Chapter 4: Mind, Heart, Body, and Soul Asunder James held the ancient yellow paper to his chest apprehensively, staring blankly at Jessie who had Riley read hers aloud. Her brow furrowed more deeply as the dragon got further into it, and James flinched as he realized he had been biting his lip in anticipation. "Powers of the mind must be mastered ere thou shalt exploit them correctly, and therefore, the bearer of this gift shall undergo a test, as the stories of old that have been handed down the generations have foretold. Hear now, the Myth of Shadowrun. Nestled within the demons of the world, rivulet of shadows lies. A place of mystery, death, and sorrow. Many have tried in attempts to discover the secrets of this mystical place, but all have failed, and no souls have returned uncorrupted. The myth will be unlocked, how, when, and why, the prophets failed to perceive, but fare well young one, all will be revealed in due time." Riley's brow furrowed as he looked up from the scroll. "I don't get it," he muttered. "I don't either, what about James' scroll?" Jessie said pointing. James nodded dumbly and stood next to Jessie taking her hand gingerly. "Still got that feeling Jess?" he asked through his teeth. "Yeah, more than ever, now that I've heard that scroll," she replied. "Now I feel it," James said nervously as Riley began to read. "Mind, Body, Heart and soul asunder, all will come to death in thunder. By light of noon, or dead of night, fate decides, to love or smite. Remorse and guilt, the poisons that kill to let them claim you, is to surrender your will. Though sorrow reigns, with its despairing kin the answer my friend, lies in the wind. The myth, it beckons you, and calls out your name, you must answer the call, or all is in vain. Reach out to yourself like never you did you alone can rescue a soul from the shadows which it slid." Riley looked up from the scroll, handing it back to James. "Just the stupid poem?" he asked. "Yep, and they don't seem to have much in common either," Riley replied. "Well, I think we'd be better off just staying in the palace," Cerise announced putting the scroll back into its respective place on the altar. Jessie and James smiled victoriously and patted each other on the backs as they exited the tiny ceremonial room deep in the bowels of the palace. James decided to check on Jasper, and everyone else went to the library to have a quiet day of rest before engaging in battle with the alliance. They would be a more than formidable opponent, even the ragged, disorganized band that had managed to capture Jessie and James. Vinetra was powerful, and the resistance operated on two main beliefs: that the seven messengers would awaken the powers of peace, and that the evil queen had more power then she perceived, and would not realize it until it was too late, for they were yet to see her display her powers in a devastating force. Jasper sat up in bed excitedly as James entered his room, reaching his free arm out to his winged role model. "James! I saw you this morning, you stayed with me!" he cried happily. "Absolutely kiddo," he replied ruffling the shoulder length black hair affectionately. "And who was that you were hugging?" he asked lowering his eyes deviously. James sighed. "That, was my best friend in the world, Jessie, you'll meet my other friends today too," James promised. "I think you love her," Jasper said sitting up in bed, and grinned as James flushed bright crimson. "What ever gave you that idea?" he asked. Jasper smiled crookedly, crossing his good arm over his chest. "Okay fine, I'll tell you a secret if you promise never to tell anyone," James said lowering his voice. Jasper nodded vigorously and leaned closer to James to hear his quiet secret. "I'm in love with Jessie, and she knows nothing about it. Now, don't even hint at this around her, or I'll be forced to torture you in ways so horrible I can't even mention them!" James wailed theatrically. Jasper began to enjoy the concept of love between the two people he had seen that morning, one being his savior and new friend, laughing warmly and shoving James lightly. "Oh yeah? What could you do to me?" he asked. James cast him a shifty glance from the corners of his eyes, and dove toward Jasper, tickling his sides playfully. "I'll make you die laughing!" he said as Jasper buckled under his small torment, laughing hysterically. "Had enough punk?" James asked with a smirk. Jasper fingered his chin thoughtfully and nodded. "Yeah, can we go for a walk? I hate being cooped up inside!" the boy replied vivaciously. James smiled warmly and helped Jasper out of bed. "Sure, we'll go down to the courtyard," James said leading the small boy outside by his hand. Jasper