Mystery Continent ~ Southern Beach

[IFBench]

<><><>

 

[TheGOAT]

A full day had passed since she was dismissed from the infirmary, and Astrid already felt like the world had passed her by. She didn’t have the willpower to confront Karat or the nerve to hypothesize who their moles might be—if they existed.

A walk. That was what she needed. It wasn’t going to clear her head, but it was a start. Doctor had said she needed the exercise.

I need all the exercise I can get, she lamented, if I’m gonna be fighting differently now. Nnnn…

 

[Adamhuarts]

Walking all around with no aim and direction took a long time on Cynthian's short strides. By the time he'd come upon the beach, his legs were sore and his head throbbed with a dull headache. Yet, he marched on. He did not know when to stop, or if he should.

Cynthian eventually found himself standing on the sandy beach. The dark gloomy sand was almost a reflection of his mood. He'd left the dorms in the morning, and the sun was well over the apex of the sky by the time he got there.

Under the exposure of the sunlight, his roses finally opened fully. However, they didn't look the same. The black rose looked brownish and mottled, and his white one was a sickly translucent shade. Fitting. A Roselia was only worth as much as their roses.

The sound of crunching footsteps behind Cynthian drew his attention. He turned around and spotted an elegant nine tailed creature minding their own business. For a second he thought it was Icetales, but shook his head after thinking about it longer. This one had looked fairer with a bluish tint to their hide. Astrid, most likely. There weren't too many other from the vulpix family that he knew of.

"Astrid," Cynthian called out once she wandered into hearing distance. He wondered if she even noticed he was there.

 

[TheGOAT]

“Astrid,”

“Mm?”

The beach wasn’t at all crowded, thankfully; she could tell right away who that was. Astrid increased her walking speed until she was right in front of him.

“Hey Cynthian!” she chirped with enthusiasm, her troubles temporarily forgotten, “How’ve you been?”

 

[Adamhuarts]

“Hey Cynthian!” she chirped with enthusiasm, her troubles temporarily forgotten, “How’ve you been?”

Cynthian didn't quite know how to respond to that. However, between the dark circles around his eyes, the paleness of his green skin and the lack of health his flowers clearly displayed, he figured his appearance said everything for him.

"Fine, I guess," he answered curtly.

"What about you? You seem to be in high spirits? Something good happen?"

 

[TheGOAT]

“Well, no. I wish,” Astrid said bluntly. “Wouldn’t mind some good fortune right about now. For the whole team, y’know? We could use it.”

By now she’d noticed Cynthian’s appearance—not unlike a plant that hadn’t been watered in a while. Where had his pot gone?

“…Are you sure everything is okay? It’s pretty chilly outside, and,” Astrid looked away, “er, I just didn’t expect to find you out here, is all. I’ve been worried about you.”

As usual, the weather in Destiny Village was not quite as pristine as its living standards. Why this place was apparently so exclusive in spite of the doom and gloom, Astrid wasn’t sure; perhaps she was too used to the common folk from Lively Town, who huddled up during the winters and lived for the summers.

But here, and now, a gentle snowfall had begun. It felt fantastic on her back… almost like nature was massaging her. Surely it couldn’t feel the same for Cynthian?

 

[Adamhuarts]

"I'll be fine, probably. Just woke up a tad early from my hibernation," Cynthian said. He staggered a bit and winced. The soreness of his legs rushed at him all at once now that he'd stopped his mindless marching. Slowly, he settled down on the sand and sighed.

"Thanks by the way, but you shouldn't worry about me. I'm sure there are more important things that need attending to," he said with a half hearted chuckle. The last thing he wanted wanted was more pokemon showing him pity.

"What brings you out to the beach? Out to get some fresh air perhaps? I don't really know what I'm doing doing. Sort of wandered till my legs brought me over." Cynthian's body trembled ever so slightly from the frigid weather, but he tried his best not to show it on his face.

 

[TheGOAT]

Astrid tilted her head, but didn’t press any further. “Yeah, yeah… fresh air. I need to do some deep thinking, and I love the beach, and I love snow, so,” she shrugged, managing a grin, “here I am, heh.”

Her forepaw jingled. “—Oh! And, the bracelet you gave me is in good shape. I thought I’d chipped it up fighting Groudon, but all it needed was a good cleaning.

“…Are you sure you’re okay?” Okay, maybe she was pressing after all. Carefully, she snatched her canteen from her bag and offered it up. “Want some water?”

 

[Adamhuarts]

“…Are you sure you’re okay?”

