Light Arc : Finale 2! : Un Sueno Peldido

When the final curtain fell and the last circus goer exited the gates, the atmosphere of Circus Darkrai plunged from lively and exuberant, to an almost standstill eeriness which only worsened as the night dragged on. Any breeze that found its way through the circus rustled the tents, adding the background noise of angry fabric to the stone cold silence that tried to pervade. Not a single bird chirped, and not a whisper could be heard. The night chill that blanketed the fairgrounds could only add to the other worldly feel that was Circus Darkrai. Of course, to call Circus Darkrai any better in the morning would be nothing more than a blatant lie. All hours of the day, these fairgrounds were host to nightmares and horrors of all kinds. Guilt and greed and regrets were present in the hearts of every circus employee. Any smiles present could be described as either forced, or temporary. This was not a circus of happiness, but a circus of nightmares.

Or it had started that way; up until a few months back.

Like a rolling fog, the mysterious group who called themselves Cirque de la Luz had infiltrated Circus Darkrais way of life, and flipped it all upside down. No longer did the circus employees of Circus Darkrai live in horror and terror, but instead were gifted with their own, unbiased dream! Pun fully intended, it was a dream come true. And one figure came forth to claim these actions as her own. Mrs. Luna Light, the ringmaster of Cirque de la Luz. A Cresselia with the power to offer your hearts desire, and wanted nothing in return but your smile and happiness. No catch, no bargains, no backstabbing. So when the time came for the circus employees of Circus Darkrai to choose their side, it was a great shock to Mrs. Light that many of them chose to stand by their own ringmaster and his nightmares, rather than her offer of happiness. And thus, the battled raged. Tricks and pranks and destruction were the constant norm throughout the last thirty some days, and neither side seemed ready to give in. Mrs. Light was known to wear a smile at all hours, but hers was becoming more and more forced as the days went on. Did things really have to be this way? Why were both sides fighting so hard? She knew the answer for the employees of Cirque de la Luz, but for Circus Darkrai? Well...she had an idea. And it was an idea she needed an answer to. When the moon was full, she would get an answer.

The night lingered, the area bathed in a sad light under the beforementioned full moon. Even the small flickering flames inside the Circus Darkrai train did nothing to fight back the darkness, and the train too was lost in the night. But with it being the middle of the night, this wasn't really a problem. Going down each train cart and each sleeping quarter, not a soul was awake at this late an hour. Who would be? The moon was high in the sky, and the previous weeks activities were taking its tole on many of the employees. But when you reached the final train cart, the norm changed. Instead of multiple sleeping quarters, this train cart was home to just a single room, built for the grand ringmaster of Circus Darkrai himself. Mr. Valentine Dark. His sleeping quarters dwarfed and shamed the rest with extreme prejudice, and that's just how he liked it. But despite the added luxurious and privileges that came with being the head boss, they could not help Mr. Dark with his current problem. What was he going to do about Cirque de la Luz? The thought of the circus of light and their ringmaster bounced throughout his mind, and because of this, refused to let him sleep. His eyes were closed, and he was in bed, but all he had was the appearance of sleep. Mr. Darks forehead was creased in deep thought, and the charming smile that he used to wear so famously was no where to be found. Instead replaced with a faint scowl. His skull throbbed with a slight headache, which didn't help his current predicament. This had been going on for a good few hours, and his patience had worn thin to the point of nonexistence.



When a few more minutes rolled by, Mr. Dark snorted his agitation, before rising into a sitting position against the pillows. He was done trying to sleep. It would just be another all nighter, he presumed. He rubbed the space between his eyes, trying to drive the want to sleep out of his system. He could think of a thousand things to say to that monstrous Mrs. Light, but they could all be summed with a single frown of disgust. There had to be a way to drive her out. But her perseverance and hope to change his circus kept her riveted to the spot. Mrs. Light was a stain that needed to be removed. How could he do this, though? There had to be a way!

”Valentine?”

Mr. Darks eyes shot open with fire behind them, his heart rate picking up for a brief second at what he was sure had been his name. Glancing around the room, he was not surprised to find it empty. Nobody called him by his first name, so whoever had done so must've been either very gutsy or very stupid. The voice had been airy, and came from all directions. A few more seconds of quiet passed, the only noise that of Mr. Darks light breathing. But no other noise presented itself. Mr. Dark was more than willing to write this off as just his tired mind playing games.

”Valentine!”