seemed delighted by the fountain, dashing over to it as soon as it was visible. "Oh! Who's the pretty lady?" he asked pointing, failing to notice Misty standing behind it. James did, and smiled slyly at her as she strolled casually over to him. "Well, introduce yourself," James said happily. Jasper looked up at James blankly in confusion so he crouched by the boy's side lovingly and turned him gingerly by the shoulders too face Misty. She bowed elegantly in front of him, delighting his childish fantasies. "Oh," he breathed reaching out to touch the sleek fins atop her head. She allowed it, smiling warmly. "Are all James' friends as pretty as you?" Jasper asked in veneration. Misty laughed heartily and put an arm around the boy's shoulders to whisper in his ear. "Nope, I'm the prettiest," she said with a smirk. James frowned sarcastically and swatted her lightly for that remark. "Now now, mustn't be teaching him to be vain now can we?" he asked. "Well then he shouldn't be hanging out with a former member of Team Rocket," Misty replied winking furtively, but her smile soon faded, "well I'd best be off, Jessie told you we're attacking that alliance army right?" James nodded and waved as the mermaid strolled nonchalantly back into the palace. Jasper looked up at James, a baffled look distorting his young features. "Team Rocket?" he asked. James chuckled as they continued on their way. "It's a long story," he mused. Jasper seemed satisfied with this, and asked questions about other things in the palace and James and his other friends, until the young man became concerned about the boy's uncannily jovial attitude. He decided to put his mind at ease and took Jasper aside beside a small brook that ran through the gardens at the back of the palace. "Jasper, sit down pal, I need to talk to you," he said seriously. Jasper sat immediately, rolling backward through a patch of Cerise's favorite flowers and laughing joyously, which caused James' frown to deepen. Finally realizing the severity of what his friend had to say, Jasper sidled close to him affectionately. James sighed, and ran his hand through Jasper's hair. "You know that your parents, didn't make it out of your village right?" he asked slowly. Jasper nodded practically. "Yeah, I watched them get killed," he said remorsefully. "Don't you miss them?" James asked, concerned. "No, not really, they didn't really love me, and I don't even think I was their kid. Besides, you can take care of me now! Right?" Jasper said embracing James with his uninjured arm. James hugged the boy back lovingly. "I'll take care of you Jasper, I promise you that." @->->- "What?!" Rill shrieked at the cowering minion bowing and begging for mercy before him. Night had long since fallen on that day, and all slept peacefully in Vertigo palace, but the Alliance army headed by Rill had heard of their plans to attack them, and was preparing for the assault. "I tell you, it was Nightwing who let the two messengers to escape!" the soldier wailed, "please don't kill me! I'm merely the person who picked the short straw!" Rill rubbed his rough chin thoughtfully, and smirked. "I will not kill you," he said evenly, "but only if you bring me that treacherous murderous bastard here in less than five minutes!" The soldier shrieked shrilly and dashed out of the tent with a small flurry of dust. Rill fumed quietly, mentally counting off the five minutes he had allotted to fetch the insolent assassin. The original man returned quickly, with several others, dragging a kicking screaming and protesting Nightwing into the tent. The young man cried out sharply in pain as he was struck firmly in the back with the blunt end of a spear and thrown roughly at Rill's feet. The general snorted condescendingly, and crossed his arms across his scrawny chest. "Well well well, we meet again," he chortled. Nightwing looked up, and grinned with relish. "Man, so Eratus finally bit the dust, who could've known he'd be succeeded by someone who wouldn't know how to lead an army if I told him!" he said, amused. Rill snapped his fingers and a whip from an unseen location cracked down upon Nightwing's back, silencing him for the moment. "You have betrayed Vinetra and the Alliance by letting the messengers go, and for this unforgivable crime, you will die in the worst way possible," Rill hissed through clenched teeth. "What are you gonna do? Talk me to death?" Nightwing asked raising an eyebrow. "Or perhaps you'll force me to watch you undress, the gods know that'll kill a man, but that might be too quick a death, too painless, you'll want to try something different," Nightwing said coolly. Rill howled in rage, pointing a long bony finger towards Nightwing accusingly. "Slit