Pokemon Fan Fiction / Pokemon Fan Fiction ❯ Let Love Be Your Energy ❯ The End? ( Chapter 8 )

Three weeks had passed since the attack upon the HQ and today, when the five humans and two Pokemon were again at the base in Forsake Town. Over that short time Ash contemplated what to do next, in between leading his friends on three more raids (three of the many orchestrated by the rebellion forces) upon Team Rocket. Today, he hoped that everyone agreed on what he had planned.

" It's time to put an end to this war."

Ash's voice carried around the crowded room. Every leader in the rebellion that had been able to make it in time sat as they listened to the youngest of them all. The meeting had been called all of a sudden, but Ash had said that they only needed the best Pokemon trainers for what he and his friends had planned.

" What are you planning to do, Ash?" Erika asked.

" We storm Team Rocket Headquarters, and don't stop until we have Giovanni and the other senior members incapacitated."

" That's going to be dangerous."

" We won't be in anymore danger than we already are in."

" What do you mean?" Masamune asked.

" If we sit here, making small attacks against them, we are giving them more and more time to find and murder us. If we don't try to take over their nerve centre, we will spend the rest of our lives fighting them off. It's been nearly two months since they began their take over, and I don't know about you, but I'm getting sick of standing by when people are getting killed. They have just murdered another four of our members, and the number of civilian casualties rises everyday . If it continues like this, there will be none of us left. I know it may sound like suicide, but I believe that we have the power to succeed. Some of us may die, but in the long run, I think if we go for a full on assault, we'll be saving more lives."

" How will we fight off the soldiers? We need to protect ourselves."

" For one, only Pokemon trainers, with the exception of Kiyoko, will go in. And Jessie, James and Meowth will direct us. They know the layout of the building. Also, they have been able to...procure a few added bonuses for us." He opened the box behind him, pulled out a medium sized gun and displayed it to the onlookers.

" I thought we weren't going to use guns," Erika asked confused.

" Jessie?" Ash indicated to her to continue, handing her the gun.

" They're not ordinary guns." Jessie began. " They're tranquillizers. Each capsule has enough power to knock out a Ryhorn, so there is no chance of a person not going down within two seconds of being hit."

" What do you think about the idea?" Ash asked the others.

" Before we decide whether to do it or not, we need to plan exactly what to do," said Masamune. " Then we'll know whether it has a chance of working or not."

Ash nodded an agreement. " Jessie, James, Meowth. You guys are sure you know the entire layout of the HQ?"

" Every floor and room. It was the boss's centre of operations after two of his other most important bases were destroyed." Meowth bragged. " We worked there for several years."

" Great," Ash smiled. Finally things were beginning to go their way. A wave of optimism spread over him. Maybe this can work.

After hours of planning, rejecting many strategies and adopting others, they had decided to wait two days (it would take place in the middle of the night, the rebels hoping that the element of surprise would aid them in their attempt), giving enough time for many more of the rebel groups to reach Forsake Town. Then they would select the best trainers from the resistance, arm them with Pokemon and tranquillizer guns, and attack the enemy HQ.

"Kiyoko! Kiyoko, wake up!"

She opened her eyes to see Brock kneeling in front of her, worry clouding his sweet eyes. She slowly sat up from her sofa, still shocked at what she had seen in her dream.

"Are you okay, Kiyoko? You must of been having a bad dream. You were moaning and struggling in your sleep."

"Yeah. It was just a nightmare."

"Good." He reached up and stroked her hair affectionately. "You had me worried."

She felt a wealth of emotions from the young man (emotions she had felt from him since the day they met), several of which she had begun to share. She looked into his kind eyes, as his stared back into hers. Almost unconsciously, the two started to move closer to each other, closing their eyes, but the visions of the nightmare visited her once more. When there was mere centimetres between the two, she quickly stood up and moved away from him. "I'm sorry. I'm not feeling well. I'm going to go to my room for a little while."

