The Most Unlikely Team

by lone-apprentice

Ash and Misty team up with Link and a new girl named Fiona to defeat a powerful menace that threatens Fiona's village.

2. It's Coming together

The Most Unlikely Team: Chapter 2



Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters in this story, except for a select few. I am not claiming to own anything to do with these animes, but it would be awesome if I did.



Note: I'm taking the NC-17 rating off, because I've decided to not make it a lemon. Sorry to get some of you people's hopes up. This chapter is pretty long. A lot happens in it, and well, I could have done three chapters for it all, but I decided not to. And lastly, please mail me any questions, comments, or suggestions. Happy reading!



"Jeez, Goldenrod sure is a long ways away." Ash complained as he and Misty continued their hike to Goldenrod city. "Yeah, but hey, let's make the best of it." Misty said. "How?" Ash asked, still having that slightly whiney tone. "Well, I don't know, but us complaining isn't going to help." Misty said, showing that even though she had shown her feelings for Ash, he wasn't beyond her criticizing. "Yeah, sorry Misty. I was acting childish." Ash said, kind of sucking up to Misty. They walked through the routes holding hands until they got to the entrance to Goldenrod City. "Hey you! It looks like you've got a lot of stuff there. Why don't you let us have some of it." Some young punks on motorcycles called out to Misty and Ash. They just ignored the biker people, and just walked past them. Before they could get too far, one of the bikers grabbed Misty's arm, and held fast. "I said, hand over your stuff. And since you're being so uncooperative, you can stay with us too, girl." "Let me go!" Misty yelled as the biker pulled her away from Ash, and held on to her.

"Let her go." I said, as I dropped my things, and started walking to the bikers. "Ooh, so we have a little hero. What are you going to do if we just decide to not obey you?" The biker punk taunted me, but I just kept walking. "Then I'll kill you." Was my reply, as I continued walking ever closer to the bikers. I stopped directly in front of the head biker, who was eyelevel with me. I was very tall and built for my age, and I showed it with pride. "You'll kill me? Hahahahaha! You? K, Kill me? What a little comedian. I think we'll let you live kid." The biker said, as he continued his laughing. "Stop laughing!" I yelled, but they didn't comply. I was fed up with them, and I wasn't going to let Misty be in their grasp any longer.

I threw a punch that connected with the leader's face, and caused a small cut on his lip. "Why you little," The leader said as he put Misty aside, and charged me. I skillfully dodged his every attack, and countered with one of my own. I finished him off with a foot to the head, which sent him into a back flip, and landing with a wet thud on the sidewalk. This caused the other four bikers to come at me. Misty was mortified, and I can't say that I wasn't a little frightened about these numbers. All four bikers jumped me at the same time, and I was up to my neck in punches and kicks. I only had two feet and hands against eight, and I wasn't getting along too well. I took what opportunities I could get, and if I was lucky, I would get someone singled out to work on. I beat two like this, and the other two were obviously brothers, because every move one did, the other would complement it.

These two were my demise for the most part. One would hit me, the other would ground me, one would knock me into the air, the other would knock me back down. I was at my wits end. All I was, was a bloody pulp on the ground being beaten more. Misty was screaming for help, but everyone around there knew better, and none would help. I finally gathered enough power to stand, and fight at least a little more. The only thing that was running through my head was Misty. She was the reason for me to live or die now, and no bikers were going to alter that. I gave up a battle cry, as I charged for the pair one last time. I caught one of them in the nose with my fist, and he flew backwards to the ground. This gave me the perfect opportunity to finish the other one. I swung at him, but he was ready, and he dodged my move. About that time, his brother was back on his feet, and aiding him. The process continued.

My vision was blurry, but I still saw him clearly enough. A familiar figure jumped in front of me, and blocked the hit that would have certainly been my end. He took on the two brothers and won in no time, and the last thing I could remember of that was him carrying my away to the hospital.

"Please wake up, Ash." I heard Misty say softly, as I came to. I tried to sit up, only to discover that a few ribs were broken. I was in a hospital room, and had an IV hooked up to my arm. Misty was holding my hand, crying, and someone else was sitting in the corner of the room. I barely recognized him as the person that helped me. "Misty." I said painfully. "Ash! Thank goodness you're awake." Misty said as she made an effort to hug me without hurting me. It did hurt a little, but I would take a lot more pain for her. "This wasn't exactly what I had in mind to do today." I said, to Misty, as she retracted her hug, and cried for happiness.

"What's your story?" I asked the person across the room. "Is that any way to treat an old acquaintance?" The man said, standing up to reveal a face that I knew all too well. "Brock!" I said, "Is it really you?" "Yeah, it's me. I see you're not keeping out of trouble like I told you." Brock said. Just then a Nurse Joy walked into the room, and hugged Brock before checking my injuries. "Is this your Nurse Joy?" Misty asked Brock who replied with a nod. "Yep, she's my Joy!" Brock said, as he pulled her into a kiss. "I'm feeling kind of left out over here." I said to Misty as I did the same with her. "What?! You two? Well I would have never guessed." Brock said with a shocked expression, as he watched Misty and I kiss. "So," I asked Nurse Joy after breaking the kiss with Misty, "How much longer do I have to be in here?" "Well," She started, "The only things wrong with you are a few bruises, cuts, and about three broken ribs. So, I'd say about another two days, and you can leave."

***

"Um, Fiona? I'm not really palace material if you know what I mean." Link said, while examining the palace. It was about three times better in every way than the castle in Hyrule. "If you mean table manners and such, don't worry. Around here we don't have a big 'to do' for meals, so don't worry. And we try to maintain equality, so no one is expected to be more 'proper' or 'elegant' than anybody just because he or she resides in the palace." Fiona said, making Link feel a lot better. "There is a free room next to mine that you can have." Fiona added, solving that little problem. Fiona led Link to a large balcony on the seventh floor, where all of the people in the village were gathered around on the ground. "Today, we have a new member in out village!" Fiona started, starting to make Link feel a little uneasy, "His name is Link! Link is our first member into the village that is an outsider! He has promised to help us in our fight against our enemy across the sea!" After the final comment was made, a large roar was emitted from the crowd.

Actually, I failed to mention that Link had agreed to help Fiona fight against the enemy across the sea. Much negative output was gossiped through the people of the village after Link's arrival. Many thought that he was indeed the Hero of Time in the legend, while others thought that he and Fiona were going together. Link learned to be happy though, and he was soon accepted by everyone in the span of a week.

***

"It sure does feel good to be out of that bed." I said, as Misty, Brock, and me walked around the town. We stopped to eat at what used to be the old pokemart, and reminisced about times past. Some good memories were relived as well as some bad ones, but overall, we had fun. "So what are you two going to do now?" Brock asked us. "Well, I guess we'll finish what we started to do." Misty said. "No. I still have something to do." I said, as I got up from the table and left. Yeah, that was rude, but I had made a promise, and I don't break promises. "Where do you think he's going?" Misty asked Brock who just said, "Let's just hope he knows what he's doing."

