Wai! Another chapter!
Chapter 8
Ash’s eyes widened. “W-who are you?”
“You’re really a baka,” She laughed. It sounded a tiny bit like Charlotte, but also like…. “Lance?!”
“No, silly boy, I’m not Lance, I’m Crystal.”
“Huh?”
“You know – Lance’s last form. This is the only place I live, inside his mind…” She shook her head. “I’m too dangerous, like her. The other locked up girl.”
“Huh?”
“Catelyn’s the ice guardian. She’s so weak, but we need her just the same. Lance is the Dragon Master. And I’m the Mistress of Dark Illusions of course!”
“So it’s like me and Destiny and Hope!”
“Yes, you’re mostly correct. Destiny, Hope, and Ashura – the master of hidden shadows.”
What am I supposed to say now? “Um… I’m sorry for disturbing you?”
“You wanted to talk to Lance, right? He’s sleeping, but I can wake him up if you want?”
“O-okay…”
“You’re so shy!” She turned around. “Lance!”
The Dragon Master materialized out of the darkness. “Yes?”
“You have a visitor!”
“Interesting…” He drawled, turning to Ash. “My, my, how did you get here?”
“Where are we? I mean, I was in your room and suddenly I’m here!”
“We’re in my mind, of course.” Lance said with his hands on his hips… he doesn’t look too happy with me! “Interesting… I had traps to keep intruders out, but apparently you don’t’ count as one…”
There are traps? Yikes!
“I’m sorry, but I wanted to come talk to you…” Oh great, I’m blushing already.
“Then talk.” He waves his hand as a chair appears in front of me. A nice soft sofa… I sink into it, trying not to feel self-conscious. “Um… I…I…. You…”
“Ash… you are making me impatient once again.”
“I think I’m in love with you!” Ash blurted out, blushing furiously.
Lance’s golden eyes widened fractionally. “… What did you say?”
“I think I’m in love with you.” Ash repeated, looking down. * He’s going to hate me now… *
“Isn’t that sweet?” Crystal laughed, before vanishing. “You two have some privacy now!”
Catelyn giggled, giving Ash a glimpse of a little blonde girl – perhaps five years old, in a white robe, before she vanished as well.
Lance sighed.
“… Well?” Ash asked, perplexed by the lack of a reaction. “Aren’t you angry?”
“No.”
“But… you don’t hate me?”
“Hating you would serve no purpose…”
“But you don’t love me either?” Ash pleaded. “Don’t you have any feelings at all? Don’t you care?”
“Love and emotion are worthless in the grand scheme of things. That is what Articuno taught me.” Lance replied. “I am honored by your feelings, but…”
Ash did not say more as he flung his arms around Lance’s waist and rose up on his toes, pressing his lips to Lance’s mouth. < No! You’re lying! >
His eyes widened at the feeling… so foreign… he couldn’t remember ever having been kissed before…
Ash blushed, as he realized what he had just done. But something told him that it was necessary, almost… as if this were predestined…
Lance was still somewhat frozen… Ash gently released his hold and waited… what would happen now…
Ice melts to water; water flows through everything…
Water… beautiful water… water was a weak element, and yet it hid ice and fire and lightning within… and something prickled in the corners of his eyes?
Tears?
Impossible. He hadn’t cried in nearly ten years….
“Lance?” Ash stared in disbelief as the Chosen shivered, almost dying – or at least that was how it felt, before something just seemed to give away…
There was wetness in his hair, but what was it?
Blood?
Lance wasn’t bleeding, was he? Or hurt in any way? Ah! I didn’t mean to kill him or hurt him or!
What have I done?
However, he couldn’t move. Lance had a death grip on his shoulders and did not seem to be letting go any time soon. Something was wrong with this picture, but what was it?
‘Lance! I’m sorry! Hate me! But I didn’t mean to hurt you!”
“Ash…” He nearly jumped upon hearing his voice. It sounded *alive*! What… what had Ash done?
Only healed you when you could not see your own wounds, child…
That voice… it was so familiar, but whom did it belong to? * Articuno? *
Yes…
“But… but… the ice *was* what protected me!”
The cost
was high though, much too high for a child to endure… but you are a child no
longer, my Chosen… live, child, live for me… do not seal your heart with ice
again… learn to live…
Articuno… would not mislead him… he would trust her then…
“Are you…?”
“No, as I said before, I’m not angry with you. Simply… surprised.” He murmured… another thought struck him, as he looked at his arms…
Yes… there were several cuts there, oozing red blood…
Red was such a foreign color. His blood had been silver-blue for years, and never bled once… but now…
That proved it then. His ice blood was gone…
“Ah! You’re bleeding!” Ash cried. He immediately rushed over, grabbed Lance’s arms, and activated Shadow healing… black wisps of power crawled over the skin, sealing it closed… not even a scar was left.
“You…”
‘I’m sorry, Lance!”
That was it. He’d had enough of this. He gave Ash a glare, and while the boy was frozen under the strength of that look, he stalked over, pulled him against his chest, and kissed him passionately.
Ash turned red enough to rival a lobster. * Did he just? *
His eyes smoldered with hidden fire as he deepened the kiss, his lips pressing against Ash’s, demanding entrance…
And it was granted…
As he lost himself in that kiss, he reflected that perhaps this… love was not so bad after all…
End Chapter
Completed 4/20/05
Lance: Ah, finally some romance
Charlotte: Explains a lot at least
Phantomness: nods!