Disclaimer: Pokemon not mine, plotbunny is, and so are new characters, pokemon, Destiny, powers, etcetera.

Notes: <> for telepathy, ** for thoughts, and italics for pokemon talking.

Warning: Fluffy Championshipping, you have been warned.

Chapter 12: Home sweet home

Ash sighed as he flopped down on his fluffy bed on Shadow Island. “It’s great to be home. As nice as Silver Cave was, it just doesn’t compare.”

Lance nodded and she sat down next to him. “So, any plans?”

“Besides just having fun? We don’t have anything to do yet do we?”

“Hope not. But you know how Serebii is.”

“I know. Often I wonder how she can destroy everything we hope for so easily.”

“It’s her power, I think.” Lance said slowly. “And even if we killed her, which we can’t, she still has all her duplicates.”

“But why does she keep putting us through test after test? Are we unworthy?”

“No!” Lance said vehemently. “I don’t know why, but that’s not it! And it isn’t your fault!”

“Demo, Lance-chan, but…”

The ice guardian looked up.

“It’s not your fault either. You can’t help loving me.”

“But my darkness stains your starlight, creating a darkened shadow.”

“So?” Ash said simply. “The prophecy says I’m the shadow child. If Serebii didn’t have her high-vaunted ideals, we wouldn’t have this problem. She thinks I’m so ‘pure’ and ‘innocent’.”

“It’s not a lie.”

“No, but everyone grows up, including me. And I can’t be blind and naïve forever.”

Lance nodded and hugged him tightly. “We just have to live with it.”

Ash nodded as she stroked his hair soothingly. “Lance-chan?”

“Hai?”
“You’ll always love me, right?”

The Dragon Master’s eyebrows lifted as she smiled and kissed him on the cheek. “Yes, I will.”

“That’s good. I love you with all of my heart. And I’ll stay bound to you. Because I don’t want to see you hurt again.”

Lance’s eyes widened. “What-.”

“I remember.” Ash said, in a hollow voice.

*FLASHBACK MODE*

The ice guardian knelt over the fallen thunder guardian, glaring at Serebii with hate in her silver eyes.

“You let him die!” She accused.

“It had to be done.” The sprite rejoined. “You were corrupting him.”

“He accepted my dark power willingly!”
“Which was his folly. He has paid for his mistake.”

“With his life?”

“Yes.” There was a kind of grim satisfaction in the voice of the grass/psychic type. “Without him, the guardians will fall. I will wipe the slate clean and next time, you will not be there to distract him.”

“And you call me evil.” Lance hissed, as she transformed into her second form, the Dragon Master. Her hair turned blood red as silver and gold streaks slashed through it, and her eyes became a blazing streak of molten gold.

“You are the guardian of darkness. What else would you be?”

“Wait…” Lance paused. “I remember how Charlotte drowned. The fire guardian always avoided water. You arranged her death, didn’t you? Just so you could keep the thunder guardian naïve and your puppet.”

Serebii smiled.

“And you were expecting me to kill myself after the thunder guardian died, weren’t you? That way you could erase this history and rewrite it the way you wanted.”

“It seems I will have to kill you myself.” Serebii said musingly. “After all, my plan failed.”

“No.”

Serebii blinked. “And you try to defy me? I control time itself!”
“Yes. But I will not let you control me.” Lance said.

Black clouds began to gather around her as she closed her eyes. “Even if I die, it won’t matter. I will not let you use us guardians as your toys to play games with in the future. It shall not happen.”

Serebii’s eyebrows rose slightly. “You can’t prevent me from doing so.”

“Want to bet?” The guardian’s voice was grim, as she knelt down and bent her head, chanting silently.

Spirits of the ancient world, I call upon you. Let my life be a sacrifice to keep the balance, my magic to save him. Let me be bound to him forever, through time and the changing winds of fate. Spirits, hear my plea and answer.

A second later, Lance’s eyes closed and she collapsed bloodlessly to the ground. Serebii panicked as rings of dark energy surrounded her, weaving into an impenetrateable seal.

“You can’t do this!”
There was no reply, except on the wind. Once this sacrifice is made, it is binding for eternity. You can still play with us, perhaps, but at least we will be able to live our lives. And the balance will remain as it is meant to be. This is your fault. You wrote and created the prophecy, and once you dislike it you want to destroy it. The prophecy will remain until the end of time. And we will always be here to fulfill it.

Ash’s eyes slowly opened, and he stared at the destruction around him, before he collapsed into silent tears. “Lance-chan…what have you done…”

*END FLASHBACK*

“But you were dead during that time!”

“Serebii showed me.” Ash said bitterly. “A dream. She wanted me to leave you.”

“Before we even met?”

“Yes.’

Lance clenched her fist. “Even now, she still pulls our strings.”

“Yes, but our lives are our own.”

“Perhaps she is right…”

Ash grabbed her arm. “NO! She isn’t! And I’m not going to let you leave! I love you! I know how we’ve been continuously torn apart, and how sometimes you feel as if its your fault we’re going through all these trials, but it isn’t!” He glared. “And how do you think I’d feel if you left?”

Lance’s eyes widened in shock at this outburst, he was usually so quiet…

“Don’t leave me again.” Ash whispered, as he clung onto her. “I can’t bear it if you leave…”

“I…”

“Please, Lance-chan.”
Lance sighed. She couldn’t resist those eyes. “All right, Ash. I won’t leave you of my own free will.”

Ash nodded and released his death grip. “Promise?”

“Hai… I swear on my power as Dragon Master that I won’t.”

Ash smiled, satisfied, and hugged the Dragon Master tightly.

“Well, well? Empty? That’s odd…” A voice called from the entranceway.

Ash’s eyes lit up. “Aneki!”

“Looks like fire has finally escaped.” Lance said, getting up and following Ash down the stairs.

“Aneki!” Ash said, jumping on a surprised Charlotte and knocking her to the floor. “I missed you too! Where were you?”

“Heh… in the boring realm of time with Serebii trying to fix the dimension.” She replied. “How have you been?”

And why is Serebii being such a pain?

“Mostly ok! I left Brock n’ Misty!”

“Yatta!” Charlotte cheered, jumping up into the air.

Ash blinked as he went flying through the air. A second later, he felt Lance holding him, wings beating behind her.

“Aniki Lance-chan!”

“Be a bit more careful, Ash.” Lance said, setting him down.

‘Hai!”

“Sorry, I hate Misty. She seems to have a habit of killing me quite often.”

Ash giggled. “Well, its true.”

Charlotte sighed a little bit. “Well, at least we can enjoy some time together… I hope…”

“Mean Serebii.” Ash said. “She’s supposed to be my pokemon, but she won’t listen to me.’

“Yes… that is a problem.”

“I can’t do anything about it though.” Ash sighed. “And you two are always making sacrifices for me.”

“We don’t mind.”

“I know, but… don’t you ever want to get away?”

Charlotte laughed lightly. “I tried once, remember? Cosmos. Selfish, yes, but I will try not to fall again.”

“Hai.”

Lance was quiet, eyes staring into the far distance.

End Chapter! ^_^

Japanese glossary just in case

Aniki = older brother (Ash has a habit of calling Lance this occasionally)

Aneki = older sister (Ash refers to Charlotte by this name sometimes)

Demo = but

Hai = yes

Yatta = I think something close to yay

9/27/03 to 10/8/03