We have ourselves another chapter!
*Force-feeding the plotbunny bananas to keep it alive*
Disclaimer: Pokemon belongs to Nintendo and Shogakukan Comics. This non-profit, non-copyright infringing fanfiction belongs to me! Do not take my work.
Notes: <> for telepathy, ** for thoughts, italics if a pokemon talks! Ash’s dad may be talking in <> or italics, depending.
Chapter 6
The next morning, Ash and Lance continued on.
“Lance, aren’t you hungry?”
“Protectors don’t need to eat.”
“Oh?”
“Hai…”
Ash nodded, surprised when they reached a lake. “We’re almost there, aren’t we, Lance? I feel it.”
“Hai… to cross this lake…”
Lance whispered three words, as a crackling sheet of ice coated the surface. “Walk quickly, it won’t last long…”
Ash did as told. He ran across the lake in fact.
Yes… Lance would be fine! They were almost out of the maze!
Sure enough, the entrance was ahead.
‘Now what?”
“Now… we wait.”
“Huh? Lance, we don’t have time to waste!”
“No… it’s not that…” * Don’t you think I know that? It’s *my* life on the line here! Oh! And your kingdom… *
Lance closed his eyes. “The Angel’s tear is guarded by a cat.”
“A cat?!”
“A giant cat… that only sleeps for ten minutes every night… we must time it carefully… my lord…”
“Oh!” That made a lot more sense. Lance was so smart!
Ash beamed. He was lucky to have such a good Protector. But what if Lance did die? No, I won’t think about that!
“When will we know when to strike?”
Lance smiled faintly. A shadow Aerodactyl swooped out of the sky and landed on his arm. “On the signal of course.”
He *had* planned everything!
“So what now?”
“Rest, Master Ash… it’s a long climb up to the tower.”
A sinking feeling filled Ash’s stomach. “Climb?”
“We can’t just enter. I’m too weak to cast invisibility.”
“Yes, I guess you’re right…”
More exercise? He might die! But if he didn’t try to get the Angel’s Tear, Lance really would die and he didn’t want that!
Now that
Giselle was dead, Lance was only his friend, even if not really a friend. Hm.
Well, he’d try his best!
Snow was
falling gently. Why? It was still summer!
The Moon Kingdom had weird
weather for sure.
Ash put on an extra jacket and his heavy pair of pants, glad he had packed them. Well, that was that…
“Gloves” Lance reminded in a faint whisper.
“Right.” Slipped purple, ugly gauntlets on his hands and gripped the rope tightly. Earlier, Aerodactyl had tied the rope at the top.
Ash was ashamed to admit it, but Lance even knew pokemon better than he did.
Yes, he had
to start training when he got home! Had to!
Gritting his teeth, the long, arduous climb began. Ash was clearly not suited for this endeavor, and despite Lance’s low weight, he was still a hamper.
Still, he clung onto the rope tightly with both hands and pulled himself up.
“Is the cat still awake?”
Aerodactyl nodded.
“Try… Sleep Powder…pink pouch…”
Ash dug a pouch out of his backpack. “This?”
“Yes…”
Ash opened the window and dumped the powder in on the floor. Lance sighed.
What an idiot.
Seeing the powder, the cat came over to investigate and began yowling, raising the alarm. Lance’s eyes contorted as he sat up with a sudden burst of energy.
Ash freaked out and dropped him. Luckily, Lance could fly.
His steel wings lightly flapped as four blades impaled the cat.
An agonizing death-shriek was heard.
“Hurry!”
Ash used his crowbar – Lance knew how to pack everything, and proceeded to pry open the window. A glass panel fell out, shattering on the hard-packed earth below.
There!
He grabbed the Angel’s Tear from its pedestal. “All right, let’s Teleport out of here!” He cut the rope, trusting Lance to catch him, which Lance did, with difficulty, and then concentrated. Black light flared, homeward bound.
And so they did.
That was that, wasn’t it? Unfortunately, life is not that simple. Barely had Ash started rejoicing at home when he disappeared that the Angel Tear had vanished!
“Impossible!”
Lance was fast asleep.
Ash paced around the kitchen, making him a cup of hot chocolate… well, he tried… but when he heated the milk on the saucepan, it exploded in his face.
Ash plunged his face and hands into the sink, running the water.
Lance staggered downstairs, well, more like floated. “Master Ash?”
“Ack! It’s nothing!”
“You’re injured!” Lance placed his hands on Ash’s shoulders, concentrating. A pale blue glow enveloped them.
“You can heal?”
“Hai. I have the ability to kill and heal, Master Ash.”
“Please, cut that out. Death doesn’t wait for formality.”
“Master Ash? What are you saying…?”
Ash broke down. “I lost the Angel’s tear.”
Silence rang in deafening clarity for a few minutes.
“You *lost* the Angel’s Tear?” Lance inquired, his voice sounding ready to break. * How could he-? *
Did it have something to do with the legend that only a girl could wield the Angel’s Tear? Or was it because Ash’ wasn’t pure?
What could he say?
End Chapter
Completed 9/26/04
Ash: Oh dear
Lance: Another snag to make this fic last longer, eh?
Phantomness: Well, yes. And I still need the romance…
Shoyko: True, true!