DISCLAIMER: No copyright laws list me as an owner of Pokémon or Warcraft. While I’m using their ideas for my story, rest assured that none of this is getting me any rewards aside from reader feedback. AUTHOR’S NOTES: I’m still eager to find out how most of you like the story so far. I know people are reading it based on how many hits it has received, but less than a handful have provided me any feedback. Your opinions matter highly for me; if I need work somewhere and you point it out, you help me write better next time, so please let me hear what you think. ----------------------------------------------------- Through Azeroth – Chapter 4 Written by daBOSS It took Ash a few seconds to realize why everything looked the same when he woke up, even though he knew he’d slept through the night and into the mid-morning hours. After all, a city built within a mountain never received any sunlight even if it blazed outside. Ash gazed at the figure of his wife in his arms as she turned herself a full semicircle so that she now faced him. Yawning, she slowly opened her eyes to meet his gaze. “Hey,” he whispered lovingly. “Hey,” she answered with mutual affection. “How’d you sleep?” “Surprisingly comfortable, considering everything that’s happened,” she said, pulling herself forward to embrace him. “Me too,” he exhaled. A few moments of silence passed while the two indulged in the closeness of each other. For awhile, their minds forgot about the day before and only concentrated on the embrace. “Ash,” Misty broke the silence. “Do you remember a year ago this day?” “Of course I do,” he smiled recalling the memory. “I remember every detail.” * * * * * * * * * * (Flashback) Ash was nervous. Dear god, he had never been this nervous! Team Rocket had tried to capture his Pokémon countless times, but he was never this nervous when Pikachu found itself in an electric-proof contained area. He had battled hard to reach the world’s top ranked Pokémon master position, but the anxiety level he experienced walking into those battles paled in comparison to his current emotions. He was thankful that the summer day was unseasonably cool or his entire body would have been coated in sweat. Misty was coming to Pallet Town tonight. It wasn’t anything unusual. Although they had been a dating couple for years now, they maintained a long distance relationship with her running the Cerulean Gym and him concentrating on his Pokémon League duties. Yet they always found time to visit each other whenever one of them became free. Tonight, she was to make another trip to Pallet Town and enjoy a cozy evening with him, but this time he had a surprise for her that he had been planning for weeks. Worried thoughts raced through Ash’s mind as he turned off the shower and dried himself. What if the surprise didn’t go according to plan? What if he didn’t hide it well enough? What if Pikachu couldn’t…no, he knew Pikachu better than that, and Pikachu was not one to fail at these things. The doorbell rang. Ash quickly slipped on his shorts and a clean shirt and walked downstairs to answer it. To others, it may have been nothing less than a miracle that elation almost completely replaced anxiety by the time he reached the door, but Ash knew that despite the unusual plans for the night, Misty’s presence alone was enough to calm his nerves. He opened the door and there she stood in a low-cut dress that reached her ankles and a trimmed, strapped top that left everything except her chest bare. Her orange-red hair ran halfway down her back and was not styled in any manner. He had witnessed this sight so many times before, but he never once believed it was anything less than the most beautiful. “Hey you,” she smiled and whispered as they embraced. “Hey,” he responded, closing his eyes and savoring the feel of her body. He cupped her face slightly and their lips met for a few seconds. “How’ve you been?” he asked once the kiss broke. “How’s the gym?” “Good,” she answered. “The trainers coming in are getting tougher, but I still manage to win almost every battle. How’s work at the League?” “It’s great,” he said. “I think our next Indigo tournament might be the best one in years.” “That’s good to hear,” she responded, giving him a loving smile. “So what are we doing tonight?” “How about a walk up north along the river?” he suggested, hoping that the way he said it didn’t alert her to anything. “We could take a stroll along its banks and enjoy the sunset together.” “Sounds wonderful,” she grinned, offering her arm which he gladly took. “Let’s go then.” Arms and hands interlocked, the young couple headed north through the quiet streets of Pallet Town and into the wilderness chatting about old times and laughing away at the memories. Soon enough, a small river merged into the setting and ran alongside the road, and after a few more paces, the two came to a seemingly