For about ten minuets, my vision was nothing but a hazy red. I
vaguely recall the first ten minuets, but what I do remember, was nothing
but slashing, blood, and constant yells. Their army was triple the size of
ours, but we had the heart to fight, and the cool morning air just fueled
my inspiration to live. Link was lost from my sight along the line
somewhere, but it didn't matter. All around me, people fell, and they
still came. I killed at least twenty, and they still came. After the
first ten minuets, my mind cleared enough to remember my training, and
fight harder than ever. Usually it was three of them fighting one of us,
and our numbers just fell, while theirs rose. All I could see of them were
shadows, but as the sun began to rise, they took shape. Every one of them
were around a foot taller than any one of us, and they all wore some
demonic looking armor, that had hellish inscriptions all over it. Their
faces were covered, but we could see their eyes, their blood red eyes.
Obviously, Prince Jon was not at all like them in the fact that he looked
normal.
The fighting continued, but a few of our men began to fold under the intimidation of the ungodly warriors. No wonder Fiona was so scared. The peak of my fighting was when I was matched four to one in a battle. They came at me from all sides, and surrounded me. I was a pin cushion for swords and fists for a few moments, but I finally broke free with a great slash of my sword. I beheaded one of the enemy, and the other three had a look of a bit more respect for me. I was then the one who attacked with another mighty slash of my sword. A shield countered it, and I staggered back a bit from the recoil of my sword hitting the shield. The three took this opportunity to kill me then, and came at me again. I managed to roll out of the way of one slash, and counter the other two with my shield. I finally got to my feet, and began to single out opponents to fight. I killed two that way, but the last one remained strong. This vaguely reminded me of my earlier fight with the bikers, the last one versus me. We fought for longer than any other match that I'd been in. I'd cut him, he'd cut me. We bled and caused blood, we hit and got hit. This was starting to get annoying and repetitive. I was soon swinging out of having nothing better to do.
It seemed like all around me, people were having fun fighting and killing. To me, it was fun to fight if it went somewhere and you killed your opponent. But this was going nowhere. I finally gave up, and began swinging like a madman. Slash after slash, I'd gash away at his weak flesh. Even after he was down, I continued cutting him like a slab of ribs. Mt sword was a solid red with blood and tendons of this poor fool who dared to challenge me. This war wasn't all it was made out to be. Sure, I sustained considerable damage, but the enemy wasn't all it was cracked up to be. Mostly, the enemy was being fought off by Link and me. The villagers were obviously not being trained to fight very well. Maybe Link and I would train them all and begin our own military with them. But anyway, back to the 'war'. My armor was dented, banged, and in one spot on my left shoulder, cut by a battle axe. My face was quite bloody, cut, and bruised from many numerous blows with sword hilts, and fists. My sword was quite 'used', seeing as how the hilt was cracked, the blade stained with blood, and dented, and the handle nearly eroded from all the sweat protruding from my hands.
All around me, more fell, and more came. Yes, the enemy still came off the ship, one by one. This third line of defense was holding them off pretty well though. Our main weapons were swords, but the enemy had it all, swords, axes, sticks with spiked balls attached to them by chains, and knives of all shapes and sizes. Many times had I been stabbed with a knife, but eventually, I rendered it as a flea bite, annoying but not threatening. Our numbers decreased significantly, and it seemed as though the enemy was through sending troops off their ship. Link, myself, and about twelve other soldiers was all that remained to ward off about twenty- five opponents. As the last of them left the boats, we readied ourselves for a final charge. "Take all the life you can!" Link's voice rang clear over the sea of bodies. As the enemy just exited their boats, we charged, sword out, and deathly purpose in out eyes. A wild battle cry escaped everyone's mouth as we continued our charge for the enemy. This was it. If we didn't finish it all now, there wouldn't be anyone left to defend the village.
