Switching Lives

MDM: Sorry for taking so long on this. The holidays kept me busy, and I guess my family missed me too much. But I still love them. This is the final chapter of "Switching Lives," and I couldn't be more excited!

PokemonFreak90: I thought we'd never get this story finished, with all of these delays! Plus, this final chapter has a lot of story threads to tie up, so get ready for a LONG finale! Roll it!

Chapter 12

The Truth Starts a New Era

Salvia took a deep breath and turned to the calming crowd as servants came in and began to reset the chairs and clean the damage that was caused. She took Dawn up to the front of the room and started to give a long explanation.

"I'm the real Princess Salvia," She began. "And beside me is Dawn. We met a few days ago when she came to the palace on an errand for Lord Cyrus. We were amazed when we saw how much we looked alike and we thought that it would be entertaining if we traded places, since neither of us were happy living our current lives. Dawn would get to be me and see what it's like to be a princess and I would see how it is to be a normal girl and see the world that was beyond the palace.

"We did so, and for the first couple of days, things seemed to go our way. And apparently, something else happened." She paused to gaze over at Dawn and then flicked her eyes over to Ash before making eye contact again with Dawn, making her lightly blush.

"But then I received a note from Dawn that I needed to come back to the castle to trade places again and take my rightful place as queen after my mother's passing. I attempted to leave, but Cyrus learned of my little facade and threw me and Candice in his wine cellar, telling me of his plan to seize the throne by forcing Dawn to abdicate the throne and give it to him as me after this coronation.

"I thought that all was lost until my Togekiss came to our rescue. We escaped the manor and hurried back here to stop the coronation, and just in the nick of time, too. Now I am here to take my rightful place as your queen."

The crowd cheered at her proclamation as the magistrate came up to Salvia with the queen's crown in his hands. But before Salvia could kneel down in front of him, Dawn stopped her.

"Wait." She said, making everyone grow quiet again. "There's something else that you should know. Something that I didn't have time to tell you in the note that I sent to you. It's about...the Queen's final words."

Salvia slowly stood back up. "Go on."

Dawn slowly took a deep breath. She wasn't sure if Salvia would believe her about this, or anyone else in the room. But since it was the Queen's last words to her daughter, then she must deliver them to her.

"The Queen said that there is...another daughter that she had. Your twin sister." She admitted, making everyone gasp in surprise.

Salvia felt her heart dropping and rising up again as she stared at Dawn, whose head was down, staring at the floor. At first, the thought of it was crazy, but yet, it all made sense. How else was it possible that they looked so much alike?

"You?" She whispered. Dawn only nodded, her eyes still glued to the floor. "H-How?"

"I don't know." Dawn quietly answered. "All that was known of me was that I was found on the steps of an orphanage when I was just an infant, having a blanket that had my name on it."

"You mean this one?" Candice suddenly spoke up. She reached into a deep pocket of her apron and pulled out a familiar sight to Dawn. It was a faded pink blanket that had Dawn's name stitched into the corner in calligraphy and baby blue thread.

"That's it." Dawn said. "But why do you have it?"

"I had a feeling that there was something else explaining why you two look so much alike." Candice explained. "And this is the only clue of who you are. So I thought to bring it, just in case."

Dawn took the blanket from Candice and showed it to Salvia. Just then, a young woman, a few years older than the two, came up to them. She had dark violet hair tied in a bun, gray eyes, and a dark purple dress.

"I recognize this blanket." She said, taking a closer look at it.

"You do, Freesia?" Salvia asked her personal handmaiden. She was grateful that she had given her the week off to take care of her family before the switch happened. She must've been called back to help with the coronation. If anyone else other than her mother could know the difference between her and Dawn, it was Freesia.

Freesia nodded. "Yes. I made it for her." Everyone in the crowd gasped at the news as she continued to speak. "I made matching blankets for both of you when you were born. Except that yours is pink with the blue thread, while Salvia's is blue with her name in pink thread."