I made my way to the same place that Misty and I were jumped a few days ago, and sure enough, there those bikers were, stuffing their face with some disgusting looking food. "Well, look who came back for seconds, boys." The leader said as he dropped his food, and walked over to me. "Kid, you've made a very bad mistake, and I don't believe I'm going to be as lenient towards you this time." "Shut up," I demanded as I peaked my anger, "I made a promise, and I intend to keep it." I then spun around and kicked the leader in the head. The rest of the bikers started to get up, but the leader silenced them and said, "No boys, this is our fight. If this kid is so eager to die, then who am I to not grant his wish?" With that, he jumped at me and connected to my jaw. I was used to the pain by then, so I shook it off as nothing. I grabbed his wrist, spun myself around while still holding onto his wrist, and gave him an elbow to the face.

My hold on his arm prevented him from falling, so I raised him up a bit higher, and kicked him in the face. I let the bastard fall to the ground, and I never let up on him. Kick after kick, stomp after stomp, I let him have the full extent of my rage until I was sure that his bones were a powder. The rest of the bikers must have thought I was demon possessed, because they ran off. I didn't see it though. All I saw was the limp form of a body under my foot. Tired of kicking, I held him up with my left hand, and repeated the process with my right hand, except this time, it was punching. My fists were cut, and my face was splattered with blood, but I kept up the beating. The body in front of me had died already, but I kept hitting him. I only stopped when I saw her.

Misty was standing on the sidewalk by Brock just staring at me with a horrified look on her face. I dropped the body and walked over to her and simply said, "I promised him he'd die by my hand." Misty, despite all of my violence, blood, and hate, embraced me, and never let go. I returned the hug, but I didn't dare kiss her. That bastard's blood may have been on my face, but I'd be damned if it was getting on hers. "I never thought you had it in you, Ash." Misty said, breaking the hug. "I do when it's involving you." I said to her, making her smile. "Oh, come on," Brock said, as he heard what Misty and me were discussing, "I've got better things to do than listen to you two go on." "Sorry Brock." I said, remembering where I was. Well anyway, we walked back to the Hospital and got our things from the holding area, and we went to the train station. Brock and Nurse Joy saw us off, as we left for Saffron City.

***

"So, where do you come from?" Fiona asked Link as they sat out on a cliff overlooking the sea. "I come from a very troubled land far away called Hyrule." "What do you mean 'troubled'?" Fiona again questioned Link. "Well," Link started, "There was this evil monster called Ganon that wouldn't stop terrorizing Hyrule. I killed him numerous times, but each time, he came back. But the odd thing is, I don't know how I got 'here'. I mean, one day I was walking around, and these weird creatures showed up. Then I found white holes that seemed to be portals. I jumped into one of the holes, and I was suddenly in a dark area, with a single light at the far edge of the place. I got to the light, only to be looking down at another land. It was as if I was flying above your land or something. Well, anyway, I jumped out of the hole, and fell to the ground just outside of your village."

"Wow, it sounds to me like you have a very fun life." Fiona said, looking Link in the eyes. "Well, not really fun, but exiting." Link replied, still holding eye contact with Fiona. "Well, you've never told me," Fiona started, breaking her look at Link, "Is there someone 'special' to you back in Hyrule?" Link knew where this was going, and he didn't know what to say. So, he told the truth, "Not anymore." He said, still looking at Fiona. She turned to face him again, and she could tell that he wasn't telling a lie. After this, Fiona sunk down into Link's chest and relaxed. Link let her, all the while thinking of what he was going to do. "Well," Link thought, "It hasn't been much better than this in Hyrule, so I guess I could stay here." For the rest of the night, Fiona slept in Link's arms, and Link, well he didn't sleep at all, he instead decided to play his ocarina all night.

***

"This place has really changed." I said, as Misty and I got off the train in Saffron City. "Yeah, I wonder if Sabrina is still here?" Misty said, bringing back some memories that I didn't like. We decided to get a room for the night, and leave Saffron first thing in the morning. The next day, we found ourselves walking an all too familiar route back home. A lot of time was spent saying things like, "Do you remember…" and "Here's where…" but in all we had fun. The only difference was that our Pokemon weren't with us. I really missed Pikachu, and even though, I wasn't as worried about him now that I'd had that dream, I was still a bit concerned. None of us had been the same since the Pokemon were taken. Misty took it especially hard from her Togipi. That thing meant a lot to her, and me. I mean it thought I was its daddy! I was in a sense though.

I could tell Misty was thinking similar things by the way her face was. She wore a look of sadness and loneliness, even though I was there. "Are you alright?" I asked her. "Yeah, I'm fine. Just thinking about our Pokemon." She said, confirming my thought. "Yeah, me too." I said, sympathizing with her. We finally made it to the crossroads of Saffron, Cerulean, Lavender, and Vermilion City. Our plan was to take Cerulean to Pewter, then to Viridian and finally back to Pallet. "Well, we'll be in your home town in a little while, if that makes you feel any better." I said, trying to comfort Misty a little. "Yeah, do you mind if we stop by the gym? I need to get some stuff." Misty said, making me wonder what else she could possibly carry. "Sure." I replied.

***

"Link? Link!" Fiona yelled as she woke up to being in Link's arms, and him playing his ocarina. She jumped out from him, and almost fell off the cliff in the process. Link put away his ocarina and looked at her with a lopsided grin on his face. "Are you alright?" He asked with a little sarcasm in his tone. "Yeah, I was just startled at waking up to those situations. I've been sleeping in a bed for fifteen years, and never with anyone else, so you see what I mean?" Fiona asked, getting a nod from Link. "It must be nice to sleep in a bed every night. Or at least know that you had a bed to sleep in." Link thought as Fiona walked past him telling him to come with her.

"They'll all probably be about to flip out seeing as I've been gone all night." Fiona said, looking up at Link and smiling. "Yeah, and they'll probably be ready to hang me, too." Link said, also joking. But he didn't know how serious his last remark was. When Fiona and Link finally returned to the village, all of the villagers stood waiting for them. Fiona just ignored it, but Link had seen those looks before, the ones of murderous intent. Add to that the fact that the eyes are all aimed at you, and you'd be a bit uneasy too. "Stop, Link." One of the villagers said, as he walked out of the crowd with an old short-sword. Link and Fiona stopped, and Link walked toward the villager, ready for anything. The villager looked as if he was about to attack, but he instead said, "get down." Link looked at Fiona who just said, "do it Link." He obeyed, and got down on one knee. The villager then held the sword up in the air, and brought it down…gently?

The villager tapped Link's shoulder with the sword, and told him to rise. "Link, by our god and our people, you are now an honorary knight of the royal army." Link was totally flabbergasted when these words were spoken. He looked back at Fiona who had a huge smile on her face. The rest of the villagers did too. It would appear that this whole 'kill Link' thing was all a big setup. Link turned a slight red as he realized this. "Link my boy," an old man wearing a brown robe said to Link, "You've shown true courage and bravery over your years, and if anyone deserves to be a knight it's you. I only wish our people had something better to give to you, but maybe this will do." The old man then pulled out of his robe a sword that was so burnished that it looked as if it was fresh from the factory. This sword had a solid gold hilt, with a single diamond engraved in the bottom of the handle, and a red aura emitting from the blade.

