Fun! Another chapter!

Disclaimer: I do not own pokemon. *Bows* It belongs to Nintendo and Shogakukan comics. This is fanwork, non-profit, no copyright infringement is intended, and since I wrote it its mine. My ideas are mine too, like Destiny.

Notes: <> for telepathy, ** for thoughts, italics if a pokemon talks.

 

Chapter 11: Identical

 

            Two weeks.

            It had been more than a week of empty longing and dashed hopes. He was everything and nothing and now he was gone.

            Ash didn’t even know when he started to cry.

            “Ash?”

            Misty peered out from a tree, wondering why he was sitting out in the pouring rain.

            “You’ll get soaked!”

            She held an umbrella over him, and managed to drag him back into the house.

            Marina toweled him dry while ash just stared ahead blankly.

 

            Does he hate me so much?

            Why… why… aniki… come back…

            What did I do wrong?

            You promised to stay with me forever! You promised you’d never leave! Why are you… what happened…

            I can’t feel you…

            There’s nothing but emptiness in my heart now…

            Come back, Lance-chan…

            I know you can’t be dead! I won’t let you be! You’re more powerful than I am, you can’t be dead!

            I miss you…

            Am I really just a baka child?

            Is that why you’re gone?

            Aniki… please… I miss you so much…

            My heart hurts… come back…

            Please?

 

            It hurt worse than the thousand knives in the Dragon Dance, it hurt worse than Dragonair’s full-powered blizzard.

            Ash hadn’t quite realized how much he depended on Lance.

            But now… Lance-chan was gone!
            Where…

            He couldn’t feel his lifeforce anywhere! And if Lance were still in Whirl Islands or any of the islands, he would be able to tell!
            Lance couldn’t be dead, could he?

            No!

            Please, no… I… he can’t die!

            Don’t let him die…

 

            Ash fell into an uneasy sleep several hours into the blankness, and Bruno put him to bed, without a word.

            What was wrong with the kid now?

            Was it post-psychological trauma or something? He was no psychiatrist, unable to disclose the source.

            Hmm…

            Marina said Ash’s brother had vanished. That might be it.

 

Dreamscape

            So dark…

            Ash shivered, looking at the blackness pooling around him.

            Where am I?

            < Come to me… > A voice purred.

            Ash looked around, startled. < Who’s there! >

            Lance materialized out of the gloom, silver wings glowing like moonshine behind him in an arc of rainbows.

            < Lance-chan! >

            With a wordless shout of joy, Ash flung himself at the other figure, hugging him tightly. < Lance-chan! >

            Golden eyes stared into his, tinged with an emotion he hadn’t seen before.

            < Why did you leave? >

            Lance tipped Ash’s chin off, brushing a soft kiss against his lips. < For your sake, little one. >

            < You promised! You said you’d never leave! > Ash cried. Anger flared in his eyes. < You lied to me! >

            < Did I? >

            < You did! >

 

            Lance seemed to pause, eyes narrowed in thought. < Can you protect yourself? >

            < Nani? >

            < Can you protect yourself? What if I truly die? > Lance asked. < What will happen to you, little one? >

            < Don’t say that! > Ash yelled, clutching Lance tightly. < You can’t die! I won’t let you! >

            Lance laughed harshly. < You can control the winds of fate, now? >

            < I-I… >

            Ash paused, taking a deep breath as icy cold fire flared inside of him, Lance’s hands on his shoulders.

            So cold…

            Was it real?

            What if Lance really died?

            Ash shuddered. * I…I’ll die too… *

 

            Truth is a bleak thing.

            Lance simply let Ash stew in his own thoughts.

            He had to face the reality sometimes.

            Serebii was not always merciful to the Chosen.

            The memories he had, dragons can’t forget after all, danced and whirled like plumes of lost smoke.

            Danger.

            He didn’t want to break his pretty, precious little one…

            So they had to face this truth first.

            Ash stared at Lance, trying to suppress the panic that welled up in him upon the mention of possible death.

 

            Lance-chan… can’t die…

            He’s all that I have…

            Aniki…

            You are everything to me… I….

            I won’t let you die.

 

End Chapter

Complete 4/16/04