She reached into a deep pocket in her apron and pulled out a baby blue blanket and showed the corner of it, which had Salvia's name stitched in pink thread in calligraphy. Candice then held up Dawn's blanket and the calligraphy print stitching was exactly the same, with the A's looped at the ends, making the crowd gasp again.

Salvia looked over at Dawn. It was unbelievable...but the evidence was there and Freesia would never lie to her. Her twin sister, Dawn, was standing right in front of her. Tears welled up in her eyes and she went over to her and wrapped her arms around her tightly.

"There is no other person in the world that I would want as my sister." She whispered.

Dawn was shocked for a brief moment before returning the hug just as tightly. The crowd cheered as the two reunited sisters shared the embrace and tears rolled down their cheeks.

"Long live the Princesses!" They cheered. "Long live the Princesses!"

"Aside from my Pokémon, I've felt so alone for my entire life." Dawn said through her tears. "But now...now I have a family. I have a sister...and I got to hold my mother's hand as she took her last breath."

"I wish I could've been there, too. But at least one of her daughters was there with her at the end." Salvia replied through her tears. "I can't explain it, but...during my life, even though I thought that I was an only child, it always felt like a part of my heart was missing. But now...I know I've finally found it. That part of me was you, Dawn."

"I feel the same way...sister." Dawn whispered, calling Salvia her sister for the first time. Hearing it warmed both of their hearts.

The two sisters broke their embrace to look over at the cheering crowd, their smiles bright and happy. Dawn's turned up wider when she saw Ash clapping for her and her sister. His smile was proud and his eyes shined with...love? He still loved her, even knowing that she had deceived him? She needed to talk with him later.

"And before we continue the coronation, there's one more thing that I must say." Dawn spoke firmly over the crowd, getting everyone in the room to go silent once again. "It's the Queen's final words for you." She then turned back to Salvia.

"She explained to me why she was so eager for you to be wed before you became queen. She just wanted you to be safe and provided for because she wouldn't be there to do it anymore." Salvia's eyes widened slightly. "But then she said that she now wants you to be happy and you can marry for love when you have the chance, no strings attached.

"She also said that you must rule with compassion, and care for your people like they're your own family. Put their needs before your own and be prepared to defend the kingdom if any danger should come. You'll have hard decisions to make as the queen, but you must be sure that those decisions are for the greater good. There will be times where you can't help everyone, but you must always make the choice that helps as many people as it can, and the right ones."

Salvia's eyes widened and then were blurred with joyful tears. She once again hugged her long-lost sister tightly and Dawn returned her embrace just as tightly. But she had to break away after a few seconds.

"Now that all of that is out of the way, I think it's time that you finally take your rightful place." Dawn said, gesturing to the magistrate, still holding the royal crown in his hands.

Salvia took a deep breath and walked up to him. He only smiled kindly at her as she lowered her stance and curtsied to him.

"Princess Salvia, do you solemnly swear to love your people and protect our kingdom? To rule with a kind and just hand? To give us strength and prosperity for as long as you will live?"

"I solemnly swear." She answered.

The magistrate gently lowered the crown onto her head. She then straightened herself up tall and regally, and the magistrate beamed at her proudly as he bowed to her, and then he gestured her to turn around and face her people. When she did, the magistrate then made the proclamation.

"I present to you, Her Majesty, Queen Salvia of Sinnoh!"

The crowd began cheering and applauding loudly as the newly crowned Queen Salvia smiled at her guests and subjects. She then began walking out of the room, followed by everyone else, and out onto the main balcony where scores of her people had gathered outside of the castle and were chanting and cheering for her.

"Long live the Queen! Long live the Queen!"

She only smiled at them as she waved to them and hundreds of soft pink flower petals began raining down from above as several Grass type Pokémon began using Petal Dance. She spared a glance over at Dawn and the proud grin she was giving her made her feel like she would become a great queen, one that her people deserve, just like their mother.