"Kiyoko, did I do something wrong?" he said urgently.

"No. No, you didn't," she told him, a little regret in her soft voice. "I...I just want to be alone for a little while."

He watched her enter her room. Damn it, Brock. You came on to strong and now you've driven her away, just as you always do.

Kiyoko sat in her room, still shaking from the images playing in her head. "It was just a nightmare," she had told Brock. She only wished she could believe that. She had had predictions before, visions of the future, all of which had proved true. She hoped this was not one of them.

She concentrated on Brock. He was feeling humiliated and embarrassed. She didn't want to hurt him, but she couldn't let him get to close in case the vision was true. She didn't want to break his heart.

He kissed the soft skin of her back, moving up her spine, causing her to moan in pleasure. He pushed her top up a little, revealing more skin, but as he began to kiss her again the moans suddenly stopped, and a depressed visage covered her pale face. As Misty sat up on the bed, Ash wrapped his arms around her.

" You okay, baby?"

" I'm... I'm just scared about tomorrow. This could be our last night together."

" It won't be."

" I know you don't fully believe that."

He groaned a doleful laugh. " Am I that bad a liar?"

" To me you are."

" As you said before, we have to accept whatever fate has in store for us."

" Yeah, but I don't like the fact that fate is rarely kind, at least it hasn't been lately."

" We can't die yet. We've so much to do, like settle down, get married, start a family."

" I think we're still a little too young for that."

He laughed. " I mean a few years down the line."

" You really want all that stuff?"

" Maybe. Who knows what the future may hold? And I don't think I could even imagine myself doing those things unless you were the one doing it with me. I love you so much that I want you to be a part of everything I do."

" I hope fate will allow me to be."

" All we can do is hope and try our best to stay alive." He paused for a moment, then looked deep into her eyes. She was shocked to see that within his chocolate orbs, that old expression of melancholy and fear had returned. Noticing her concern, he looked away. "God, when did I get so optimistic. A few weeks ago I couldn't stop from breaking down when the going got tough." He looked at her again, caressing her cheek with the back of his hand. To her relief, a smile returned to his face. "I guess that's what love can do. Give you hope in even the bleakest times. If it wasn't for you, I'd still be like that."

Before she could respond, he kissed her passionately upon her lips, then moved down to her neck and shoulders, allowing himself to sink back into the pleasure he gained by touching her soft skin.

They blended in perfectly with their dark surroundings within the secret entrance tunnel of the HQ, their black clothing making them indiscernible from the shadows.

" Is everything prepared?" Ash asked.

" Yeap," James replied.

"Does everyone know what they have to do? What floor each group will secure?"

"We know," Meowth reassured him. "We went over everything about six times last night."

" Is everyone ready to go?"

A unified yes answered him.

" Is Erika's group in position, Kiyoko?"

She closed her eyes for a brief moment. "They are where we all planned."

"Perfect. And remember, everyone. I don't want anyone killed, even if they are our enemies. We don't want to sink to their level. The only circumstance is if it is life or death. Understand?"

The group nodded in unison.

"Then let's do it."

They broke into their three individual groups, Ash with Misty and Pikachu, Brock with Kiyoko, and Jessie with James and Meowth, and headed in three different directions.

"Over here," Misty called to her team members. She pointed towards a small electrical socket.

"Perfect. Right, Pikachu, pour in as much juice as you can muster."

Pikachu placed his tail upon the socket, and began to summon his electrical energy into his tail. When there was enough power built up, he discharged it into the system, overloading it. Within seconds, all the lights in the area blew, much to Ash's and Misty's satisfaction. The building was in a total power black-out.

Ash and Misty pulled the infrared goggles over their eyes, turning the almost pitch blackness into a visible path.

"We better get going to the fifth floor. It's this way according to Jessie, James and Meowth." She pointed down the left corridor.

"Golem, go," Brock commanded. "Takle attack that Granbull."

