Another chapter!
Disclaimer/Notes: Please see an earlier chapter

Chapter 6

 

            “What have you done?” Bugsy’s voice was a broken whisper.

            Ash colored, but did not lower his head. * I couldn’t help it! I was so lonely... *

            “We need your help.” Morty said quietly, without preamble. “Pikachu is the only spirit able to destroy those Skarmory.”

            “No.”

            “What do you mean, ‘no’?” Lance smirked. “Ah, I see it now! You’re taking off and leaving the Kanto bastards to deal with this trouble on their own, ne? How wonderful! I should get going then.”

            Ash grabbed Lance’s arm. “Lance…”

            “Ashura, you did promise us…” Falkner held up his scroll of ‘freedom paper’. “We’re free now, are we not?”

            “Yes, but…”

            “Are you asking us to stay and fight?” Bugsy asked incredulously. “I thought-!”

            “No! No! It’s not your path to walk! I just wish you wouldn’t leave!”

            “Aw, quit being such a girl!” Bruno said. “Lorelei and I are leaving.” Indeed, the children were packed and loaded on the back of the rocky golem Bruno had brought to life with a few drops of blood.

            “I am going with them.” Brock said.

            “I will not stay and fight, it’s suicide.” Falkner released his Pidgeot, and it grew to full size as he climbed on. “I am leaving as well.”

            Bugsy climbed on after Falkner as the wing beats signaled their departure.

 

            Morty did not make a move to leave. “I’ll stay.” What had he to fear from death? When he died, his spirits of death would come and take him away. Haunter and Gengar surrounded him, almost gleeful in the anticipation of battle.

            “Lance?”

            The knight avoided Ashura’s eyes. “Yes…”

            And I don’t care what happened because no matter what, I see now that you love her, you may deny it but it’s true, and really, now that you’ve fallen, what’s left? What’s left, Ashura? What of your word? What of my loyalty to you now?

            It’s sad, you know, it’s really sad. I could have been dying but instead you chose to couple the night away with her. Ah well.

            I’ll die either way.

            But this way, you’ll feel my pain as well…

 

            “You *must* summon Pikachu.” Morty repeated. “They’re already coming closer. Surely you must understand that time is of essence?”

            Ash nodded as he brought the electric rodent, but this time, the lightning beams did not even deter the birds.

            A shrill scream sounded, inhuman, as one of the Skarmory slammed into the wall. The wall crumbled…

            The others charged.

 

            Misty hid behind a convenient pile of furniture lying around. Ash won the world record for ‘fastest to change into full armor from almost-nudity’ as he grabbed his sword. Lance dashed back to the room he had been in and began yanking on his armor. Morty sighed and began throwing his daggers.

            Unfortunately, they just bounced off the steel birds.

            Pikachu shrieked, once, before a Skarmory simply… ate him.

            Ash nearly fainted. He hadn’t known spirits could! He quickly cast his fears aside and summoned another.

            Charizard roared.

            Flames quickly downed all the Skarmory.

            ‘So they’re weak to fire.” He said, sighing. “Well, here goes.”

            As the Houen army began battering down the wall, he charged.

 

            “Idiot!” Morty cried, trying to cover Ash’s wild one-man berserker charge. “He’ll get killed if this keeps up!”

            Lance was firing arrows from the window of the room he was in, trying to cover Ash as well, but three against an army *was* suicide. He repressed the urge to summon again. He couldn’t afford to lose any more blood! He hadn’t even paid off his debt to the Dragonair he’d summoned earlier…
            But…

            I am loyal to you, if not to Kanto… and Lugia help me, I might love you. You’ll never love me back, still…

            His choice was made.

 

            The two ghosts fired sleep rays from their eyes, but it was no use. The army was too vast. As the front ranks slumbered, the back ranks pulled out strange red flutes?

            Morty’s eyes widened.

            They knew how to break Hypnosis!

            “Quick! Dream Eater!”

            Too late… and with shock, he watched his ghosts’ fail… and gripping his sword, he charged forwards as well…

            Damn you Ashura…

 

            He was weakening, the small wounds he had received were accumulating and he was tired, so tired… just wanted to close his eyes and sleep.

            Man. Close. Too close.

            Warmth splashed on his face. Blinking, Ash opened his eyes.

            Silver wings were outstretched, almost like an angel…

            “Lance?”

 

            His twin blades shone like lightning as he attacked. Wings – yes, those were wings, Ash later realized, those were weapons too, sharp-edged as a blade or more. And they won, although he knew not how until after…

 

            Misty welcomed him back warmly.

            He didn’t cry.

            He knew he should cry, but it was just another death to add to his tally. Now they were truly, all gone.

            All gone, except for his second…

            He went to see him, to thank him.

            Thank you, Lance. Your loyalty… I don’t deserve it. But thank you.

 

            “Come in…”

            Ash saw Lance sitting by the window.

            He hadn’t realized before, how *hollow* Lance’s eyes were. The gold sheen they now possessed was positively demonic.

            He had to know.

 

            “When you want something bad enough, Ashura,” Lance said, welcoming him into his quarters, “You’ll not haggle the price.”

            Ash nodded, still flushed with the victory they had won, although Morty’s death was… regrettable. Yes, but... Houen’s forces had been completely defeated! “Yes!”

            “Then you understand what I did.”

            “What you did?”

            Lance slowly looked him in the eyes, and this time, Ash shuddered. He had seen Lance’s eyes so many times before in the past and never felt a thing, but this time…

            He was scared. * So… blank… and why are they golden? *

            “I remember, someone told you, dragons are greedy creatures.” He ran his fingertips against his newly grown wings.

            “Yes.” Ash wondered what this had to do with anything.

            “They’ll grant power for a price, like all other spirits…”

            “What did you give?” Foreboding began to fill his heart. Surely… it was just blood, right? Lance wouldn’t do anything stupid, would he?

            That smile was unnerving!

            “I did, but it wasn’t enough…”

            Ash gasped. “No! You wouldn’t have! It’s not worth-!”

            “So they took my soul… and you’ve won. Houen is no longer a problem. And don’t worry. You’ve won, Ashura. I kept my oath after all. And now I’m free - the pain is gone.”

            “So is the light in your eyes.”

            “I don’t care. Be *happy*, Ashura. Promise me, so all these sacrifices have been worth it. Promise.”

            He didn’t know what to say as Lance walked away, never once looking back.

 

            In the end, Ash married Misty since he had slept with her and it was the honorable thing to do. Brock married a nice woman named Ivy in the Orange Islands and Bruno and Lorelei finally had twelve children. Bugsy and Falkner went into the ‘gym leader’ business together and were never heard of since. And that’s the end of this horrible fanfic.

EL FIN!

Completed 12/28/04

 

I think Lance is in love with Ash, or maybe the idea of loving something he knows he can’t get.

Lance is still going to guilt Ash though, Ash will never be free of the fact that he *killed* him. Heh.