Title: Sad
Author: Shadow/Phantomness
Pairing: Championshipping (Lance x Red)
Fandom: Pokémon
Theme: #84, Sad

Rating: PG
Disclaimer: Pokemon belongs to Nintendo and Shogakukan Comics. This non-profit, non-copyright infringing fanfiction belongs to me under international copyright laws and taking it is plagiarism. Thank you. *Phantomness bows*

Notes: <> for telepathy, ** for thoughts, italics if a pokemon talks

Warnings: AU, het

 

            It’s the right and proper thing to do, so they wear somber black and cut their hair short, and mourn for their dead cousin.

            Red privately thinks that it’s a waste.

            If she were to be honest, she would say that she did not care when Darius died. After all, there are at least forty children in their extended family and the absence of one matters little, no matter what their parents think.

            Moreover, she was a girl, so no one would cry for her.

 

            If it were Lance who was gone, that would be a different matter.

            Lance is her cousin, who is five years older than her and wears sleek black silk. He caries blades on his wrists and ties his long red hair up with jeweled hairpins.

            Red thinks he is prettier than any of her five sisters, who twitter like little hummingbirds and make eyes every time a boy comes to visit. She doesn’t understand why they want to get married so badly. She used to have three more sisters, but they got married and moved far, far away.

           

            They sit in his room together, and she whispers, and Lance nods, and his eyes are bright gold, but when Red finishes, he kisses her on both cheeks and tells her not to worry. She nods.

            And she doesn’t worry. She probably should, since there is a war raging outside their citadel and every day people are carried back in, dead and dying, but she is still too young to fight, and the wrong gender at that.

            Their father would surrender before allowing women on the battlefield. It would shame the whole family, he says loudly. And even though the men are dying, and teens are heading out onto the bloody fields, she is safe.

            Part of the time, she feels like a coward. For the rest of the time, she understands the wisdom in his decision – or pretends to.

 

            Lance is different. He wears golden armor and flashes like a star on the battlefield, and no one ever hits him. Red isn’t sure why. Lance carries a shield and sword like everyone else, but if they make him drop anything his hairpins will flash into the other’s eyes before they can react. She has seen him do it on assassins. And besides, he’s good with a blade.

            He wears a lot of hairpins, but they are all razor-sharp and very useful.

            Red doesn’t think that her cousin will be dying for a long, long time.

            That makes her feel better.

           

            Its too bad Lance has to cut his hair to mourn, and that’s the only thing that really makes Red feel worried.

            Isn’t that sad?

            She hugs him, and tries not to cry when she sees the mass of long hair lying on the floor of his room. Stupid Darius! Now, it will take months, if not years, for his crimson locks to grow out again.

            He kisses her on the forehead, and she cuddles closer. And she cries for him, because someday, he may be gone too.

 

End Fic

Completed 10/9/06

Edited 10/9/09

Ah, Pokemon Mystery Dungeon… is rather boring once you finish the game. I’m not sure why I can train Pokémon for hours on Leaf Green and not feel bored and yet can’t get through a thirty-floor dungeon without feeling frustrated…

 

Vastly AU, I was thinking Troy and the Trojan War…

 

Lance: Ah

Red: *Hugs Lance*

Phantomness: I’m bored…