"Golem," the Pokemon said as it speeded towards it's target. The tackle hit, but didn't seem to waver the Granbull.

"Again," Brock shouted.

Golem hit it's opponent again and again, but it still seemed to be losing little hit points.

"Dynamicpunch," the Granbull's trainer ordered.

The Pokemon hit back at Golem, knocking it out in one hit.

"Shit," Brock cursed under his breath while recalling his Pokemon. As he reholstered the Pokeball, he grabbed another. "Steelix, Iron Tail."

That did it. The thirty-foot Pokemon totally incapacitated the much smaller Pokemon.

The Rocket, realizing she was beaten, reached for her gun, but before she could even pull it from the holster, Kiyoko psychically grabbed her and threw her against the wall with all the force she could muster, knocking the woman unconscious.

"Thanks," he said awkwardly. It was the first time the two had been alone together since their encounter the previous day. He wanted to talk to her about it, but now definitely wasn't the time. He shifted his thoughts to his fallen Pokemon. In battles with three Rockets he had been reduced to only two battle-ready Pokemon. "The Rockets here seem to be a hell of a lot better trained than those at the other bases we've attacked."

She tried to look into his face, but couldn't bring her eyes to meet his. "They probably want to keep the best trained at the HQ to protect Giovanni and the other senior officers." She turned and began to walk down the corridor. "Come on, we better get going."

Jessie, James and Meowth cautiously looked around the corner. Though their goggles they could see the heat signature of a Rocket. Jessie pulled her gun from her back, loaded in one of the capsules of tranquillizer liquid, and aimed it at her enemy. She fired once, hitting her target perfectly - the man's posterior. Within seconds, he lay on the floor, out cold.

"Nice aim, Jess," Meowth commented, snickering under his breath.

"I've had enough practice tonight." Jessie examined her coat pocket that contained the tranquillizer capsules. "I'm almost out already."

She looked towards James, who had a slightly amused, slightly shocked expression on his face.

She shrugged and gave him a warm smile. "Just because we're at war doesn't mean we have to stop having fun."

The three continued slowly down the corridor, checking each room they passed for personnel.

"Jessie, I see something."

They quickly hide behind a crate, hoping not to be seen. Jessie looked in the direction James indicated. Three heat signatures were at the other end of the corridor, two human, one Pokemon. She concentrated upon the figures, and recognized their shapes. "Don't worry. It's just Ash, Misty and Pikachu." They all walked forward towards their allies.

"Nice to run into you guys again," Meowth said.

"I thought you'd be on the fifth floor by now. Guess you've been busy? " James questioned.

"Yeah. We've had a couple of...interuptions," Ash answered.

"We'll met you there when we've secured this floor," Jessie informed them.

"You, there! Drop you're weapons and Pokeballs." The six turned towards the shout. Standing behind them were five rockets, Pokeballs in their hands.

"You guys get going. We'll take care of these creeps," Jessie commanded Ash and Misty.

Ash and Misty ran past the group as their friends squared off against their adversaries.

"Do you think the three of you are a match to the five of us?" the leader of the group spoke.

"Jessie, we're outnumbered and don't have many capsules left," James whispered. "Do you really think we can win?"

"They say 'Fortune favours the bold'. I guess we'll just have to test that old adage." With barely a pause, Jessie began the battle. "Arbok, attack!"

Ash and Misty reached the fifth floor of the building, the heart of the Team Rocket HQ and where Giovanni's office was located. The amount of security reflected that fact. Numerous Rockets stood guard in the lobby. The two had already taken down several enemies with a combination of tranquillizers and Pokemon, and, now with their resources severely depleting, they didn't like to entertain the possibility of another battle.

"What do we do?" Misty asked him. "There's no way we could take them all on by ourselves."

Ash contemplated the options for a moment before answering. "We'll find the others. Then we'll take them on all together."

The two retreated back down the stairs from where they had come.