"I…I don't deserve this." Link said shyly as the magnificent gift was presented to him. He held it in his hand, this sword that was easily twice the size of any of his swords, but it was lighter than them all too. "Son, you deserve more than this sword. The good deeds that you've done for all those people, and you've never expected anything back. Yet you still did them, because you knew it was good." "How…how do you know?" Link asked the old man, as he still was captivated from his knowledge and the sword. "I have my ways." The old man said, as he suddenly vanished before everyone. Link was then bombarded with friendly people's handshakes and pats on the back. He finally made his way out of the mob and back into the palace and into his room. He sat on his bed, and looked at his new sword with amazed eyes. Just then, Fiona walked in. "Oh, hi Fiona." Link said, as he looked up from his sword a moment to greet Fiona.

"That sure is an impressive sword." Fiona said, sitting down by Link and looking at the sword, "Yeah, I wonder what that was all about anyway. I mean I am honored to the maximum for receiving knighthood to your army, but how did that old man know about my past? And what is this sword for? This thing looks like it should be locked up in a protective safe or something." Link said, confused. "Well," Fiona said, "that 'old man' is one of our highest sages, and that sword was my father's." Fiona said with a smile, looking at Link's once again shocked expression. "What?! Your father's? Then I really don't deserve this." Link said, as he looked at Fiona who was laughing slightly. "You may not deserve it, but you are sure stuck with it." She said, giggling even more. "What do you mean?" Link questioned again, still utterly bewildered.

"Don't you see? This sword is tradition. It was my father's and now it's yours. Do you get it now?" Fiona asked Link who was beginning to get the picture. "What are you saying exactly?" Link asked Fiona who was starting to look a little nervous herself. "Well, what I'm saying is, that…I've chosen you, Link." Fiona said to Link who just looked at her. Fiona was starting to get very uneasy. What if he rejected her? What if he just laughed? These were questions running through her mind at the moment. Meanwhile in Link's mind, he was waging a similar war with himself. How do I go about this? I want to be with her, but I don't want to be royalty. Finally, Link just broke the barrier between both of them with getting up off the bed, and going over to Fiona. There he looked into those ice blue oceans of eyes, and finally kissed her.

***

"Anybody here?" Misty called as she pounded on the door of her old Gym. "I guess not." I said, as she opened the door and stepped inside. The place had obviously been out of commission for a while, seeing as how there was dust on everything, and all of the pool was drained. "Exactly what is it that you want here?" I asked her, while trying not to upset her if it was something personal. "Well, this." Misty said, as she walked to a room at the end of the main hallway. She opened the door, and inside the room she went to an old file cabinet. There she pulled out an old album. "What's that?" I asked her. "This is my old photo album." She replied as she sat down in a chair and motioned me to join her. I stood above her looking over her shoulder as she flipped through the old album. It definitely was old. There were no pictures of all of us together, but there were plenty of pictures of Misty and her previous life.

I learned a lot about her from that old album. Her past life, her first Pokemon, and her childhood were just a few of the things on display in that book. Misty was such a cute kid. She had even redder hair than now, and she always wore a look of 'bring it on!' "Why did you show me this?" I asked her after we were finished going through it. "Well, I figured you should know about my past a little." She replied with a smile. "Now all we have to do is get my Mom's old book of me." I said, joking. "Yeah, then we could combine them and have one big childhood book for us." Misty said, continuing the process. "All we have to now though is start taking recent pictures." I finished. "Yep. Well, let's go. We don't have forever to wait to get home." Misty said, leading the way out of her old gym.

The rest of the way to Pewter, we joked about things such as 'what ifs'. I didn't like the ones about us never being together though. Some more fun and not-so-fun subjects were brought up and dropped, as we continued to Pewter City. "Ash," Misty started, "I wonder how you mom will take our being together and all." "Well, that's a good question. I can't say I have the answer to that. People are so unpredictable. Like you." I said, the last remark, attracting the attention of an angrily curious certain someone. "Well, mister murderer, I would say you're far more unpredictable than just attitude swings." Misty said joking, but that one hit below the belt. "Hey! I could have gone all day without that being brought up. I did that for you, you know." I said, starting to get mad at her. "Ash, I'm sorry." Those three words. Those damn three words! Every time something even similar to sorrow or pain or grief comes out of Misty's mouth, I turn into butter.

"Look Misty, I didn't mean to snap, it's just that I'm not used to killing, and that man's well, he's dead!" I said, looking her in the eyes and nearly falling over when I saw the look she had on her face. Her head was cocked at the perfect angle, and she had a perfectly cute smile that just said 'are you crazy?' "What are you looking at me like that for?" I asked her. "Well, it's just that you're all worried over killing somebody for me. I'm proud of you, and I don't care if you had run away from them, I still would love you just the same." She said, as she briefly kissed me on the cheek. "Thanks Misty, I really needed that." I said honestly. We continued our walk, and all was going well when a loud explosion was heard, and with it, came a blast that erupted the ground all around and under us. "Misty!" I yelled as the shifting ground tore us apart. We didn't know at the time, but a large hole was actually opening from the ground.

I finally got my footing, and ran towards Misty. No matter how fast I ran, I couldn't catch her. It was as if the ground was alive, and it was trying to keep Misty pulled away from me. I ran until my legs ached and felt like they weighed a ton, but it seemed the faster I went, the faster Misty was being pulled away. I still ran, until the ground stopped going in waves, and Misty stopped moving. I finally reached her, only for the ground to split open right between us, and expand to accommodate a large white hole leading to nowhere. "Misty!" I yelled across the hole, "I'm coming!" With that, I got up again, and painfully continued my running. I finally found her, and we sat and looked into the hole.

The ground has stopped quaking, and we were just left, facing an enormous white hole that seemed to emit a song of some sort. The melody started off slow, but it soon escalated onto a loud, beautiful song. Misty and I sat, captivated by the music, until it abruptly stopped, and a horrifying scream replaced it. "What was that?" Misty asked in panic as the scream continued. "I don't know but whatever it is, it's in pain." I said, also standing up. "You thinking what I'm thinking?" She asked me as I nodded my head. We said in union, "one…Two… THREE!" And with that, we jumped into the white hole.

Blackness engulfed me as I gained my balance and looked around. "Misty?" I called, making sure she was there. "I'm right here, Ash, but I can't see you." She said, as I followed her voice and bumped into her. We locked hands so we wouldn't be separated, and made our way towards a light that had appeared in front of us. "Is that another land?" Misty asked as we looked out of the hole, directly above a peaceful looking scene. "I think so, but is that a…Mankey?!" I exclaimed as I realized that we must have found where the Pokemon were. "Come on, Misty, we have to get down there. Our Pokemon are there!" I yelled in happiness and started to go towards the hole when I felt a slight tug on my hand. "Ash, I'm…I'm afraid." Misty said, as she held tight to my hand. Dream time once again.

Here I was again, remembering my dream from the other night. I was faced with the decision of my Pokemon or Misty for real now. The dream was true, again. I could either stay with Misty here, and while keeping her, never get my Pokemon back. Or I could go down there without her, and while getting my Pokemon back, I would lose her respect. Sure I could always drag her down with me, but what would the point in that be, aside from getting her mad at me, and having no way to get out of it. "Ash, go if you want, but I'm staying here." Misty said in a timid voice. She was really scared. "Misty…If it'll make you feel better, I'll stay here with you." I said, giving in to her once more. Even if I tried to stay mad or against her, I would always bend, or break, and now was no exception.