It was now late in the evening and the party following the coronation was in full swing. Guests were dancing and lively music was playing. Salvia and Dawn were taken a few minutes ago to Salvia's room to be properly dressed after the battle with Cyrus and his followers.

Soon, the music ended as the crowd began to take notice of their new queen and princess arriving in the ballroom. They all bowed as the royal announcer made their presence known. "Presenting her Majesty, Queen Salvia of Sinnoh."

Salvia was dressed in a shimmering navy blue gown with long lace sleeves and her shoulders were bare. On her hands were short white gloves and she had matching dark blue heels. She also had on a dark maroon cloak that was draped around her and her hair was tied up in her usual bun, with tendrils framing her face, a braid on the side of her head and her mother's royal crown placed on top.

The announcer then made his second royal announcement. "Presenting her Highness, Princess Dawn of Sinnoh."

Dawn then carefully and nervously made her way up to stand beside her sister. She was dressed much more simply than Salvia, wearing only a white sleeveless gown with a yellow ribbon tied around the waist, matching low heels, and a silver tiara on her head. She also wore a light blue pearl necklace around her neck. Her hair was just loosely draping down onto her back.

The crowd clapped for both the newly crowned queen and their newly found princess. It was the first time that their subjects had seen them together like this. Dawn felt a little out of place, being with this crowd, now that they knew her real identity. But then Salvia turned to face her.

"It's alright." She said to her as the crowd began to disperse and guests started to do their own thing. "Just relax."

Dawn visibly relaxed, letting out a nervous breath. "Sorry. It's just that I've never been to a party like this before, even back at the manor."

"Well, you'd best start getting used to it." Salvia said. "You're a princess now, so you need to behave like one."

"Yeah." Dawn said, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. "I suppose so. I did have some practice, pretending to be you, after all."

Salvia then took a look at her sister's attire. "You look beautiful." She said.

Dawn shyly smiled. "Thank you. So do you."

Her sister returned the smile kindly. "Thank you."

Now, Salvia could ask her the thing that had been bothering her since the battle against Cyrus and his followers, concerning an unexpected ally. "So...it seems that you have gotten rather...chummy with this Prince Ash of Kanto."

Dawn's cheeks flushed red. "Oh, yes." She said, rubbing her arm. "I know that you said to turn away any suitors that came to the castle during our switch, but he seemed...different than the others who came to court you that you described."

"Yes, I've noticed." Salvia said, remembering how he acted during the battle and then during the coronation. He acted brash and confident during the fight and then he acted cordial and polite afterwards, during the ceremony.

"He only came to call upon you to see if there would be a good relationship match between you two." Dawn explained. "He didn't respond to any other single noblewoman before you. If it didn't work out between you two, then you would have been just friends."

"Is he in line for his throne?" Salvia asked.

"Yes." Dawn replied. "He made an agreement with his mother that he would at least be courting someone before he becomes king, which I learned won't be for another couple of years. His mother will be retiring and relenting the throne to him when he is old enough; a slightly different tradition than here in Sinnoh."

"I see." Salvia said, deep in thought.

So Ash was different than the other suitors that had come for her hand. Maybe if she and Dawn hadn't traded places, she would've maybe fallen in love with him. But the switch did happen, and now her sister was in love with him and he thought that Dawn was her. Well, by the way that he came to help them during the fight, maybe he was actually in love with Dawn herself. She only lied about her name, not her character.

"Your Highnesses?" A familiar voice called for their attention.

Dawn nearly froze when she saw Ash standing there in front of them. His eyes were focused on her. "So your real name is Dawn?" He asked. He didn't sound upset with her, just curious. That was something good.

"Yes." Dawn nodded, ignoring the slight goosebumps that she felt, hearing her real name coming from his mouth.

A little smile appeared on his face. "I think 'Dawn' suits you better." He said honestly.

