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

Pairing: Championshipping (Ash x Lance)

Chapter 8

“Why didn’t you tell me?”

“Would it have mattered?”

“You can raise the dead…”

“Only dragons.”
“…” Ash sat bolt upright. “Wait a second…”

Things began to click together.

Speed – wasn’t Agility a move for raising speed?

Rain Dance – a water attack that created rain.

Hyper Beam… an attack that dragon pokemon learned… Gyarados… Aerodactyl… the Dragonair chain…

And….

“Dragons… your… Dragon Master is more than a title, isn’t it?”

“Perceptive for once.” Lance said softly. “Correct.”

“Then… you can raise the dead… and… you can do it all, because you’re Dragon Master! But if you are, then don’t you feel…”

“Every death, every life, every breath…” Lance sighed. “It’s like a wave of sensation you can’t stop, pleasure and pain and it takes a strong will to keep it from overwhelming you…”

That was why I was grateful to shirk responsibility, if only for a month…

It was escape.

“Then…. Why did you pick me?”

“Hmm?”

“I know a tiny bit about these things.” Ash said defensively. “If you slept with me – er, if you slept with a normal human you’d lose your magic. That’s why you’re half pokemon.”

“You know, you’re quite good at this.” Lance smiled. “Agatha’s my mother – oh don’t look at me like that, she’s not that old, and Lugia’s my father…”

“But that doesn’t explain why-!”

“You’re not human either.”

“What do you mean? Of course I’m human!”

“What of your absent father you’ve never met?”

Ash colored. “Um…”

“Could be anyone, really…” Lance continued, thoughtfully. “Perhaps it’s Professor Oak, although that would be disturbing….”
“Eew!”

“But luckily for you, and luckily for me, as well…” Lance smirked. “You aren’t human – at least not completely. Your father is Honou.”

“Honou? Morty mentioned something about that…”

“Yes, the Ghost Master is quite trustworthy, isn’t he?” Lance smiled. “Well, now that that’s settled… do you love me?”

“I’m still thinking!”

“You went to investigate my past instead of pondering an answer?”

“Well… I wanted to know you better!”

“You could have asked.”

“Er… I forgot to.”

“Children.” Lance looked up at the ceiling. “What I have to go through with…”

“I’m not a child!”

“You’re right, you just act like one. I don’t bed children anyways.”

“Lance! You’re distracting me!”

“I’m simply trying to work. You, on the other hand, are being quite demanding.” Lance closed his book again, but not quickly enough this time. Ash froze as he saw the name. “The Book of the Dead? Lance!”

“What? It’s not like I’m killing people. Tis simply a record of the births and deaths of the dragons.” Lance said, which was true – of course, the book was most likely sentient in some way – it dripped blood after all…

“I know, but doesn’t it hurt?”

“Of course it hurts. Life is pain.”

“Lance, you’re hiding something again.”

“If you truly love me, you can deal with it.”

“Can I?”

“If you can’t, I suppose that means…” A twist of his fingers, the flash of a blade, “That you aren’t meant for me after all.”

“… After all…”

There was something terrible hiding beneath those words. Lance was always keeping secrets, but Ash had never wondered exactly what – power? He knew Lance was powerful, but this was something else.

Lance was dangerous – he’d have to be a blind idiot not to know that but there was still something else… something wrong…

“Do give me an answer sometime, will you?” Lance asked, and then he rose silently and Ash could hear … something click shut behind him.

It was not a good feeling.

He was scared.

This was not good!

But Lance was going to… sulk. If the Dragon Master actually did something as human as sulking. It wasn't that Lance wasn’t human; he was just… a dragon. Yes. That worked. Especially considering his father…

Lance had a scary father!

But that wasn’t the point either…

I’m hiding a lot, foolish child. If you knew, you’d have to bear the burden.

He watched the scales in front of him. The red orb was dull, barely flickering. The blue orb was shining brightly. The yellow orb was steady, but subdued.

He would keep Ash innocent as long as he had to, even if he had to kill the boy.

Ash did not make a good realm guardian. Yes, he was good with pokemon. But it was so bloody difficult to get him to the third and proper stage to become a guardian without breaking him first…

And even though Hope and Destiny were his friends, he didn’t want to see them… because Destiny would probably snap. That was just his nature.

Lance sighed.

Why was Ash being so inquisitive, anyways? He’d managed to bluff and hide his power before. Why wasn’t it working now?

Had the legendaries plotted something else? Please, no…

“Lance?” A whisper.

“Yes?” Scales vanished, as did the… other things Ash shouldn’t see.

“Can I come in?”

He flicked his fingers. The door opened. He looked into brown eyes shining with adoration as Ash threw himself into his arms.

He smiled as he drew him into a kiss, and the tumblers in the back of the boy’s mind clicked shut.

He wouldn’t need the power or the memory this lifetime.

“I love you.”

“I love you too.” And now, you are mine, and I’ll keep you safe forever… and maybe, in another life, you’ll remember, but I don’t need you to.

Your presence here is enough for me.

End Chapter/End Fic

Completed 8/8/05

Phantomness did not like work. However, she’s still alive, so that is a good thing…

Lance: That’s it?
Phantomness: I write short fics. I like it that way. Don’t bother me! *Twitch*

Ash: *hides underneath desk*

Shoyko: Oh, it wasn’t dark! Except… a little hinted, but that’s okay!

And I do like my fanfics, just not when I’m writing them cause I always feel stressed then!