But wait, maybe I could bend the rules of my dreams. They weren't binding or anything. "Misty," I started, "Will you come down there with me? I know you're scared, but it won't be so bad, I promise. And just think, you'll be able to be reunited with all of your Pokemon." "Ash, I know, and I really want to, but I just can't make myself do it." Misty said. "Okay, we'll wait a while if you want to, but think about it this way; we'll still be together." Misty sat for a few minuets in deep thought. I don't know what was so bad about this to her, I mean she jumped into the white hole fast enough, but something was really scaring her. "Ash," She said, standing up, "I've made my decision. Let's go!" She never ceases to amaze me. She has to be one of the bravest people I know. "Yeah Misty, let's go." I said as we locked hands. We jumped into the gap, and was seemingly flung down at incredible speeds, but when we landed, it was as soft as a feather.

"Wow, that was fun!" The girl I loved exclaimed as she jumped up and looked to see how far we fell. "First you're scared to death, now you want to do it again?" I asked her, scratching my head. About that time, something brushed up against my leg, and when I looked down, I saw none other than, Pikachu! "Pikachu!" I yelled as I scooped up my old friend, and we hugged for a few minuets. I was nearly in tears about finding my friend when I remembered Misty. I stopped my sudden display of emotion, and said to her, "Well, let's go find your Togipi." She hugged me tightly, and grabbed my hand as we started to walk off. "Pika, Pikach, Chu, Chu, Chow?" Pikachu asked me which translated into "What's with Misty?" "Long story, Pikachu. I'll explain later." I said, as we continued looking for Togipi.

Misty was starting to look dismal as our search progressed, and there was still no sign of Togipi. "Don't worry, we'll find her. "I said comfortingly as I looked at Misty and kissed her cheek. This raised another question of condition from Pikachu, only this time about me. Suddenly, Misty screamed, and I could only think the worse. I ran over to her, and there lay a dead Rattata. It was nearly totally decapitated. I took Misty into a deep hug as she cringed from the sight. "It's alright Misty, it's alright." I said comfortingly as I held her out from me so I could look her in the eye. We held eyes for a long time, and nearly slipped into a kiss, but a slight rub against our legs caught our attention. I was about to kick whatever that thing was for messing up my moment with Misty, but when Misty picked it up, I was very glad I didn't. There she held in her arms Togipi, and was talking to it much like I was to Pikachu upon finding him.

"Togi! Togi, Togi!" Togipi said which translated means, "Mommy! Daddy!" Misty and I both looked at each other and smiled as the only children we could ever have virginally, danced around our feet. "Well, now how do we get out of here?" Misty asked as she began looking around her. "I don't know. The hole we came through is gone." I said as I looked up into the sky and it was as clear a crystal. We then looked some more, only this time we were looking for an exit. We passed many villages, all of which deserted. We saw many other Pokemon, but none were ours. "Misty? Do you remember the screaming we heard earlier?" I asked her, suddenly realizing that we hadn't heard another thing once we got here. "Yeah, it was almost as if it was trying to lure us down here." Misty said, starting to feel uncomfortable. Just at that moment though, we found another hole just like the one that we had come here by.

It was just as white, and just as hollow looking as the other. "Should we jump in?" I asked Misty as a stepped up to examine it. "I don't know, but we aren't going to get anywhere standing around here." Misty said, as she joined me in my gaze at the hole. With a nod, we decided to jump in. Pikachu and Togipi held on for dear life as the four of us plummeted through the hole.

***

"Fiona, does this mean what I think it does?" Link asked, pulling away from their kiss. "All it means is that I've chosen you to officially be my suitor." Fiona said, looking at Link. "So this isn't a proposal?" Link asked Fiona who was now giggling like mad. "No, this isn't. Sorry if I disappointed you." "Disappoint me? I would much rather prefer to wait to get married." Link said to Fiona. "Good, so it's worked out." Fiona said, hugging Link who returned her hug with full enthuse. Suddenly there was a loud knock on Link's door, "Princess Fiona, there is a gentleman here who wishes to speak with you." "Tell him I'm busy." Fiona said, still looking at Link. "I would if I could, but he insists on seeing you." The person at the door said. "Just go," Link said to Fiona comfortingly, "I'll still be here when you get back." Fiona smiled at Link then walked out of the door.

"What does this person want?" Fiona asked the servant as they walked down the hall to the waiting area. There she found a tall young man, about a year older than Link, wearing shiny golden armor. He had in his hand a single rose, an exotic rare flower in this land. "Who are you?" Fiona asked not impressed. "Why Princess Fiona, I am Prince Jon." Prince Jon said with a formal bow. "What do you want, Jon?" Fiona asked, still not impressed. "Princess Fiona, I am here to suit you, and finally be your loving husband." Prince Jon said, again with a bow. "I'm sorry, but I already have a suitor. So that means by the laws of my people, if you still want me, you'll have to fight him. To the death." Fiona said, her eyes starting to brighten as the thought of two brave warriors battling over her ran through her mind. No she wasn't that selfish, but every body has a dream, and this was hers. "Why Princess, I would fight an army for your love." Prince Jon said, once again bowing.

"Should I go get Link?" The same servant that brought Fiona to meet Jon asked her. "Yes, do you mind?" Fiona asked him. "No problem." The servant said as he went off to get Link. In a few minuets, Link walked into the waiting area, where Fiona and Jon stood. "What's this all about?" He asked Fiona as he walked to her side. "Well Link, it would appear that this man wishes to fight you for my hand." Fiona said, looking at Link. "Does he wish to or do you want us to?" Link asked her, knowing that he would fight for her, but not for some over pompous prince. "Well, the customs of my people are to fight if more than one suitor is present, so in a sense, I wish you to." Fiona said, smiling at Link. Link returned the smile, but when his eyes left hers, they were the cold stone eyes that he had had before he came to Fiona and her people. He looked at this Prince Jon man as if he were a beef to be auctioned off. "You ready?" He asked Jon as he met his eyes with his own. "When the Princess appoints the time, yes I am." Jon said, returning an equally fierce look.

"Let's go outside and settle this little dispute, shall we?" Fiona said, as she lead Link and Jon out into the courtyard. It was a perfect place for a fight, nothing but a good-sized clear ground. "Are there going to be spectators?" Jon asked as the thought of winning in front of all the villagers flooded his mind. "Yes, there will be the villagers to watch." Fiona answered, as she walked to the guards and told them to announce what was happening. "Fiona," Link asked her as she returned, "Will there be weapons?" "Yes, there will be any weapons you want." She replied. "Then," Link started again, "Do you want me to use the sword of your father's or is it just for show?" "Well, I don't mind if you use it, seeing as how that is what swords are for, but some people may be offended by it, so it's your call." Fiona said, again putting Link on the spot.

