Like thunder, the explosion rumbled down the hall before dissipating. Down landed a final chunk of iron, clattering and rolling. Lance and Lyra, laying head to head on the floor, stilled their breathing as their dragons glided down from the air and stood over them. Tucking in their wings, they watched their trainers with concern. Rapidly breathing, the two trainers slowly regained hearing in their ringing ears.

"You did good," Lance finally said, reaching up to pat Dragonite's lowered snout. Lyra simply held her fist up for Aerodactyl to headbutt gently.

"Hey. I told you," Lyra managed out, "your roar is the roar that will pierce through time."

Aerodactyl smirked at her inane statement and nodded slightly, lowering his neck in the same way he did when he was ready for riding. Grabbing a hold of it, Lyra pulled herself up and dragged her unresponsive legs closer to his body. Aerodactyl, being tired himself, balked under her weight before forcing himself to remain still.

"Lyra–" Lance jumped to his feet, hurrying to help lift her.

"I've got it," she insisted; sensing his horror, she forced herself to stand up straight "Whew. Though that was anything but boring, my legs went to sleep," she stated. "Heh. Such slow nerves. That's why dinosaurs have a second brain in their... backs."

"...What?" Lance flatly responded.

"Dinosaur pokemon have brains in their backs so they can move. If they had only one brain, then they couldn't keep going forward." Lyra proclaimed seriously, patting Aerodactyl's lower back. It seemed she believed that there was another brain in there.

Lance immediately began to worry that Lyra was having issues with her own brain. Only after some thought did Lance realize that she was referring to an outdated scientific belief.

"Who... taught you that?" he asked, shaking his head to sort out all the suddenly surfacing questions. "No. More importantly: who taught you all that– just now– even when I first met you. There's no way it's all a fluke." He took a step toward Lyra, but stopped when she froze. He understood that he was being pushy, but he still wished to know, even if it meant making her feel uncomfortable. "Such techniques are guarded carefully by the Dragon Master Clan so that the public doesn't know..."

Lyra stared at Aerodactyl's stoney back, moving her hand along it slowly before massaging diligently. It seemed she wanted to give the dragon her full attention instead of answering.

"Tell me," Lance demanded urgently. "Who taught you what you know?" Waiting, he grew uncomfortable and alienated with each retreating moment. Finally, the girl lifted her chin. It wasn't a lurch in movement, but it wasn't exactly restrained. Lyra had sensed the displeasure in Lance's questions; it was understandable since she was an outsider.

"My dad said," she explained, "that though your brain helps you move forward, it's your gut that gives you the strength and drive to. Being stinking rich helped, too, jokingly enough, but to live... You should have– You should go many places and at least learn everything. Then, you can give these things to your children as gifts... Those things were all presents. To be used for..." She stopped, unable to continue her rambling.

Lance gulped down a lump in his throat. Though he was enraged that someone had smuggled Dragon Master Clan secrets home to a child as mere 'gifts', he was overwhelmed by intense estrangement. Lyra's voice was apologetic and yet at the same time, desolate. It was hard to believe that she had ever been filled with boundless energy and all that foolish bravado.

Her father is... Lance decided to drop the subject. It was apparent that her father was no longer in this world. Even if that man had broken the Dragon Clan's oath of secrecy, it could be forgiven just this once. For someone I trust... it's useless to hold it against her. And there's truth in what her father said. I more than likely owe her my life for what she did today...

"That odd signal," Lance began uneasily, walking over and putting his hands on her shoulders in an effort to console her, "has finally stopped. The lake should be back to normal."

Lyra nodded her head with as much soul as a tree branch.

"You're the best!" Lance declared, suddenly becoming angry and in turn confused. His random outburst had startled the girl enough to make her sentient again.

"Did I pass?" she finally asked, almost as if she had just woken up.

"Pass?" He fought to suppress his angry confusion. Finally he remembered. So she honestly thinks I'm still looking for a sidekick? ...

"Well?" She recovered and turned around, standing on her tip-toes in a great effort to cajole him. "Didn't I work hard and keep up with you? I did, right? And my team, too. We have sidekick potential. Yes?"