Both Jessie and James had been reduced to one Pokemon each, but they had already brought three of the Rockets' collections down. It was going to be close, but they could still win. They had to win. The consequences of failure were to great.

"Where is everyone?" Ash wondered. "We've been searching for ages, and I can't seem to get in contact with Kiyoko."

"Don't worry," Misty answered. "We'll find them. We just have to keep on looking."

Jessie, James and Meowth looked down in disbelief upon the defeated humans and Pokemon. All their own Pokemon had fainted and the three had wounds where the Rockets had sickened their Pokemon upon them. For sometime it had looked like they would lose this battle, but Fortune had indeed smiled upon them. But they were now weak and defenceless. If they encountered any additional adversaries, they knew they were done for. Their only option was to find the others before such an occassion arose itself.

Erika looked down at her fallen comrade. "Manchi," she cried. She looked at her other team members. They had been left unarmed, no Pokemon and no capsules. They were now fighting bare-handed for their lives against better equipped adversaries.

"Erika, we're defeated. We need to flee. We can't keep going without getting everyone killed," Masamune shouted to her.

She hesitated for a moment. Although it was an option she didn't want to have to entertain, he was right. Retreat was their only choice. "Okay. Let's get out of here."

A wave of panic entered Kiyoko's mind. She stopped and fell to the ground, crouching on all fours, concentrating to understand the garbled messages.

"Kiyoko!" Brock ran back to her. "What's wrong?" He lowered himself to her level to see that her eyes were closed, her mind again in contact with someone. But her face didn't wear the calm expression that was usual while she was in communication with another person. It was pained.

"It's all gone wrong. Erika's team has been defeated. Three are dead. The rest have been forced to retreat. Jessie, James and Meowth are in trouble and I can't hear Ash or Misty." She looked into his eyes and spoke again after a pause. "We've failed."

" Ash, I hear something."

" So do I."

" It sounds like it's coming from all around."

Dark shadows were cast around them, constantly changing, moving. Every time they tried to locate the source, it slipped from their vision. But they both knew what it was.
They were cornered.

Eight officers, with there accompanying Pokemon appeared from the corridors that lead off from the room, surrounding them, blocking all possible routes of escape. If they tried to get though them, they knew they would end up dead. The only opinion was to surrender.

They both dropped their tranquillizer guns, and watched helplessly as the two chief Rockets walked forward.

"Well, well, well. Look who it is," the female leader of the group said as she stepped into the light. "The boss is going to be very happy with us."

"There may even be a promotion in it for us," her husky voiced male partner added.

"Butch! Cassidy!" Misty said, her tone full of distain. "You homicidal bastards!"

Ash looked behind the Rockets to see Pikachu staring, full of shock, at him. Ash quickly motioned, moving his head slightly to one side, for the Pokemon to escape. The ever-loyal Pikachu immediately obeyed. Ash turned back to the current situation, to see Cassidy walking closer to Misty.

"What terrible language from such a beautiful young lady?" she said mockingly, tracing a seemingly delicate finger down Misty's cheek before forcefully grabbing her face in her right hand. Her expression suddenly turned fierce. "Team Rocket does not tolerate that kind of disrespect." She released Misty's face, and with all the strength she could muster, hit her with the back of her hand. Misty fell to the ground under the immense force.

All sense left Ash. "You bitch! Leave her alone." Ash rushed forward, but three Rockets held him in place.

"Oh, so Mr. Pokemon Master doesn't want to see his little girlfriend get hurt." She laughed. "Too bad." She looked down at the girl trying to stand, and with a swift kick to the stomach, knocked her back to the ground.

Ash struggled again, trying to break free, but the mens' grips became stronger. "It's useless to struggle, you piece of shit," Butch told him. "There's no escape now."

Misty felt blood enter her mouth and spill over her lips. Her face and stomach felt bruised, and her head was telling her she was close to losing consciousness, but she wasn't about to give up. She began to stand again, before Cassidy pulled her up by the collar of her coat. The Rocket looked into her face with a smile of evil amusement. "Get these two to Mr. Nakamora. He'll know what to do with them."

