Title: Mu
Author: Shadow/Phantomness
Pairing: Championshipping (Lance x Red/Ash)
Fandom: Pokémon
Theme: #58, Memory
Rating: PG-13
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: Fanon, implied shonen-ai

Forgetting wasn’t enough. The memories danced behind his eyes the moment he closed them, betrayal painted blood-dark, and the pills were no longer effective. He could flee, he could run and hide, but no matter how well he hid, he would always be found. There was no way to avoid him forever. Death was not an option either. The moment death struck, he would remember it all just the same, and the next cycle, things would continue and he would never, ever be free of it.

Lance knelt on the floor of his luxurious suite in Indigo Plateau, hair brushing his shoulders as he stared dully at the carpet.

There was nothing he could do…

He was caught and trapped, spun in a web of his own making, spell-words a thousand lifetimes ago digging sharp claws into his wrists, flaying his soul to bits every time everything was less than perfect. Perfection was a lie, Lance knew now, and he stood tiredly, glancing towards the window where the moonlight winked madness over a young couple intertwined in love’s desire.

How poetic.

Lance was no longer quite sure whether it hurt more to live or to die. Even madness was no refuge, and his emotions wouldn’t damp to apathy.

He sighed, and concentrated, felt the wings appear, before everything shifted and he stood before Serebii. The guardian was not alone – the new legendaries from Shinou had taken their places. Parukia. Diaruga. Aruseus.

He did not need to speak – they were all talented enough, brilliant enough to know what he was going through.

It was his fault, after all.

Guardians weren’t supposed to fall in love, even with another guardian, and now he was paying the price.

He would gladly pay for eternity.

It wouldn’t be death if he chose this road, not quite, but if he tried hard enough he would never, ever wake again. He used to think it was a punishment, once upon a lifetime, but now, he knew it was a reward.

It was an ending.

He wanted it.

The shadows crawled hungrily over his form, and he felt his power split away, torn into pieces and shards and new creatures, but the pain was negligible compared to the emotional distress that had driven him to this point.

It was unraveling.

A fallen guardian would dissolve, spun into lifelines, and become the very fabric of reality, indistinguishable from what once was and what would be. He would never wake again, never face another reincarnation, and never have to feel again.

Nothingness.

It would be wonderful…

He would be forgotten, eventually. The tales would still pass on, the stories and legends of the past would endure, but Ash – Ash wouldn’t know.

Ash wouldn’t care.

Ash would never even remember him.

And now, Lance would have the same luxury.

End Fic

Started 5/22/07

Completed 5/26/07

… Because after my fluff-fest, I needed angst, and Lance is my favorite victim character so! ^^

Mu = nothingness in Japanese (Thank you Death Note!) And there was really no way to make this fluffy, though I wonder if I could possibly sequel-ize it, and how…