insignificant location that meant the world to them. “Here we are again,” said Ash, knowing that both he and Misty had pretty much memorized the entire setting. There was the rock she sat upon that day fishing to take her mind off her runaway from home, and there was the spot where he landed with an injured Pikachu when she pulled him out. Of course, there was where her bicycle was parked, the same bicycle he’d wreck that would become the beginning of an everlasting friendship. “Yeah,” she sighed contentedly. “Hard to imagine it’s been nine years already.” “Time flies when you’re in love,” he whispered into her ear. She smiled tenderly at him and pulled him to the rock, where he sat and took her into his arms. She positioned herself sideways on his lap and hooked an arm around his neck, using the other hand to trace down his cheeks. Leaning in, she placed her lips upon his for a small but delicate kiss before leaning against his shoulder and resting her head comfortably. Unbeknownst to her, he flashed a victory sign with one hand while holding her by the waist. “Pika pika!” The small cry diverted her attention for a moment. She looked up toward a nearby tree to see the yellow rodent bouncing around happily on one of its limbs. “Pikachu?” she quizzed, obviously puzzled. “Ash, what’s Pikachu doing here?” “Exploring,” he said, trying to hide the nervousness in his voice. Misty didn’t see through him and instead waved to Pikachu, who greeted her back. It was certainly not like Ash to allow his Pokémon to wander off alone and explore the wilderness, but then again this was Pikachu after all, the same Pikachu who was with Ash from day one and who had made Ash the top ranked Pokémon master he’d been for two consecutive years now. “(Hi Misty, I found something in this abandoned Hoothoot hole),” the electric mouse beamed. “(I think it’s something you’d like.)” “Really?” she asked, now surprised and pondering the contents. “Can you bring it down for me?” “(Of course I can),” Pikachu chirped. He ran into the hole and came back seconds later with a tiny object in its front paws. “(Catch this!)” Misty stood up from the rock and cupped her hands out as Pikachu tossed the item from the tree. She ran forward and grabbed it, then looked back up and thanked Pikachu. He returned her thanks with a victory sign. When the Pokémon noticed her eyes had diverted to the object, he scampered back into the hole and poked his head out to witness the event about to unfold. Ash stood up. This was it. This was the moment he’d been anticipating for weeks. He couldn’t have any doubts hinder what he was about to do. It would be less than a split second before she found out that the object was… “A ring box?” he heard her utter. He walked up to her as she opened it and gasped at the gem-encrusted jewel in front of her. A solid white diamond that nearly popped out her eyes was engraved in the middle surrounded by three smaller gems of alternating colors to each of its sides along the ring’s rim. Ash reached out, took the box away from her, and kneeled on the grass. Misty’s hands flew to her mouth to cover her emotions, but she could do nothing to stop the tears of joy from flowing. “Misty,” Ash began, “I…” He suddenly realized he couldn’t remember the words he had been rehearsing for the past few weeks. He had planned this moment down to the very core, including the speech he was supposed to be delivering right now, but his nerves got the best of him and a scan through his memory for the speech revealed blanks. This was not good to say the least. Ash had sworn he would not permit anxiety to prevent him from his goal, but now that was exactly what was happening. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath, then decided he’d forget about his prepared speech and speak directly from his soul. “Misty,” Ash tried again. “Nine years ago at this very spot, a flaming redhead fished me out of this very river. As my token of thanks, I ended up stealing and wrecking her bike in a frenzied state of panic.” He paused for a moment to hear her emit a small laugh. “But as big of a crime bike theft is, that redhead wound up stealing something even more precious from me.” He stood up and took her hands in his, then lowered his voice. “I don’t want my heart back Misty. It’s yours to keep as long as you promise me one thing: give me yours to treasure forever. Marry me.” Even though she knew those words were coming, Misty could do nothing to prepare. Upon hearing them, she lost control of herself and collapsed into his arms, tears now cascading down her cheeks and soaking his shirt. Yet throughout this period when her elation reached a pinnacle she had never even known to exist, she still managed to utter the one word he wanted to hear all along. “Yes,” she sobbed. “Of course I will.” She could only cry harder as she felt him slip the