the traitors wrists! Then toss him into the woods to wander! When he is too weak from loss of blood to go any further, the wild Pokemon will devour him while he still lives," he snarled. Nightwing smiled as the same guards who had dragged him in, roughly hauled him out. "I'll be glad to be rid of you, you wormy skeleton son of a bitch!" he called and Rill clenched his teeth at the final insult from his arch enemy. "Well at least he's gone, now I can get back to my planning." Later that night, Nightwing, who had been dragged far away from the camp, looked balefully at the other man who held a blade to his wrist, his hand shaking, unable to cut it. He had once considered that man a friend to him, but if he valued his life he would not betray Rill. "I...I can't do it, you're my friend," he moaned. Nightwing smiled. "Well Marcus, at least you'll still have your tattoo," he said cheerfully pointing to the dragon coiled around the soldier's neck. "You too," he replied pointing to Nightwing's namesake, two black and jagged, roughly wing-shaped tattoos on either side of his face. "Well, best get on with it," Nightwing encouraged, and gritted his teeth as he felt cold steel cut through the flesh underneath his wrist. "I did it the wrong way, it should give you some time to find help," Marcus whispered. Nightwing smiled, despite his dizziness and the blood dripping slowly from the wound. "Thanks...My friend, now get your ass back to camp before that bastard kills you," he said pointing. Marcus nodded, and mounted his shaggy horse, waving a final and fond farewell to his friend, and urged the horse skillfully over the thick underbrush. Nightwing watched him go, and staggered backward until he found the support of a tree, sliding down it to rest on the cold forest floor. He gently turned his slashed wrist over and winced at the ugly purple wound leaking hot red blood onto his tawny pants and boots. He gritted his teeth as the torn flesh scraped against itself as he lowered the hand to his thigh, and freed his green cloak from behind him. He gently eased a dagger from its home on the inside of his boot and roughly slashed a long thin strip of thick ivy fabric. He bound his wrist tightly and painfully, all the while feeling the color slowly leave his face through the wound. He sighed in mild relief as he completed the crude tourniquet, and moved his functional hand to the gold charm of the alliance the held the cloak to his body. It was an imprint of an elaborate leaf Vinetra had chosen and his lips curled in malice as he thought of her. "Never again, you betrayed me, as you have all of Aradain, what a fool I was to believe in you," he snarled and tore the flimsy metal clasps from his throat. They broke easily, and he shuddered at the sudden rush of cold air along his back as the symbol of his crushed loyalty fell to the forest floor. He threw the tiny gold disk as far into the brush as it would go, clenching his teeth bitterly in rage and against the icy air. Deciding he would rather wear alliance green than freeze to death, he pulled the dense garment around his shoulders gratefully, shivering in want of warmth. He clutched the ends of the cape together at the nape of his neck as he pushed himself weakly from the ground using only his legs. He rested against his tree, catching his breath, his icy gray eyes shut tightly in pain. "May the seven powers have mercy on my soul," he muttered as he staggered to a standing position, and forced himself to put on foot in front of the other, as he started his way into the forest. The sentinel standing guard in one of the twin watch towers protecting Vertigo palace yawned broadly as the platinum sun slowly began to peek over the mountain ranges that mothered the Neonthian sea. He knocked an arrow into his bow in boredom and pointed it towards a nearby tree, letting go of the shaft nonchalantly. It struck with a sickening sound and wobbled into its place neatly before the silence of morning again settled over Vertigo. He watched a few cerulean feathers swirl in a light breeze and snorted quietly. "That guy makes more of a mess than I do," he muttered yawning again. He used the motion of his chest to fall forward onto the railing, dangling his arms out into space, and cringing at the feeling of blood gathering in his fingertips. "Well, this is what I get for taking the night shift," he groaned flipping over to arch his stiff back over the cool, smooth wood. It snapped in several places and he sighed in relief, scratching his stomach in the process. The guard's peace was to be short lived, for a rustle of green caught the corner of his vision and he was instantly on his feet again, aiming the loaded crossbow with a