Hey Guys and gal's, Here's Chapter Two, I want to give a big shoutout to QueenFandom for encouraging me to continue with the story. As warned in the previous chapter there will be a heavy loss in this one, sadly it's necessary for the story to continue. I hope you guys can forgive me for this. As always, I Do not own Pokemon or any subsidiaries therein. This is written purely for entertainment.

-Chapter Two-

Loss

The group sat silently their lighters held aloft as the band went into the closest thing they had to a ballad, Red and Ash began to kiss as the lights went low. "Thank you all for coming out tonight to see our show" The lead singer bowed himself off the stage. May looked around the table at all her wonderful friends. Her heart swelled in her chest and she felt her eyes start to water.

"Is something wrong May?" Misty looked to her concerned.

"Uhh, no Misty, I just, I'm just really happy, You guy's are my best friends, I can talk to you about anything and I know that no matter what you guys have my back like a Shellder, and that makes me super happy. I love you guy's so fucking much."

"We love you too May" Said the group in unison, Ash took the chance to dive over the table and tackle her to the ground placing kisses all over her face, Misty laughed so hard she shot wine out of her nose. Red just looked on and smiled softly as May mock screamed and tried to push Ash away. He sat up and smiled as she caught her breath. He did love her, she was like a sister to him. He grabbed her hand and helped to stand her up and place her back in her seat.

"Ladies and gentlemen, are you ready to go all kinds of Primeape up in this bitch, Please welcome to the stage 'Tunes of Dawn'. The crowd erupted as the band took the stage and tore right into their first song. Red and Ash began headbanging and throwing up their metal horns. May and Misty watched them as they rocked out.

"Hey do you guys want to hit the pit?" Misty shouted over the music.

"Fuck yeah" Ash took off towards the pit. His boots barely touched the ground as he leapt swiftly onto the bannister. He spread his arms and swan dived into the crowd who caught him and crowd surfed to the edge of the stage. Red laughed and followed, his boots pounding the grown as he leapt directly over the bannister in a front flip. Misty and May looked at one another and followed suit. May took the lead and placed her hand on the bannister using her momentum to push herself up and over and into the crowd of moshers. Misty decided to do something a little more daring. She steadied herself and crouched launching herself off, she twisted herself in the air into a shooting star press and landed on her feet next to May. They pushed themselves to the front collecting elbows and jabs from the fellow moshers. May jumped in the air and delivered a spinning heel kick to a man who grabbed her chest and continued walking. They could see the tops of Red and Ash's head closer to the front of the stage.

"May, are you okay?"

"Fuck yes, this is the best time I've had in awhile, I really want to fight" She turned around and decked some drunk kid in the mouth making him drop like a sack of potatoes, she then swung her elbow in a wide arc taking out some chick with pink hair.

"I never took you for the violent type May"

"I'm typically not, but I know how to fight, I know how to protect myself. And I want some fun. I'ma go straight Mankey in here tonight" She looked at Misty and smiled as the band started another song. "HOLY SHIT, LOOK AT ASH!" May screamed at the top of her lungs pointing towards the stage. At some point Ash had managed to stage hop and was headbanging with the lead singer. The security officials tried to remove him only to be kicked off the stage by the guitarist. "This is the coolest fucking night ever."

"So mate, are you having a good time?" the singer placed the microphone between the two of them.

"Fuck yes, you guys rock" Ash was red in the face.

"Gotta say mate, I love the outfit, Where did you get it, AggronsR'Us"

"Yes I did, it's the only place to find any good metal or band gear in this town."

"Yeah, it is innit, I stopped in there earlier, they have a mighty nice selection, and speaking of selection, I'ma let you choose the next song we play"

"Can you play 'A Love Ends Suicide' so I can mosh with my partner?"

"Fuckin' A mate, get down there and mosh your face off, You heard him guys, start it up" Ash took a running leap off the stage and landed in an embrace with Red as the band started in on the song. "In your leaving I was grieving, farewell, my dear, my life, goodbye, grave pain and emptiness, has touched my life more heartache I cant stand, oh how I'm wishing it to end" the band played as Red and Ash sang along, May and Misty had made it up front and they held hands as they swayed back and forth to the music. When the next song became heavier the group went back to moshing, they stood in a circle and began throwing punches at the other moshers who were more than happy to throw them back.

-1 hour later-

The group was back at the table, Misty had a cut above her eye and a swollen lip, May had a fresh black eye and what looked like a possible broken knuckle. Red and Ash other than some slight bumps and bruises had walked away completely unscathed. They were all smiling at one another. "So Misty, did you enjoy your night" Ash looked at her hopefully.

"I did, thank you again for dragging me out, I needed it alot more than I realized" she rubbed her neck working the kink out of her muscles.

"Well I know for sure I'm going to enjoy the rest of my night" May chuckled lightly.

"Why's that" Red looked at her in confusion.