The battle was soon to begin, and the two warriors were ready to get it on. Spectators had gathered at the outskirts of the courtyard, and Fiona was sitting up in a watchtower, directly above the combat zone. Link had his shield out, with his sword drawn for his main weapon (he had chosen not to use Fiona's father's sword). Jon had a shield of his own out, a gray one with his crest on it, and a sword of his own. The tension was built as the two competitors walked onto the field. A servant got up and announced the situation, "Link and Jon, this will be a battle to the death for the right of Princess Fiona's hand! You may begin at will!" Link and Jon dropped their look at the announcer, and turned it to each other. "I'll enjoy ripping you apart." Jon said, as he and Link circled. "Shut up." Was Link's reply.

Jon suddenly charged Link with a mad slash of his sword. Link dodged it, and was on top in an instant. Link slashed at Jon's neck only to be met with a shield block. Jon upturned himself, and began to madly slash at Link. Not one of Jon's mad slashes hit, and he was soon tired out. Link was on him then, and he drove his sword for an easy kill to the heart. Jon used his shield once again to save him. Link didn't wait for retaliation this time though, and went for a quick stick at Jon's throat. The blade met its mark this time though, and Jon was impaled through the throat. Jon choked up blood, as he stood and grasped his throat, dropping his shield. Link watched with normal features as Jon spewed his last blood through his pierced vein. "I'm…not th-through yet!" Jon yelled as he charged for Link one final time, and this time he too hit his target. Link was stabbed in the gut with Jon's sword.

Immediately after this Jon fell dead to the ground, but Link didn't notice as waves of pain ripped through his body. Sure, he was used to it, it had happened many times before, but what was so different about this time? Fiona ran down from the watchtower to Link and flung herself on him, in a sobbing wreck. "Why did I ever go through with this?" She cried as she hugged Link tight. "Link, please don't leave me!" Fiona yelled louder as she could literally feel Link's body slip away under her. "Fiona, I'll never leave you…wait for me." Link said as he used his last amount of strength to stroke Fiona's hair. Fiona smiled slightly as she stroked Link's face in return, but before Link was all the way down her hair, he slipped away…into death.

***

"Ash where are we?" Misty asked me as we landed another feather-soft landing in another odd place. "I don't know, Misty, but it sure does look deserted." I said after seeing that there was absolutely no one around. Misty and I walked around the village that we had landed in, and gasped in union as we saw a gigantic palace. "Oh my gosh! What is that Ash?" Misty asked me, as we stared at the thing. "It looks like a palace to me." I replied as we decided to investigate further. We walked around the side of the thing, and nothing could have prepared us for what our eyes met around the first corner. There was a crowd of people gathered around a circle, in a lowered part of the ground, overlooking two people in the center of the yard. One was a young man and he looked dead. The other was a young woman, and she was crying over him as if he had just died. Beside them, lay another dead person of about equal age to the young man, and he had obviously been killed with a stab to the neck.

"Oh, Ash." Misty said as she clung to my side in sorrow for the two people on the ground. They were obviously very close, as the woman would never leave the man's side. "Should we introduce ourselves? Now doesn't seem like the best time." I said to Misty, kind of answering my own question. "Let's just try to blend in with the crowd." Misty replied, seeing as how that was the only thing that we could do. We walked up to the crowd of people surrounding the scene, and watched on. "Oh, Link, please don't be dead!" The young woman yelled as she still clung to the body of the man named 'Link'. The scene continued, and gradually people left with sorrowful whispers as they went home. Finally, Misty, me, and about one other person was the only ones left. The palace guards had dragged off the other and told some people to tell his kingdom of his death. What I made out of it was the two (Link and the other) had had a fight and both were killed. The other man was not of this village, but of another place far off.

"Who are you?" A guard finally asked us as we continued to watch the spectacle. "I'm Ash and this is Misty." I said slowly, seeing as how I was feeling sorry for the two on the ground. "What just happened here?" Misty asked, letting go of my arm. "Well," The guard started, getting a depressed tone to his voice, "Princess Fiona, the lady there, is of age to be wed. Link was her first suitor, and her first choice. Prince Jon, the one they just took off, was the second suitor. The custom of our people is to have a fight to the death if there is more than one suitor. This has never happened." The guard pointed his hand to the scene to show his point. "So, now who will Princess Fiona marry?" I asked, worrying about this land that I haven't even been on for a day. "I don't know," The guard said, "I just don't know."

"What is that?!" The guard exclaimed as Pikachu came out from behind me and perched on my shoulder. "Oh, this is my Pikachu." I said in reply. "What's a Pikachu?" The guard asked again. "Well, he's a Pokamon, and he's my friend." The guard obviously didn't know what a Pokemon was, and probably didn't want to. "Exactly, where are you two from?" The guard asked, hoping to get some answers that way. "I'm from Pallet Town and Misty here's from Cerulean City." I said truthfully. "I've never heard of either, and I've never seen a Pokemon. You must have come here like Link did." The guard said, confusing Misty and me. "Like Link did?" Misty asked, looking at Link and Fiona. "Yeah, he's not from anywhere around here. He told us that he just fell through a hole and was here." The guard said, shaking his head in confusion. "Yeah, that's how we got here." I said, just elaborating on the guard's confused state of mind.

About that time, Princess Fiona walked up to us and asked us the same questions as the guard did. The guard repeated everything we had said, and the Princess looked at us and smiled slightly. "You two are a wonderful pair. Never let anything happen between you." The Princess said as she looked over Misty and myself. "I'm sorry, about…" I started to say, but she cut me off with an, "It's okay." I could tell it wasn't okay, and neither Misty nor me knew what to do. We had gotten there at the absolute worst time. "Well, I'm sure you're not comfortable standing outside here. Why don't you go inside and make yourselves comfortable until I come in?" The Princess said as she looked at Link's body one final time. We walked inside and sat down in the waiting area while Fiona said her last goodbyes to Link.

***

"Link, I know you'll come back somehow. I hardly knew you, but I care for you more than I knew I could. I'm not going to talk past-tense anymore. You will come back to me, and we'll be happy again. I'm going to keep your room and your things in perfect order until you come back to me, but until then, rest happy. You deserve it." Fiona bent down and slightly kissed Link's forehead. She started to cry, seeing as how it was beginning to get cold. She ordered the guards out and told them to take Link's body to the burial room, and prepare it for the funeral. She said goodbye to Link one final time, and he was gone.

***

Princess Fiona came back inside the waiting area, sobbing slightly, and sat down in front of us, and dried her eyes. Misty and I tried not to display our affection much seeing as how Fiona had just lost the one she loved. "I'll have the guards prepare you a room, and you can stay as long as you'd like." Fiona said, regaining her calm appearance. "Thank you." Misty and I said at the same time. Fiona then went up the stairs, and we were left in the waiting area to think. We decided to go outside the palace and explore he place a little, but that didn't last long, seeing as how no one would let us go by their home without interrogation. We made out way back to the palace and sat in the waiting area once more, waiting for anything to happen. "Ash, how are we ever going to get home?" Misty asked me, looking in my eyes with the eyes of a lost puppy. "I don't know Misty. I don't know anything now." I said.