shaking hand toward the disturbance. "W...Who goes there?" he asked in a faltering voice. The brush rustled weakly one last time as a young man, clad in the green cloak of the alliance fell forward from them onto his stomach, his pale face twisted in agony, and the clothes stained with blood. The guard lowered his weapon, turning to face the other tower. "Someone get him into the palace! We could use a captured alliance soldier!" he called. The other man nodded and descended the stairs to the ground to retrieve the injured man. James jumped as his door was flung open, startling an already awake Jasper. "Ow my shoulder!" he cried. James gasped and put a hand to it tenderly. "Oh Jasper! I'm so sorry! You okay?" he cried. Jasper inhaled sharply in pain, but smiled in relief as the pain subsided. "Ugh, yeah I'm fine," he muttered. Jessie, who had stood in the doorway waiting for a response from James finally snapped her fingers sharply. He jumped and turned to look at her scowling. "What?" he asked, irked at his rude awakening. "Well James, if I may turn your attention away from your honorary son for a moment I have some wonderful news," Jessie said smugly. "James I'm still sleepy," Jasper whined, tugging gently on James' sleeve. James smiled warmly and laid the boy back down in the bed. "You sleep longer, I won't be far away, just downstairs, okay?" he said tenderly. Jasper yawned groggily and pulled the blanket tightly around his chin, and Jessie smiled warmly as James kissed him lightly on the forehead and stood up, moving to his closet for a change of clothes, tripping over the many soiled garments he had neglected to take down to the wash room. He selected an outfit and grabbed his boots from the next to his closet and followed Jessie as she walked out into the hallway. "You really love him don't you?" Jessie asked putting an arm around James' shoulders. James chuckled. "He loves me like a father, so why shouldn't he get it back?" he replied. "Wow, I wish I had someone to love me that much, it must feel good," Jessie mused. James bit his tongue, resisting the urge to tell Jessie that, yes, she did and always had someone to love her that much, and simply nodded. Jessie led the way down to the wing of the palace where her room was located, and stopped at a door James did not recognize. "We caught ourselves a traitor," she whispered with relish as she turned the knob, and slowly pushed the door open. James regarded his friend quizzically as he peered cautiously at the slight form that now rested in the bed, a wrist bandaged in already bloodstained strips of white cloth being tended to by Misty. "God, if we don't stop this bleeding we're going to lose him," she muttered tying the bandages tighter. James gasped in terror, half at her horribly obvious, at least to him, incorrectness, at attempting to save the young man's life. "Misty move I'm taking over, go find Ash and an arrowhead," he said moving to the young man's side and shoving her rudely out of the way. "James?" she stuttered, surprised to see him, "uh, okay, but why?" James began unwrapping the wrist and the stricken youth groaned in pain. "Just do it, and hurry. I know how to save his life, basic Team Rocket field first aide, we have to cauterize the wound or he'll bleed to death even through the bandages. He was lucky though, his wrist is slit the wrong way," he mused pressing a thumb hard against the torn flesh. Misty looked to Jessie, who grinned at the knowledge that she also possessed, and shrugged, dashing out of the room to find Ash. Jessie knelt beside James pressing her thumb against the side of the wound that James' would not cover, and bit her tongue in concentration. "We learned this the hard way eh Jess?" James mused. "Yeah, and we managed to save you, perhaps we can save this loyal bastard too," Jessie replied. "Well, he will have valuable information, hopefully, if not Cerise will have him killed," James muttered disdainfully. Jessie simply nodded in response, and they waited impatiently until their ears heard the sweet sound of the door being opened and Ash's footsteps. "Hey, what do you need me and this for?" he asked holding out the arrow the second he thought Jessie and James were listening. James beckoned him to his side with a bloody hand and Ash knelt by him somberly. "Listen Ash, I need you to heat the tip until it's white, then give the arrow to me," he said sternly. Ash nodded dumbly and held only the sharp metal head of the arrow in his palm tightly. His hand glowed briefly with heat and he removed the arrow, revealing a wooden shaft with an otherworldly white tip. "Here, hold it down low," Ash instructed, and James took the wooden shaft gratefully. "Jessie...Hold