As we neared the enemy, they prepared themselves as best they could with their shields. When we all finally met, there was a great deal of slashing and yelling. I met one boat all to myself, and I killed five instantly. Three more met my sword's blade eventually, and that was the end for me. Apparently, all of the enemy were killed, and only five of our men faced death. We had won, but at what price? Only seven men left to go home their families, only seven men left to defend and entire civilization of people. Village it may be named, but Fiona's people have a very large population, and structure count. It could easily be called a city. Anyway, the seven of us didn't even bother to recognize our wounds as we honored the deaths of the many warriors that had died for their way of life. Clearing all of the enemy into a large hole, and burying them, we took each and every dead back to the village signally, and gave him a proper funeral. It took longer than the war itself did, and even though we kept if up for two days straight without sleep, we persisted, to give the fallen the honor they truly deserve, and respect to their families.
The political persons had finished their business with the enemy, and still uninformed of their names, we declared ourselves free from their hands forever. I didn't see Misty for three days, and Link had mysteriously gone missing. We searched everywhere for him, but to no avail. We finally declared him as M.I.A. I never saw him at the burial at all, so he could have been gone even then. No one else saw him either, so we took it as he was gone from the end of the battle. Fiona took it hard. She never slept, ate, or acted sane for about a week. After that, she never left Link's room, and only ate when the servants brought her meals up (which they never failed in doing). She was torn from head to toe in losing Link for the second time, and we sadly all thought that it would only be a matter of time before she totally lost it, and would have to be sent to a mental facility. Misty and I decided to settle down here, and we learned to be happy with it. I did start my own military, and the population of soldiers grew tremendously as they saw that I had a well- trained army at my command.
Every day I trained my men, and every day I watched as they learned the ways that I knew from Link. I built myself an appropriate training facility, and in my H.Q., I had a portrait of Link in bloody battle hanging from my wall. When ever I started my training, I would remind the men of the real reason I was even here, Link. I would tell all I knew of him, and how his bravery and heroism had saved us all. Link was (if even only to me) the greatest hero of all. There was one student in particular that had caught my attention. He was a young man of about fourteen, and had fierce determination. Oh yeah, I forgot, I didn't raise this empire in a day, no, it had been five years since the war, and I was nineteen. That would make Misty twenty, Fiona twenty-two, and Link twenty-three. Misty and my relationship was stronger than ever. We had moved happily into the palace's royal military compound, and thankfully, Fiona had moved on, even though she had gotten with someone else, and was going to get married. Link never left her mind though, and you could tell she had always loved him.
Anyway, back to the young man of great promise that I was talking about. He had wild black hair, and red eyes that clearly displayed his willpower. He was lean, but well-built, tall, and had a small scar on his right cheek that he didn't care to talk about. Of course being the commander of an army, I had to be strict, and gave him hell about that scar. I had gave him the name 'scar face', but his real name was Christopher Gooding Smith. He had the nickname 'Ice' among his ranks, and that's what he reported for duty as. This boy of fourteen was a determined to be the best as I used to be. Perhaps I took a liking to him because of this, or because of something else, but either way, he had something that was special, and very few people anymore have it. He respected me, and shunned my teasing names as a true warrior should. He passed every training course, and every test at one-hundred percent efficiency. He had more stamina and strength than all of the other soldiers in my ranks, but he still didn't let that fact cloud his mind. He saw himself as the lowest person in the training facility, and he worked harder and harder to be the best.
My personal life wasn't at all on hold. Every day I came back to Misty and we would act just as we did before the war. The war had changed us a lot, and we both grew up that day. I never in my wildest dreams imagined being the commander of an entire army. One day though, everything turned around, some for the good and some for the bad. "Misty! I'm home!" I yelled as I entered our home, dropping my things in a chair.
"Ash!" Misty yelled happily as she ran to greet me. We hugged and kissed for a while before we asked the usual 'how was your day'. Misty was as hard of a worker as I but in an entirely different field. She worked with all sorts of water animals, as a marine biologist and she was good at it. "I had a normal day, and by the look on your face, so did you."
"You got me on that one." I said in reply, as a walked into the kitchen for a snack. "Misty, come here." She came into the kitchen and sat down beside me. "We're too young to be settled down. I mean, we're at our prime, and we're acting as if we've already lived through it. If I asked something drastic, how would you react?"