"Of... course. But that–" he weakly asserted, bending back as she pressed closer; it seemed she was about to grab his collar and shake him. "You passed." He quickly caved in. I'm... the adult here. So why–

"Great!" She became chipper once again, heroically holding her sides. "So when do I start?"

"Maybe when you're eighteen?" Lance answered, still unable to effectively say no.

"What?" Lyra bellowed, tugging her cap down over her head. She then brought her fingers close to her face, mumbling quietly to herself. "One, two, three... Only four years left. I should be Champion by then, with some time to spare... And extra savings... Then I'll retire early and fight crime."

She's fourteen? Lance froze from excess shock. And I believed her to be age ten and precocious... I'm relieved, that she's older than that. But still, there's a nine year age gap between us... Wait. Relieved? What am I thinking?

And why is she already planning for retirement?...!

"Let me thank you on behalf of all the pokemon." Lance abruptly changed the subject, squatting down to her height so she would stop trying to push herself at him. "Oh, yes." He remembered that he had something to distract her with. Reaching into his coat pocket, he pulled out a disc player. "You should take this." He promptly shoved it at her. "I found it here, but I don't have any need for it."

Lyra glanced down at the Hidden Machine, HM05. With an unimpressed expression, she dropped the device into her bag.

She's not happy with it? Lance became increasingly alarmed. "That's Whirlpool–" he began, trying to sell her on it.

"–Can you thank me in a," she interrupted and paused, "different way?"

Lance froze and filled with astonishment. He abruptly became aware that he was alone in the room with her, as the only other human.

"I... That is," he answered awkwardly. "If you want."

"No, I should be saying that." Lyra held her head down. "It might be uncomfortable for you, and it's a strange request... You don't have to do it."

At that moment, he lost all feeling in his legs. "You can decide that," he said. "I'll do whatever you want." I see... so it's already this way for me.

"Can you lift me up?" she finally asked, squinting her eyes shut in worry. "...And sit me on your shoulder?"

"Of course." He smiled, deeply relieved by her innocent request. Without another word, he grabbed her thin waist and pulled her up onto his left shoulder. It was until the younger girl was situated that he realized he'd have to hold her lap. The guilt and shame from it shook him. I shouldn't. Isn't this wrong? To be this aware–

"Thanks," Lyra muttered shakily, wrapping her arms around his neck. She leaned her head against his. "You remind me of my dad."

The air escaped from Lance's lungs, along with any bit of happiness that had been left from the moment before. There was nothing happy about her harrowing words.

Her Dad? He agonized silently, wondering if he really looked that old.

"I feel that I can trust you. It's odd. You're the first adult in a long time." She placed a hand on his head and felt at his spiky red hair. Undoubtedly, she was surprised to find that it was so soft. "My dad would carry me like this. He said that super heroes were even better at it. It's true... I'm glad."

That's right. I'm an adult, and she's a child. It's not fair to me, or her. Lance knelt down and carefully slid her off, placing her feet back on the ground. I can't be around her anymore. This can't be allowed. There's too many years between us, in two ways. I'll stop this for now because...

I absolutely won't abuse her trust.

"Lyra..." he said, looking straight ahead at the door. "The journey to becoming the Champion is long and difficult. Knowing that, will you keep going?"

"..." Lyra tugged at her wrinkled overalls and gave him a stern and insulted stare which caught him off-guard.

"With," she began, throwing back her cape, "the lowest of intentions, I came from nowhere– a tiny crap hole called New Bark Town. But all the while, my dreams and resolution were boundless. Over time, my intentions raced and caught up. So–" she declared, raising her clenched fist:

"I'll keep going forward. Whoever the Champion is, I'll meet him face to face and tell him: I won't lose! And I know– I'm being completely presumptuous. But limits and acceptable bounds were meant to be tested!"

"I see," Lance coughed, fighting back laughter at her absurd and self-deprecating speech. "No, you're right. If you would give up that easily, you would have never chased that dream in the first place. And as for the Champion, you've told him well..."

Lyra tilted her head, confounded by his last murmured statement; though she was listening carefully, she hadn't caught it. Kneeling on his right knee, Lance looked up at her and slid his hand into hers.

"I look forward," he said, pulling her fingers towards his mouth, "to seeing you again." I'll wait for you. And then you can decide.

Lyra's eyes widened as he kissed them.

What?