Mr. Dark was on his feet in a matter of seconds, making his way to the door and throwing it open. The darkest glare lit up his eyes, but when the door was open, the only recipient of that hateful look was an empty hallway. He looked around for a few more seconds, covering every inch of the surrounding area in front of him before slamming the door shut. He rubbed one of his temples, feeling his previous headache flair up once more. It had been the same voice. As airy and omnipresent as before. Mr. Darks hands balled into fists as his fury grew. Someone was making a fool out of him, and when he found out who-

”Please go to sleep. I need to talk to you.”

It was as if a lever had been flicked. One moment, his mind had been filled with nothing but agitated thoughts and the desire to throttle the closest living thing, and the next, nothing. The change was instantaneous, and unwelcome. Mr. Darks thoughts felt muddled, and his movements heavy. He turned around only to realize his balance was off. He couldn't even conjure up a confused thought before his form collapsed to the ground, completely asleep.

* * * * * * *


The first thing he saw when he regained consciousness was white. White as far as the eye could see. Going from the black abyss to this sudden white onslaught had him shutting his eyes in brief pain. He still swayed on the spot, and focusing for long periods of time made his head throb. But Mr. Dark was awake, at least. He climbed to his feet, now just being able to open his eyes without pain. But the moment he did, Mr. Dark realized that what he had thought before just his mind still waking up, was in fact reality. The white never faded, instead spreading throughout the entire surrounding area like a blank piece of paper. Now awake, he realized that it was not just white, but pink as well. Like a surreal piece of pastel pink art. He blinked once, twice, before rubbing his eyes and blinking again. Mr. Dark had thought himself awake before, but now he wasn't quite sure. Who had had the ability to drag the Nightmare Pokemon into this ethereal plain? He was the Pokemon of sleep and bad dreams. He commanded them! He and...another...

“How did you do it, Light?”

Now having a better sense as to what was going on, Mr. Dark stood tall, his black appearance a stark contrast to the bright pink and white that covered everything else. The entire area was silent, save for what sounded like light static. For a few more moments, there was no response to Mr. Darks question, but as the seconds passed, what started as the low static started to morph into a soft, distorted laugh. But the laugh was not one of mirth, but instead one of almost regret. And soon after, the distortion faded, and the laugh was as clear as if the noise was right behind you.



“Oh, I'm sure you have some guess as to how. We aren't the Lunar Pokemon because it sounds fancy, you know.” Indeed, the source of the laughter was behind Mr. Dark. He turned his head just enough to acknowledge the speaker, but nothing more. Mrs. Light fluttered a few inches off the ground, only a few feet behind Mr. Dark. Planted on the ground was her cane, like her own personal anchor. The expression on her face seemed like it was trying to come off as relaxed and mirthful, but instead revealed the inner plight of Mrs. Light. She wore her emotions on her sleeves, and Mr. Dark knew this. She sighed, letting the silence linger for only a few seconds more. “We need to talk.”

Finally, Mr. Dark turned towards her, and the two Lunar Pokemon locked eyes. Mrs. Lights smile had faded, turning a stone cold serious that reflected Mr. Darks expression. Mrs. Light drifted towards the floor, her movements not making a noise. Mr. Darks smile returned to him. “And...what would you like to discuss?”

Mrs. Lights half attempt at a smile fell at this response. Her eyebrows arched. “You know what we need to talk about.” She waved her cane, as if gesturing to the abyss. “Our circus' being at each others throats. Your own employees backstabbing and cheating each other. The...just the chaos that-...” She realized that Mr. Darks smarmy smile never faded. She huffed, bringing her cane back to the floor. “This must bother you?” Not a comment, but a question.

“Cheating, backstabbing, and chaos, hmm?” His smile grew. Mr. Dark looked down at Mrs. Light from the corner of his eye. “Do you forget who I am?”

Now Mrs. Light scowled. “No, I just...I refuse to believe you're okay with this.” She jabbed her cane in his direction. “When you first met me, you looked horrific. Like...Like if people weren't standing there, you would've gone for my throat on the spot. Like-”

“When we first met.”

Mrs. Light tripped over her own tongue at the sudden response. Her mind had to play catch up, and when it did, she could only blink her response of confusion. Mr. Dark caught this, and only raised a single eyebrow.

“When we first met. You said when I met you.”