him still," he said with such authority, Jessie knew that the silence of the room would be shattered momentarily. She moved her hand away from the slit wrist and pinned the young man's shoulders to the bed. James swallowed hard, remembering the feeling of bleeding to death, and pressed the smoldering arrow to the man's wrist. He screamed in agony, opening his steel gray eyes wide for the first time he had arrived in Vertigo. He lurched forward, attempting to rid his wrist of the searing pain, and his nose of the scent of his own singed flesh, and the pain finally did stop when James decided the wound was sealed enough. "Now, get me some bandages," he said sharply, looking to Misty. She nodded dumbly and scurried out of the room. Jessie grinned smugly and took her spot next to James back. "Well James, this'll be another life you've saved," she mused. "Yeah, perhaps one day I can save yours, and then we'll be even," he replied wiping the last trickles of crimson from the young man's wrist. He turned to him and frowned at the still twisted expression on his face. "Hey pal, can ya hear me?" he asked quietly. The only response was a low groan, as he weakly tried to pull his injured wrist into his side. James held it firmly in place, and stood, putting the back of his hand to the man's forehead, nodding approvingly. "Well he doesn't have a fever, I do believe he'll make it," he said happily. Misty returned with fresh bandages, and James bound the wrist securely. "He'll have a nasty scar, but he'll live," he assured her and all present in the room heaved a sigh of relief. James looked furtively down to his hand, where the once angry red scars lacing it were finally fading to a pale white and closed it tightly, grateful to still have it. "I should know," he said to himself and looked fondly down at the man he had saved. As if in response, he opened his eyes ever so slightly and glared up at his savior. "You fool," he muttered. This got the attention of the small group and they all turned to face him. "Got a name?" Ash asked impulsively. "Nightwing, what's it to you?" the man answered bitterly. Jessie and James gasped as they remembered their old friend from the forest and scowled at him disconcertingly. "Well, Nightwing, why were we so wrong in saving your life? Even after you were so quick to jeopardize ours? You should be grateful anyone takes pity on you," James said placing his hands angrily on his hips, the feathers at the crests of his wings bristling slightly. "Because the resistance doesn't have a chance, and I'm just going to die here like the rest of you idiots!" Nightwing answered sitting up slightly. The color drained from his face at this, but he managed to erect an air of nobility about him. "What the hell are you talking about?" Ash asked joining in the interrogation. "They know where you are and they march now! This puny little resistance town doesn't stand a chance against Rill and Vinetra!" he said angrily. As if to prove Nightwing's point, a knoll sounded in the distance, and a great commotion rose in the courtyard as orders began to filter their way above the rest of the panicked voices. Everyone jumped as the door was flung wide open and Cerise dashed in with a pink blur of her dress. "Guys! Get out to the courtyard now! Vertigo is being attacked by the alliance! We don't stand a chance without you!" she cried, her face flushed with anxiety and stress. Jessie gripped her stomach as it twisted suddenly at the mention of the battle and sunk to her knees with a small yelp of pain. "Oh, Jessie!" James gasped catching her before she collapsed to the floor. "Jessie!" Ash cried rushing along with Misty to her side, "you okay?" She put a hand to her forehead and rubbed her eyes, squeezing them shut in pain. "Y...Yeah, I'm fine," she replied. James' look of concern deepened as she gripped at her stomach again, this time, opening her eyes in a furious attempt to ward of the pain. "Get me up," she demanded curtly, and James gently draped her arm around his shoulders, standing himself and taking her with him. She stood in utter perplexity, the sheer terror she had felt so suddenly still gnawing at the back of her mind. "Ash, Misty, you go on, we'll be there in a second," James said sitting Jessie down on the end of Nightwing's bed. The duo nodded, and Cerise led them out of the room as quickly as when she had entered. He stroked her cheekbone affectionately as the color slowly but surely returned to her face. "You okay now?" he asked sincerely concerned. Jessie smiled at him and stood on her own accord. "Yeah, fine, now shall we kick some alliance ass?" she asked vigorously. James smiled back as he stood to join her. "Ready when you are Jess!" he