All right, I’m trying to wrap this series up.

*Locking plotbunnies in a glass tank*

Disclaimer: As it is, pokemon belongs to Nintendo and Shogakukan Comics. CCS belongs to CLAMP and Kodansha. This non-profit, non-copyright infringing fanfiction belongs to me. Do not take my work.

Notes: It goes after saying much, that I use <> for telepathy, ** for thoughts, italics if a pokemon talks

Ash = Red, Red is the nickname…

Chapter 10

“Look, I’m sorry.”

“… Sorry?” Ash asked, voice high and hysterical. “Sorry?”

The sight that had met their eyes when they had tiptoed downstairs, hoping quiet meant good, was shocking.

Papers and books strew over the floor in torn bits, bottles smashed into the carpet, a scantily clad woman who seemed not at all ashamed…

This was also darkness. Wasn’t it?

Lance kept a firm grip on Ash’s arm. < We must be wary, Chosen. >

“Get out of my house!”

Jerome’s expression shifted to lust, mingled with a scowl, as he jumped at Ash, scattering buttons and bits of fabric.

Ash’s eyes shone with anger, settling on dark, bloody red, before his pokemon attacked.

Sharpedo and Carvanha tore him to bloody fragments.

Still… what a brutish man!

He couldn’t see _what_ his father had seen in him.

He let Lance carry him back upstairs to bed so he could rest though…

Horrible.

So that was rape… it was forced love, in a sense.

Wasn’t that what he had done to Lance though?

And Lance had never said a word…

I have the best guardian in the world.

And that only makes me love him more.

I don’t deserve him, but he’s all I have now.

You know, strangely enough, I don’t care… it’s enough for me.

He’s mine and I am his and we’ll be together.

Eternity? Forever? It doesn’t matter!
we’ll live…

And we won’t fall, because we will fly together…

It _will_ work, somehow…

< Chosen? >

“I’m fine, Lance-chan.”
< Are you certain, Chosen? >

He nodded.

< Very well. >

He held his Chosen as they watched the sun pass over the sky in its daily ritual.

And…

He didn’t know what impulse forced him, but he kissed him.

Ash sighed, leaning against Lance as he felt the guardian’s hands resting on his back. < Lance-chan… >

< Gomen nasai, Chosen, I will not do it again-. >

< No, I liked it… it was nice… >

< Nice? >

< Hai. Could you do it again? >

So he did.

This was love then, caring for someone more than yourself, but not because you were required to…

How… refreshing.

Oddly enough, he felt truly free at that moment in time with the revelation’s beating in his mind.

Free…

I’m free, and now I cannot be sealed or trapped or tied down again, but it wasn’t darkness that freed me.

It was light.

How could I have not noticed it before?

Red… Ash… he shines so brightly with life and innocence, and I hate to see it marred in any way, so I will protect him.

I’ll be his dark angel…

But… his light shows me the way home.

That is how things are meant to be.

The two of us _are_ part of each other, and we need the other to survive. Light without darkness will fall apart in pain, darkness without light cannot see love.

We are two of a kind, he and I…

And that is the way it shall be.

< I love you, Ash. >

And that was all that really had to be said.

The boy’s eyes lit up brightly, as he held him to his body. Yes, this was real truth, finally discovered, pure gold in value.

The darkness he had used before was just a hint at the future brightness.

Now I see why love is such a powerful force….

He’s mine! He said he loved me!
Thank you, Lugia, Mew, everyone…

This time, I think I’ve finally realized myself what it means to love. Love is sacrifice, but it doesn’t have to hurt.

Willingly given is always better than unwillingly taken.

I’m sorry for what I did to him before, but now… now…

We are two of a kind…

We are together….

And we will be together until the end of time…

The past is past.

Now, we will look to the future.

This is love, isn’t it? truly, finally, I’ve found it…

Thank you, Clow-sama, for everything you did.

And thank you, Chosen… for everything else to hold in life. There is more than darkness now that I see clearly.

We will embrace the sun together and fly to infinity…

End Chapter/End Fic!
Whew! Finally complete! Trying to write this bunny was like pulling teeth at times!
Completed 7/20/04

Lance: NO BDSM = good

Phantomness: Hai!
Pika-chan: *offers a half-eaten apple pie*

Kairo: *pats Phantomness on the back* Good work!

Shoyko: Phew, it was manageable. *grins*

Phantomness: Now I’m off to find more plotbunnies! *runs off*