Wai~! Another chapter!
Disclaimer: I don’t own pokemon. Pokemon belongs to Nintendo and Shogakukan comics. This non-profit, non-copyright infringing fanfiction belongs to me.

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

Chapter 5

“Blood loss.” Falkner said. Morty had secured Misty with his own spirits – and these were literal spirits.

Haunter and Gengar kept watch.

“Blood loss? He’s wounded? How bad is it?”

“No, none of that.” Falkner gave an odd half-smile. “Too much summoning.”

“What do you mean? He hasn’t summoned anything since those Dragonair two days ago and he didn’t lose that much blood.”

“You’d better look more carefully, Ashura.” Falkner rolled up Lance’s sleeves, revealing two thin red lines, still bleeding.

“But… how?”

“You’ve never summoned anything except Pikachu, so you wouldn’t know. Dragons are the hardest spirits to summon. They *love* blood.”

“What do you mean?”

“Dragonair were the second hardest to bring to life. And he brought two of them… he’ll be paying that blood-price for a long time.”

“But why?”

“Why? Because it’s fair trade, that’s why. I suggest you don’t force him to summon anything else, or they’ll suck him dry for sure. We’ll just have to wait for his body to regenerate on its own.”

Lance’s eyes opened as he tried to push himself up.

“Back down.” Ash ordered. “Why didn’t you tell me?”

“You *knew*.” Lance hissed. “You knew. Why should I have told you again? It wouldn’t have helped…” His eyes glazed over slightly. “My beautiful dragons.”

Fingers twitched briefly and then went still.

Bugsy looked at Ashura worriedly.

“Back to Mount Silver. We’ll deal with it there!” Ashura cried.

The Rapidashes darted off, and within hours, they had arrived. After all, the flame horses boasted high renown for speed… But was it fast enough? He hoped…

Ash put Lance to bed, and then handed out everyone’s freedom papers. The knights split off, although they did not celebrate immediately.

It just wasn’t right with one of their number wounded.

So close… and yet, now freedom is so far away…

I can’t let you die!

I’m so sorry! I didn’t want you to get hurt, but I couldn’t keep my promise! I’m really a weak commander…

Misty watched quietly.

“So you’re leaving too? You’re going to Kanto, aren’t you? And what if Houen invades there?”

He did not reply.

“Ash, our people are one!”

“I don’t *care*.”

“But they are!”

“Listen. My best friend is currently dying! So I have more important things to worry about!” Ash snapped.

“Well guess what? It wasn’t my fault!”

“I don’t believe you.”

“Why not? When have I ever lied to you?”

“You haven’t, but you’ve certainly been annoying my mind out on this trip. I *saved* your worthless life. Instead, all you brought was death!”

“Are you saying it’s my fault he’s injured?”

“Yes!”

“Oh, and how?”

A brilliant light gleamed in Ash’s eyes. “Why, the water dragon was coming after you, wasn’t it? The one my Pikachu fried?”

Misty gaped. “How’d you know?”

She just confessed, Ash thought, without any pride. * I should have known. What a baka commander I am, and there goes another one of my friends that I’ve killed. No! Must not think that! *

He froze as Misty embraced him from behind.

“It’s cold at night, Ashura… come with me…”

And, Mew help him, he surrendered.

I don’t want to be alone… even her company is preferable… and… well…

She was a beautiful, willing woman. Who cared for crime on a night like this?

He pulled her onto the bed, and after that….

It was cold when he awakened. So cold… he shivered as he pulled a warm fur cloak around his shoulders.

The room was empty.

Had they given him up for lost then?

Surely his commander would not believe he’d fall that easily? It couldn’t be. He was probably just tired…

Memories were hazy. Had they been attacked?

He took one step forwards, than another, before he froze, catching a glimpse of himself in the reflection of his armor, lying there so innocently on the chair.

What in Mew’s name?

He *knew* his eyes had been blue, like the summer’s sky, as ladies liked to say. Strands of blonde hair, clean for once, fell in front of them, but…

Gold?

Lance rubbed his eyes, wondering if he were hallucinating.

… Why are my eyes golden?

With a sigh, he pulled on his boots and walked outside, searching for answers.

“Ashura! Ashura!”

“What’s wrong, Brock?”

The man huffed, stopping for a second. “Oh! You’re awake! That’s good! But I don’t have time to talk now! Ashura!”

“We’re screwed.” Bugsy pointed outside the wall.

Fires burned.

However, the *fire* was not that much of a problem. However, those steel birds… those giant steel birds flying overhead…

What in the world were those?

Lance’s eyes widened. “But those…”

“I know. My bugs are useless. Brock and Bruno’s spirits are earth-bound and can’t go into the air. Falkner’s would just get beaten up.”

“But I can’t possibly summon.”

“I know. We’ll pray that Ashura’s spirit can defeat these as well. They’re flying, after all. Maybe…”

All talk ceased at that moment as Ashura walked out in only a pair of loose pants, followed by Misty wrapped in a blanket.

End Chapter

Completed 12/28/04

The reason why Lance’s eyes change golden… there’s a legend of the ‘Golden boy’… an abused/murdered child…

Symbolism! But I didn’t know about it until after I wrote this!