replied, and they followed Cerise's flight, gathering their weapons on the way. The entire group stood in waiting for them as they finally reached the courtyard, fully dressed and armed. "'Bout time you got here! Now let's go! Innocent people are losing their lives as we speak!" Pikachu piped from Ash's shoulder. "They're just over the ridge, the resistance army we managed to scrape together is ready for you, and good luck, and may the seven powers protect you. Please, hurry now," Cerise announced, motioning for the gates of the palace to be opened. They did so at their normal slow pace, but that morning it seemed almost like a prediction, a presage of events to come, creaking and moaning mournfully. The group bid a tacit farewell to Cerise and Vertigo palace and proceeded out of the gate, where they knew not what awaited them. They had been trained extensively on their swords as well as their powers for the months they had occupied Vertigo and had been unmolested, but they still felt unprepared to face anything affiliated with the cruel queen they had met when they had first arrived in Aradain. Though most still felt uncomfortable with a sword, James was by far the most skilled and cunning warrior armed with a blade of the group. He had fallen in love with the elegant weapon the instant it had been placed in his hands, and had trained vivaciously with it. He thought it just, however, since he lacked any sufficient powers for fighting, and saw no other reason for it. Too soon for the group, the ridge came into view, the mass of the resistance army lined obediently under the strict word of a decorated soldier astride a noble horse at the front. He bowed respectively to the messengers and took his place in the ranks as Ash sauntered judiciously to the front. "Today, your skills will be tested! Lives will be lost, but they will be honored as heroes in the hearts of those who will be liberated by our efforts! Fight with vigor! Fight for the goodness of the rightful rule for Aradain! Fight for your freedom!" Ash cried raising the fire blade as he spoke. A cheer of agreement rose from the crowd as the rest of the messengers raised their blades in valor to meet Ash's in the air. The stones in the tips sparkled with life and James smiled as he looked down the makeshift row, but that quickly faded. All the stones had sparked to life, all except for Jessie's. "Just the sun's not hitting it right from this angle, that's all," he assured himself and turned to the most terrifying sight he had yet seen in his new world. The alliance army slowly began to materialize, a living breathing entity, writhing in a huddled mass opposite their edge of the small valley. The sun glinted off the small river that ran through it, bounced off it and reflected the light from resistance blade and shield, to alliance blade and shield, filling the area with an eerie foreboding light. "When I give word we charge," Ash hissed. There was no answer save for the silent, yet mutual nod. A single glint was seen by all as the man, astride a noble steed situated at the head of Vinetra's army raised his blade to meet the challenge, hollering something indecipherable. Though no one understood the few words the leader said, they understood very well the wave of men that poured from over the ridge like a tsunami of destruction. "For the powers, and the resistance!" Ash screamed charging forward. "Resistance!" the rest of the messengers echoed and followed their leader. There was a dull roar of voices that sounded in the still platinum light of early morning, the mist of the valley muffling most of it, but there was not a Pokemon, nor human in the area that did not cry out in anguish when the first steel met steel in the first battle of the two opposing political sides of Aradain. Blood was upon the hands of James nearly instantly as he met the challenge of the alliance, driving the blade of the wind swiftly through the nearest soldier's gut. It he pulled it out swiftly with a sickening sound, and ducked as a nearby soldier succumbed to Pikachu's mighty thunder shock attack, heightened in power considerably. James smiled at the rodent, finding only slightly ironic that he had just saved a former enemy's life. "Don't just gawk James! Fight!" he instructed, felling another assailant. James nodded, stabbing a soldier in the back, relieving a resistance man of a threat. "You!" he looked up suddenly to see a very familiar, and at the same time very unpleasant face. "You!" he echoed recognizing Rill, the man who had been at the alliance camp when he and Jessie had been captured. Rill dismounted his horse and sent it running, not caring where. "So we meet again, this time, you and your precious girl