cool piece of jewelry onto her finger before locking his lips upon hers in a deep, fiery kiss that seemed to last years. Atop a tree a few meters away from them, a small yellow creature gleamed and squealed a delighted “pika!” (End Flashback) * * * * * * * * * * It didn’t take long for Ash and Misty to discover that Ironforge was much different during the day than at night. While a few people wandered the city’s commercial district just to the east of the inn where they passed through the night before, the area was so crowded during the day that traversing the football field-sized region took over ten minutes. Adventurers ran back and forth between the bank and the auction house, which were located across from each other around thirty meters apart, and traders of all sorts patrolled alongside guards crying for business. “Fresh bread, cooked this very morning!” one dwarf woman shouted. “Trying to sell a Bow of Searing Arrows and a Phantom Blade!” hollered a night elf. “Enchanting your weapons and armor for free if you provide materials!” screamed a gnome. Ash tried to tune them out while weaving through the crowd, hand clasped with Misty’s, but the noise was so loud that he couldn’t even hear his own wife less than one meter behind him yelling for him to slow down. They eventually made it across the crowded section and into the tunneled pathway connecting commercial district with the Great Forge. From there it was a quick walk to the High Seat. “Ah, good morning Ash, Misty,” King Magni greeted upon seeing them at the doorway. “Come, come join my daughter and me for breakfast. Did you enjoy your rest?” “Yes we did,” said Misty. “Thank you, sir.” “My pleasure lads,” said Magni. “I’m always happy to help.” The young couple joined the two dwarves at their breakfast table, where they were treated to omelets, cornbread, and milk. “This is my daughter, Princess Moira Bronzebeard,” Magni introduced presenting the young dwarf lady to the Pokémon trainers. “She’s the heir to Ironforge’s throne.” “Hi Princess Moira,” Misty greeted. “Nice to meet you,” Moira said in a rather nonchalant tone, which was met immediately with a displeasured stare from her father. “You’ll have to excuse her,” said Magni. “She’s under much stress right now. She’s been intensively preparing for the day when she’ll take the throne.” Ash studied Moira’s face for a few seconds and found hints of grief, regret, sorrow, and self-hatred scattered within. He looked over a Misty, who turned her head toward him and acknowledged with her eyes that she recognized the same traits. Both wondered what was triggering such negative emotions, but they decided that this was not the time to become overly curious. They quickly finished their breakfast and followed King Magni to his throne. Moira quietly returned to her chambers. “All right you two, here’s what I have planned for today,” said Magni once he sat down upon his throne. “First, I noticed you came without your baggage, so I’ve requested that the lads who run the tailoring shop bring over some clothes for you to try on. They should be here any moment. Do not worry about payment; I’ve paid them all for you.” Ash and Misty looked at each other and turned back to Magni. “We can’t let you do that sir,” said Ash. “Please, let us pay you back…” “You will pay me back when you help us fight the Burning Legion,” Magni cut him off. “Your services will be valuable for the safety of both your world and Azeroth. If for all that, I can only offer you a few gold worth of clothes, then it should be me who ought to feel guilty.” Ash was about to protest further but King Magni raised his hand to stop him. “Ash, you two are our guests here,” he said. “The dwarves treat our guests with dignity and respect. We don’t ask for things in return.” Just then two dwarves stepped into the High Seat carrying armfuls of clothing. They kneeled before King Magni, who told them to get up as usual, then diverted their attention to Ash and Misty. “By request of the King of Ironforge, these are our gifts to you,” said one of them, handing the clothes to Misty. “You may try them on in the next room and see which ones you like. Choose as many as you wish.” “Any you do not choose will be donated to charity,” Magni added. “Now go. Once you’re finished, report back to me. I will give you the rest of the information.” The young couple decided it was best not to say anymore on the matter, since this was the king after all and he was very persistent. “Okay,” Ash answered. “We’ll be back.” With that he took Misty’s hand and headed for the other room. * * * * * * * * * * The two emerged from the door and walked into the throne room ten minutes later, having selected their clothes. Misty walked up to Magni and handed her pile to him and thanked him before returning to Ash. Magni looked over to the two dwarves who ran the tailoring shop