Title: Magic and Wizards
Author: Shadow/Phantomness
Pairing: Championshipping (Lance x Red/Ash)
Fandom: Pokémon
Theme: #7, Just like Magic! Or Wizardry
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: AU, shonen-ai, shota

Red sighed as his mother finished the story. She smiled at him, before she tucked him into bed.

“Be a good child now, Red. Sweet dreams.” He heard her footsteps leaving, and he knew that she had gone to check on his little brother, Ash.

There had been great rejoicing when Ash was born five years after Red. All of the neighbors had come and fussed, and the wise old crone from Mt. Chimney had uttered the fateful words.

“This child will have the power to change the world…”

That, of course, had made his parents very excited, for in the midst of a war between Dark and Light, who didn’t wish for a powerful savior? And since his parents were wholly devoted to the Light Side, there was little doubt which course Ash Ketchum was going to take.

Red sighed as he listened to his mother cooing to Ash. True, she wasn’t a bad person, but sometimes he felt as though she loved Ash more. But he was just being ridiculous, wasn’t he?

He sighed as he closed his eyes.

Delia frowned as she glanced at Giovanni.

“Is something wrong?” Giovanni asked, as he watched her fuss over baby Ash.

Delia sighed. “It’s just that sometimes I feel bad.”

“You feel that we should not have struck a deal?” Giovanni remembered well that day. One of the Elite had brought the message personally, swathed in a long cloak with a bone-white mask hiding his face.

The letter had been from the Dark Lord himself, stating that if they wished to stay out of the war; he would allow them safety – until their second-born son was eighteen years of age.

Then, the final battle would be fought.

It had been a hard, hard choice to make, almost as though they were abandoning the cause of the Light, but…

But Delia wanted her children to grow up safe and loved, and so, she and Giovanni had agreed. At the very least, they would train Ash to become a strong wizard, strong enough to take on the Dark Lord, he whose name was forbidden…

So they had agreed. They had not known that the Dark Lord would send his masked servants to their house every so often to check up on them, especially the children, but… by now, they were used to it.

“You make really good cookies!” Red smiled, mouth full of chocolate chip. The Elite sitting next to him nodded – he was wearing full black, so he was one of the closest to the Dark Lord. Those who wore royal purple and forest green were next, then lavender and pale green.

Red smiled, and golden eyes watched him with amusement from behind the mask. Delia shook her head. She hadn’t even suspected there might be something wrong, and soon enough, Red ran upstairs to get his picture books so the Elite could read to him.

How disturbing…

“Does it frighten you?” Giovanni asked.

Delia shook her head. “Maybe it should, but I can’t help but think that they’re wizards…”

“They are. Just on the opposite side. That doesn’t make them any less human, does it?”

“Perhaps not…”

“So, um… what should I call you?”

Lips quirked up in a smirk. “Lance will do.”

“Okay, Lance!” Red hugged him. “You come over a lot, don’t you?”

“Do you dislike it?” He asked, flipping the first page of ‘Little Red Riding Hood’ open. Red shook his head so fast his hair was a messy blur.

“Not at all… mom and dad are much too busy taking care of Ash to play with me… and I can’t have any friends, so…”

“I see.” The Elite smirked, and began to read. Red snuggled into his lap, and Delia smiled as she turned her attention back to Ash, who was playing with his blocks.

He seemed to be the one that came the most, but it made sense, Giovanni thought sourly. The Dark Lord was afraid of Ash, and so, he wanted one of his most loyal servants on hand in case something happened…

He shivered.

“Lance, do you have kids?”

“Heavens, no.” Lance sighed. “I’m much too young to think about starting a family.”

Red blinked up at him. “But you cook well, and you’re nice.”

“If you say so.” The Elite said wryly, before he tensed. There was a feeling in the air… without another word, he pulled Red into his arms and murmured a spell under his breath. Shadows crept from the ground and shielded them both.

A party of four Aurors, dressed in their customary robes of blinding white silk, looked around.

“I thought you were certain he was here.” One of them said.

Another frowned, as he flicked his wand, sending a scatter of purple sparks all over the ground. “Nothing.”

“We had it on good information that he was spending most of his time at the Ketchum’s. Perhaps we’d better head over to the house.” A third said.

That seemed to be a good idea, so they trooped off towards the house. Lance held Red tightly, as the child turned to him with frightened eyes.

“A-Are they going to hurt you?” He asked.

“Most likely.”

Red clung onto Lance. “But I don’t want you to get hurt…”

“They’ll find out where I am, sooner or later.” Lance smiled. “I’m not a good person, Red. I’m sorry, too. I don’t think I’ll be able to take care of you any longer…” With that, he stepped backwards and spread his wings.

Red stared in awe at the sight, before Lance flew away. Only then did he realize what had happened, as tears ran down his cheeks.

Lance…

When he saw the Elite again, it was years later. His brother – Ash – was winning, as blades clashed together and he winced as he saw the Elite fall, but he wasn’t going to lose because… yes…

Red almost laughed out loud as he saw Lance shift, fully this time, silver spreading over his body until there remained only a beautiful silver dragon with bloody red eyes. And then it casually smirked.

And Hyper Beam sent Ash crashing into the Hogwarts walls, and he didn’t get up again, and the dark army surged forwards.

Red smiled as he felt Lance’s arms wrap around him, and he looked into his lover’s eyes with a pleased smile.

The Dark had won. The Light had fallen.

And he had all he wanted.

End Fic

Completed 12/14/06

Based vaguely on ‘Fugitive Prince’, a wonderful Harry Potter fanfic by ‘March Madness’. I shall attempt to fill in details some other time…