Title: Fallen Angel
Author: Shadow/Phantomness
Pairing: Championshipping (Lance x Ash/Red)
Fandom: Pokémon
Theme: #89, Fallen Angel
Rating: R
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, Shonen-ai, Vampires, implied sex

Red struggled up the hill, the objects in his pack clanking against each other as he toiled up the high plateau. He knew that what he was doing was pretty much suicidal, but he didn’t care. The village council had voted to offer his best friend Misty to the dark angel that lived near their town, in exchange for a good harvest, but Misty was… well…

He didn’t want something like that to happen to her! The young men and women sent to the dark angel were never returned, and it was common opinion that they were eaten on sight.

Red shuddered.

There was another, more selfish reason, why he was doing this. He had been an orphan, and now that Misty was gone, her lecherous sisters Daisy, Violet and Lily were free to do with him, as they liked. He had no doubt what those shameless hussies had in store, and death seemed preferable to a bleak future as a sex toy.

Perhaps this way next year no one else would have to die. Many of the families in the village had moved away, but others were callous enough to kill a child each year to ensure bountiful harvest. And the rains did come, and the weather was fair, and many men grew rich off good crop harvests, but – they had no children to sacrifice, and fattened off the blood of others.

By the time he reached the plateau top, the sun was setting, painting the craggy rocks in faint purple. There was a reason why this outcropping was known as Indigo Plateau, and though he was frightened, Red had to admit that the view was spectacular. He spent a few minutes catching his breath and watching the sunset, before he boldly walked up to the crumbling castle ruins.

There were creatures there, all wearing collars of black wood. They hissed or growled as he approached, but made no move to attack. Red found this quite odd, as he padded through the fallen walls until he reached the living quarters. A heavy knocker of bronze in the shape of an eagle’s head glinted, and Red reached out a hand to touch it.

The moment he did so, a shrill cry rent the air. Red spun around, reaching for the knife in his pack, but strangely enough, nothing happened. Feeling rather foolish, he sat on the front steps, until footsteps sounded.

The woman who opened the door wore a black tunic and trousers, but he recognized her face and her long purple hair. She was … “Lorelei?”

“Red? What are you doing here?” She asked. Her voice was colder than he had remembered, and her body fuller, but these details were negligible.

“You’re alive?”

“Of course I’m alive. Why would I not be?”

“B-But you were sacrificed…”

“Oh come in and I’ll explain it. He’ll be home soon.”

Red blinked, but followed Lorelei. They passed through a hall carpeted in rushes, walls covered with tapestries in shades of green, before proceeding to a wing of living quarters. Lorelei entered the first door, revealing to Red a sumptuous bedchamber.

Red felt a little uneasy standing in such fine furnishings covered with dust, but Lorelei seemed not to notice.

“No, I’m not dead. None of us are.”

“You mean Falkner, Karen, Morty, and Will are all alive? My cousins are too? Erika and Sabrina?”

“Yes, though they’re sleeping.”

Sleeping. Red could hardly imagine it. At home, all the children would still be hard at work, doing chores. Here, it seemed, they lived in the lap of luxury. His brain refused to comprehend such a thing.

“What do they say in the village, Red?”

Red flushed. “That you all got eaten since none of you come back.”

Lorelei poured tea for them both, snapped her fingers, causing Red’s eyes to widen as a large plate covered with delicious pastries appeared.

“Here, eat up. You look starved. Did you climb all the way up here?”

“Y-Yes.”

“Why? Misty already came last night. She was blubbering all the way up, but she’s resting now and soon she’ll get used to it.”

“I don’t understand at all.” Red said, between bites of a glazed apricot torte. He finished chewing and swiftly moved on to a chocolate éclair.

“Well,” Lorelei paused, “Maybe I shouldn’t tell you. Because once you know the truth, you can never leave the Plateau.”

In truth, that did not seem a very grave objection to Red. “I have nothing waiting for me in the village, Lorelei.”

Lorelei blinked. “Are your parents dead then?”

“Both of them were wiped out in the bloody flu that swept through three years ago… you were already gone…”

“Oh I’m sorry…. I didn’t know.”

“It’s not your fault!”

Lorelei poured more tea, and began to speak.

“We don’t go home any more because we cannot. If they knew of the power stored here, than they would claim it. You know how greedy the village council is.”

Red found no fault with that. The six men were all enormously fat and grew richer each year.