" Where's Ash and Misty?" Brock yelled, panic colouring his words.

" I'm not sure," Jessie called back as she, James and Meowth ran down the corridor to the rest of the group. " We were holding a few soldiers off for them. They were heading further into the complex, but we haven't seen them since."

" Kiyoko, can you sense them?" he hurriedly asked.

" Give me a minute. The link is still broken." A yellow glow emanated from her eyes as she concentrated on finding her friends, but she couldn't locate them. The panic and intensity of the past few minutes had broken her focus. Her own emotions had obscured those of the others, creating a confusion of thought and feeling. She didn't even know what emotions were her own. " I feel something, but I'm not sure what. I...I don't think it's human."

In the background, a soft squeak resonated about the passageway.

" What was that?" Meowth questioned.

" I don't know, but I'm not sure if we want to find out," added James.

" Pi!"

The sound was of the same pitch and frequency as the previous one. Brock knew it could only come from on creature. " Pikachu!"

A blur of yellow ran around a corner and entered their fields of vision. It was the mouse.

" Pikachu! Where's Ash and Misty?"

" Pika pi chu!"

" What did it say?" James asked.

With terror on his face and in his voice, he answered. " They been captured."

" God," Kiyoko whispered. She then collected herself and ordered, " We have to get outta here."

" But what about Ash and Misty?"

" We can't do anything for them now, Brock. We're beaten. If we try to find them, we'll get caught as well. We have to go, now." She grabbed his arm and pulled him along with her, following the former criminals who had already complied with her command.

Pikachu stood for a moment, looking in the direction from which he had run, before following the others. But before he left, he let out a soft mournful "Pika."

Nakamora held the small gun at point blank range to the teenager's head, driving the weapon hard onto the surface of his skull under his black hair, pushing with so much pressure that the victim felt a intense blunt pain. " So, little boy, how does it feel now to know that your death is only a short while away?"

" I don't care. It won't stop the rebellion, you'll just create yet another martyr, and another reason to fight. But you're a smart man," Ash begun, not even attempting to hold back his sarcasm. " I'm sure you realized that."

He wasn't use to this abuse. All of his other victims cried and begged for mercy until the moment their life ended, but this 'child' just mocked him, showing no fear at all. Nakamora couldn't stand this disrespect. He sharply pulled the gun from Ash's head and with an unrestrained force, brought it across his face, the cool, hard metal causing a deep cut to rise from the young man's cheek. He then put the bloodied instrument against his head again, but this time aimed at his forehead so his prey could see the cause of his death. But still, no emotion appeared on the face before him. " How dare you speak to me like that, kid?"

" Because you have already told me I'm going to die, so if I know my fate, speaking my mind isn't going to make things much worse for me, is it?"

The agent growled. The boy was right.

" You're not going to get anything out of him," said the Mayor. " He'll never give in."

Nakamora looked at the young woman that had been caught along with Ash. He knew that the two had more links to each other than just being in the rebellion together. He had seen them dance two months before, and was certain their was something between them. Maybe she would make a better threat to him. Withdrawing the gun from Ash's head again, he slowly walked over to the girl while speaking. "How about your little girlfriend here?" He stepped behind her and lowered the gun to her head. " If you don't give me the information I desire, maybe I could blow her pretty brains out instead. I'm sure her life means more to you than your own."

That did hit a nerve. Anger raged in the boy. Fifteen years of torturing people, and not one a failure. Anyone who didn't answer his questions ended up dead, and even those who did often followed the same fate. He thought that maybe his record had just
been broken, but now he had found the correct formula. No one could defeat him. An insidious smile crept across his distrustful face.

" Ash, don't believe him." The girl spoke, showing the same lack of fear as her boyfriend had seconds before. " You can't trust this bastard. He'll kill the both of us, even if we tell him all we know."

