Pokemon Fan Fiction ❯ Painted Smiles ❯ Chapter 14

[ Y - Young Adult: Not suitable for readers under 16 ]

Wai! Another chapter!

Disclaimer: 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 14

“Who are you? What did I do wrong?” Ash asked, once he and Mewtwo were alone. Mewtwo sighed.

< You were not supposed to capture the three legendary birds. You misinterpreted the prophecy. But all is not lost. Free them now. >

Ash swallowed, and did as he was bid, watching as three streaks of light shot off into the distance. “W-will he be all right?”

< Who? >

“You know… Lance.”

< The Dragon Master? > Mewtwo exhaled.

Ash gulped in a breath of air quite audibly. “So he's… dead?”

A rock-like pit dropped into the bottom of Ash's stomach. “I… see…”

< It's not your fault, Chosen One. > Mewtwo studied the boy. This wouldn't do at all! With a gesture, he suppressed Ash's memories with Amnesia, and then sent him back to Saffron. He was still too young to deal with death.

Fourteen…. Maybe, but to pokemon, that wasn't much, especially legendaries…

< Damn you, wake up! > Lugia had apparently regretted his earlier actions and was now shaking Lance's prone form.

< Er… it might help if you removed the Dragon blades. >

Lugia shot Mew a glare, but realized that that would be correct. He laid his wings on Lance's shoulders, willing them to stop attacking. With a flash, the blades reappeared around Lance's body.

< Heal! > Lugia commanded, as blue light covered the trainer, the Recover move working overtime…

Dull golden eyes opened at the summons, as Lance floated within a circle of metal. With a sudden gesture, the blades flew back towards him, but this time, instead of harming him, they wove around him in an almost shield-like motion.

Lugia nodded in satisfaction. This was more like it.

Although it was odd… what?

The blades were dancing closer, almost stroking him with their caresses. Suddenly, they settled on Lance's back.

Lugia watched in surprise as they slashed through the white wings he had gifted his chosen dragon master with, dropping the bloodied feathers to the ground…

With a satisfied purr, purr? Yes, it was a purr! The blades flew back to Lance and grafted themselves to his body… almost like… wings?

Wings of pure silversteel!

Yes, now he remembered. When the Dragon Master had been born, he had boasted no wings. They had grown in at age ten, and his family had removed them painfully, scarring the dragon master for life. From the blood and tears he had shed, the Dragon blades had been formed, from those feathers carelessly torn, so they could serve their master once again…

But now it was as it should be.

Lance flexed his new steel wings experimentally. They felt… right. Perfect. They belonged to him that way.

When he needed them, he could pull the blades out of his wings and continue to fly… like he was meant to.

Lugia was relieved. < Dragon Master? >

< Lugia-san. > Colder response, but still polite. After all, he had nearly died…

< I… apologize for what I did earlier. >

< It is all right. You lost control. It's an easy thing to do. > Lance smiled. Goodness knows he lost control often enough…

Still, with this level of power, he needed more control now…

Lugia vanished back into Lance's dragon necklace as Lance once again slipped it around his neck.

He needed this power to protect Dragon Pokemon. He could deal with an irate and possibly insane guardian for the good of the dragons.

After all, dragon pokemon's lives were worth much more than human's lives… perhaps even more than his.

But for now, he was important.

Mewtwo had obviously miscalculated how guilt could lay a soul bare. Ash slept restlessly, visions of blood and death dancing before his eyes.

What had he done?

He had to make amends… maybe… maybe his life would pay for his crimes…

Sabrina and his mother were fast asleep. He'd smiled when he came home from the league, said he had lost but would try again until he reached the top!

They had believed his sunny exterior, unnoticed to the grief he hid underneath.

I… killed…

He cast teleport to Indigo Plateau. Yes… this was right… it was time to pay for his crimes, even if Mewtwo had forgiven him… he didn't deserve it…

His pokemon slept at home, unaware of their trainer's turmoil…

“I'm sorry… so sorry…” Ash whispered to the midnight air. “So sorry… and nothing I can do can bring you back to life… why was I so stupid….”

He took his Ms. Army Pokéknife out of his backpack, closed his eyes, and took a deep breath as he pressed the blade against his chest.

“You know, I'd appreciate it if you didn't try to kill yourself in front of my room. It would be a horrible mess for the janitor to clean up, and not a sight I'd appreciate first thing in the morning.” A voice said.

Ash dropped the pocketknife, startled. “Who-?”

Lance stepped out into the light, a puzzled expression on his features. “What exactly are you trying to accomplish?”

“You- you can't be here! You're dead!”

“I'm dead?” Lance blinked. “Whom did you hear that from?”

“I saw you die! No one could survive being impaled on that many blades and live! I'm sorry! I never meant to break the prophecy! I was only trying to save the world! I thought it was the right thing to do! Please don't come and haunt me!”

Lance grabbed Ash's arm. “Your babbling isn't going to do any good.”

Ash blinked. “You're… solid.”

“Yes, that would be true…”

“You're not dead?”

“I already said, no, I'm not. Come on, standing outside in your cute Pikachu-print pajamas must be freezing. Come in.” Lance handed his cloak to Ash as he dragged the younger trainer into his room.

Ash could only stare as conflicting emotions whirled through his mind. What was going on?

End Chapter

Completed 2/23/05

Phantomness: See? No one died!

Shoyko: *sighs in relief* Good, not dark