will not escape with your lives!" he hissed and lunged forward, blade aimed at James' heart. He parried the blow, deflecting it to one side deftly. "You'll have to do better than that!" he said with relish, striking back. Metal clashed against its own kind, crying out in protest and Rill was forced to step back. "All skeleton and no muscle I see!" James mused, squirming under the pressure of the disquieting stalemate. "I've just begun!" Rill shouted throwing the locked swords to the side. Jessie spilled the entrails of an alliance soldier with relish, finally clearing her path for the moment and wiped her brow, looking up to see her flame laced companion. Ash seemed to be fine, roasting a small group with a well-aimed blast of fire from the palm of his hand, and for the moment it seemed the resistance would prevail, until she heard James cry out in pain. "Huh? James?!" she called cupping her hands to project her voice. "If anything's happened to him I'll-" she stopped as she witnessed her friend fall to the ground under the boot of the man she recognized from the alliance camp. Rill touched the tip of his blade to James' throat grinning broadly, and the winged young man shut his eyes, awaiting the inevitable. "Too bad, you really put up quite a fight, but I must say it's pretty pathetic for one of the 'great' messengers!" he mused drawing a small drop of blood. "You lowlife son of a bitch, do you have a shred of dignity in you?" James asked spitefully. Rill looked up, cocked his head to one side thoughtfully and grinned. "No," he answered. James opened his eyes and spotted the blade of the wind lying in the blood stained grass a mere few feet away and tensed as he felt Rill's sword trace down his chest lightly. "I'll make sure you die slowly and painfully," he mused twirling the tip gently on the metal inlays of James' armor, "move and I'll gut you slowly." "Yep," James agreed, noting Rill's undefended legs, "the feeling is mutual!" His leg shot out, tripping the thin man who stood above him, the sword toppling harmlessly at James' side before he scrambled to his feet, snatching his blade from the ground. Rill snarled in contempt as he found himself at the mercy of his former captor his eyes laced with the fire of hate. "You have beaten me, kill me in the fashion you see fit," he muttered, closing in his eyes in anticipation of death. Instead, his ears resounded with the hiss of metal against leather as James re- sheathed his sword. Rill opened his eyes to see James' back and wings moving away slowly, and sat up to his knees, grabbing his sword greedily into his palm. "Coward! Why do you not kill me!?" he shouted. James stopped turning over his shoulder, and smiled as he saw Jessie watching him, overjoyed to see him safe. "Because I have a sense of honor," he replied and continued on his path. Jessie's eyes turned from her friend to Rill, as he stood, in what seemed like slow motion, sword poised for the kill. "Bastard! I'll kill you!" he shouted as loud as his lungs would allow and lunged for James. Jessie, completely disregarding her own safety, reached out to James as she sprinted in his direction. "James! No!" she cried throwing herself in front of the enraged alliance captain. He roared in anger, and all James heard as time slowed to a near stop, was a small, feminine gasp of pain and the sickening crunch of metal passing through flesh. His jaw fell open as he whirled around to look behind him and his vision clouded with sheer terror at what his eyes met with. Jessie and Rill stood in the same position they had been in, Rill lunging forward, but his blade had found a different mark than he had intended and it now stood driven deeply through Jessie's stomach, the sharpened tip protruding grotesquely far from her back. "James... Ughnnn..." she moaned as Rill put a foot harshly next his blade, removing the impaled Jessie from it with a forceful and condescending shove of his boot. "No!" James cried as she hit the ground with an unnatural thud, blood already forming a pool beneath her. James dropped to his knees at her side, and gathered her into his lap with shaking hands. "Jessie? Jessie no! No please! Don't let this happen!" he wailed, tears sliding down his cheeks. She lay still in his arms, and Rill smiled in victory. "Perhaps I will kill you in the most painful way possible," he mused, and sliding his sword back into its home, he walked casually away, leaving Jessie and James. A sob escaped James' throat as Jessie didn't respond to his pleas and he shook her gently, hoping to awaken her. "Please don't leave me Jessie! You can't do this to me! Don't die Jessie! Don't die!" he wailed. Jessie opened her eyes slightly at this, putting a hand to