He hesitated for a moment, for the first time showing fear, but then nodded to her, understanding that every word she spoke rung true. The only way they would survive was by escape. They couldn't trust these mobsters. If he told, they would still end up dead, but so would many others. There was no choice. " No matter how much you threaten us, you will get no further to the truth."

He looked down at the smiling girl below. She had done this. She had broken his record. " You little bitch!" He brought the gun down on her head with all his strength, causing her to scream in pain. The sound was bliss to him.

" Don't you dare touch her, you bastard!" Ash yelled at him, struggling to break free of his restraints.

" I'm going to kill you, bitch, even if it is just for the pleasure of it." He pulled back the safety, and placed his finger on the trigger. Misty tried to hide her fear, but she lost the battle. Tears began to run down her cheeks. Ash continued to fight at the restraints, although he knew it impossible for him to escape. He had to at least try.

" What the hell do you think you're doing, Nakamora? I told you I want them alive!" Giovanni stepped into the room, an angered expression on his face, directed towards his employee.

It was hard, but after a great deal of trying, he was able to take his hand from the trigger, and reholster the gun in his belt. He had been so close. If the intervention had taken place mere seconds later, she would have been dead. He knew his boss would have been disappointed in him, but that few seconds of pleasure would have been worth it. Giovanni would not get rid of one of his best operatives for one simple minute of lost control.

" What were you thinking? I told you to threaten them, get any information possible. But I need them for what I have planned for tomorrow. If you had killed even one of them, my plans would have been spoiled."

" Sorry, sir, but they just won't talk. I don't know if they ever will."

" Well, then, just lock them away till tomorrow. We'll be rid of them then." Giovanni then turned from his officer and looked at the two teenagers. " I think maybe I should tell you of my little plan. Tomorrow, at twelve noon, both of you will be executed outside this building, in front of all your 'friends'. I hope that will finally bring the message to you people that Team Rocket can't not be deposed." He turned from the youths, but before he was even able to move one step, the boy spoke back.

" I wouldn't count on that."

Infuriated, he spun around. In all his years, no one had had the nerve to speak back to him, not even his closest associates.

" What did you say?"

" I thought I was dealing with intelligent men here. Over the past few minutes my opinion of you has lowered even further below where it was before. I guess you surprise me there a little. I thought it couldn't go any lower." Then without joking he continued, all his bravery coming to the forefront. " Do you not realize that every life, every destroyed soul adds fuel to our fire? The more you hurt and kill, the stronger we become. By killing the two of us you are initiating your own suicide. Don't you know history? Most occupiers sabotage themselves by helping the rebel forces grow stronger. That is exactly what you're doing here. The two of us may not be alive to see it happen, but, rest assured, Giovanni, you will fall."

He had no reply. He didn't know how to answer. He knew everything the boy said was true. But what could he do. Even though he knew all the people were against him, he could never surrender. That was not his way. That was not how he had risen to power. He would prefer a defeat to a surrender. But he knew that he had to prevent either from happening. He just turned away again, and walked out of the room, only pausing to say, " Noon tomorrow."

" What are we going to do?" Brock asked, solemnly.

" I don't know. I mean, we don't even know if they're still alive," Erika worried.

" We have to do something. We can't just sit here," he argued.

" Pika!" came an agreement.

" We have to try, even if their is only the slightest possibility they haven't been murdered. They're our friends." Jessie argued.

Erika looked towards her Kiyoko. "Have you been able to locate them, yet?"

" I haven't been able to re-establish the link since I lost it hours ago, Erika. I can't even read any of you guys properly. I'll keep on trying, but it may take a while."

She placed a sympathetic hand upon her shoulder. " I know you can do it. We all have the highest confidence in you."

Kiyoko smiled and nodded.

" So what are we going to do," Meowth asked.

Erika spoke. " I think Ash was right. We have to end this war."