Mrs. Light only blinked up at him for a few seconds longer, but when her mind was able to connect the dots, her expression revealed this. She shook her head with soft movements. “No, I've known about you for decades. Mr. Valentine Dark; ringmaster of Circus Darkrai. Lesser known fact of how he brings in his employees.” She spread her arms wide, gesturing to herself. A sour laugh could be heard in her words. “But you don't get to be the Pokemon of dreams without a few repercussions. One of those being that I feel every single nightmare you inflict.” She spoke through grit teeth, her facade of cheeriness now totally banished, replaced with boiled over anger. Once more, she jabbed her cane towards Dark's direction, punctuating her words. “Every single wish you crush and every time you drag another soul into your horrible circus, I feel it. I go to bed with nightmares and wake up to night terrors. I can't grant wishes fast enough to counteract your nightmares! It's out of control!” She massaged her forehead, a few beads of sweat starting to form. Mrs. Lights wrath had cooled a bit, now that her rant was out. “All...All I ever wanted, was to be able to go to sleep without being bombarded with whatever horror-terrors you decide to conjure up on a whim. That's what most of my life has been focused on.”



“So Cirque de la Luz-”

“Nothing more than to get to you.” Not even a flinch in her response. Mrs. Light wasn't going to hide this fact. She would declare to the high heavens that the only reason she created Cirque de la Luz was for the selfish reason of finding Mr. Dark Her expression didn't flinch a bit, nor did Dark's. A faint wind had picked up in the ethereal plain, lifting loose fabric and light particles off the ground and swirling them in the air. “I knew that...that to end the nightmares, I had to find you. But you had your entire circus at your back. So I knew I needed my own little army. So I borrowed your little...recruiting method of granting wishes.” She smirked. “Although I did add a few of my own touches. I perfected your method, actually. I gained followers who were loyal to me not out of fear, but out of love. I-”

Mrs. Light once more stumbled over her words, for she had just been interrupted by the sound of Mr. Dark bursting into laughter. It was malicious and cold, a laugh coming from the gut. The triumphant smirk that had been growing on Mrs. Lights lips was dashed in an instant, replaced by a scowl. But before she could ask just what was so funny, Mr. Dark regained his composure, cleared his throat, and began to speak.



“What your employees feel for you is not love, but mindless infatuation for the dreams you've given them.” He spoke with a matter-of-fact tone, having full faith in the words he was speaking. Mrs. Light deadpanned at this. “Any long term deal they strike with you is for their own gain. Any other reason is nothing short of a lie to gain your trust and clear their conscious.” Now Mr. Dark crossed his arms, ready to end the conversation. The air around him swirled with his powerful superiority. He knew Mrs. Light was outmatched. “Unless...there's something else.” Not a question, but a statement of fact.

Mrs. Light puckered her lips in deep thought, her eyebrows arched to match. She avoided eye contact with Mr. Dark at all cost, trying to conjure up her next response as quick as she could. Mrs. Light started to turn away from Mr. Dark, but before she did, she finally looked him in the eye. Guilt. There was guilt in her eyes. Mrs. Light opened her mouth once to speak, before clamping it shut. A few moments later, she sighed, and began to speak. “Zuen.”

Mr. Dark only raised an eyebrow. “Who?”

“My assistant. The Beheeyem.” She rolled her eyes, but continue the story. “Beheeyems are capable of...altering minds and memories.” Mrs. Light sighed once more, before standing up straight and looking Mr. Dark dead in the eye. “I find someone who has the world against them, and I grant their wish. I do grant their wish.” As if the idea of being told her dreams were lies, Mrs. Light took the defensive about them as soon as she could. “I give them whatever they want. Money, or power, or love. It doesn't matter. I grant their dreams for them. After that...well, it's their choice whether or not they join my circus.” Once more, she turned away from Mr. Dark, losing herself in thought. “If they don't, the dreams will fade. I can't keep the dreams up for long if I'm not close by.”

“You mentioned that, I believe.”

“Yeah....so I give them an ultimatum. Join my circus and keep my dream, or it will slowly fade away.” Another sigh. “If they accept, Zuen comes in and...he...he'll make it so that the new recruit doesn't...remember being outside the circus.” She spat this out, closing her eyes in the process. “The new recruits believe they were born and bred for Cirque de la Luz.” For the last time, she turned to Mr. Dark, holding her arms out. Her eyes were cold, but full of guilt.

“And that's how I do it.”

Another bout of silence followed as Mrs. Lights words sank in. The cold and calculating expression on Mr. Dark never faded, even as he processed what was just spoken. Whether he was surprised at Mrs. Lights dark doings or not, he hid it well. But this expressionless would end soon enough. The smallest of smiles grew onto his lips. It sent a shiver down Mrs. Lights spine, and she was unable to hide this chill.

