Crystal stared up at the Legendary Pokémon of Kannena staring down at her from the mural in front of the chapel. Gripping on her dress she had on, hoping a simple grip will keep her from falling in place, she spoke the words she was careful to say "Thank you for listening to me. I wish..."

-

West ordered Cresselia to continue forward towards the Harmony Temple, where the sacrifice and summoning will take place for a second time in the same generation.

West had no control over what he was doing. He was doing strictly what Aegislash was making him do as he carried Crystal's lifeless body in his arms.

"I shall make the sacrifice..." West muttered to himself the same thing as before. Tears kept falling from his eyes, though couldn't move anything nor knew what was happening.

All he knew was he was holding a deceased body that laid on his shoulders, crushing his heart and thought back at how happy he felt when spending his time with her.

Crystal was stubborn and cold from the start. No matter how long they knew each other, the both of them knew there was something in them that couldn't drive them apart.

Even if she wanted to disappoint him and see his reaction after learning of her family name, it was his eyes that caught her attention, and it was her attitude that made him interested and love a challenge.

He wanted to not only take care of her, but to see her true nature and earn a smile, even if it was a small one at the start, it meant a lot to him and made him happy.

"Why are you looking at me like that?" He blinked his eyes a couple of times before seeing Crystal standing in front of him in front of the cliff that Damien and Diane met on.

It felt more like a dream than real life... He must be dreaming through the possession. Crystal's hair grew very long, similar to the princess's hair.

Her smile was pure and her eyes softened as he looked at her standing before him, as if he was visiting her in heaven.

"Crystal..." he frowned, admiring that smile of hers that was too unreal to be true "Why did you do this..?" She giggled, something she didn't let anyone hear out loud.

"You know what Wyatt said?" She winked "I like disappointing others" she waved her hand "Don't worry, I usually don't let it go too far if I like the person. You might think you know what I wished for, but not even the princess knows what I'm up to" he blinked confused.

"So... You're not dead..?"

"Oh, I'm dead" he frowned "to be all honest with you, I thought you'd be more upset that I lied to you about who my family was"

"To hell with that. I was shocked at first, but that doesn't matter to me! You could had told me before. You know I'm different compared to my family!" she snorted "I know I said how much I hate the Otashis, but if I knew-" She slowly nodded, relieved

"I wonder if you'd have that same energy if I told you in the beginning" She looked out the view of the cliff "You know, those two met on this very spot. I'm sure you already know that" he looked at the view with her "Diane was outcasted... even for a princess, she didn't like leaving her castle. She dreamed for a big family and for a big brother who could understand that power means nothing when you're alone..." she sighed "In later generations, her dream of a big family came true. I love my family dearly"

"Then why did you do this to yourself? Why didn't you just stay put?!" She took his hand, feeling the warmth of her skin touching his.

"My wish was difficult to achieve and it's not what you think it is. Aside from asking for my curse back, there's more to it than that" she smiled "I can't tell you right now, and it's going to be scary when you wake up, but it's all according to plan"

"Plan? What plan? You died!" She nodded "It was my job to protect you! That was supposed to be me!"

"You did protect me. It was my turn to protect you" she chuckled "I couldn't trust you to make this wish without screwing up"

"What do you mean? Come on, I may not have realized you were an Otashi for the past few months, but-" she shook her head and took a deep breath

"West?" He listened "Don't you find it strange how I'm able to talk to you right now? Even if I'm dead?"

"Yes... actually, I do"

"The princess and warrior were both given those orbs thanks to the King's sacrifice, and once they were at their edge of their lifespans, they use those orbs to make a wish, causing their souls to stay within our world. I destroyed the fiery orb to make one wish. You would think it caused Damian's soul to be set free, but he is still with us... I asked him to stay" he was taken back

"W-What..?" He looked at his hand where he knew Stonedge was still gripping on him "What's going on with Stonedge then..?"

