Warming Hearts

A/N: Part Two, here we go!

Chapter 24

Enchantment Lifted

Part Two

In a couple of hours, in the newly restored west wing, Dawn was dressed in a long light green dress with long sleeves, trying to appear as modest as she could. Her hair was pinned up by three yellow hair clips; two in the front and one in the back. On her feet were simple mint green flats with straps around the ankles.

Ash came up beside her, dressed in his normal clothes that he wore during his Sinnoh journey. "You okay?" He asked her.

"I'm terrified, Ash." Dawn admitted. "What if she doesn't forgive me? I wouldn't blame her for it, though."

Ash gently wrapped an arm over her shoulders. "Hey, remember what I told you earlier? If the others and even my mother forgave you, then I think your sister will, too. Actually, I don't think so. I know that she will!"

Dawn smiled at him. "Where does that kind of faith come from?" She asked.

Ash just smirked. "Comes with the description of being an exceptionally hopeful person."

"And optimistic?" Dawn asked, a little glint in her eyes.

"I was actually kind of hoping that you would say something else." He answered.

Dawn's cheeks slightly turned pink. "I think I know the word that you wanted to hear." She said, a teasing grin on her face. "But I'll save it for later."

Ash fondly rolled his eyes. "Fair enough." He said, placing a hand on the side of her face. "I'll just settle with this for now."

He leaned in and placed a gentle kiss on her lips. Dawn returned it happily. She could definitely get used to this. His kisses were addictive and made her heart skip, and his lips were incredibly soft. She was also seeing that his kisses helped to calm her down. But soon, she had to break away for air. Her cheeks were now a brighter pink as she leaned into his chest and he wrapped his arms around her waist.

But their little moment had to come to an end when there was a knock on the door. Leona came in and Pikachu bounded inside and took his spot on Ash's shoulder.

"Miss, your sister has arrived." She said.

Dawn gently removed herself from Ash's hold. "Leona, please just call me Dawn now. We are old friends, after all. And thank you. Please escort me."

"Of course, Dawn." Leona held the door open as Dawn took a deep breath and walked out. Before she was out of sight, she glanced back at Ash, who gave her a reassuring grin and a thumbs-up.

"I'll be down later." He said.

She smiled at him and left the room, Leona following her. Once they were gone, Ash turned to Pikachu. "Did you manage to find something?" He asked his number one partner. Pikachu nodded and then they also left the wing.

***************************

Kenny arrived at his post right by the stairs. Salvia's butler then came beside the open doors. "Presenting Her Royal Highness, Princess Salvia!" He announced.

The main doors then opened to reveal Salvia, followed by Freesia. Ash had quietly snuck into the main hallway, but didn't make himself known yet. Right now, Dawn needed to clear things up with her sister.

She looked just like Dawn, but she still wore that same light blue dress, her cobalt blue hair up in a bun with a soft blue headband, and wore white gloves, matching shoes, and the large ribbon choker on her neck.

Kenny then turned up towards the stairs. "Presenting Her Royal Highness, Princess Dawn!"

Dawn then slowly came down the stairs, shaking a little, but still gracefully. Salvia raised a curious brow to her sister's simple attire. Ash watched her intently.

Come on, Dawn. You've got this. He thought to himself.

Eventually, Dawn arrived at the bottom of the stairs. She briefly looked down at the floor before meeting her sister's eyes. Then she curtsied to her.

"Salvia." She said.

"Dawn." Salvia returned the greeting cordially, curtseying to her as well.

There was an awkward silence between them before Salvia spoke up. "I must confess, for some strange reason, all memory of you and this place had been forgotten for six long years until only a few hours before. Did something happen here?"

Dawn slightly gulped and looked down at the floor, not meeting her sister's eyes. "Yes." She admitted. Then she began to tell the whole story.

"Six years ago, I was actually visited by the Lake Trio." Everyone's eyes widened in shock, Ash included. "They came and rebuked me for my cruel behavior towards everyone. My old friends, the Pokémon, I never showed them any kindness. They cursed me to become a hideous monster and affected everyone who lived here as well. Another effect of the curse was that all memory of us had been erased from our loved ones as well.

"The Lake Trio told me that the only way that I could become human again, along with everyone else that lived and worked, was if I learned to truly love someone, and that they will love me in return despite my outward appearance. And I only had six years to do so. At first, I thought it was hopeless.

"But then, when there was only six months left, someone did come, though I forced him to stay as a prisoner. At first, he and I couldn't stand each other, but after we saved each other from a pack of Mightyena, we saw that there was more to us than meets the eye. We grew quite close as time went by.

