Yeah… I am very not
fond of babies. I hate them, and I never want to take care of them!
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: Angst, attempted suicide, possible OOCness, rape
Chapter 2
A few weeks passed. Red rarely left the house – she was too busy taking care of Ashline. She sent Lance out to buy supplies a lot, more diapers and now Ashline was starting to eat baby food.
Red collapsed onto the bed. “I can't do this on my own, Lance-chan…”
Lance blinked from where he was spooning carrots into Ashline's mouth. “I am trying to help.”
"It's not that. I know you're trying... I just feel like most of the work is falling on my shoulders..."
"What do you want me to do?" Lance asked. "Why don't we leave Ashline for a few hours and go on a date? It'll help you relax."
"Good idea." Red got up and went to change.
Ashline began to wail. Lance sighed, and looked at the half-full bowl of carrots. If she didn't want any more, he'd stop. He left to change as well.
* Well, aren’t you brooding now, after you wanted so much to keep your precious little baby girl! This was your decision, not mine! How dare you… *
Red came down a minute later and summoned Chansey. "Ash-chan, you will be good for Chansey, ok?"
Ashline surprised her. "Ma...ma..."
"Oh! She's so cute!" Red squealed, hugging her. "Do it again, Ashline!"
Ashline shook her head. She wanted to wait for daddy.
Lance walked over.
Ash looked at him. "Da...da..."
Lance smiled and ruffled the brat’s hair. Red was too preoccupied to notice that it was false.
"Shall we?" He asked Red
with a bow. Red grinned and took his arm. The two of them went to the
Cloyster's
It did. However halfway through their meal another monster showed up. The monster attacked Red.
Lance released Dragonite, as a Hyper Beam slammed the monster into a wall. Seeing that all the other patrons had fled and Red was unconscious, he transformed.
"Give me the princess!" snarled the monster.
“Never!” Lance hissed. "She's
not the one you're looking for anyways. Atlantis Tide!"
The
Another monster appeared silently and went for Red. Lance spun around, anger flashing in her eyes. She slammed another attack into the monster, before picking Red up. Concentrating, her wings appeared.
"Temporal Vortex!"
Another voice yelled.
"
“How did they mix Red up for the Princess?”
"Beats me,"
Several flashes of light heralded
the arrival of the Inner Senshi, late again.
"Take care."
She nodded.
Red woke up when they got home. "Lance? What happened?" She asked him.
"Another attack, I think they mixed you up for the one they're looking for..."
"They're looking for someone?" Red gasped. "Oh no! What if it's Ashline?"
Lance privately wished they would just attack Ashline and leave Red alone.
"So much for our date..." Red said quietly.
"I know." Lance sighed. He kissed her.
Red was begging for attention.
Lance kissed her again, winding his arms around her waist. He began to kiss down her throat, as he undid the zipper on the back of her dress.
Red sighed. "I never realized how much I missed this..."
"It's been so long..." Lance breathed, as he settled her down on the couch and ran his gloved fingers over her breasts, caressing them.
Red smiled and let him have his way.
"You're so perfect..." Lance breathed, before he bent down and pushed her panties aside. He began lapping at her slit. Red squirmed, blushing.
Lance swept his tongue against her nether lips, tasting her. "Mmm…"
She gasped. His tongue wriggled inside, as Red shuddered, feeling her self on the edge. "L-Lance..."
"Hmm…?"
"P-Please..." Red begged, as she arched against him. He responded by lapping at her with more force. Red screamed as she shook uncontrollably, love honey dripping from her slit. Lance smirked as he gave her a few more licks for good measure, before he kissed her again.
“Mm… Lance,” Red gasped, when suddenly, she heard a cry from upstairs. She whimpered.
Lance blinked, as Red pushed herself to her feet. "Ashline might be in trouble." She shivered. "I have to check, right? I... I don't want to... Lance, does that make me a bad parent?"
"No." Lance said, shaking his head. Red gave him a grateful look.
"It'll only take a minute!" She promised as she rushed upstairs. Ashline needed her diaper changed again.
Morosely, Red sighed and changed the diaper, then went back down to Lance. "We need a break..."
Lance nodded. "Maybe we should take a vacation?" He immediately wanted to take his words back.
"If we do someone has to watch her..."
"I know." Lance shook his head. "Maybe we shouldn't..."