That question was like a pick axe chipping away at the wall he was trying to form around his mind. He'd told Icetales he was fine, he'd told Starr he was fine and he'd already told Astrid the same thing too. Cynthian drew in a deep breath and said nothing as Astrid offered him the water canteen.

"It's not really..." Another sigh came from him, and he paused. Cynthian glanced at the looplet he'd given her. In truth, he was surprised she still had it. Did Icetales also keep the handkerchief Cynthian had given him before as well? He recalled how much Icetales had appreciated it, and a pinprick of guilt tore at him for refusing his help earlier.

An act of goodwill sparks another.

Those had been Mama Zahra's words before. Even still, was he even deserving of being on the receiving end of it?

Cynthian leaned his head against the still unopened water canteen, pursed his lips and turned to face Astrid. He recalled that Astrid was something of an explorer in her world, the type to bring criminals to justice similar to how Nora had been in his world. Perhaps, she might be able to give him an answer.

"There's a story I once heard back home about someone. Their life hadn't been the most fulfilling or extraordinary, but mildly comfortable in a way. However, they at some point recalled a memory they'd forgotten about, something that happened a long time ago..." Cynthian's petals fluttered in the breeze that blew from the ocean. "The thing is that they'd done something horribly wrong, one some might consider unforgivable. They'd lived their life never taking responsibility for it, in blissful ignorance. When they remembered about what they did... Yknow what? Why don't you guess how the person's story ends? In your opinion, what do you think the person should have done after they remembered everything?"

 

[TheGOAT]

“Wait, so,” Astrid started, “is this memory something that was suppressed entirely? Or are you describing more of a perspective change about something that had previously happened?”

Now that she thought about it, either one probably wouldn’t affect the final outcome all that much. She abruptly shook her head. “Hmm. Were there family or friends close to them that they could’ve consulted? I, um, get the feeling that’s not where the story is headed, but that’s what comes to mind.”

It occurred to her that she wasn’t seeking the council of friends—certainly not family, forget that—right this moment.

“Maybe they took a walk first,” she quickly added. “Sometimes you just… need to go for a freaking walk before you do anything, y’know?”

 

[Adamhuarts]

Spoiler: CW in post

contains a reference to possible suicide

Those weren't the answers Cynthian was looking for. Perhaps what he should have asked was for how the person is supposed to atone, or if they could.

Astrid mention of consulting loved ones made Cynthian's stomach lurch. He recounted the early days when Mama Zahra was so fatigued and depressed as they made their arduous journey to move to the Grass Continent. All the nights that she'd quietly cry, asking why the fire happened. She had missed her wife a great deal, and mourned her loss even to this day. What then would she think if she learned that the very reason any of that incident happened, the main perpetrator was her own child?

And then Cynthian's mind drifted to the scene of the fire, the mad laughter he thought came from Mama Rosa, but was actually from him. The shock and fear on her face when she'd found him after arriving at the scene, and what happened after...

Cynthian's expression grew a shade gloomier. Even if he were to tell his remaining mother, or what few friends he had left about it, even if they were to all forgive him, it mattered little in the end. Mama Rosa was dead, and that's a fact that will never change.
Maybe a walk off a jagged cliff will bring him some much needed peace.

"Yeah, you're right. A good walk can be refreshing," Cynthian said with a voice void of any energy.

 

[TheGOAT]

No breeze swept across the beach today. A soft, crystalline mist had settled like a dense fog, pierced only by snowflakes. With each one that fell among the hundreds, Cynthian’s physical stature continued to deteriorate before her. Clearly there were bigger problems than the weather.

“H-hey.” Astrid held her paw out and sparked a Radiant flame in front of him, putting it out before it could leave a burn. “Do you need to go to the doctor? Because, um, you look really—the, um, infirmary is back there. I just came from that way.”

 

[Adamhuarts]

Cynthian ignored those, or perhaps he was too absorbed in his thoughts to even listen. His body continued to shiver from the cold, though he couldn't really feel the coldness anymore. He gazed up at the grey sky wistfully and sighed.

"Astrid, do you sometimes wonder to yourself whether your life had any meaning? I do, sometimes, a lot of the time actually. Every step has been a bumpy hurdle, and every joy has been as short-lived as a snow flake in the morning sunrise. I accepted the invitation to come here in order to learn to be brave and be with others who are stronger, than I can look to." Cynthian lowered his gaze at the sand and snifled, though he shed no tears.