"Then, I realized that I loved him. Truly loved him. But he wasn't happy still being kept here. So I released him. I loved him enough to put his wishes before mine. He promised that he would come back and continue to try and help free me from my curse, but I knew that it was already too late. But he did come back, though the situation was a little...dire. However, what mattered was that he came back anyway. He said that he loved me as well, I was freed, and everything has been put back to normal."

After finishing her story, Dawn looked up at her sister, tears welling up in her eyes. "Salvia, I'm so sorry." She sobbed. "I know that we didn't part on the best terms. I was so angry and upset about Mother's passing, and then you left, leaving me alone with Father. But the truth is that I missed you so much. I want nothing more from you than your forgiveness, and that we can be close again. You're the only family that I have left and I don't want to lose you again. I want us to have the close relationship that we had while we were little girls. If not, then I understand why. But I was forgiven for all of my misdeeds from everyone here, who I treated so coldly. That gives me hope that you will, too. Please, my sister. Forgive me."

She began to cry softly as she looked down on the floor. Salvia blinked slowly at her sister's tearful words, a little taken aback at how different she was acting, compared to their last meeting. She then came up to her, taking one of her hands in hers. Dawn looked up at her and saw tears in her eyes, too.

"I've missed you, Dawn." She said. "And I forgive you."

Dawn breathed out shakily with a grateful smile and the two sisters hugged one another tightly. Freesia and Salvia's butler were trying not to cry as well. Ash smiled with pride at the scene.

As they wept in each other's arms, Salvia whispered, "You and I are the only family that either of us have left. I don't want us to be apart again. I want things between us to be the way that they were before."

Then, the reunited twin sisters broke their hug and each wiped their tears away. "Now, if I may ask, who's the charming young man who saved you and helped you become the sister that I once knew and loved?" Salvia asked, a teasing little grin on her face.

Dawn slightly giggled. "His name's Ash Ketchum." She answered.

Salvia's eyes widened slightly. "Ash?"

"Hello again, Your Highness." Ash suddenly spoke up, getting both of the princesses' attention directed towards him as he walked up to them, taking a place beside Dawn.

Salvia was surprised to see him, but then a smile came on her face. "It has been far too long, Sir Ash."

"You two know each other?" Dawn asked.

"Yes." Salvia answered. "A couple of years ago, he was in Arrowroot Town, where I was visiting for a little while. A Pokémon Contest was being held that day and I desperately wished that I could participate in it. When I found out that Ash was in town, I asked for his help to sneak me away for the day."

"Wow." Dawn said, impressed at her sister's slight act of rebellion. "You must have really wanted to participate in that Contest."

Salvia giggled. "Yes, I suppose so." She said. "Anyway, he did help me get into a disguise and I competed in the Contest. I was eventually crowned the victor."

"Wow!" Dawn exclaimed. "Congratulations."

"I still remember that day." Ash said. "You were awesome out there."

Salvia giggled again. "Thank you, Ash." She said. "So you helped my sister break free of her curse?"

"Well, I didn't know how to help at all in the beginning." Ash said. "I just knew that I had to help. But now I know that if I knew how I was supposed to help, it probably wouldn't have worked."

"Nope." Dawn said, taking Ash's hand. "It wouldn't have been real love."

Ash smiled tenderly at her and she returned it just as lovingly. Salvia could literally feel the love that they shared and it made her smile. "Well, Dawn." She said. "As an acquaintance of Ash, I know that he is a good man for you." She then looked to the young man in question. "Since our parents aren't here, I give both of you my blessing. I know that you will take good care of my sister."

Ash nodded. "With my life, Your Highness." He said.

Dawn smiled at him and lightly gave the hand that she was holding a light, but loving squeeze. Ash turned to her and gave her his trademark, thousand-watt smile. The one that can light up pretty much anyone's world. Dawn returned it, just as brightly.

Ash then turned to Salvia. "May I borrow your sister for a moment?" He asked. "It won't take too long."

"Of course." Salvia said. "But what for?"

Ash smiled at her. "There's something that we need to talk about."

A/N: Yeah, I left it on a cliffhanger. Don't get too mad at me. One more chapter to go, and this story will finally be complete!

Just a heads-up for future updates on my Pokémon stories on fanfiction.net. I'll be finishing this one up soon, then it's "Switching Lives", and then "How to Train Your Pokémon." Then, I'll have some new ones coming up, along with the updates on "Light's Love and Night's Passion." Maybe one day, I'll bring those here on Wattpad, depending on how you guys here like my stories.

Until the final chapter, I'll see y'all! Please leave a comment about what you think. They are highly appreciated.

Got to fly! ;)