"That's where my second wish comes to place" he flinched "did I not mention? I made two wishes" she took both his hands and pulled him to lean his forehead on hers "Don't worry... I thought carefully on what I wanted my wish to be" she closed her eyes "It came to me in a dream. The missing pages..." before asking any more questions, West snapped his eyes open to see himself in the middle of the sacred chapel in the Harmony Temple.

He slowly looked down to see Crystal in his arms. "What's happening...?" He gently placed her down and looked around at the magnificent room that looked untouched after thousands of years "How did I get here?"

"Every return is fraught with its own share of anguish..." the king appeared in front of them, facing the mural "This place is where I offered my life, ensuring their survival long enough to reclaim the kingdom. My deeds were abhorrent, and thus, I did not hesitate to..." he turned grim and slowly turned to him and Crystal "We all make sacrifices at some point in our lives, be they grand or modest. The desires of the young princess may have been impulsive, but she possessed the privilege of making two wishes"

"Two..? I don't understand. If she made two wishes, why did she lift the burden from my body and not just destroy them both at once?" He remembered what Crystal said earlier "She's planning something more complicated than that..."

"Indeed, every wish entails a sacrifice. The young princess deliberated thoughtfully on this matter. I am here to ensure that her wish is fulfilled precisely as she envisioned it" The king floated over to them "Set the scepter in its rightful place alongside the Ice Orb. The initial wish has already been granted, explaining the lifting of your curse and the shattering of the Fiery Orb"

West quickly did as he was told and stared at the scepter facing the gigantic wall, opposite of the scepter without the Fiery Orb.

"The feathers that envelop us" West looked at the king confused and looked around, seeing tons of red and blue feathers scattered everywhere he didn't notice before "Select a pair that you believe is most suitable for this ceremony"

"Ceremony..?" He looked at all the feathers until he came across two in particular attached together with a note attached

He went to pick them up, disregarding if they may hurt him or not, and looked through the note

"Are these the feathers the ones she always had on her?" Taking his time to read through it, he could tell it was Crystal's beautiful handwriting

"Face the mural and hold the feathers close. My first wish had been set, the sacrifice for my life that was already ending" he gulped "my wish was to save you. My second wish is a bit more difficult, and I need you to activate it" he almost accidentally ripped the paper

"How difficult are you making this then..?"

"I dreamt of the missing pages, something magical that had been lost since before the princess and king arrived to Kannena from the Kalos region. This is where my second wish comes to place, and because I'm already dead, there is no need for a sacrifice for it. It seems that the legendary Pokémon has taken a liking to me :) how lucky"

"She really has some nerve to joke like this" he couldn't help but smile

"You might had wondered why I couldn't just destroy both the illness and curse" he sweatdropped "but there was more that I wanted, and at the same time, fixes more than imagined. Glegotan heard my second wish and offered to grant it without much effort. The answer is within those feathers you are holding" West looked at the feathers in his hands

"My request for you, West... is to melt the feathers within the fountain in front of the mural. When you do, place my body in it. If in any way this won't work... Just know that I---" there was nothing written after that. West dropped the note and hurried to place the feathers in the water individually, but nothing work

"Please... Please let something happen!" He sobbed "I never wanted anything more! If she really took the time to figure this out, please let it be true!" He shut his eyes, shedding his tears in the water "Come on!"

"Westly" The king pointed at the fountain "Allow me to emphasize the significance of this fountain. It contains a unique water source crafted from the ice of a Regice, hailing from my homeland in the Kalos region. This water holds immense importance to my family, and unlocking its properties requires a distinct touch. Please, observe it closely"

West opened his eyes to see that the red and blue feathers were separating to the opposite sides of the fountain, almost touching the other feathers within it.

"She said melt... How do I melt these feathers?" He brought them together and squeezed them tightly in his hands, wincing at something hard pressing against his hands.

