Chapter Text
CHAPTER 1: A 'normal' morning.
Cyrus woke up startled startling Dawn who had been trying to wake him up carefully; the blue haired man really didn’t notice he only noticed that he was drenched: did he have another nightmare? He didn’t think so it hadn’t felt like one… He looked up when he felt a very female hand on his shoulder, his soaked in-gross-sweat shoulder to see Dawn looking at him worried.
“Cy?” Asked Dawn concerned.
“Yeah Dawn?” Was all he asked back once he found his voice again.
“Did you have a bad dream?” Cyrus hated the fact that Dawn would assume that, but it was a logical question because since he had been realized from the psychiatric ward into her care he had a lot of those.
“No.” Was the bluenettes firm answer while he closed his eyes taking deep breaths while he saw flashes of his dream/memory: this was worse that a nightmare, those he could escape…
“You sure because you’re: sweating, trembling and even crying.” Stated Dawn and Cyrus barked a humorless laugh.
“Crying, huh? Pretty sure that that’s a new one.” Was all the ex villain said before reaching with his right hand to touch his face to confirm what he was being told while his left hand traveled up his torso towards his collar to find his ring missing….At this Cyrus started to panic he couldn’t lose that too. “Where is my ring?” He asked panicking.
“Your wha?” Asked Dawn while she looked how her BF started to take his shirt off before looking for something inside it.
“My ring! My we- My ring it’s a solid band of white gold 18k with a blue line in the center!” Explained the man and after throwing the pillows around the room before looking under his duvet: it was then that Dawn heard the sound of something metallic hitting the wooden floor.
“Gotcha!” Exclaimed Dawn once she held the ring on her palm: it metallic white-ish color to it and by Arceus was it heavy…. This ring must have cost a small fortune!
“Thank Arceus!” Said Cyrus coming out from under the duvet, still shirt less, taking the ring and held it close to his heart.
“So you are feeling better now? No more destroying your bed?” Asked Dawn as she sat down on the bed next to her friend and looked at the mess he made. Oh well it would have been worse if they had lost that ring: small mercies and all that.
“Yes thank you and sorry…” Mumbled Cyrus looking at the ring the same way one might look at a beloved person: yep this was definitively the strangest thing Dawn had lived with Cyrus and she had known him when he was a crazy maniac out to destroy the universe!
“So how come I never saw that ring before?” Asked Dawn feeling curios, she would ask about the dream latter.
“I usually have it around my neck like a necklace with a leather cord: It’s mine, it keeps me sane: it’s my anchor. If I can feel it there I know I’m in the present neither in the past nor in the void.” Explained Cyrus slowly rocking back and forth.
“Why don’t you wear it on your ring finger then? That way you can always see it.” Thought Dawn aloud, but Cyrus started to shake his head violently.
“No! I won’t.” Hissed the man between his teeth.
“Okay…” Said Dawn deciding to leave the ring alone for now. “So what where you dreaming about?” She asked in a conversational tone.
“The past.” Stated the man cryptically and if it wasn’t because they were friends and Dawn knew what he was talking about she would have hit him then and there. When Cyrus said the past it was something Dawn knew not to ask questions about: it was a time between Cyrus late teens and Mid twenties where he had been away from Sinnoh and happy? before he stopped taking his meds which led to his last big crisis and a trip to the mental hospital. Cyrus hadn’t been willing to share more about that moment of his life. “So what were you doing in my room?”
“We have lunch with your gramps and when I woke you were asleep so I came to wake you…” Explained Dawn. “So why don’t you go and enjoy a nice warm shower while I look for something better than a leather cord for that ring.” Suggested the young woman and Cyrus just nodded before thanking her.
After entering the bathroom Cyrus held the ring in one of his clenched fist while he used the door too slowly slide to the floor once he was sitting he could feel the tears fall down his face he looked up, but he didn’t see the ceiling… He saw a pair of stormy grey eyes so dark that they were often mistaken for black looking at him with adoration and love, he saw the big warm hands of the owner of those eyes holding his own and warming them on cold evenings, crazy morning hair that made it look as if the person had just been electrocuted, breath taking smiles that once had been only his: he saw all that and many more memories in mere seconds. After passing a hand over his much shorter hair Cyrus decided it was time to shower.
He left the ring somewhere he knew he wouldn’t lose it before entering the shower he closed his eyes and allowed the memories to come back once again and make him feel worse than a monster… It is your own fault after all that those smiles aren’t yours any longer and that those eyes would be filled with hate if they ever saw you again. Whispered a voice that did sound a lot like his fathers in the back of his mind, not even death would the man leave him. After the shower Cyrus took his meds and after dressing himself for the day he went and cleaned the mess he made from his room.
After a while Dawn stuck her head in and showed him an silver chain for his ring he accepted the chain feeling gratefully after he slipped the ring back in place Dawn dragged him to the living room to have breakfast on the couch and they talked about how shitty day time TV was while they shared jokes only they could get: killing time that way.
Before Cyrus knew what had exactly happened and where the time had gone he found himself thanking his Crobat for the fly and returning it to its pokeball while he stood in his grandfathers back garden, he looked around the place. “Nothing has changed…”
“What did you say there Cyrus?” Asked Dawn from her place a few feet away from him.
“Nothing, just that this place hasn’t changed at all.” Said Cyrus.
“So are you ready to face the music?” Asked his BFF to him (Dawn herself had given her that status) at his blank look Dawn decided to word her question differently. “Ready to see your gramps?”
“Would it change something if I said no?”
“Nope we already are here buddy: so sorry, but not sorry… Mr. Akagi we are here! And I’ve got him with me this time!” Screamed Dawn at the top of her lungs while Cyrus winced at her volume and allowed himself to be dragged to the backdoor.
The backdoor opened while they walked towards it to reveal the smiling face of Mr. Akagi who was happy to see the young people, but most of all to see his grandson something akin to happy. Before Cyrus could say anything he was pulled into a hug by his Grandfather he returned it awkwardly, but he did. What do people have with hugging me?
“Cyrus my boy it is so good to finally see you!” Exclaimed the elder gentleman.