Erika entered the common room of her base, followed by Brock, Kiyoko, Jessie, James, Meowth, Pikachu and several other of her group.

The rebels that hadn't been involved in the attack looked towards the group, shocked that they had arrived back before they were expected.

"Miss Erika?" one of the rebels began.

She realized exactly what the woman, and the rest of her people, wanted to know. " We failed."

An immediate hush fell over the group.

"Kisinski, Layton, Manchi," she lowered her head slightly. " They were killed. And Ash and Misty. We...we don't know whether they are alive...or..." She couldn't finish, almost choked up with tears. She had never become used to losing any of her people, and in a way, was glad of that fact. It was something that should hurt. " But that doesn't mean that we give up."

"Erika," one of her men said. " I think you'll want to see this." He indicated the TV. Once again, Giovanni had appeared on the screen.

" Turn it up," Jessie ordered.

" ...most violent attack committed upon us so far in almost two months of power. However, the rebels have failed, and now we hold two of their most powerful leaders, Ash Ketchum and Misty Williams. "

Kiyoko sighed in relief. " They're alive."

" Tomorrow at noon," Giovanni continued, " in front of our HQ, these two enemies of the state will be sentenced to death. I hope now the people who oppose us realize they cannot win." The broadcast abruptly ended.

Everyone in the room remained silent for a moment, contemplating the news.

" God," Brock said. " If we don't do something, their going to kill them."

" Don't worry. We won't let them," Erika announced.

Gary listened in from the corner of the room. He couldn't believe what had happened. Ash had once been his best friend, and he knew that there was, and had always been, something between Ash and the redhead Misty. Now, they were both waiting for death. Gary knew that if there was a plan to save the two from their enemies, he had to be part of it. He could no longer stand in the shadows while so many others risked their lives.

That night Ash and Misty were put into separate cells. Maybe Giovanni, knowing that both had accepted their fate and were no longer intimidated by the death threats, wanted to punish them in any other way that was possible. By isolating them, they would have no one to turn to for comfort. It would make their last few hours on the mortal coil unbearable hell, alone, depressed and scared. All they could do was lie there, on the thin, rotten mattresses, trying to make peace with themselves before the next noon.

Ash stared at the ceiling, trying to keep his emotions inside. He couldn't, even at this point, allow his enemies to see him weak. He would have peace soon. Soon, he wouldn't be able to see pain or hate, death or suffering. He would no longer have to deal with the emotional disorder within his head. All would be quite. But, although he would lose everything that saddened him, he would also the things that he truly cared about; his mother, his friends, his career. And, of course...

Her. He had dreamed for so long that one day they would become more that just friends, and now, just over a month and a half after this dream came true, both he and the girl he loved were awaiting execution, with no possibility of a real future together. He couldn't let himself accept death. There had to be away. He couldn't just let everything pure and beautiful in the world fade from his sad eyes. He had to do something.

Just then, a silver light glided over the dark ceiling and entered his field of vision. He knew it could only be a ray of light from the moon. He stood from the low bed and walked over to the barred window on the adjacent wall a glanced out at the night sky. There was the object that had brought light to his shadowy prison, shining in all it's glory. It was so large and bright his eyes squinted when he lay them upon it. Only once could he remember the moon being so magnificent. Just two months ago when they had stood on the balcony, both looking at the same spot just above the horizon. That night had been magical to him, not only because it was the day he was declared a Master, but because he and Misty had made a solemn promise, one he knew they could never break.

Although she was not there to hear him say it, he repeated the promise as if she were. " We may not be together right now, but I will never leave you." He made a fist and placed it over his heart. " You'll remain in my heart forever."

In another cell in the prison, Misty looked out towards the same bright moon, and swore too to the same pact, sure it was the one thing that no one could ever destroy.

Neither slept all night. They watched the fall of the moon and the rise of the sun. The guards came to collect them several hours after dawn, taking them from their cells to meet their destiny.