Dawn felt a huge weight lift off her shoulders at his remark. Salvia saw the interaction between the two of them and thought that it would be best to let them have some privacy.

"I think it's best that you talk elsewhere for a moment." She suggested.

Dawn looked over at her sister. "Are you sure?" She asked.

Salvia nodded. "Yes, I'm certain. Go on."

Dawn gave her a grateful smile and curtsied to her sister before leaving the ballroom with Ash.

Soon, both Dawn and Ash were out on the balcony, loving the cool breeze compared to the crowded ballroom. They were silent for a few moments before Dawn began to speak.

"I'm so sorry that I lied to you, Ash. I never wanted to hurt you, honest. I just...wondered what my life would be like if I wasn't a lowly servant. That's all I'd ever known throughout my life and I had no hope for anything better. No one ever wanted me, even when I was a child. When I was old enough to work, Cyrus took me away to work at his manor. I guess since I looked just like Salvia, someone would've eventually mistaken me for her and taken me to the palace, where I would've learned my true identity. That was his plan all along. He had a feeling that I would be the more brash one while Salvia was more level-headed, so he tried to break my spirit, and when the time was right, he would've tried to manipulate her into abdicating the throne, using me as leverage.

"As for Salvia, she wanted to get away from her overwhelming responsibilities as a princess, and from all of the suitors who only wanted her for her position. But when she saw the state that the kingdom had fallen into during our mother's illness, she realized just how important her duties were and that she needed to put the needs of her subjects before her own. She was being selfish, running away from the people who needed her to make things right again in Sinnoh. It was a job that only she could do and she understands that now. I know that she'll be able to restore the kingdom to its former glory.

"We never wanted to hurt anyone, me and Salvia. We've learned that Salvia's duties are important, not just for the throne, but for the people as well. And now that I'm finally free from slavery, I can learn how I can help my sister along the way, now that I'm officially a princess. I can now become who I want to be."

Ash only stared at her, as if he was trying to read her like an open book. "Just answer me one question before I tell you what I thought of this entire thing." He said.

"Of course." Dawn answered.

His brown eyes seemed to see straight into her soul. "Have your feelings for me changed at all?" He asked gently, as if he was almost afraid to even ask. Did she really love him like she said, or was that just part of her facade as Salvia?

Dawn slowly shook her head as she took Ash's hand. "My feelings for you haven't changed at all, Ash. And they never will change for as long as I live. I love you and I always will." She spoke from the heart, hoping that he would believe her.

He slightly squeezed her hand in his. "I'll admit, I was really shocked that you're not Salvia. But I could feel what was in your heart. You never wished to hurt anyone, including me. That proves to me that your character is still the same. You were just using your sister's name, but it was still you being you the entire time that we were together. All that time that we spent together was further proof of who you really are. And my own feelings for you haven't changed either. You're the girl that I love with all of my heart."

Dawn's eyes widened at his little declaration and then they were starting to water with joyful tears. She immediately embraced Ash and he held her close to him. Both of them stood there, hugging each other and basking in their love for one another.

Finally, Ash slightly broke away to look Dawn in the eyes. He then gently placed a hand on her cheek, and she leaned into his touch. "Now that all of that is out of the way, there's something that I've been meaning to ask you."

"Me, me, or Salvia?" She asked teasingly.

"You, you." He answered with a chuckle, before removing his hand from her cheek and then reaching into his coat pocket. Soon, he had in his hand a little black box. Dawn's eyes widened at the sight, her heart pounding furiously against her chest.

"Dawn," He began, before chuckling softly, "I really like saying your real name." Dawn giggled breathlessly. Then Ash started to speak again. "Dawn, you are the most extraordinary person I've ever met." As he was talking, he slowly got down on one knee. Dawn's hands flew up to her mouth to hide a tearful but joyful smile. "I don't care if you're an actual princess or not, and if you were just a normal girl, I wouldn't care. I love you, the real you, with all that I am. Will you marry me?"