Turning sharply, his cape billowed outward as he and Dragonite strode away– disappearing down the open hall.

Is that right? Lyra though in wonder, staring at her warmed hand. He's actually a knight after all? Just like in those old stories... How can that be?

I'm happy by this, so much so that it's surprising me. But–

Her expression faltered as disenchantment sank in her gut. I actually want to feel something like this from... Jerkface.

Lyra's knees caved and her balance faltered. Leaning backwards she fell, hitting her head on the rusted floor with a solid thump. Because Lance had been by her side, she had held the pain and fatigue in. But now that he was gone, there was no longer any need.

Trilling incessantly, Aerodactyl hovered over his fainted trainer and nudged her twice. After the girl let out a light snore, he wrapped his wings over her and waited.

"Cowards... Escaping in the darkness like that," Silver complained, knocking on the wall as he went along. "They never change..." Secretly, he was checking for Juggler Irwin as he knocked and listened. But first and foremost, he was trying to find the location of the loud explosion earlier. After all, explosions were Lyra's signature.

Could that Dragon Trainer have been with her? he arbitrarily wondered, quickening his pace. His mind wandered as much as his feet. What if he's still with her? What if they're alone together now?

Outraged by his own thoughts, he rampaged down the hall in no particular direction. He wasn't sure where he was supposed to go, but he knew that putting his anger into it would make himself feel better. Just as he had stormed down a stretch of hallway and past the radio transmitter room, he stopped and stepped back. Out of the corner of his eyes, he had seen a crumpled figure on the floor within.

"Lyra." Silver hurried inside the wrecked room. Hunching beside her, he shook her shoulders while watching her for movement. Only after she let out a short snore did he lessen in his worry. "I can't believe you. Always falling asleep wherever you like. No human does that..."

"Tchyaaa," Aerodactyl trilled, forcing his hideously huge snout into Silver's hair. Deep puffing noises rattled in the boy's ears as the creature sniffed him.

"What the hell are you doing?" Silver jumped, startled and falling backwards. Only after looking up at the flying beast did he understand that it had been standing guard all this time. "... Have you been protecting her?"

Aerodactyl turned his head sideways and stared at Silver with one eye.

What a creepy pokemon. I can't get used to it.Silver flinched, disturbed by the intelligent look in its eye. He couldn't tell if it was going to lecture him or bite his head off. Could it be that Lyra think this pokemon is cute?

"I'm going to take Lyra now," Silver said carefully, sliding his hands under the girl. "Since it's bad for her to lay here... That is– if it's ok with you." This is ridiculous... Why am I even asking this thing for permission?

Aerodactyl nodded silently, which reminded Silver of Feraligatr's own quiet habit. Randomly, the boy was also reminded that these two pokemon had similarly sharp, razor teeth. Shaking at the thought, Silver's bandaged hands throbbed once more. I guess I can't lift her this way, he thought painfully, instead slinging Lyra over his shoulders like a sack.

Silver's unromantic technique struck Aerodactyl as inherently funny– so much so– that the large lizard snorted at him.

"Hmph. As if you could do any better," Silver grouched. Taking his first step, the rival stopped when he felt Lyra's hand slide down his back and slowly down his hip. Huh?

She patted his rear twice. "Bongo," she droned. "Hff..."

Silver shook, unable to comprehend the action; this would be the second time that she had violated him in her sleep. You PERVERTED girl, he raged.

"Take responsibility for your actions!" Silver spat, turning red from the humiliation. "What are you even dreaming about? Drums?" How could you make such a grave mistake? He didn't even bother scolding Aerodactyl for laughing and shrieking amusedly.

"You..." Silver begrudgingly addressed Lyra, unable to finish what he wanted to say. You took my first kiss. As stupid as it is, that's what made me really start hating you.

But I guess it's not hate. Though... it's something just as strong.

"...I swear I'll get you for this." Silver hastily concluded his statement. Taking Lyra away, Aerodactyl swiftly followed behind him.

~To Be Continued...~

Whatever, Silver. We know you liked it. :I

Congratulations to Idoloni for being the 100th story faving person. You get...

LANCE'S ABS:

*Megaman 4 Get Weapon theme plays*

DO DO DO doo

DO DO DO DO DO DO doo

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