"Well, it depends on what you ask me." She said, giving me one of those smiles that keeps me close to her.
"Will you agree to you and me leaving here for a while?" I asked, leaving her with a look of deep thought on her features. "We'll leave now, and not come back for about two weeks." She looked at me and smiled.
"Fine, let me pack." Misty said as we both got up and shared a kiss before walking into our room and getting some things. We each had a small case of some clothes and supplies, and we were ready. Misty led the way as we walked out of the door, and towards the hills. At about the entrance of the hills, we were stopped by Ice.
"You two are leaving? Be careful, there are dangerous things out there. Believe me, I know." Ice said as he let us pass.
"I know Ice, but thanks anyway." Misty said as she and I walked past him. I turned around to say something too, but he was already gone. That kid was weird. Misty and I walked for a while before we came upon some caves that looked inviting enough to be a temporary getaway. We selected one, and unpacked there. "Ash, Can't we just do what we used to, and wander around some more? I know it was stupid at the time, but I miss it."
"Yeah Mist, so do I. Let's go." I said as I got up from the rock I was sitting on and helped Misty off hers. The two of us packed a backpack each of clothes, and left. For some reason, I had brought along my old hat, and both Misty and me had our old backpacks. Heading farther east of the hills, we said that we would discover the surrounding lands and make a map.
"Sometimes Ash, I wish we were still young, and still wandering aimlessly around, like we used to. This new life is fun, but I fell so grown, and I don't like it." Misty said as she took my arm, and cuddled her head against my shoulder.
"I know Misty, and to tell the truth, I miss it too. But we have duties now, and we can't just abandon them." I said, immediately realizing some ways out after I had already said it.
"I'm sure someone can take your place as the leader of the army, and I know I could quit my job." Misty protested, revealing that she was thinking just what I was.
"I know Misty, and maybe we can do it." I said, ending the conversation for a relaxing walk down new memory lane. Continuing walking, Misty and I passed several streams, crossed a river, passed through a good sized wood, and traversed many more hills. We finally came upon a big hill directly in front of us, and when we finally reached the top, we spotted a new city under the watch of the hill.
"Wow, what a place." Misty said as we studied the panorama below. The place was about twice the size of our village, and had a palace too. Only this one was about twice the size of ours. We found what appeared to be a barracks for their military, and (since I was still in uniform) I decided to check it out later. "I hope these people are friendly with Fiona's village." Misty finished when I told her of my plan to visit the barracks.
"Well, my guess is they've probably never heard of us. I mean, Fiona's people don't know of any others except for the ones who attacked us across the sea." I said, reassuring Misty as we made our way into the city. Hopefully, I would recruit a new ally to our people. But then again, I did make that promise to Misty about us quitting and leaving the place. We made our way down into the city, myself drawing suspicious glances from my uniform. It was a bright white, with a single neat gold stripe down the right arm of it. I had my other stripes to show of my rank, but other than that, every one else's was the same. Finally arriving at the barracks, I knocked on the door three times. A small metal door opened near the top of the door, and a man looked through
"Who are you, and what do you want?" The man asked us as he saw Misty and me.
"I am Ash Ketchum and this is my girlfriend Misty Waterflower. We come from a city to the east of here and would appreciate it if you could direct us to lodging." I said sounding quite formal.
"Fine, but why did you come to the military training grounds, and why are you dressed in what appears to be a uniform?" The man asked as he looked me over once again.
"Well, I am the commander of my city's military, and I would like to have a word with you if you don't mind." I informed the man who seemed a bit more respectful after hearing of my status.
"Please, come inside, and my superior will speak with you." The man said as he opened the door. Misty and I walked into the office and sat down on a couch. After a short wait, another man walked into the office and sat down in front of us. He was a tall man, with a neat beard, and his uniform was navy blue with two red stripes going diagonally across his right shoulder. This army apparently had medals, and he had plenty. He was obviously very important.
