Guess what? Shadow decided to do another CCA arc… don’t know if that’s a good or bad thing, but the bunny bit.

Disclaimer: I don’t own pokemon. This will be dark. I own Card Captor Ashura, the Ash cards, Pika-chan, Charlotte, Destiny, Hope, Luna, etcetera.

Notes: <> for telepathy, ** for thoughts, italics for pokemon talking.

Timeline: 5 years after CCA

I really, really, really apologize for not updating faster. I just didn’t have the will to.

Ranma – aw, thank you! You know, you can read Dragon Mastery now that this is over. *laughs*

Briememory – thank you!

Digifan1 – k!

Link Masters – It’s just that ff.net seems to be getting rid of championshipping stories so I thought I’d offer my site as a respitory…
Akiko Koishii – thanks!

Cooldud12345678901 – ah, finally a review. No problem.

Jarzard – no, this time they didn’t die. *laughs*

Whatever – hai, hai! Impatient, aren’t we?

Air Sylph – I’m glad you like my fics. ^-^ Do check out my website…

Card Captor Ashura: Shadow Guardian

Episode 189: Blood and Tears

It had been five years. Yes, five long, happy years, with Lance and Charlotte and all of his pokemon. They explored, created new cards, kept the balance steady, and lived their own lives, undisturbed.

Serebii kept to herself, so they were left to their own devices.

At the moment, Ash was watching the annual Cosmos championships from the Champion’s box with Charlotte. Charlotte had barely any guardian power left, she had granted most of it to him, so she was simply a normal human now, except with slightly higher senses and speed.

Lance was off buying sodas.

“Do you think any of them will make it?”

“Hmm…” Charlotte considered. “Maybe that one,” She indicated a girl with blonde hair “Might make it, but she’ll fall to your pokemon nevertheless.”

Ash smiled. “I suppose so.”

Eterneon and Skymew both smiled.

Lance returned with the sodas, and they all sipped quietly while watching.

“HALT! I challenge you!”

All eyes looked up as a person dressed in sparkly pink parachuted down into the arena.

“Is that Mina?”

“I believe it is!” Vulpix-chan proclaimed.

Ash quickly ducked under the overhang. * Please don’t let her see me… *

Jacob and Miles stopped their own battle. “Who are you?”

“Wait a second! I recognize her! That’s the Topaz gym leader!”

“What’s she doing here?”

“ASH! I love you!” Mina proclaimed to the stadium.

Ash ducked his head further into the shadows of his dark blue hooded jacket. * Please don’t let her see me… *

Lance’s eye twitched. “Hasn’t she gotten over her infatuation yet? It’s been years.”

“Tell me about it. I think we should go home.”

“I agree.”

Charlotte nodded. “Well, go ahead. Good luck, you two.’

“Hai!”

The two guardians waved before the Gateway card took them home.

Mina looked high and low, but could not find her love anywhere. It was an unfortunate turn of events for her, but not for the guardians.

Not at all…

Ash smiled as they sat on the sidewalk together, enjoying vanilla ice creams.

Pika-chan flew around eating about six ice creams at the same time.

The peaceful atmosphere would not last for long.

Soon, a red truck came roaring down the street. It went by twice. Smoke billowed over the area as several outraged walkers protested.

“What is wrong with that driver?” Ash wondered.

“No idea.” Lance replied.

Luna drank down a cup of steaming hot, flavored mocha. * Ahh…I know why Angel likes coffee. And Charlotte does too… like guardian, like guarded. *

They were crossing the street when the truck drove by again. This time, though, it didn’t simply annoy people.

Ash’s eyes widened as Lance disappeared under the wheels of the cab. He didn’t know how it had happened. Impossible! But…

“LANCE!” Pulling out his key, he activated Time and froze time, before running over to her.

It was horrible.

All Ash could do was to hold her gently in his arms as her life slipped away from her. Almost her whole body had been crushed under the tires, not even soft-boiled or recover could heal this serious of an injury. And Indigo’s medical technology was not sophisticated enough. He wasn’t even sure if sacred ash would work, or Lugia’s restoration.

And as time restarted, the tears were still trickling down his cheeks. He blindly stared at the staff resting in his hands, as his cards flew around him, worried.

They couldn’t help him.

Her own cards hadn’t helped her.

Why…

As his tears continued to fall, splattering on the painted cobblestones, the shadows flowed through his soul and the darkness reared up behind him, ready to fight to the death.

“We never even got to say goodbye…”

He was silent when the pulled him away from the body. He was silent through all the questionings, through the interviews that followed, through the meager funeral.

He didn’t speak.

He didn’t think.

He didn’t feel.

He didn’t care.

The land still flourished.

He had the power to destroy it all, but he didn’t.

He only wanted revenge.

Revenge on the one who had taken her from him.

Revenge on the one who had ruined his life in mere seconds.

He needed to purge himself of his anger, and that was the best way to do it.

A month passed.

Ash stood in front of his mirror, staring at his reflection. His black hair was streaked with gold, and he wore a modified version of her dragon master outfit.

To keep her memory alive, that was his goal.

But he didn’t have to do it alone.

The ritual was almost complete. All he had to do now was to take the final step to increase his power.

Will you do this for me? He asked in poke speech, a simple question.

And the answers resounded from all around.

Yes.

Of course.

I will.

We trust you.

You’re our master…

Friend…

Comrade…

Partner…

We would not deny truth.

Yes.

We will help you.

Our duty demands us this, but we help you because it is our will.

We will win, we will fly, and we will _not_ lose.

We will.

That is all…

Ash smiled, although his eyes stayed a pulsing red. “Let’s do it.”

As he held his staff out, he watched it dissolve into sparkles. One by one, his cards, all of them, followed, and the sparkles surrounded him and faded into him and became a part of him.

Ash stood up, sure of himself and strode out of the room to face his future. And of course, to get his revenge…

End Chapter!

Completed 2/11/2004

Started 12/14/03