About that time, the same guard that greeted us came down from the stairs and told us to follow him. We did, and at the end of the walk that he led us on, we found our room. "I hope this is satisfactory." The guard said as he opened the door for us. "Thank you very much." I said, to him, and I didn't know what else to say. He left us be, and shut the door behind him. At least we were alone now. Misty and I sat on the bed and hugged each other so tightly that we didn't know if we would be able to breathe. "Ash, I love you." Misty said to me as she hugged even tighter. "I love you too, Misty." I returned, pulling her away from the hug, and kissing her gently. We lied down on the bed, and fell asleep. What had happened to Fiona was horrible, and we didn't want it to happen to us. I know it's selfish, but it's reality, and we were lucky. But seeing that made us realize something. Never take one moment for granted, because the next second may take it all away.

***

"Link. Link." "What where am I?" Link said as he woke up and looked around at the blackness that engulfed him. "You are in the median of life and death." "Who are you? Where are you?" Link began to call to this mystery voice that called to him. "I am not important now, only you are." "Me? Why?" Link asked again. "You will be needed in the living world soon, Link. But before you can go, you must answer a question." "Fine. What's the question?" Link said, starting to get slightly annoyed. "What did you die for?" Link pondered the question for a moment, not wanting to get the wrong answer and not be able to return to help. "I died for…Fiona." Link answered, realizing that she was the one he died for. "Very well. You may return." "Did I get the question right?" Link asked. "That is for you to decide. Only you can tell what it is that you live and die for. Link, only you can control your destiny." Link gave a puzzled look to whoever was talking, and ran towards a light that appeared in the distance.

Fiona lay asleep in Link's bed and cried in her sleep. She had cried herself to sleep, and now she was still crying. Link ran through the light, but he was still not back in the plane of the living yet. It was as it his spirit floated around everywhere looking for his body. He saw this scene with Fiona and floated down to give her a kiss (if you could call it that). Fiona smiled slightly in her sleep, and Link continued his search for his body. He wandered around all over the palace grounds, and finally, he found it in the burial room. He didn't know that he was doing this, but he lowered into the body and jumped awake, fully restored. "What do I do now?" He asked himself. He didn't want to just go lay down with Fiona, because when she woke up, she would probably have a heart attack. "The voice said that they would need me soon, but when? I guess I'll just lay low for a while until things start to get rough." With that, he walked up to where Fiona lay asleep, and gave her a kiss for real this time. He then, walked off into the hills beside the village.

Morning came, and Fiona was first to awaken. "He's back!" She exclaimed as soon as she woke up. She ran to her room and got dressed then she went down to the burial room. She had had a dream of Link retuning, and it seemed so real that she was positive it really happened. She stopped dead in her tracks as she entered the room. The table on which Link had lied before was now vacant, and small burn marks outlined where his body used to be. "Oh, my God." Fiona whispered as she sank to the floor. She had saw him die. She had held him in her arms the exact moment of his death. Now he was gone. About that time, a guard ran down to the burial room, to check on Fiona. He had saw her run into the room, and he thought she might need assistance. "Princess Fiona? Are you…" He stopped short as he saw what Fiona had just witnessed. Link's body was gone.

"Tell no one about this." Fiona said as she stood herself, and left the room. "Yes Princess." The guard returned. Fiona left to her room, and sat on her bed. Meanwhile…Link finds his way to the mountains and picks a little cave. "Why am I doing this? I should go back to her." Link said to himself as he prepared to live in the cave. "It may be years before they need me. I can't wait years to see her." Even though he was constantly talking himself out of it, Link continued to settle down in his cave. He could live there for as long as he wanted, but why would he want to? "I'll see her one last time." Link says before he takes a noon nap.

"Ahhhhhh!" Ash yelled with a start as he shot awake in this strange place. "Ash, what is it?" Misty asked, also springing awake. "Nothing Misty. I'm just not used to this place." Ash said as he got up from bed. He and Misty fixed themselves up a little, and went down to see what was going on. When they got down the stairs, they saw Princess Fiona sitting on a couch, staring into nowhere. "What's the matter, Princess" ash asked as he and Misty sat down across from her. "He's…gone." Was all Fiona said. "What? Who's gone?" Misty asked, leaning in closer to Fiona. "Link." At this, Misty and Ash realized that Fiona must have been in a state of denial when they first met, and now she was finally aware of the situation. "Um, we'll be outside." Ash said as he and Misty got up and went outside to talk. "Poor thing, she's totally flipped." Misty said as they got outside. "I know. But it is a little strange." Ash said, looking at Misty.

About that time, a guard walked by, and overheard the conversation. He was the one that had found Fiona in the burial room. The guard walked up to Ash and Misty and spoke, "Fiona's not in denial. She's so upset because this morning, Link's body was nowhere to be found in the burial room." "What? His body is gone?" Ash said, looking at the guard. "Yes, there were traces of burns surrounding his body, but no sign of even a stitch of clothing from him." The guard said again. The three stood and talked of possible explanations for the disappearance, and of solutions to Fiona's depression. The day rocked on, and it only got hotter.

"Well, I can see her one last time, even if I can't talk to her." Link said as he put on a cloak and began his walk to the village. It was a fairly short walk for Link because all he could think about was Fiona, but it was very hot, especially in that cloak. He finally made it to the village, and was looked at by all of the villagers like a mad man. Of course no one knew who he was, so he was considered a stranger. Link arrived at the palace and used his hookshot to get on the third floor where Fiona's room was. He made his way to her window, and peered in, nothing. He then decided to go to the main floor and look in there. She was in there, but didn't know that Link was also. Fiona had been thinking extremely hard about where Link's body may be, but she couldn't figure anything out. About that time, Misty, Ash, and the guard walked into the main chamber where Fiona was. The guard left to his post, and Misty and Ash sat down across from Fiona.

"Who are they?" Link asked himself as he saw Ash and Misty. He decided to stay a while and see who they were. "Princess, is there anything we can do? I mean, you're treating us with such good hospitality, even after your loss." Misty said to Fiona. "No, I'm fine. I have something to tell you though. There is a war coming, and I'm going to need all of the help I can get," Fiona said, "You see, the Prince that Link killed yesterday was actually the prince of our enemy across the sea. I didn't recognize it at the time, but it's unquestionably them. They'll be very mad when they hear of their prince's death." Upon hearing this, Link nearly fell out of the window. He would be needed sooner than thought. "I'll make an entrance," Link thought at first, "But then again, that kid will need training. I guess I could go down there now and start." Link decided it in his mind, and prepared to jump down in front of them all. That would be his entrance. He took a deep breath, and jumped.

Link landed with a small thud in between Fiona and the two young ones. "Link!" Fiona yelled as she immediately got up and nearly tackled him in a hug. Misty and Ash were totally dumbfounded at the dead hero's return. "I…thought you were…dead." Fiona said, beginning to cry into Link's chest. Link hugged her tightly and looked at Ash and Misty with a smile. Fiona finally broke the hug and looked into Links eyes deeply. Link returned the look, and they had a miniature conversation within their eyes. After, Link could finally focus on the pair sitting dumb. He spoke to Ash, "If you are going to fight in the war with me, you'll need training." Ash immediately stood, and (being the 'go get em' kind of person he is) said, "Right! Let's go!" "Slow down Ash, Link has just got back from…wherever, and I'm sure he'll want to spend some time with Princess Fiona. Now, let's get out of their hair for a while." Misty said, standing up and taking Ash's hand to lead him outside.