“So the Circus of Light isn't as brilliant and glorious as the headlines read, hmm?” Mr. Dark mocked. He pressed a hand to his heart. “Honestly, this is a surprise.” His tone of voice was full of enough sarcastic venom to kill someone.

Mrs. Light scowled down at him, crossing her arms. “The sarcasm is a bit much, don't you think?”

In response, Mr. Dark offered a small chuckle, shaking his head. “Not sarcasm, but truth. You paraded your circus and yourself as the harbingers of salvation; offering my employees an escape. But instead, you would use them as toy soldiers. While I use my employees to turn a profit, I do not use them to fight my own battles.”

This time, it was Mrs. Lights turn to bark her laughter, finally catching Mr. Dark off guard. His superior smile faded into a light scowl at this turn of events. Unlike Mr. Dark, her laughter was quick and loud, and very hostile. The smile on her face was nothing short of mocking. “I never said they would fight my battle. It was never my intention to use my employees like that. They were serving their purpose by just being happy in de la Luz.” Mr. Darks response was a quick eye roll, which Mrs. Light caught. She tilted her cane at him. “Cheesy, huh? But it's the truth. As the Pokemon of dreams, I gain my power from happy thoughts and good dreams. Where you gain power from nightmares and despair. I went after your employees, and I offered them dreams, because I could kill two Pidoves with one stone. I would gain more sources of energy, while depleting yours.”



Now neither Mr. Dark nor Mrs. Light looked amused. Both stared each other down with a fire in their eyes and dominance in their stance. Neither side gave an inch. The surrounding area had chilled as the conversation proceeded, and more facts and cold truths were revealed. But neither were finished with the other just yet. Mr. Dark would be the first to break the lingering silence. “So your plan was to steal all of my employees from me. Is that it?”

Another laugh from Mrs. Light, but this one was low, and horrible. “Valentine...you are thinking much too small. While I was happy to try and free your employees, they weren't the ones I was after.-” In a single movement, she brought the crescent of her cane up, and jammed it underneath Mr. Darks throat, nearly slicing it in the process. A quick flash of shock appeared in Mr. Darks eyes, and a slight twitch of surprise, but nothing more. Her eyes were full of the coldest, and most unrelenting hate.

“You were the one I was after.”

“Yes, you mentioned that already.”

Any dramatic tension in the air died a tragic death as Mr. Dark either played dumb, or ignored the implications of her words. Mrs. Light lowered her cane, and sputtered a shocked response. The hatred in her eyes was replaced with a dumbfounded look. “N-no! I mean, yes I did. B-but I mean I wasn't just after you like...like revenge, but-...okay, yes, I was was, but-” She slapped herself in the forehead, and ran the hand down her face. “Sweet Arceus...” She mumbled. Taking a deep breath, Mrs. Light regained her composure. She spoke slow. “What I meant was that I was going to recruit you into my circus. Does that make sense?”

“I am already ringleader at Circus Darkrai. Why would I want to be ringleader for de la Luz?”

“NOT LIKE THAT!” Mrs. Light shouted, throwing her hands up in annoyance. “What I was going to do was steal aaaaaall your employees. And then when you were weakened enough, I was going to go in with Zuen, and do the same thing to you that I do to all my other recruits.” Mrs. Light raised her hands to her eyes, and twiddled her fingers in what could be described as a 'spooky' gesture. “You know, memory and mind stuff! Make you one of my employees! I-I'd probably make you a janitor or something, I don't know! Your circus would be gone and I'd finally be able to live without the nightmares!”



She spun her cane in light circles, trying to keep her annoyed jitters under control, although the tapping of her foot was a clear indicator her annoyance was anything but subdued. Instead of speaking, Mrs. Light decided to wait for Mr. Darks response. The look she gave him could've set someone on fire. But no response came. Instead, Mr. Dark matched Mrs. Lights look with a cool, uninterested one. One that Mrs. Light found hard to look at, for she kept averting her eyes every few seconds. After a full minute of this awkward silence, she snorted, finally meeting his gaze. “What, no response?”

Mr. Dark just shook his head with slow movements. “I have nothing to say. And anything I did say would be too predictable for my tastes.” He put a hand to his chin. “The only thing I can think to say is that this plan was doomed to fail from the start.” Now he smiled, intensifying his gaze. “But, you would not be coming forth with this information if you did not already know that. Is this explanation of yours also a declaration of surrender, perhaps?”

