Well, I think my computer’s giving up on me. It’s only two years old! This bites…
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*
Chapter 13
Why did the two of them have to die? Sure, he wasn’t in love with Lance now that the spell over them had cleared, but Lance was nice enough and Charlotte had helped him on this quest, so why did they have to die?
Why?
He could count the number of people he truly cared for on one hand, and those two were two fingers.
So why?
Lightning. Ice. Fire.
Fire. Ice. Lightning.
But that wasn’t all. Lance had Dragon too, and Charlotte had something…. Something she had not had in this life. Light. Yes, that was it! Light. Lance held Darkness, but that part of him had never woken, not this life.
And Ash himself was Shadow.
Shadow!
How far he had dropped! Fire, Ice, and Lightning may be powerful, but they were not everything. They were not the strongest weapons the Three could wield, for there were three, no matter what the men might harp about a Chosen ONE.
There were three Chosen!
Why had he never dreamed, never seen a vision?
Why?
But no, there was still a way left. Fire and Ice died to power up lightning. Though this castle was beautiful, it was temptation personified, and if not for their lucky actions, he would have forgotten their quest.
It was almost gone.
The knowledge yet remained, but it would be all right. He picked up the Lightning – no, the Thunder blade, and plunged it deep into the bowels of the castle floor.
The paving stones beneath his feet shrieked in outrage. His fine clothing disintegrated along with the fine furnishings, but he held on yet, even when he began to lose strength, even when the howling winds forced him to his knees in the middle of dusty sand, he held on.
He could not lose to his desires!
He had failed because of desire, lives before. This time, he would not fail; even when all hope seemed lost.
Slowly, ever so slowly, the winds died down. Still he knelt, his hands clenched tightly round the hilt of the blade.
Slow, mocking applause came from behind him.
He turned to face a figure swathed all in purple cloth. He tightened his grip on the Thunder Blade as he beckoned.
“Oh, I have no wish to fight you, Guardian.”
“This was your doing then, Deoxys?”
“I am surprised you recognized me.”
“It seems that once one repents, another must step in to take her place.” Ash retorted with a cynical smile. “What benefit did you derive from this farce?”
“It was amusing!”
“So it was.” He returned dryly. “And what of the lives you have cast aside like shards of glass?”
“What are you humans but made for my amusement?”
“Oh, I believe we would dispute that.” A different voice cut in. Ash gave a small smile as he watched her step forwards, amethyst eyes blank in a mane of white hair, the weapon in her hands a whip of pure light.
“Indeed we would.” A second voice joined. Crimson eyes glinted with malice as she held out her hands and diamond shards appeared.
“What- you are supposed to be dead!”
“We are?” Two voices giggled in tandem, before they attacked. The lash tripped the human form Deoxys was in, and night-black chains of shiny metal twisted themselves around her body.
Ash grinned brightly at both of them, even if they were quite mad, they were still on his side.
“But you’re supposed to be dead!”
“That’s our secret, isn’t it?” The black-haired one murmured a spell, and Deoxys screamed as a thousand shards of diamond floated around her, their needle-sharp points ready to strike.
Ash closed his eyes.
There was a scream.
Laughter echoed over the cavern for long moments, before finally, the last of the alien’s body scattered into its component molecules. Only then did they turn to look at Ash with smiles.
“We missed you…”
“I missed you too, Aniki, Aneki but it’s all right now. We made out all right in this life. We didn’t fall.”
They laughed, and their features blurred, until they were familiar faces. He hugged Charlotte and then Lance swept him up in strong arms and kissed him breathless.
This was more like it!
Despite memory loss, despite the fact that the path had been muddled and their only information in riddles and dreams, it had been all right. Even the Castle had fallen at last before their truth. Yes, some of it was luck, but Ash was lucky.
They were quite glad for that fact.
For now, as she watched the two of them embrace, her mind once again her own, the Light faded to the back of her mind while fire blazed in her eyes with the power of Moltres’s smile, she allowed herself a satisfied nod.
As for the two in each other’s arms, their true relationship was truth enough, reward enough, to keep fighting for another day, or another year, perhaps even eternity… for though it had been misguided and hidden, their love was true.
Always.
Forever until the stars burned red.
End Fic
Completed 5/29/06
Well, this fic totally went haywire after I wrote it! The barbarians in skulls and bones were supposed to be Cubones. The black castle was at first their enemy’s stronghold, then it was supposed to be what Ash created when he became Destiny, but in the end it was neither of those!