“When we are brought here, we are… awakened. We become more in tune to things… for example,” Lorelei smiled, “We discover previously hidden talents.”

“Like how those biscuits…”

“A bit. That’s just the natural magic in the castle.”

Red looked around, astonished. Magic?

“I can… I can do what he does now. I can bring rain and snow and sleet, and control the weather. But think, Red. If I returned to the village and did that, would it really help?”

“No…”

“It’s the same with the others, though not all of our gifts are equally – useful in the eyes of our parents. Sabrina can talk to birds, and Erika can talk to plants. Morty and Karen can see perfectly in the pitch-black night, and hide so silently they are never noticed, but…”

“But it’s not profitable? Is that why you don’t go home?”

“We’re afraid to be used only for money.”

“Not everyone in the village is bad, Lorelei!”

“I’m not the one you will have to convince.” Lorelei said dryly. “Even my parents would sell me out for a pouch of gold. Didn’t yours?”

Red fidgeted uncomfortably, neither confirming nor denying the statement.

Lorelei opened her mouth to say more, but closed it with a smile. “Oh, he’s back. It’s time for dinner.”

Blinking, Red followed her down to the Great Hall. A grand feast had been spread, and he saw the other children approaching, all dressed similarly in dark tunics and pants. They exchanged greetings, and took seats along the table. A moment later, the doors opened, and the dark angel strode in.

It was the first time Red had gotten a glimpse of him, and he stared, fascinated. The man was slim, dressed in a tunic and pants of pure white. A circlet of gold glittered in his long red hair, which fell to his waist. Wings of black feather were folded neatly against his back. He sat down at the head of the table, and raised a hand. Without a word, all of the others nodded once.

“It seems we have a guest today.” His voice was warm, intoxicating, and Red felt his cheeks growing warm, as if he had taken a drink of brandy. “Welcome.”

Lorelei nudged him, and he nodded quickly. Seemingly satisfied, the man lowered his hand and all began to eat.

The food was savory, flavored with exactly the right amount of spices. Red ate hungrily, forgetting that he had already dined earlier with Lorelei. No one else seemed to notice – they all ate heartily, even Misty, who was sitting three seats down, pale in the face but no longer sad.

They ate and ate, until finally, the last desserts were cleared away. Now the table sank down into the floor, and the rushes were replaced with gleaming marble. Somewhere, an orchestra began to play dance tunes, and they all began to dance.

Such a strange sight, and Red found himself participating, whirling through the room nimbly, despite the fact that he had never taken a single dancing lesson in his life. Near the end, he found himself dancing with the dark angel himself.

“Does this place please you?” Lance purred. Red shivered, leaning against the man’s broad chest.

“Yes…”

“You can never go home now, Red.”

“There is nothing for me there.” Red bit back a gasp as Lance pulled him in closer, feeling a slight chill. He was polite, but his hands were cold…

Lance leaned down then, and kissed him once. Red felt this legs grow weak, as he staggered. In the background, music continued to play, but now he paid it no heed.

“I am surprised. No one has ever come freely. For that, your gift shall be magnificent – a reflection of your spirit.”

“Mm…” Red agreed, feeling his eyes grow heavy. There was a sharp pinprick of pain in his throat for a moment, but he did not die. He felt chill spreading through his veins, almost warm, and he snuggled into the dark angel’s arms, willingly surrendering. Doors that had been shut before now opened in his mind, intermittent flashes, and he barely noticed a hand moving between his legs, freeing him…

His clothing had melted, first into fine robes of gossamer silk, and now they parted, but he was unaware, even as his hips lifted of their own volition, even as he was entered and claimed, gentle the first time but brutally hard the second.

Even the pain could not shake him from his haze, and he was unaware as Lance lapped at his spilled blood, cleaning him of all traces, tasting his seed… not even when the wings grew in, dusky gray, not black yet…

He woke up in Lance’s arms, and instinctively, he knew all that had occurred. The food fueled their magic in a never-ending cycle, and now that the light was shining, he could see so many things.

Protest, if any, was quickly stifled, as he felt the elements pool in his fingertips, condensing into a cup of blood. He sipped daintily, as he stroked his lover’s porcelain skin, waiting for him to wake.

When Lance opened his eyes, there was a fallen angel waiting for him, and as they kissed, he tasted only bloodlust and desire.

End Fic

Completed 9/7/06

Red: Creepy!
Phantomness: Why? I thought it was erotic

Lance: ^_^()