He opened them to reveal a piece of dark blue ice that pierced his skin "is this ice?" The piece of ice melted and dripped into the fountain, causing it to glow white.

Soon after, ice crystals stabbed through the floor around the fountain and begin covering the entire chapel. He jumped back in shock and fell down the steps.

The floor started melting around him. His body was sitting on wet, then dry flooring while everywhere else became a skating ring. The entire chapel was covered in ice.

"What the..?" He blinked a few times, seeing a vision of the body of the warrior staring at Diane's bare back bathing herself in the fountain

"This is the Fountain of Healing" She told him "Even though it only contains water we brought from our homeland, we've never been able to activate its true potential. To an outsider, it may seem like ordinary water" She sighed "Throughout generations, my family has bathed in the waters infused with the ice of Regice, using it to rejuvenate their bodies and stabilize their powers. The process involves intricate rituals, and no one but my family can safely enter these waters, as others would freeze to death. Unfortunately, because this fountain possesses limited magical properties, I have never had the opportunity to experience the gift this water bestows. I wonder if the day will ever come when I will require such a gift"

he came back to reality and looked down at Crystal laying behind him, remembering what he read from the note she left him.

Doing as she asked, he lifted her lifeless body and carried her over to lay in the fountain water still in its original form, not frozen like everything else.

"You want me to put your body in here?" He let go, letting the ice cold water sink her a few inches under

"Westly!" Wyatt shouted from the entrance. West jumped and stood up to see Wyatt releasing misty exhalation, huffing tiredly with an angry face. Froslass floated beside him, shocked at the ice around them

West kneeled down to him, knowing there was no way he can explain himself for stealing Crystal away from him "Whats the big idea?! Huh?" Wyatt shouted, shaking and now noticing the ice around them "What... is this? What have you done?"

Emilia and Mia chased after Wyatt after seeing him arrive on his Latios and stormed to the temple.

They stumbled upon the sacred door being open and found themselves in a white room covered in glaciers and crystal like pillars

"Why would you steal away Crystal when you know there's no more hope!?" Wyatt shouted "You think you can get away with this!? You're only making things worse!" He took out his Pokéball "don't make me angrier than I already am!" West started shaking

"I-I'm sorry... I had no control" Froslass hurried over to the fountain to look inside, cupping it's mouth.

The two sisters followed behind to figure that Crystal was within the fountain and stared at the thick wall over the ice where Crystal laid underneath

"What is this?" Emilia gasped, softly touching the ice, feeling it squishy somehow "What is the meaning of this? Why would West..?" They turned to Froslass shedding tears, still holding its mouth in shock, confusion, and relief

"What a weakling..." Wyatt spat at West "You allowed yourself to become possessed! That's the reason! You can forget about coming to her funeral!" He sent out his Latios and tossed West's pokeball he left behind "we are not through with our match!" Emilia frowned at how angry Wyatt was. For such a calm person, it's rare for anyone to bring out his bad side...

"Wyatt..." she frowned and looked back at Crystal laying in the water

"Emilia... look at the feathers" Mia frowned, pointing at the feathers of the legendary Pokémon frozen within the ice wall "we can't touch the water" Emilia looked around

"I feel like I've seen this before..."

"You have?"

"In a dream a few times in my life. There was a castle made of ice and a sacred fountain was part of it"

"How does that help us now?" Emilia took a deep breath and dipped her hands through the ice wall to grab Crystal out the cold water that melted the sleeves off her arms "Emilia!" Mia gasped, helping her grab Crystal's sudden naked body and sat her on the side of the fountain "How did you do that?! What happened to your..?" Emilia stared at her missing sleeves

"That ice felt strange... like jelly" Mia touched the ice, but it was solid

West noticed them pulling her out, not knowing what else he can do. He followed the instructions as best as he could, but it seemed like he failed.