“We can leave for a week.”
He wasn't cut out to be a parent and he knew it! And since Red wasn't doing her Champion duties, he had to take over. So much for her beautiful visions of domestic bliss! But...A week... couldn't hurt, right?
“Are you sure?”
"All I want is a week alone, with you."
Lance blinked. "Very well. I'll make arrangements."
Red smiled.
Lance went upstairs and called
Indigo's premier touring company, and got them reservations for a cruise in the
Red sighed when they arrived at the cruise ship. One week, just her and Lance! She couldn't wait! Yay!
The cruise was very beautiful, and
Red and Lance both enjoyed a week of being free again. There was no child to
take care of, no danger… at least not until the second to last night when they
were dancing and another monster of the
Red and Lance fled, but the monster followed, and Lance hesitated, before he gripped the Henshin Wand in his hand, and uttered the cursed words.
“
The elemental magic swirled around him, silversteel armor forming over a fuku of dark blue and green, the colors of the sea. Power gathered in her fingertips, as she smirked.
“Atlantis Tide!”
She was a girl who could change into a boy, so it was not so surprising that her Senshi form was female yet. Red gaped, staring unashamedly at Lance as the monster dissolved into dust.
“You’re
Sailor
“Guilty.” Lance dipped her head in acknowledgement. She walked back into the room, seeing the Heart Crystals that had been extracted melting back into their owner’s bodies. The Talismans had not yet been found.
The Princess was being targeted.
Shimatta, but she hated the way her life was right now! She wanted Red to love her again. She wanted to feel her lover’s touch. She wanted that stupid baby that had been dumped on their doorstep to grow up or leave.
She didn’t want to be a parent. She was not meant for it, she was not good at it, and at this point she would rather die than go back.
Ashline wasn’t even hers. If not for Red being so goodhearted, Lance would have left her without a backward glance.
Still, she might as well enjoy this vacation while it lasted…
When they
returned, it was to utter chaos.
It made a low, ironical bow. “The Princess is ours now. Give us the Talismans if you wish for her to return. We will await your reply tomorrow in Seafoam islands.”
Before Lance could attack, it vanished.
“Princess? What princess?” Red gasped. “They can’t mean… Ashline? Oh no! We have to save her!”
“Do we?” Lance asked.
“Of course we do!” Red snapped. “How dare you, Lance!”
“How dare I what?”
“You knew that Ashline was special, didn’t you?”
“Yes.” Lance said quietly.
“Then you have to go find her! Now! It’s your fault! We shouldn’t have left her alone!”
Red stalked around the house, spitting mad. “How dare you let our daughter get kidnapped?”
“So you’re saying we shouldn’t have gone on vacation.” Lance asked mildly.
“We damn well shouldn’t have unless Ashline was safe! How can you be so careless? You’re a Sailor Senshi, aren’t you?”
“It’s the
“Screw that! She’s our daughter!” Red yelled. “I’m coming with you.”
“I don’t have the Talismans.” Lance said.
Red would have none of it. “I knew you were a heartless bastard.”
“Am I?”
“Yes! You’re so cruel! Our poor baby…” Red began to sob.
Anger sparked in Lance’s eyes. He’d had to make a lot of sacrifices too. It was blatantly obvious though, exactly how Red felt.
She loved Ashline more than she loved him.
Fine.
It was only the final confirmation he needed. He watched as Red went to make coffee, and silently, slipped out.
The next
day, they arrived in
Red strode forwards, ignoring the suspicious looks.
“Why is she
here?” Venus asked. “
“This civilian is Ashline’s mother.” Lance spoke harshly. “So she is directly impacted by virtue of missing her precious baby.”
The monsters were waiting. “Well?”
“Yes.” Red told them. “You can have the talismans.”
Charlotte
and Lance walked up behind her. “Red, you don’t know-.”
The monster began to laugh loudly. “Very well!” A moment later, another monster came out carrying Ashline. Red took her and immediately began to fawn over her.
“You, woman. You no longer have any business here. Step back!”
Red shrugged and did so.
Lance blinked in confusion, but that was when the monster pulled out the gun it used to extract heart crystals.
“
It couldn’t be…
And then
there was pain ripping through her body and she slumped forwards as she vaguely
saw the outline of a Mirror forming from her own
How ironic…
Red had watched this all, uncomprehending, even as the others watched in horror. The monster laughed.