"Link, I saw you…die. How…" But Link cut Fiona off by saying, "Shhhh, just be quiet for now. I'll answer all of your questions later. Right now, let me just live in this moment." The two then embraced once more, and finished it off with a deep kiss. Meanwhile, Ash and Misty are outside…

"I wonder how in the world Link is back?" Ash said, questioning particularly no one as he paced around. "Ash, come here," Misty said as she pulled Ash to her, "Ever since Link has been called dead, we haven't been able to show affection towards each other. That's over now, so we can." Misty then pulled a still thinking Ash into a kiss. Ash's thoughts were totally replaced as he put up his end of the kiss. The two stayed in that kiss for the longest time. All of the while, people were shunning this as 'they go behind Fiona's back in her time of grief' sort of thing. They didn't know the full story though. About that time, Link and Fiona walked out of the palace only to find Ash and Misty in their kiss. "Well, I guess it rubbed off." Link said to Fiona, referring to their affectionate display. Misty saw them, and abruptly ended the kiss. Ash had his back turned to Link and Fiona, and thought Misty had stopped because of something he had done. "Misty, what…" Ash started, but Misty pointed behind Ash, and after turning around, he understood. "Sorry." Ash said.

"Okay, Ash, I suppose the cross-sea people know about their prince by now, so that'll only give us about a week's training at the most." Link said, getting serious. "So, in other words, we'd better start now." Ash said, saying what Link didn't. The two walked off to the palace's training area, and left Misty and Fiona on the porch of the palace.

"Okay Ash, here's the basics," Link started, "These are my rules, so they'll probably deviate from what you may have learned. Rule number one: You fight to kill. Either you don't fight, or you do and mean it. No half- ass. Rule number two: If you get hit in a fight, don't freeze. That'll happen if you aren't careful, and you'll be open for attack. Rule number three and my final rule: There are no rules in a fight. In a war, anything goes. Don't be persuaded by weak attempts to live. Win at all costs." Ash stood, soaking in Link's words. The three main rules for Ash were a bit different, but they still were good. Brock used to take Martial Arts, and he taught Ash in between classes. "Question," Ash started, "Do you people here fight with swords or guns or what?" "Well, we fight with swords, spears, knives, and any other weapons that we need. I'm not familiar with the term 'gun'." Link said, confirming ash's thought.

The two later began their actual training, and it was bad. Ash stayed on the dirt, and never got one hit in on Link. "Link, I will get you!" Ash yelled as he swung his sword in a mad slash at Link. Link dodged the swing easily, and kneed Ash in the ribs. Ash fell to the ground once again, but this time because of his old injury. Link realized that, and cut him no slack. He charged him with his sword, and Ash luckily managed to dodge it. The sword battle lasted a little while longer, and meanwhile, a small figure watched the two duel. "Pika." Pikachu said, as it sat on a cliff and overlooked the match. Pikachu was obviously jealous, because of Ash not using it to fight. He had to understand, though, that there would be no Pokemon in a war. "Aaahhhh!" Ash screamed as Link's sword struck home with his arm. He was lucky it was just a small slash, and not a deep gash. Ash fell to the ground clutching his arm, and dropping his sword. At this, Link walked over to him, and hit him against the head with his shield, hard. "What was rule number two?!" Link demanded, as Ash stood shocked by his mistake.

The two decided to end training for the day, and let Ash heal up from his wound. They walked back to the palace and found Misty and Fiona in a complicated 'girl' conversation. "Let's let them finish." Ash said as he took the opposite route from the girls. Fiona spotted them though and called out, "Did you two have a good time?" Like it was an amusement park that they had went to. Ash turned around and said, "Yeah" and walked over to them. Misty removed his Ash's hand from his arm, and gasped when she saw the cut. "Oh, Ash, you're hurt." She said, looking for something to tie his arm up with. "I'm fine Misty, it's just a little cut." Ash said, stopping Misty with a hand. "You sure didn't act like it was a small cut earlier." Link said mockingly as he was still mad about the training. Fiona couldn't help but giggle a little. "It doesn't matter." Ash said, turning away to clean his wound. "Oh, yeah," Fiona said, "We've received word from our friends across the sea. They've demanded an apology and a large sum of money. Since we're definitely not going to comply, they'll probably wage war on us." "So that's it. They'll be here in a week, at most." Link said, leaving to do some individual training himself.

Misty and Ash went back inside to tend to Ash's cut, and Fiona went to her long-neglected post as the political leader. She would have a lot of work to do for this new war. She was still a bit edgy about the war, even thought she was confident in Link and Ash's abilities, but she still couldn't believe Link was back. He had explained the whole situation to her, and she understood quite easily, but it was still difficult to know that he died in her arms. "Misty, I 'ouch' appreciate 'ooh' what you're doing, but 'aah' it hurts." Ash finally managed to get out as Misty tended his cut. "Stop whining you sissy." Misty said jokingly, as she stressed her cloth on Ash's cut for a moment, eliciting a small yelp of pain from him. Ash, took it seriously though. "I may not be as tough as Link, but I'm not a sissy." Ash said, defending himself, when it wasn't needed. "Ash, you know I was joking." Misty said, looking Ash in the eyes, lightheartedly. "Oh, yeah."

"Damn those people. How dare they attack us? I'll kill them all!" Link said to particularly no one as he did his sword forms over and over. He then plotted each solder's death, as he swung his sword at his invisible enemy. Pikachu still sat on the cliff above the training are and did some thinking itself. You see, from its point of view, Ash was being taken from it by Link to fight this war. But now that Link was training here alone, and he said what he was thinking, Pikachu saw that his purpose wasn't bad after all. He was doing it for everybody. About that time, Link stopped his swinging, and started to run around the track. At about lap fifty, he still wasn't thinking about the pangs in his side, he ignored the intense burning in his legs, and forgot the sharp breaths he was gripping. All he thought about was the war, and Fiona. He loved her. He hadn't known her for long, but he still loved her.

"Link, what are you doing?" A feminine voice called to Link. Link deviated from his course around the track, and ran to the person that the call belonged to. Fiona waited for him with a towel, and a large pitcher of water. "Fiona, you didn't have to do this." Link said, as he dried off his ocean of sweat and drank an equally large ocean of water. "I think you've had enough for today." Fiona said to Link as she dragged him back to the palace. Pikachu silently followed. When the two humans arrived at Fiona's palace, they found ash and Misty outside talking, and Togipi was in Misty's arms. Fiona or Link had never seen a Pokemon, and they were speechless, but they passed it off as "Those kids are weird anyway." Piakchu took its place on ash's shoulder, and received a surprised greeting from Ash.