Once more, Mrs. Light averted her eyes, but did not response. But this slight action was all the tell Mr. Dark needed. His signature smile returned. “Why the sudden change of heart? Our employees were doing just fine, ruining the others hard work and killing their spirits.” Mr. Dark tilted his head. “Isn't that what you wanted, Light?”

Now it was Mrs. Light to have a change of emotion. She scowled, clenching her fists and going white-knuckled on her cane. “You know that's not what I wanted.” Mrs. Light hissed, not making eye contact with Mr. Dark. “...But it is why I want to stop this fight.” She rubbed the space between her eyes. “I never guessed that your circus would fight so...passionately for you. Whether it be fear, o-or admiration, it doesn't really matter at this point. What matters is that what you said is true, and because of that, I feel worse than I have felt in decades.” Finally, she looked him in the eyes. “Not just the nightmares. But the...the guilt. This isn't what I wanted, and I don't want it to happen anymore. So I'm giving up.”

“But why should I give up?” Mr. Dark responded, his cool smile turning wicked in an instant. A cold wave of dread flooded Mrs. Lights heart, and her grip on her cane loosened enough that she had to make an awkward grab for it. Before she could ask any questions, Mr. Dark continued to speak. “The amount of hostility and dread in the air is more than I could ever hope to produce on my own. I could almost thank you for it, in fact. Why would I ever think of quitting when there's still so much more fun to be had? We are ringmasters, after all. Our job is to make sure the fun never ends-”

“I'll go!”

Mr. Dark stopped speaking, but his terrible smile never faltered. “You'll go?”

“I'll pack up, and I'll go away. We'll never have to cross paths again. This fight will end, my plan will die, I'll go away, and I'll go back to just the nightmares and night terrors. Just-...J-just-” She clasped her hands together. Any and all determination and valor Mrs. Light had had before was gone. She was on her last leg. “Please, I just want to guilt to stop! The nightmares from you were tolerable, but the nightmares from all of this guilt...I never intended for this...I never thought this could happen. And I...I just want it to end.” The strength in her legs gave way, and she sunk to the floor, her cane making a booming clang besides her. The entire time, muttered please's could be heard as she continued to beg for mercy, her nose pressed to the floor.

And just like that, Mr. Darks wicked grin was gone. His familiar, superior smile back where it belonged. “This appearance is much more fitting for you, Light. Bravado and passion are wasted on me.” He mocked, looming over the groveling Mrs. Light. He approached Mrs. Light. She only raised her eyes towards him when she realized he was moving. “If you wanted this fight to end, all you have to do is wish it so, and I will make it happen.” Mr. Dark knelt down to her level, never once breaking eye contact. When he ceased moving, and was now down to her level, he said one last thing. “Go ahead, Light, wish for it.”

Mrs. Light rubbed her eyes, trying to hide the tears that were trying to spill. “What's the...what's the catch?” She sniffled.

“Leave some of your power here, in my circus.” Luna could only blink her confused response. Mr. Dark noticed this, and continued to speak. “If they see that some of the dreams are still present, that will fill them with hope. And hope is something that my circus has been lacking as of late. Hope drives people to do well. To perform to the best of their ability. To keep on living. Without a little bit of hope, even my circus of nightmares will suffer. That is the catch. I will end the fight and let you leave, if you leave me some of your power in return. Don't worry about it fading when you are gone, I will deal with that. Do we have a deal, Light?”

The response was instantaneous. Mrs. Light nodded her head with vigor, muttering small yeses and thank you's. Not a moments thought on what she was giving away. The only thought in her mind was that the guilt would be gone. She could have her normal, regular life back. A life of being the ringmaster of the happiest circus on earth. She'd do anything at this point to have that life back.

“Excellent. The deal is done.” Mr. Dark rose to his feet, and turned from her. “Now, on your feet. The deals have been made and there is no more need for this sad display.”

It took a few moments for Mrs. Light to regain her composure. She was still a bit shaky from the recent happenings, so gaining her balance took a few tries. With her cane in hand, Mrs. Light was able to stand up, albeit a bit awkward. She took a deep breath, and began to speak. “I will end this dream, and when you awaken, Cirque de la Luz will be gone. I will hold up my end of the deal, as well. And this fight will be over.” She offered a deep, grandiose bow. Not a subservient bow, but one she would offer to an audience in the big top tent. ”Sadly, our time is done. We've played some games and had our fun. Please come back really soon. This has been Cirque de la Luz~” She sang her exit, holding up her hand to snap her finger.



Mr. Dark raised an eyebrow. “Your songs are terrible.”

Mrs. Light could only chuckle. “I know.”