*Kicks writer’s block*

Well, here it is! ^_^

Disclaimer: I own what I create, and nothing else. I do not take kindly to people taking what I create. Pokemon = Nintendo.

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

Chapter 4: Destroyed concealment

Lorelei blinked. And blinked again.

Did she just see a hyperactive black-haired kid jump off a… flying Lapras and land in Indigo Plateau?
She rubbed her eyes.

And blinked again.

Nope, the mirage was still there.

Lorelei stifled a yawn. * Lack of sleep must be getting to me. I need a nap. *

She ignored the illusion, popped two aspirin into her mouth, and headed home for a nice nap, forgetting about the other nine challengers.

Ash quietly snuck through Bruno’s room. Actually, the guy’s training was so loud that he didn’t even need to sneak much. He quickly performed an illusion of nothingness and silently crept through Agatha’s room.

Agatha was taking a rare nap, floating in a circle of ghost pokemon. Interesting sight, but Ash had no time for sightseeing.

He continued on.

Twenty minutes later, Ash wondered exactly how long the annoying hallway was, before he climbed over the gates into Lance’s room.

Lance looked up from where she was going through the gym leader’s monthly reports and narrowed her eyes at the suspiciously empty patch of space.

“What do you want?” She asked coldly.

Ash sheepishly appeared in a faint glow of white light.

“Well? I’m busy, as you can see.” The Ice Guardian said.

“A-ano…”

Lance waited patiently, slipping into her soul of ice mode, as she listened to him stammer.

Interesting.

So, what was he trying to say?

“Ash… I’m getting impatient.”

Ash finally stared at her. “Lance-chan? Are you sick?”

That was unexpected. The Dragon Master looked at him quizzically. “What? Of course not!”

“Demo…” Ash paused. “Your aura… it feels weaker.”

“Of course its weaker.” Lance said flippantly. “The balance is shifting again. Soon you will be the one wielding this realm’s power.”

Ash nodded, it was a reasonable answer, but he still felt like something was wrong.

“Lance-chan, you’d tell me if you were hurt, wouldn’t you?”

Now that certainly was different. She quickly smothered the look of betrayal in her silver eyes, staring down at the scattered papers on her desk.

“Only if it was necessary, little one.”

Ash blinked. “Necessary?”

“Don’t worry about it.” Lance said softly.

Ash looked confused again, but did not have time to say anything else as Lance finished signing a few forms and tossed the rest of the paper into the disposal, watching them shredded.

She stood up to go. “Well, I’ll see you around Ash.”

Ash froze.

Something was wrong.

Definitely wrong, but… he couldn’t tell what it was until he looked carefully at her.

It was her eyes…

They weren’t silver or gold anymore.

They were red.

An angry, glowing red color.

“L-lance-chan…” Ash gasped as he backed away.

“Ash.” Lance whispered, as she wrapped her wings around herself, the steel rustling softly. “Please, just leave me alone.”

“What’s wrong? Why won’t you tell me?” Ash asked as he summoned his staff from midair. “I can heal you.”

Blood-red eyes stared into his. “It’s too late.”

“What?”

“The darkness; look at my chi, Ash. The moonlight has all been destroyed.” Lance whispered.

Ash stared as Lance dropped her shields. He focused and stared as he saw exactly what she was showing him.

There was nothing but darkness…

Darkness…

It wove around her, staining her with its shadows.

“Even now, this is only an illusion.” Lance whispered.

Ash trembled as he dropped to his knees beside her. “Lance-chan…”

“You see?”

“I-I… can’t I help you?”

“No.” Lance said softly. “The only way to ‘cure’ this is the rebirth process.”

“But you’ll die that way!”

“Yes. And fire as well.”

“…” Ash clamped onto Lance. “I won’t let you.”

Lance stared at him. “What? Ash, this is fate.”

“No, it’s not.”

Lance narrowed her eyes. “Ash… now is no time to play around.”

“I’m not playing around!”

“You know we can’t fight our duty.”

“I know…” Ash whispered. “But… I’m not going to let you die!”

A bitter laugh forced its way past the Dragon Master’s lips. “I see. So what do you propose to do?”

“….” Ash was silent as he tried to consider his actions.

Lance wrapped her wings more tightly around her form and stared at nothing, while Ash’s mind raced to find a solution.

End Chapter… possible cliffy?