He opened the box to reveal a simple gold ring with three little gems arranged in a triangle; a diamond, a ruby, and a sapphire. Dawn giggled breathlessly, almost choking on her overjoyed tears.

"Yes!" She cried, and they shared another hug as Ash stood up. When they parted, Ash slid the ring onto Dawn's finger and then held her up in the air by her waist, spinning her around, making her laugh. When he lowered her down, they shared a deep, loving kiss.

Dawn had never felt happier in her life. For so long, she had lived a sad life with no love in it. But now, her heart was full of love, both from Ash and from her sister.

Unbeknownst to the happy couple, Salvia had seen the whole thing. She smiled happily at the loving scene before her. They truly deserved one another. She then made her presence known by clearing her throat. Dawn and Ash turned around to see her coming to them.

"I saw it all." She said, before turning to Ash. "I had a feeling that you were quite different than most of those other suitors that came to win my hand, and I was right. Dawn knew it right away, and I couldn't be happier for the two of you. My blessing is yours. I know that you'll be very happy together."

Dawn smiled at her sister and gave her a hug. "Thank you." She said, before releasing her and taking her spot next to her beloved prince.

"But I think that we will save revealing the news of your engagement to our subjects until tomorrow." Salvia said. "Right now, there is another matter that needs to be addressed tonight."

Both Ash and Dawn shared a brief confused glance with one another before following Salvia back inside the ballroom.

The new queen made her way to the front of the room again. "May I have everyone's attention, please?" She announced, and the room quickly grew quiet.

"Because of the events that had transpired earlier today, I've made a decision. It concerns the vast fortunes belonging to Lord Cyrus. Due to his treacherous actions both in the past and of today, I hereby strip him of his fortune, and with no heirs, I give it to the person that myself and Dawn trust the most in his household: Miss Candice!"

The servant in question was surprised to hear her name being called. She felt Zoey and Glameow nudge her towards the front. The crowd began clapping as she slowly made her way up to Salvia. She then curtsied deeply to the young queen.

"I'm deeply honored, Your Majesty." She said. "And I will not let you down."

Salvia smiled kindly at her. "I know that you won't, Lady Candice."

Candice's eyes widened at the new title that she was just given, and she once more curtsied to the young queen. Like Dawn, she had gone from rags to riches! "Thank you, Your Majesty."

"There is only one favor that I ask of you." Salvia said. "I will soon put out plans to construct a public school in the village that will be open for everyone. Any child, no matter their background, will be able to attend. Once that happens, I hope that you will be able to help provide some funds for it."

Candice nodded. "Of course, Your Majesty. And I will make sure that my servants in the manor will be treated much better than how Cyrus treated us."

"Do not worry. I will be establishing some new laws to protect all servants in the kingdom to ensure that none are ever mistreated like that again. They are still people and must be treated as such." Salvia promised to Candice and to everyone in attendance.

Everyone cheered again for the newly appointed Lady Candice. Dawn smiled at the good fortune that was given to her friend as Ash held an arm around her waist. She leaned into his embrace, knowing that things will only get better from now on, both for her, and for everyone else in Sinnoh.

The party continued until the late hours of the night. It was well past midnight when all of the guests left and retired for the night. Salvia, Dawn, and Ash were all sitting in Salvia's room, along with their Pokémon, just talking and planning about their future wedding.

Ash decided to stay with them for at least another week, to continue helping Dawn learn how to be a princess, along with her sister's help, before he and Dawn left for Kanto. Also, the news of Dawn's newfound status would be known to all the other kingdoms by then.

"Ash, I'm actually really nervous to meet your mother." Dawn admitted.

"Calm down." He assured her. "She'll love you, I promise."

"Yes." Salvia agreed. "I've heard that Queen Delia is quite a benevolent ruler. She must be, if she raised a son like you."

Ash smiled. "Thank you, Salvia."