and transferred the clothes over. “Make sure John Turner receives them,” said Magni. “He’ll see to it that they get to the Stormwind orphanage.” “Of course, sire,” they assured him before departing the throne room. Magni beckoned Ash and Misty over. “Now then, the next step is to get you two over to Theramore,” he informed them. “The trip is across the Great Sea, and you’ll need to catch the ship that leaves from the docks of Menethil Harbor. To get to Menethil, you’ll need to take a gryphon out of Ironforge.” He looked up at the faces of the Pokémon trainers and saw their confused stares. “Don’t worry, I’ve already got someone who volunteered to escort you,” he said. “He’ll take you all the way.” He looked over from left to right. “Teknikal, it’s time to go.” There was no response. Ash and Misty looked around the room, noticing that no one was around except guards and two assistants. “Ugh, Teknikal, you do this every time,” the king said, exasperated. “Just come out and escort these two to Theramore already!” The king was suddenly sapped and stunned, unable to move. His head leaned toward his left shoulder and he just stood on his feet swaying his entire body in place. A man covered from head to toe in red and black appeared out of nowhere behind the king, clutching his chest in laughter. “TEKNIKAL!” Magni shouted, almost fuming. “THAT’S NOT FUNNY ANYMORE!” The man just laughed away. “Oh man, that never gets old,” he said through hysteria. “I get you good every time!” “You’d better take these two away and get out of my sight right now, you filthy rogue!” Magni exclaimed. “Because if I still see you once this sap wears off, you’re so in for it!” “All right, all right, I’m sorry,” the man said, showing small signs of concern. “I’ll go.” He walked over to Ash and extended his hand. “I’m Teknikal, a human rogue.” Ash was still bewildered by what had just happened, so shook the man’s hand and made his introductions with a small degree of caution. “Follow me,” Teknikal directed. “And don’t worry about Magni. He’ll be fine. Sap wears off after one minute at the latest.” Misty looked over at Ash, who had the same uneasy expression on his face, but followed Teknikal out of the High Seat anyway. They turned right and only walked a few meters before Teknikal stopped. “This is the gryphon roost,” Teknikal introduced. “The gryphon is a half-eagle, half-lion creature that has aided the Alliance in countless wars of the past. They were perfect for our aerial battles. Now that the wars are over, they help transport us around Azeroth. And now you’re going to take your first gryphon ride.” Ash and Misty watched Teknikal walk up toward a dwarf wearing goggles. “Ah Teknikal,” the dwarf acknowledged when he saw the human, “where are you flying today?” “Menethil Harbor, Gryth,” Teknikal answered, “but I’m escorting some friends as well. Could they go first?” “Absolutely they can.” Teknikal beckoned Ash and Misty over while the dwarf walked to a gryphon and spoke to it. It nodded eagerly and flew from its nest, stopping in front of the Pokémon trainers. “Hop on and hang on,” Teknikal directed. “The bird will do the rest.” Ash walked up first and sat on the gryphon’s back, finding its reins and clutching them in his hands. Misty followed, sat down directly behind her husband, and wrapped her arms around his waist. Teknikal and the dwarf gryphon master noticed that they were ready. “Menethil Harbor,” the dwarf said to the gryphon. “Off with you!” In a flash, the gryphon took off, triggering gasps from both Ash and Misty. They found themselves soaring through a tunnel high above Ironforge and out its front gates, into the snow covered region of Dun Morogh. Neither had a fear of heights, but given the speed of the gryphon at the altitude they were traveling, it was difficult for two first time riders not to shiver from something other than the cold. Putting their fears aside, the young couple opened their eyes and gazed at the majestic landscape below. They were outside of a city for the first time in Azeroth, and the beauty of the world glimmered when viewed from above. The two relaxed, finding comfort in being so close to each other while riding the gryphon and tried to memorize every detail of the landscape beneath, watching as Ironforge Mountain faded into the distance. This was the true beginning of their adventures in Azeroth. ----------------------------------------------------- AUTHOR’S NOTES: Well, I swore to keep it short, so once again, I had to reduce the content of this chapter and spread it into the next one. I’d just like to take this time and say that if you find any mechanical errors (grammar, spelling, punctuation, etc.), please let me know. I want my stories to be easy to read and not eyesores. I’ll get the next chapter up as soon as possible. In the meantime, send me your feedback. Thanks for reading!