Another chapter!
Disclaimer/Notes: See previous chapter

Chapter 4

 

            “You wanted to talk to me?” Red settled down comfortably on the sofa.

            Josephine glared. “What do you hold over him?”

            “What do you mean?”

            “You know perfectly well what I mean, damn you! You took my pokemon – my power! Why can’t I have him?”

            “Because he loves _me_.”

            “Why? What do you have that I don’t?”

            “I have heart.” He said coolly, standing up and leaving the room, ignoring her cries to stay.

            This is our world, where only two are allowed. You do not belong here.

 

***********************Flashback***************************************

 

            “Do I look all right?”

            “You look perfect silly. Take off that right now.” Lance said.

            “But it’s in fashion!”

            “I don’t care if all males had to wear orange bikinis to stay in fashion. You are _not_ wearing that to see my father.”

            Pikachu giggled.

            Red frowned as he began taking off the god-knows-how-many piece purple suit.

            It does look funny. Poli laughed.

            He shot Poliwrath a glare, but the frog pokemon paid no attention.

            < Trust me, you don’t want to wear that. > Espeon yawned.

            “You can just wear your normal training clothes.” Lance continued, and he finally obliged, putting on his jeans and red-and-white jacket and cap.

            Lance took his hands, and the circles glowed on both of theirs, before the blue glow of teleport sent them to Whirl Islands.

            Lance’s home.

 

            Lugia was waiting.

            < Ah, you brought him. >

            Ash jumped, before looking at Lugia, who smiled placidly. < I am glad my son has found someone who truly loves him. >

            Red noted with interest that Lance was blushing. Rare event!

            < Well, this will only take a few minutes…. >

            He felt like he wanted to sneeze suddenly, only it was inside his head, but he didn’t. He stayed calm…

            And then the presence withdrew.

            < Pass. > Lugia said, and than in a kinder tone, < Welcome to the family. >

            He nearly broke down with joy and relief. Lance held him; showed him their quarters. They were nice, done in crystal.

            So pretty…

            And it was perfect for that moment in clarity of time.

 

*********************End Flashback***************************************

           

He snapped out when he saw her again. “What do you want?”

“Quit being so vague!”

“Fine. Pass Lugia’s test.” He snapped.

Of course she misunderstood.

Josephine took her last poke ball and headed for whirl islands with her Meowth.

 

< Aren’t you going to stop her? >

< What for? I _want_ Lugia-san to kill her… > He smiled brilliantly.

< Ah… >

< What is it? >

< I remembered something else of our past. >

He snuggled eagerly into the proffered embrace, and drifted back to yesteryear.

 

 

************************Flashback***************************************

           

            “Again?”

            Lance shrugged, as Ash handed him the bandages and antiseptic. “What is it to you if I get hurt?”
            “I love you.”

            “Yes, that’s true.” Lance said, shaking his head. He swabbed the cut with liquid fire for a second, winced, placed his fingers to it and watched as the flesh healed.

            The Viridian Forest grants her power to one child…

            “What happened?”

            “They shot me.” So casual, calm… almost as if nothing had happened.

            He recognized the red fire in those brown eyes, darkness bubbling up to protect him. So cute, the little lion... “Calm down. It wasn’t that bad.”

            “I should have gone with you!”

            “You needed to be here to explain my absence, remember? No one else can know and live.”

            “Hai…”

            “Shh…”

            He held the little one, soothed his thoughts, let him sleep.

            I will protect you.

 

            “Did they escape?”

            “Of course they did.” All nine hundred and twenty-four of the pokemon left alive in the laboratory. “They are free now.”

            “I’m glad.”

            Really, he knew he shouldn’t be selfish; Lance was saving pokemon’s lives while he could only watch, but sometimes he wanted to be selfish.

            Just hold the other boy to him forever and ever…

            Would that be unfair to the world?

            Why would it matter?

            I know you’re Lugia’s child… I know that you can hold the world’s fate in your hands and you’ve chosen to love _me_, but…

            I know so little else.

 

            Hush. I’ll protect you forever.

            Honto Ni?

            Of course… it’s my life I promise.

            A-arigatou…

 

********************************End Flashback**************************

 

End Chapter

Completed 7/10/04

Ugh, my Atlas Shrugged essay’s _hard_!