"Well, Miss Misty over there owes me one footrub"

"Fuck, I forgot about that" Misty hung her head in defeat.

"Well I didn't so ha" May leaned over and kissed her on the cheek playfully. Misty blushed her face turning almost as red as her hair.

"May don't do that, there's strangers everywhere"

"Oh lighten up Mist, I don't think they care all that much, besides, we're besties" May smiled sweetly allowing Misty to relax.

"Oh get a room you two, seriously, I think I'm gonna be sick, watching you two make out, ugh, gag me with a spoon" Ash said in mock disgust gesturing making a gagging face.

"I'm gonna gag you with something alot bigger than a spoon if you don't shut the hell up Ashhole" Misty fired her retort with speed.

"Oh promises promises" He flung his wrist into the air in surrender. "Anyway, we should probably bolt, according to my phone it's gonna start snowing soon, and I don't really want to walk in that shit." The group agreed and polished off their drinks, collecting their belongings they made their way to the door. "So I was thinking, Misty, are you and May, well, you know?" He made the scissors sign with his fingers and rubbed the webbing together. May's eyes went wide as she and Misty looked at each other.

"NO!" the response came in unison from both girls.

"Hey, no matter to me if you guys are or aren't, but you can't tell me you've never been the least bit curious." May and Misty looked at him their mouth's agape. He stared nonchalantly and lit a cigarette as if he had all the time in the world to wait for a response. "I'm just saying, you two would make a fine couple." He exhaled a long steady stream of smoke as Misty took a cue and lit her own. She stared at the lighter in her hands, it had been a gift from May. It looked like a Charmander and you pulled the tail down to make the fire come out of it's mouth. She stared at the flame intently, lost in her own thoughts. While it was true, she had thought about it more than once, she never considered it seriously. She looked up as May began rubbing her head, it was kind of a nervous habit for the group.

"Well, I'm not going to deny that I have allowed the thought to cross my mind a few times, but I never thought much of it" Misty Exhaled the smoke and lit May's cigarette before extinguishing the flame. "Anyway, we should probably start walking, I think I see snow flakes." the crew walked in silence except for Ash who was recounting the set list.

"I think they we're fucking grand, I mean that was a solid show, and did you see the guitarist boot that bouncer off the stage, thats what metal is all about" He laughed loudly at the thought and stopped in his tracks.

"Whats..." Ash raised his hand for silence as he squinted his chocolaty brown eyes and perked his head. He listened intently for a moment before sprinting as hard and as fast as he could. The gang knowing something must be up followed as quickly as their feet could carry them. Unfortunately Ash was the fastest runner in the school and was already so far gone that they couldn't keep up. Ash continued running and turned a few blocks up. "Whats...got...into...that boy" Misty wheezed doubled over from the exertion.

"No...clue" Red wheezed as well, He wasn't a smoker but he had asthma, "What...ever...it is... it...must be...bad" He tried walking but had to stop as he caught a stitch in his ribs. "Damn that boy" May looked ahead concerned.

"Guys...I'm...worried" She finally managed to catch her breath. They continued walking forward as the wind whipped past them gathering speed once again.

"So am I May, nothing about this feels right" Red replied a genuinely worried look in his normally calm eyes. "He must have heard something for him to just bolt off like that" They walked a little quicker as they approached the area that Ash had turned off at. As they rouded the corner May and Misty let out an ear piercing scream.

"Ash" cried May and Misty bolting forward to the crumpled body on the ground. Red took a minute to survey the situation, he noticed an unconscious woman with a torn purse strap and pieced together what had happened, Ash had more than likely heard some commotion since he had the best hearing out of all them, when he went to investigate he saw a woman getting mugged, and being Ash he preceded to intervene only to get knocked unconscious by the assailant. He walked forward with a half-smile at his brave boyfriend, foolish as he may be. When he got closer he noticed a red stain on the ground and dropped to his knees. Ash had a knife jutting out of his chest. Red crawled forward on his hands and knees.

"Ash, wake up, this isn't funny" Red reached out and shook his lovers shoulder not receiving a response his breath hitched in his throat. "Please Ash, please wake up" He felt hot tears well up in his eyes. "please" he said softly as his throat began closing up, May had fainted at the site of the blood and Misty was curled into a little ball. Red crawled closer to ash and grabbed him. He began shaking him violently. "Arceus Damn it Ash, you fucking idiot, please get up, I can't lose you, I'm not ready for this you fucking idiot" He placed Ash's head in his lap and began crying. The blade was driven deep into his heart, though the blood hadn't stopped flowing Ash's eyes had already faded, any sign of life was seeping out with the frozen tears.

"Red, I love you, I'm sorry I never told you sooner, I always meant to" Ash managed to get a few words out before blood began leaking out of his mouth.