Dawn also smiled, feeling her nerves calming down as she briefly giggled. But then, the laughter stopped when she noticed that the smile disappeared from her sister's face. "Is everything alright, Salvia?" She asked.

The young queen shook her head. "No. Forgive me, but I had to maintain a perfect royal image for the coronation." Slowly, tears started to drip from her eyes. "I wasn't there for our mother when she needed me in her final moments. And she must've thought that you were me when she summoned you. I just wish...I could apologize to her for being so difficult when she only had the best interests to make sure that I and the kingdom would be in good hands. I resented her for those suitors, and now I'll never have the chance to tell her how sorry I am."

Dawn reached over and held her sister in her arms as she softly continued to cry. She understood how she felt. She wished that she could've told their mother the truth before she passed away, but she was a few seconds too late.

Ash watched the heartbreaking scene in front of him as his fiancé hugged her sister. He could feel their pain and it tugged at his heart. He looked over at Pikachu, who had awoken from his nap from he was on top of Togekiss, with Glameow next to the Fairy and Flying type and Piplup snoozing in Togekiss' wings. The little Mouse Pokémon nodded his head at him before curling back up to sleep. Ash nodded back and took a deep breath before speaking up.

"There is a way that you can see her." He said, getting their attention. The twins wiped away stray tears before looking at him with confusion. Ash then slowly stood up.

"I would've told you eventually, since we'll all be family in a few months, but there is something that I can do to help." He said. "I was born with this ability called Aura. It's very rare, so it was best to be kept secret. I learned how to make Aura visible, sense it, and use it."

He opened up his palm to show the twins a blue flickering flame nestled in it. They watched with amazement as Ash willed the Aura to change shape; from a star to a snowflake to a flower, before making it vanish.

"If possible, if remnants of your mother's Aura are still in her chambers, then maybe I can use my Aura to give you two a few minutes with her. I can't use too much power all at once, because it will threaten my own life."

Dawn and Salvia were amazed at Ash's secret ability and how he could use it to let them see their mother one last time. The former wrapped her arms around her fiancé, hugging him tightly. "That would mean the world to us, Ash."

"It would indeed." Salvia agreed.

Ash smiled as he and Dawn broke from their embrace. "Okay, then. Lead the way."

In a matter of minutes, all three of them were in the late queen's chambers. Dawn and Salvia could still feel her presence within the room, proving that Ash's theory was correct. Now, they hoped that this would work. If not, then they would be grateful that at least Ash tried, for their happiness. That's what family members do for one another.

Ash turned to the empty fireplace, seeing that there were dying embers still in the hearth. He really hoped that this would work, even though he had never done this before.

He held out a hand to the fireplace and softly blew air towards it. The embers regained their vitality before a warm fire arose in the hearth. He closed his eyes and focused on the flames, channeling his Aura.

In a matter of seconds, the orange-red flames turned bright blue, making the twins slightly jump back. Ash was starting to feel a little drained, but he still focused on the fire. Then, with a twist of his hand, the flames left the hearth and headed to the center of the room where Dawn and Salvia were. They were still suspended in the air, never touching anything.

Then, when Ash used every amount of his focus, the flames roared with life as an image of a person took shape in the room, in front of the twins. It was Queen Johanna.

"Mother?" Salvia whispered.

Johanna smiled. "It's me, my dear."

Salvia wanted to reach out and hug her, but she knew that she was transparent. Instead, she beamed at her, tears of joy in her eyes.

Johanna placed a ghostly hand on her daughter's face. Then, she turned to face Dawn. "I'm so glad that you found your sister."

"Actually, she found me." Salvia said, briefly remembering how she and Dawn had first met only a few days ago.

Dawn then took a step forward. "You see, Salvia and I thought that we should trade places for a little while. We never wanted to hurt anyone."

