, everything felt different.

Was that good? Was that bad?

Bahamut's words echoed in his mind. I cannot help but wonder when that pressure to help others and stuff your own problems will get to such a point that it breaks you.

"...To be honest," Owen said, "I've actually felt very different ever since I got my memories back. There are a lot of things I simply didn't know about, and it's..." Sobering? Humbling? Frightening? Overwhelming? He didn't know the word to use. "Imagine if everything you ever knew about yourself kept getting flipped up and around. That's what I had gone through for a while. But through it all, there's always... me, right? I guess that's why I don't seem that different, most of the time." A smile, this time more genuine, tugged at his mouth. "No matter where I was in my life, I always wanted to help. So... maybe you're right." He laughed a little. "I guess some things don't have to change."

 

[Adamhuarts]

"Oh, I'm sorry to hear..." Cynthian said while scratching his cheek awkwardly.

"I can't say I truly relate, but I also only have fragmentary memories of my childhood. I don't remember most of what I did while under Dark Matter's influence, and maybe it's best if I don't remember the rest of it." Cynthian sighed and then returned Owen's smile.

"You're right though. You sound like you've struggled in your past, but always stay true to yourself. I'm sure things will work out in the end, and if you need help going through it all, then I'll also be there for you like you've been for me," Cynthian said, holding his flower to his chest.

 

[Namohysip]

Owen gave a small, but genuine smile. "Yeah," he said. "Anyway, take it easy, alright? I think I heard some talk over in the main quarters, so I'm gonna check that out. Rest up, alright? Just contact me on your badge if you need to talk to Diyem. I don't think he'll bother you unless it's something urgent."

He stood up and bid a kind farewell, and then headed too the main room.

<><><>​

 

[Flyg0n]

After he'd been filled in on what happened at the Worldcore, his mind couldn't help but keep going back to that one part. An offer, to split away from everyone and join the so-called 'spy'. For days he hadn't been able to shake the thought, so finally he got up the guts to go for himself. It had taken a bit of asking around and prying, but he'd finally gotten here and found the room. Maybe he could help or learn more or...

He had no idea why he was here. He didn't want to desert Team Spectrum.... He was only here to learn about the Spy, that was all

Perhaps just understand Blacklight more. Do something for the team.

Koa cautiously entered the hidden quarters of the dojo. No one on Team Spectrum knew he intended to come here, he'd done his best to make sure of that. Only Echo had been informed, but for all his talkativeness, the Crobat was incredibly discerning, and would never reveal his secrets. He was alone.

As you should be.

He scanned the area once again, wondering what to expect, and trying his best to keep his eyes peeled for anything unusual.