"Ash, I don't want you to fight." Misty said worriedly as she gave a pleading look in ash's eyes. "Misty please don't try to stop me." Ash returned as he looked her in the eyes this time. "I can't stop you if your mind is set on it, I know that. But I'm just asking you to reconsider. Or at least promise to stay safe." Misty said, taking Ash's hand and holding for dear life. "Misty I will, but the war hasn't started yet. I still have about a week." Ash concluded, hugging Misty tightly. Fiona and Link witnessed the whole thing. Not from being nosy, but they just saw it happen. Fiona wasn't at all worried about Link. I was her people's custom to send all the men into a war. Besides, she had enough faith in Link to know that he would be safe. "They really care about each other." Link said, as they continued to witness the embrace that Ash and Misty put up. "Yeah, you can tell they've know each other for a while." Fiona said, finishing their little discussion of the two in front of them.

***

I was feeling great. The training from Link and the individual training that I went through was helping me in all of the categories. My mind, body, and spirit were stronger than ever. Three days had passed by in what had seemed like one. The day of reckoning was coming fast, and nothing could stop it. Link had made his official 'coming back' address to all of the villagers, and Misty and myself heard him tell what had happened to him. I knew full well that for Link to be needed back in this land, the war would be a bad one. Scared? Never, but I was a little edgy when the thought of actually being on the front line of a war crossed my mind. But Link would be fighting alongside me, and it would be okay. Wouldn't it? "Ash!" Came Link's voice from across the training area, "Get over here!" I continued my run around the track, but stopped at Link. "What is it?" I asked, wondering what Link wanted. "Your great grandmother could jog around the track fifty times. You run it!" I was jogging wasn't I? Oops. I then started a new fifty laps, but this time, sprinting at full speed. Around lap thirty, I was ready to fall, but I kept remembering that running was all mental.

Finally finished with lap fifty, I fell over on the ground at the finish line. "Get up, and grab your sword." Link said harshly, as he kicked me in my all too aching ribs. I reluctantly got up and retrieved my sword and shield. As soon as I was turned around, Link came at me with a swing of his sword. I managed to evade it, but I was still totally gave out from my run, and I couldn't function. "Fight harder! If you want to live, fight harder!" Link kept yelling at me. I didn't understand the reason for his anger and sudden motivation, but I would soon find out. Between every sword swing and every block, Link would tell his tale. When he was finished, I pieced together this: Link had left in the night on a boat going cross-sea. He planned to run into our enemy, and he did. He saw that their numbers were around five times our own, and they would be here sooner than expected.

"When will they get here?" I questioned Link as I delivered a particularly forceful slash that sent him back a few feet. "In about one day. Tomorrow morning, the enemy will be here." Link said, dropping his sword to let me really soak in his words. Apparently, the enemy had figured the prince's death when he hadn't returned, and they had left for us early. They received the message, and that gave them total confirmation that he was dead. "Tomorrow?" I said weakly, as I stopped the fight too. "Yeah, so we'd better get some last minuet training in for a few hours, and then prepare the townspeople. After that, we'll have a little while to rest." Link said, he had it all figured out. So we did as planned, and continued training. I was fighting, running, doing my forms, and all other training activities much harder than I had been. If their army got here before we were ready, no telling what we might lose. Misty was all that ran through my head. Every punch, kick, sword slash, or block was generated out of my wanting to be with her. She was so scared of me fighting, and now it'll be all too soon that I'll have to.

A few hours later, we stopped, and set out to inform the townspeople and the guards of our enemy's early coming. Link had Fiona summon the villagers in front of the palace, and she addressed everyone at once. Link answered any questions, and that was settled. Misty was horrified. She never had liked fighting, especially with a friend in it, and now she was in the middle of a full-scale war. All that evening, every thing was too quiet. Not a word was spoken between Link, Fiona, Misty or myself. We ate, bathed, walked around, and tried to think. Misty wouldn't let go of my arm, and I wanted to do some mental preparing, but I didn't want to upset her. I finally convinced her to let go, and she did without a protest.

I went back into a room that was as dark as the night sky outside of it, and sat in a small corner. Concentrating your mental energy, and summoning your ki is what it's all about. Anyone can do this, it just comes easier for some. My body started glowing a slight red, and as my mental focus increased, as did my aura. When you do this, you don't really think about anything, but at the same time, you think about everything. There really is no way to explain the process, but the benefits are plain to see. When you meditate, your mental self is at peace, and under your control. So if your mind is prepared enough, you can take a direct hit, and while you may die from it, you won't be bothered by it. Link was doing the same thing in his room, but I didn't know this. The hours rolled by, and my mental state never wavered. Fiona and Misty were starting to worry about us, but they didn't search. Finally, I got up, and decided to go to bed. Link and Fiona had already settled down for the night when I got into the main chamber of the palace, so Misty and I did the same thing.

It would be only around seven hours before our enemy arrived in our shores, but I slept like a baby. Misty finally spoke to me, and said, "Ash, what if you die?" I was visibly shaken by this question, but I answered to the best of my abilities. "Misty, I will never leave you. So don't worry about that." I said, as I stroked her hair. She smiled a smile that always seems to put me at ease. We finally fell asleep, at about the same time, I guess. My dreams that night were not like any I've had before. Link and I were in the middle of the war. It was only us, tattered and torn us, against the whole unscathed enemy. The opposition all looked exactly alike, they were demons, demons without face or soul. All of them were shrouded in black cloaks, and they hovered at around ten feet tall. Their face was totally covered, and something told me that I wouldn't want to see their uncovered face. All of them seemingly floated over to Link and myself, as we prepared to attack. We swung madly, but at nothing it seemed. Every time our sword would slice the wind, the wind was all it would slice. As the demons neared us, and readied their selves for the kill, I was awakened by Link shaking my shoulder. It was time to go.

I gathered my things, and received a special sword, shield, and suit of armor from Link. He said that they were his old ones, but they looked fresh off the forge. I didn't wake Misty, as I slid out of our room, and into the courtyard where the rest of the fighting villagers and guards awaited us. Link and I led the charge to the shore where we would meet the enemy. We set up small barricades and shielding devices that the archers could attack the enemy from. We had it all planned out: the archers would be the first line, attacking the enemy just as they left the large ship on the small boats, the second line would be the foot soldiers that carried the big shields, that would meet the enemy in the very surf of the shore, and Link, me, and a few others would remain the third line of defense. The ship would probably be laying cover fire for its warriors, but we didn't care. We would stick to our plan to the end. So, the archers prepared for the start, and the rest of us fell back into the sand dunes. We would have darkness and the element of surprise on our side, but the enemy would have the numbers, and the firepower.

About thirty minuets later, we saw the silhouette of five ships in the distance. Our breathing seemed to stop, as we awaited the oncoming foes eagerly. The archers readied their bows, and we sank back, as the ships still neared. The ships were on us, and the enemy was sending out their warriors on small boats. The archers pulled back their bow strings, the small moaning of catgut being stretched filled the air. "Go." A slight whisper was heard, and the silence was broken. Arrows jetted through the air, and sudden screams of pain replaced the tranquility. The water was astir with bodies falling into it, and boats attempting to relocate and put up defenses. Many people jumped out of the boats and swam the rest of the way to the shoreline. That's when the archers ceased fire and the foot soldiers replaced them. They ran from the dunes into the waters, slashing, and yelling, surely giving at least one heart attack to the horrified enemy. The opposition was resilient though, and they had broken their way through the foot soldiers in a matter of minuets. It was our turn to be the last defense against the enemy. The whole village was in our hands.



End, Chapter two