“A Mother’s love, huh? Always knew it was strong. Well, two out of three isn’t bad. We’ll just steal Uranus’s heart crystal when she appears. We’ve got no business with the rest of you now.”
“T-This can’t be…” Red breathed. Ashline gurgled.
The monsters vanished with the talismans, as the others rushed forwards. The fallen Senshi laid there, eyes staring blankly ahead.
“Lance.” Red cried, putting her arms around the other girl. “I’m sorry…”
There was no response, of course. Tears ran down Red’s cheeks as she hugged Lance close.
“Stop.” Jupiter put a hand on Red’s shoulder. “There is nothing you can do.”
“What do you mean?” Red demanded. “I have to save her!”
“They cannot live without their heart crystals.” Jupiter said gruffly but kindly. “They are dead now. Unless you get the Talismans back, they will never wake.”
“But… but this can’t be…” Red sobbed. Ashline began to wail, wanting attention.
“This is the Princess then?” Venus took Ashline from Red.
“I can’t…” Red murmured. A golden light began to shine on her forehead. The others watched, surprised, as it resolved into a familiar shape.
Uranus….
“Uranus Planet Power, Make up!” Red cried, as the ribbons of energy danced around her. Golden armor shimmered into view over a gold and black fuku.
Red’s eyes were wild and unseen, as memories washed over her. She shuddered, realizing what had happened.
Oh no….
Concentrating, she summoned the Space Sword from her heart, and held it in front of her body. Golden light began to shine from the tip.
In the monster’s hideout, the other two talismans glowed in response, ruby red and ocean blue, and vanished before the surprised guard’s eyes.
They
reappeared before the bodies of the two prone senshi, who grasped them.
“My thanks.” She inclined her heads towards Uranus, and turned to leave.
“Lance…”
“What do you mean?” Red asked, watching as Lance walked away.
Ashline began to cry, so Red turned her attention back to the girl – the little princess. A crescent moon shone on her forehead for a minute, before it vanished, but… but she had aged.
Ashline now looked five years old, and the others gasped.
“Lance! Look!” Red called delightedly. “She really is the Moon Princess!”
The sea Senshi did not look back. At the mouth of the cave, she spread her silvery fins and flew off into the air.
“Lance!”
“All I had was duty. But I used to have Uranus. At least she loved me.” Lance sighed. “Once upon a time…”
The waves lapped at the rock’s edge, and she closed her eyes.
“The Princess was always the most important… the rest of us were pawns. Well, it doesn’t matter.” Lance laughed, feeling hysteria bubble in her mind. “But if we’re just pawns… we can be replaced.”
With that, she threw herself off.
Red was sitting at home with Ashline, trying to figure out what was wrong with Lance, when a sharp pain ran through her body.
Lance was in danger!
She transformed, as it was faster, and flew off, searching, carrying Ashline in her arms. Soon, she saw Lance lying on a beach, her armor and body covered in blood, her fins lying in pieces around her.
“Lance!” She rushed over to her side, fearing that she wouldn’t be breathing, but she was, faintly.
What had happened? Had a monster…?
Ashline began to cry softly, as the Silver Crystal shone around her neck. Lance’s wounds closed up immediately, though her fins did not regrow.
Red kissed her.
Lance’s eyes fluttered open, dull gold.
“Are you all right?” Red asked anxiously.
“I will be.” Lance pushed herself to her feet. “I need to go to Castle Triton now.”
“Lance…”
“I need to fix my wings.” Lance said. “It wouldn’t do to have a useless Senshi now, would it?”
“Wait –.” Red began, but that was when Lance vanished.
What was wrong with her?
“It’s too late.” The Dragon trainer said, stepping out and admiring the sharp edges of her new steel wings.
“Do you really think so?”
“I’m not
blind,
“If you say so…”
Three weeks later, Red found Lance at the Indigo Plateau.
“Lance! How long have you been here? Why didn’t you come home?”
The Dragon Master bit back a grimace when he saw Ashline in Red’s arms, or so he assumed, though she had aged to look about six. “Home?”
“Yes. Are you all better now?”
“Perfectly.” Lance said. “Thank you for your concern.”
“Lance, are you sure you’re all right?” Red asked anxiously.