He pulled his hair and stared crying "I'm sorry your majesty" He hushed "I'm sorry for abandoning the princess again"

Wyatt groaned at his lack of response and ran pass him to reach the fountain "Wyatt!" Emilia gasped to him. He kneeled to attempt to carry her out the water, but stopped when seeing that her hair grew abnormally long and the black markings on her body were gone "She didn't have them when I got her out..."

The three siblings stared in shock before the Ice Orb exploded out of nowhere. The King's spirit nodded and disappeared after so long of waiting for them to break

"What's... happening...?" Froslass frowned. West looked up, noticing the warrior's spirit creeping up behind her, pulled out Diane's spirit and hugged her from behind, scaring her as he smiled big "Damien..?" she turned to face him. All he did was smile and nodded.

Just by doing that, she teared up, smiled back, and jumped into his arms before fading away into nothing when close to kissing each other.

West watched them leaving happily and felt his body shutter when hearing aggressive coughs coming from the fountain. He slowly looked back to see Crystal gasping in Wyatt's arms

"C-Crystal..." West frowned. She's breathing and alive again. "I didn't fail..." he took a step forward and accidentally fell on the ice, landing on his hands, instantly melting it at first touch "I'm sorry..." he bowed his head to the floor "This is my fault... if I was fast enough, I..." she's alive. Both of them are alive "I abandoned you when you needed me the most. I deserve every punishment doing that. I'm pathetic, I have no right to stand before you"

Crystal caught her breath and looked at him "It should had been me... I couldn't do anything for you. Even if you're alive today, I wish it was me who suffered in your place. I deserve every punishment for abandoning you" Wyatt removed his shirt to help cover up her up and carried her towards him

"I couldn't trust you to make the same wish I made" she smiled "There was a lot to it than what you thought. Glēgotan was willing to listen to my plea, and that was how it was possible for you get involved. You were the reason my wish worked. If it wasn't for you, I would had still been dead. Glēgotan's feather serve as a portal" she showed him the strange dark blue crystal he made "and brought this stone. You were the only one who could've melted this special stone. This plan worked out flawlessly"

"How did you know this plan of yours would work?" Wyatt glared "Why didn't you tell anyone?! That note you left explained nothing! All it said was to not interfere! You're nuts!" She closed her eyes with a smile

"If I told you, you would have false hope if this plan didn't work. I was only dead for a little while. I had to ask the warrior to help me bring you here"

"What made you think of this plan..?" Emilia asked, sobbing "It seemed so well put together"

"Not really... It was the matter of hoping it'll work. I exchanged a conversation with the legendary Pokémon and I think I got it to like me" she giggled "It listened to my reasoning and gave me my first wish through the Fiery orb after my first sacrifice. I had the ice orb to make my second wish, but it didn't ask for a second sacrifice"

"A wish without a sacrifice? How did you do that?" Mia gasped

"My first wish was to save West, my second wish was to revive the Fountain of Healing. I learned through the princess's journal about it. I wanted a cure, so the best thing to do was to put everything in one place and vanish it from my body through these waters" she grabbed West's shirt "The illness came from an ancient flower that no longer exist. The curse was cast by witches whose souls are now released. There's no reason to worry about any of that anymore... we can be together and finally finish the journey I wanted for so long" West flinched and looked to the side, still not looking at her

"You thought this plan through and didn't bother to tell me"

"Some things are better left unsaid. I know what I did was reckless, but..." she gripped on his shirt more, forcing him to look at her "I have revived my family's most precious treasure that can heal anything and awaken our power. It had healed my cold heart, and I finally have the courage to tell you how I feel" she widened her smile he adored so much "I love you more than life itself" he burst into tears, taking her hand on him "West..."

"Forgive me... for everything I've done" he sobbed "I'm sorry!" Crystal reached out to take him. Wyatt let her down so she could hug his shaking body

"I love you, West..." he nodded and hugged her back.

"I love you too... Crystal"

edited on 9/14/23 may edit again. finally attempting to finish this story!