her wound, followed by James'. She looked up at him balefully, and gently wiped a tear from his cheek with a bloody thumb, leaving a crimson streak. "James, tell me again, about our last days of Team Rocket," she whispered quietly. James held her closer as to hear her softening voice, and drew in a shaky breath. "Well, we screwed up, and the boss-" Jessie interrupted him, "no, I want to hear about just you and me, and how we helped each other." James felt a small wave of hot blood flow over his fingers, and he sniffed back the tears to speak. "I was really hurt, but you were there, and you took care of me, and you wouldn't let me die. You never gave up on me, you never let me admit to myself that I was dying, and you saved my life, we pulled through, both of us, together," he said quietly. Jessie nodded and smiled warmly. "We always did everything together didn't we?" she asked gently. "Yes Jessie we did, and we still will, you'll make it Jessie, just like you did for me, I won't let you die," James hissed through clenched teeth. Jessie shed a single tear, pressing her hands against the profusely bleeding wound harder, squeezing her eyes shut in pain as she felt a trickle of blood run from the corner of her mouth. "I'm not going to make it James," she said somberly, spitting the coppery taste out of her mouth. James stifled a wail of agony and worked his fingers into hers. "No, you will, I won't let you die. I won't! You didn't give up on me, I won't give up on you!" he said. "Say goodbye James, please, for me," Jessie begged. James let the tears fall more freely resting his forehead against Jessie's pale and chilled one. "I'll never say goodbye, ever, because you'll never leave me, you only say goodbye if you're never going to see someone again," he answered bitterly. Jessie thought for a brief moment, before attaining a furious air of nobility. "James, if you're truly my friend, draw my sword," she instructed, her voice growing softer as the essence of life slowly flowed from her body. James did so, and the purple stone flashed dully and somberly at its dying owner. As if it knew what to do, James felt it pull itself into the ground, lodging there securely and Jessie smiled at it warmly. She tightened her grip of James' hand and stared straight into his panicked emerald eyes. "James, listen, and listen carefully, I'm not going to last much longer, but I want you to run, Ash is going to call a retreat in just a few seconds, and I don't want you to take me. I'm going to die, and it's too late," Jessie said sternly. "No! No, you will not die, and I won't leave you!" James protested. Jessie motioned toward the battlefield where they both witnessed a resistance soldier fall to the wrath of a green cloaked demon. Ash was revealed behind them, and he narrowly avoided a beheading before stabbing the alliance soldier sharply through the abdomen. "Ash we can't hold out much longer! We've got to get out of here!" Brock called. Ash gritted his teeth, obviously thinking, and sheathed his sword. "Retreat! Everyone get out of here now!" he screamed. What few resistance soldiers heard him fled instantly and Ash ushered them towards the palace, noting that two of his companions were missing. "Misty! Get them back, I'm going to find Jessie and James!" Ash called valiantly over the commotion of the fleeing soldiers. "Right!" she answered as Ash instantly spotted the two comrades, noting in particular the now red grass beneath them. "Shit, oh god please no! Jessie!" he cried sliding on his knees to kneel beside her. His suspicions were confirmed, however, as she regarded him sternly. "Ash, get James out of here," she said weakly. Ash stifled his own sobs as he acknowledged to futileness of her situation and Jessie closed her eyes and fell limp in James' arms as Ash hauled him to his feet. "I'll always be with you James, and I'll always be your best friend." James wailed her name repeatedly in anguish as he heard her last words to him, reaching out for her as Ash dragged him away. "Jessie! No! Please! Don't let this happen! Don't do this to me! Jessie! Jessie!" "Rill? Um, aren't we going to follow them?" a lowly soldier at his side asked. "Naw, lets let them wallow in their defeat, they can stew over the death of one of the messengers, and we will celebrate our step closer to victory of all of Aradain!" he replied, beckoning his army to follow him to a victory party at camp. Jessie's vision slowly faded to black as death overcame her and, struggling to open her eyes, she held James in her vision one last time. She closed them willingly now that she had seen him again, allowing her mind to slip away, her last thoughts a message to her best friend. "Goodbye... James."