"It's alright, my darlings." Johanna said. "When I passed through this life, I saw everything that had transpired. I know of your little switch, and that you bravely fought against your enemies, despite the fears of the consequences." Both girls looked at one another before turning back to their mother's spirit. "It was almost like fate brought you two back together in the first place, and I couldn't be more proud of you both. You are both beautiful, confident, brave, and caring young women, capable of doing great things in the future, both for Sinnoh and Kanto. Your kingdoms are in very capable hands."

Both girls smiled at their mother, overjoyed. But then Salvia's smile slipped away. "I'm sorry, Mother." She said. "I'm sorry for being so stubborn when you were just trying to make sure that I was provided for after you were gone."

Johanna just smiled gently at her. "It's alright, Salvia. I knew that you would react that way. Still, I shouldn't have pushed you towards marriage. I should've had more faith in you as a ruler. But now that you are the queen, you will bring this kingdom back to its former glory. Eventually, you will find love as well, just as your sister did. I trust you to make the right choice when it comes to choosing a good man to share your throne with."

She then turned over to her other daughter. "And Dawn," she said, a loving smile on her face, "I'm so happy that you are back where you belong. And now, you will soon be off on another new adventure with Ash. One that I can assure you will be filled with love and joy." She looked over towards Ash, still focused on the blue flames, and then back at Dawn. She smiled at her.

"Thank you, Mother." She said.

Johanna placed her hands on her daughters' cheeks. "When your time in this world comes to an end, as it did for me, then we will see each other again. I love you both with all of my heart." She whispered.

"We love you too, Mother." The twins whispered back.

Johanna removed her hands as the flames started to die down. Her image soon faded altogether, as did the bright blue flames, as Ash finally stopped his focus and fell onto his knees. Dawn quickly rushed over to him, carefully bringing him up onto his feet.

"Will you be okay?" She asked him. She knew that if he used too much, his life could be in danger. However, Ash just shook his head.

"I'll be alright." He assured her. "Maybe just experience a few dizzy spells."

Dawn lightly chuckled before hugging him tightly. "Thank you." She whispered. "This meant a lot to me and my sister."

Ash just held her close. "I love you and I'll do anything to see you happy."

Dawn briefly snickered as a smile came onto her face and she broke away from the embrace. She then shared a hug with Salvia, finally feeling like there was nothing pressing down on them anymore. Then, after they broke the hug, Salvia began leading the way back towards their rooms, Dawn and Ash following behind her, hand in hand.

Finally, there was real happiness in their lives, and their futures seemed much brighter now. Both sisters had learned valuable life lessons during the time that they had lived each other's lives; lessons that had made them stronger and wiser than ever. But most importantly, they were finally happy with their lives because they had found the one thing that was missing from their lives: love. Salvia had found it through her sister and Dawn had found it through Ash.

Neither sister was alone anymore and they knew that no matter what hardships they might face in the future, they'd always be able to overcome it. Together.

PokemonFreak90: And that ends our story! We hope that you enjoyed reading it as much as we enjoyed writing it! It took a lot longer to finish than we would've liked, due to the delays (not my fault, BTW), but we didn't give up! Personally, I'm proud with how the story turned out overall, and we hope that you are, too!

I'd also like to thank MDM for agreeing to let me help write this story and listening to my input.

We hope that you stay tuned in the future for our next collaborative story! It will be a story based on the cartoon Miraculous Ladybug! We've been talking about it a lot and have been planning the details for over half a year! We hope to see you all there! (And hopefully it doesn't take as long to write as this final chapter did!)

MDM: Hey! Time is not my friend sometimes! At least it's finished because we didn't give up on it, despite the many delays.

And no promises on when the first chapter of our Miraculous story will be posted. This month is going to be very busy for me, at least until for a couple of weeks. And there are still some other stories of mine that are close to being finished as well.

However, I am happy with how the story turned out as well. Maybe when we get started on our Miraculous story, it can give me some motivation to continue with my other Miraculous story, "Forever Mine."

Well, we'll have to see. Until next time, readers! Please leave a review about what you think.

Got to fly! ;)