“Why would I not be?”
“You seem… different.” Red hesitated.
“You’re sad.” Ashline said.
“I am nothing of that sort.” Lance defended. “I am simply busy catching up on paperwork.”
“But Lance….” Red began. “I’m lonely without you.”
“Your Princess is keeping you company at all hours.” Lance told her. “I should say that earlier you were complaining about being overworked. Well, fortunately it is no longer a pressing difficulty. Aren’t things better now?”
Red stared at him. “What’s gotten into you, Lance?”
“I miss you, Father.” Ashline added.
Lance began to laugh. “Father? I am no father of yours, Princess.” Were they still clinging to their foolish notions of a happy family? How ridiculous!
“I’m not a Princess…” Ashline said, confused.
“What do you mean, Lance?” Red snapped. “You’re upsetting her!”
“I am quite aware of the fact.” Lance said. He took a peppermint out of his desk drawer and handed it to Ashline, who cheered up.
“Can you wait outside for a minute?”
Ashline nodded, sucking on the candy.
“What is wrong with you, Lance?”
“It is none of your concern, Uranus.” Lance said calmly.
“What do you mean it’s none of my business? I love you!”
“All the love we had was in memories a lifetime ago.”
“That’s not true!” Red protested.
“Oh, but it is.” Lance smiled. “Why won’t you look me in the eyes? It’s true, isn’t it? You love Ashline – our Princess – more. It makes sense. Of course, she is the Princess. She’ll grow up soon enough, and guardians stop aging once they receive power. I hope you will be happy with her.”
“I don’t love Ash more than you!” Red protested.
“Really? I wonder, Uranus. You need not worry – I won’t harm her.”
“I love you!”
“No.” Lance shook his head. “Perhaps you did once. It is no longer the case now. She was the one that brought me back, wasn’t she?”
“… You mean when we found you on the beach?” Red asked, feeling her stomach drop out. “W-Was it a monster?”
“Yes.” Lance said. And it was true. He could feel the claws of jealousy tearing at him even now.
“Oh.”
“I… don’t want to hurt you.” Lance’s eyes were clouded. “Please, Red. Leave. I’m too weak to protect you.”
Red blinked.
Lance tensed, before he turned. “You should leave now.”
“No. Not until you tell me what’s wrong.” Red snapped.
Lance kissed her. His eyes were mad as he pushed her down, backing her against his desk. “You. Are. Mine.” He hissed, his fingers busily working at her clothing.
Red simply stared up at him, uncomprehending.
“You belong to me.” And then his hands were on her hips, and her skirt was down around her ankles, and he thrust into her, sharp pain, and she cried out in surprise. Why…
“I won’t let her have you,” Lance gasped, as he pumped her. “Because I love you, and I am damned for it. And I’ll take your body, because I can’t have your heart. And you should hate me, my precious Champion, because I want you, every part of you, to be mine.”
Red’s mind was a whirl of emotions. She wasn’t sure what to do, how to respond. Why was Lance doing this? It hurt…
It hurt so much…
Why…
With one last stroke, Lance collapsed against her, and there were tears running from his eyes. Red wanted to reassure him, but she wasn’t sure how. She was so confused…
“But it’s all right now,” Lance told her, and he was drawing back into that shell of ice, and Red watched in horror. “I can keep pretending. She’ll grow up soon enough, and then… we’ll see.”
He touched her lips once, before his eyes glinted blue. “Amnesia Wave.”
Red collapsed into his arms. Lance smiled, a long, slow smile that didn’t touch his eyes, as he rearranged their clothing and walked outside.
“Come on, Ashline. We’re going home.”
“Is Father still sad?” Ashline asked, peering up at him.
“No.”
End Chapter
Completed 8/21/07
Yes, the angst finally kicks in! Admittedly, Red doesn’t have any feelings towards Ash other than those that are maternal, but Lance doesn’t think so. And Lance is jealous and kind of bitter too… ^^ Red was the one who picked up the baby and decided to devote her life to being a mother, while dragging Lance into the mess!
Red: *Sniffs*
Lance: *Frowns*
Red: I-I’m sorry…
Phantomness: Save it, love. We’ll see…
And I aged Ashline up to save Lance and Red some grief and hopefully get her on her journey and out of the way! *Laugh*