I feel so depressed. I should quit reading old AIM logs. Reminds me of too much when people actually liked me. *Sad*
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
Chapter 7
There was movement, and in a moment, four other men, masked and wearing dark clothes, came inside. Seeing four armed men, they hesitated.
“Save me!” Giovanni howled.
Red cast him an impassive glance. “I do not know of what you speak.”
Giovanni withered under the combined glares of the men. “B-but…”
“Idiot. We can’t help you if we’re in jail.” Lance whispered, though somehow Giovanni heard. He shut up. The guards advanced.
The musketeers made no move to stop them. Red even invited the leader for a drink, which he accepted with gusto before their prisoner was conducted away.
Brock was
trembling with fury by the time he heard the horses galloping off. “What a vile
thing we did!”
“On the contrary. It was quite
intelligent of Red to silence Giovanni.”
“I agree.” Will nodded.
Brock shook his head. “I don’t understand…”
“No one really expects you to.” Red told him.
Lance gave him an admiring look. “You are quite sharp, Red. I applaud you for your quick thinking.”
“Shall our slogan be one for all, all for one?” Red held out his hand. Will and Lance followed his example.
“I still don’t get it.” Brock muttered.
“Just put out your hand and swear.” Both Will and Lance snapped.
Grumbling, Brock did so. Red nodded, satisfied, before he spoke quietly. “You three had better go home. We have to act like nothing is new, and we have to be careful, because from now on, we’ll be at war with the Cardinal.”
There was nothing more to say after such an ominous prediction….
“I often wonder,” Lance said, as they walked through the streets after a quick dinner, “If fate is laughing at us.”
Red blinked. “Why?”
“This whole adventure seems a fairy tale.”
“Then since we’re the heroes, we should come out victorious.”
“For your sake, Red, I hope that is true.”
Red blinked. “My sake?”
“Yes for your sake.”
“I don’t understand what you are speaking of, my friend.”
“You are still young. Perhaps tis better that way.”
Alas, that was all Red could get out of him…
“I really don’t understand that well.” Red ended on that note, and returned to his house for bed.
It was the very next day that the next piece of the puzzle dropped into their lap. Red had been half-asleep, when he heard a commotion come from down below. It sounded like a frantic woman.
“But I tell you, I live here! I’m Giovanni’s wife, Whitney!”
Whitney?
Red gasped. So she was the missing woman!
There were several thumps, and
a clamor of men’s voices rose below. Red hurriedly drew his sword, never mind
it was a rash action, and raced downstairs.
There were four masked and black-clad men harassing a young woman! Chivalry reared its head and Red leapt into the fray to attack.
It was quite fortunate that only one of the men had been armed. Things might have gotten bloody otherwise, but the four men fled, leaving their fallen prisoner fainted on the ground.
Red was, however, rather irked to note that he hadn’t even noticed the Cardinal’s installation of those masked men. It must have done while he was asleep. Still…
It rankled.
He found a handkerchief that had fallen out of her pocket, and blinked. The initials and coronet matched those of the one Will had had earlier. Interesting…
Still, Red had been a bit wary around handkerchiefs ever since the almost-duel, so he slipped it back into her pocket and waited for her to stir.
Poor woman. There was a bruise forming on one cheek. The men must have hit her pretty hard…
Notwithstanding her injury, she was rather beautiful, with a small, cute nose, round features, rosy cheeks, and neatly coiffed hair. He’d never seen pink hair before. His landlord Giovanni was one lucky man to have a wife like that!
He watched, and after about ten minutes, she began to stir.
Her eyes were a nice deep blue, and she was certainly young. Her dress of white muslin had seen better days, but if she cleaned up a bit, she would be quite beautiful.
It was interesting.
“Oh, are you the man that saved me?”
Red gave her a dashing grin. “Yes, my lady. How are you?”
“I must see my husband. He must have been anxiously waiting for my return.”
“I am afraid that he was taken yesterday. Perhaps to the Bastille, I know not of the particulars.”
“Oh, horrible! I had a message to entreat him with.”
“Do not worry, Madame.” Red said gallantly. “I have your husband’s full confidence. Indeed, just yesterday I was sent to find whence you had been abducted. But pray tell me, how did you escape?”
“I tied my sheets together while my guards were outside the room and used the window.” Whitney gave a shy smile. “Well, Monsieur…”
“Red, from Pallet.”
“Monsieur Red. I trust that if I speak to you, you shall keep all in confidence?”
“Certainly, I should not betray you, Madame.”
“Well then…” Whitney gave a sigh. “We should leave this place before we do any more talking. The men you defeated may have sent for reinforcements.”
Practical, he added to a tally in his mind, and nodded. “I will take you to my friend Lance’s house.”
“What are you going to do?”
“His rooms lock from the outside. I shall leave you there.”
“But-but what if he returns?”
“Tell him I sent you. I shall endeavor to find some news of your husband.”
“Oh, thank you kind sir.”
With that, they began heading towards Lance’s residence. The landlady, recognizing Red, gave him the key with a wink. She had been rather intrigued with the Musketeer when he had moved in years ago, but alas, he paid her advances no heed. Pity. Lance did not trust women anymore.
“Now, I will give three taps like this when I come back.” Red said, demonstrating. Whitney nodded, and with that, he locked the door from the outside and left.
Whitney sighed and sat down to wait.
End Chapter
Completed 3/25/06
See, I am writing! Just not hyper fast!