"I'm not superstitious, but I feel like I've been made a mockery by fate all my life. Right now, I know that the very thing that drove me forward should've been a source of scorn at me, and... Sorry, I shouldn't be dumping this all on you. It doesn't really matter anyway, not anymore." He wrapped his arms around his knees and buried his face in them.

 

[TheGOAT]

For a moment, frustration flared up in Astrid’s chest. “No, Cynthian, you—you aren’t dropping anything on me. Nothing… specific, at least.”

Relaxing again, she sat down in the sand and spoke soberly. “Seriously, what’s wrong? You’ve been distant for—what, months? I-if this is about something you did in your homeworld that you’ve been scorned for in the past, it’s a realm away now.” She sighed. “…I’m worried, okay?”

 

[Adamhuarts]

"I'm sorry, for making you worry." Was Cynthian could muster, and truly he curled up even further physically and mentally from guilt and shame. He couldn't shoulder it all. It was too painful.

He tried to get up, but his legs ached with a piercing pain. Though it made him to wince, he still forced himself to stand up. The pain was nothing compared to what Mama Rose must've felt, and what everyone he'd ever encountered had to bear because of his ineptitude.

"You're a good mon, Astrid. I'll see you around." Cynthian smiled, and then his expression went gloomy again. He tried to walk, but immediately lost balance and fell splat on his face to the sand. It was a pathetic display, and he remained lying there feeling hollow and miserable.

 

[TheGOAT]

“Yeah, okay, no no no.” Astrid was at his side at once, wrapping two tails around his body and lifting him onto her back. All things considered, he weighed less than she expected. “You’re going to the doctor or something.”

They got to walking—not that Astrid intended to do so in silence. Right away, she was peppering him with questions. “Did something happen to you recently? Maybe some kind of spell? Something you ate? Or—or did you have a fallout with one of the others?” That one didn’t seem too far-fetched; if nothing else, it would explain the vague language. But, Astrid supposed plenty of things would.

Destiny Village… we’ve been here for a little while, and the climate is really sucky. Not for me, but for a Grass type like Cynthian…? Absolutely.

She stopped walking. “…Do you think a little sunlight would make you feel better? Maybe a trip to Treasure Town?”

 

[Adamhuarts]

"I killed my mother, Astrid," Cynthian said suddenly. He didn't know why he did, but it was as if his heart was ruptured and spilling all its contents.

"The night of the fire, I'd stabbed her in the chest, right down the middle. I passed out afterwards and woke up the morning in a blanket of dirt, and the fires had been put out. Her body was found not long after, but by then I'd somehow made myself to forget everything that had happened that night. The pokemon in the story I told? That was me."

Cynthian weakly held his flowers against Astrid's mane as tears flowed freely from his eyes. "I was the one who let Dark Matter in, and the result was watching helplessly as it made me do horrible things. I forgot the memory to escape the guilt. I kept trying to become a Roserade like my mother for years even though it was that same desire that destroyed my life. I cannot ask Mama Rosa for forgiveness, nor receive her condemnation, because she's gone, Astrid.

"I'm so useless. I should have been the one to die back then."

 

[TheGOAT]

Astrid soaked in every last bit of the story, at one point moving Cynthian off of her back to face her.

“Cynthian… I’m so sorry. Um, f-for whatever it’s worth, if Dark Matter was making you do those things, that means it wasn’t you doing them. Right? I mean, we don’t really have mind control from my world to compare to, or a Dark Matter for that matter, but—” Astrid shook her head, “the point is that you didn’t want for that to happen.”

 

[Adamhuarts]

"No, I didn't, but I can't help but feel I'm at fault regardless. I just... I don't know what to do anymore," Cynthian said as another cold breeze washed over him and made him shiver.

 

[TheGOAT]

Astrid frowned; in truth, neither did she. This was well beyond her qualifications. Whenever someone at the ES would have some kind of internal issue such as this—not that it was super common—there were special doctors in Lively Town that could handle it best. ‘Therapists,’ they were called.

But… what if there was something she could do?

“Let’s go to Treasure Town,” Astrid declared. “Not now, but sometime soon. Err, no offense, but you look like your body needs more sunlight.

“Th-that won’t fix this, of course,” she quickly added. “In the meantime, you need to get some rest, and…” Okay, so maybe it wasn’t so easy to tell someone they needed help. “Uh, yeah. Rest. There’s a team headed to the Isle of Light to investigate, and if they find something, we have to be ready on a moment’s notice.”

She rested a tail on his shoulder, speaking soberly once more, “We need your power too, Cynthian. I hope you realize that.”