"I love you too Ash, I always have, please don't leave me like this, please Ash" Red was begging through his tears, he leaned down and kissed Ash one last time. Ash smiled his famous smile one last time before he went limp in Red's arms. Red inhaled and exhaled. He stood slowly. Misty stared at him through the tears in her own eyes. This was not the Red she knew, this man was broken. He let himself scream. With all the fury and the hurt he could muster. He screamed into the night until he felt his own throat rip, but he didn't stop. He couldn't if he stopped now, he would explode. He screamed more, he screamed louder even as flecks of his own blood began spraying around him. He screamed for Arceus to take him, He screamed for Arceus to return the love of his life. He screamed until he exhausted his energy and collapsed on the ground, he doubled up and sobbed like the broken man he was into Ash's chest. "I'll always love you Ash" he kissed the cool dead lips of his best friend.

Misty saw police lights in the distance, odds are someone had called when they heard May and Misty scream. She looked at May who was just starting to come to, as her eyes swam in to focus May caught sight of Red lamenting over Ash's and felt her own throat close. "Is...he..." she couldn't bring herself to finish the sentence, the anguished cries of Red told her more than she need to know. She began sobbing as the police pulled up.

-A few minutes later-

Red was speaking with Officer Jenny to the best of his abilities. Telling her all that he possibly could. The unconscious woman had awoken and helped to fill in and verify what they had already suspected. She was indeed getting mugged when Ash went to help her. He managed to get in a few blows and apparently the man was a sore loser, because as Ash landed a punch that rocked him the man pulled a knife and buried it in Ash's chest before knocking the woman unconscious and taking off into the night. As Red listened to the story he felt fresh tears at the thought of his brave boyfriend swam in his head. "And what is your relationship with the victim?" asked Officer Jenny softly.

"His name, is Ash, and he was my best friend. He was also my lover." Reds voice got caught in his throat and began sobbing again, unable to stand any longer he collapsed to his knees once more. Misty and May surrounded him as they huddled, each mourning the loss of Ash. Officer Jenny felt a hitch in her throat as well. She knew how badly they must be hurting. Especially the younger male, he was holding Ash when they pulled up and crying into his chest. Officer Jenny felt tears begin to well up but quickly fought back against them. She needed to get to the bottom of this. These kids deserved justice for their friend. She approached the woman who had previously been unconscious.

"Ma'am, do you remember anything about the assailant? Anything at all that may aid us in our investigation?'

"It's kind of blurry but I remember a little bit, he was probably late teens to his mid twenties, he had like, black eyes, and purple hair, it hung down kinda over his face. He was wearing, like a blue jacket and blue shoes with grayish looking pants." she screwed her face up thinking deeply for any details that could help.

"You said purple hair, is that correct?"

"Yes ma'am, but not like a regular purple, it was like almost a dull grayish purple, kinda like a really really light plum color almost. Go with Pomp and Power to be safe"

"Pomp and Power?"

"Yeah, hang on, I'll show you a picture" she pulled a phone out of her pocket and ran an internet search on the hue. "Here this is it."

"You know the color name by heart?"

"I'm an Art Major at Smeargle Community College" she said placing the phone back in to her pocket.

"Thank you for your assistance here ma'am you've been a big help." she turned away from the woman who was allowed to leave and returned to the group still huddled together, the two girls had their arms tossed over Red. She felt another tug at her heart strings and cleared her throat to get their attention. "Umhmm, Well we know you didn't see the attacker, but we have a pretty good description to go off of, but if you mind telling me, what where you guy's doing out here on a night like tonight anyway?" Misty cleared her throat and began regaling the tale up until the part where they discovered Ash on the sidewalk. As the thought entered her mind and made her choke on her story.

"And thats where we found him Officer Jenny."

"Well you kid's don't worry, we'll catch the son of a bitch responsible for this. I promise you from the bottom of heart." She broke down and hugged the group. "No one deserves to be hurt for being a good person, especially not like this." She looked around at them. "Would you guys like a ride home, I think it would be best for you all to stay together tonight. Trust me"

Red sniffed as he caught sight of Ash being loaded into the stretcher. When the EMT shook his head Red hit the ground senseless. Misty helped May and officer Jenny get him into a car and looked at Ash one more time fighting back more tears. "I love you Ash, I'll miss you." She sat in the car and watched the night creep past the window.

There it is Chapter Two down, just a few quick editors notes. "Going Mankey" is my idea, kind of like going Ape which means to be rowdy and raucous. 'Tunes of Dawn' Is a real band, they're wonderful, and their music is a great influence to me, the lyrics stated in this chapter come from their song 'A Love Ends Suicide'. If you couldn't piece it together Paul is the attacker in this story. Pomp and Power is an actual shade of purple and it was the closest I could find to Pauls hair in the show. Um AggronsR'Us is a reference to the old style Hot Topics. Um the next chapter will deal alot with the repercussions of the loss of Ash and how it will effect Red and the rest of the group. Thanks for reading, as always reviews and constructive criticism are always so very welcome. Thank you for reading and Arceus bless you