"I hear that you are the commander of an army." The man said looking me over. He had a slightly gruff voice, but it was respectable. "You look quite young to be in command. Who trained you?"
"A great man named Link trained me in my ways of combat, and I have learned a great deal on my own. Aside from that, I do not believe that one should judge by age or appearance." I said, shocking Misty from the way I spoke.
"Understandable, but I need to know. Who is president where you come from?" The man asked. You see, this place was considered to all be one land. So each city had presidents. People knew each other from presidents' names and not the names of the city. It was a very confusing system, but I quickly adapted.
"Princess Fiona is our president and ruler." I said, using honor in her name. I hated her new mate, but since they weren't married, I totally left him out.
"Ah, your people recently defeated Prince Jon's men in a brief war. Well, not too recently, but you get the point." The man said, easing up on his formality when he recognized our power. "So, what is it I can do for you?"
"I am not a political man, but maybe I could arrange an alliance between our two cities. I was not sent here to do this, I am only on vacation, but since I have stumbled upon your city, and we appear to be quite close, why not?" I said, leaving Misty's mouth hanging agape.
"Your offer is most tempting, and frankly, I don't see a problem. But sadly, we are in no position to draw alliances. If you'll accept our offer to camp here, I'll set up an appointment with the president in the morning." The man said, standing up and going to a desk where he jotted a note to himself.
"Sure, I'd be glad to camp here tonight." I said. The man then personally showed us to some guest quarters, and we settled down. They weren't palace quality, but they were fine.
"I hope this will do. See you in the morning." The man said as he closed the door and left Misty and me in peace.
"I thought you said no more work. I thought we were supposed to be going away from the city and reliving our past." Misty said as she sat down on the bed and turned her face away from me. I quickly saw what a mistake I had made and I tried to sit down beside her and hold her, but she wouldn't let me. I respected her wishes and moved over. I undressed, and changed into some sleeping clothes, and settled down into my side of the bed and let Misty do the same. She joined me in the bed and I tried once more.
"Misty, please, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to drag us into this. I know it was my fault and I got us into a mess without even thinking or consulting you, but I am genuinely sorry." I said as I looked Misty in her beautiful green eyes. She looked back at me for a while, and finally (much to my delight) gave me a small smile. I took that as forgiveness, and slowly planted a soft kiss on her forehead.
"No Ash, I was being selfish. If this works out, the city would be much better off, and we still can do what we planned after this." Misty reassured me by saying. She then cuddled into me more, and we were finally happy again. "I love you."
"I love you too, Misty. If you only knew how much." We then drifted off into a peaceful sleep. I was violently awakened in the night, by a loud explosion, and a shockwave to match. Misty and me both sprang out of bed and rushed outside to see what was the matter. Everywhere, soldiers ran to prepare for whatever it was, and we finally saw the commander run by as well. He spotted us, and ran to us.
"They're here! You had better stay safe, young lady. Ash, if you don't mind, we need you." I agreed of course, and Misty and I both went back into our room. I put on my fighting clothes (never leave home without 'em) and stopped at the door.
"Misty, don't worry, I swear this won't be more than tonight. If it lasts longer, I'll leave." She understood, and we shared a brief kiss before I ran out to meet the commander, and prepare for whatever it was. I found the commander and the rest of the soldiers waiting outside, looking at the northern forest.
"It's our enemy," The commander started, "They're making more guerilla hits, and this time, we're ending their game." He ordered a small group of soldiers to charge the woods, and kill as many as they could. The opposition had a cannon and that's what caused the explosion.
"I still haven't gotten your name." I said, as I readied to charge as well. He told me it was 'Carl' and that was that. Myself, along with another small group charged the woods too. Carl and his group was at our side. There weren't as many enemies as I'd thought, and they were mostly scared to death. I had a sword and shield provided by Carl, and that was what I used to kill ten men. I was as clean as greased lightning with the execution of my foes. As quick as anything the ten fell before me, and before I could get more, none were left.
"That almost wasn't worth getting you out of bed. Sorry about that." Carl said, and I dismissed it with an 'it's okay'. I returned to my room just as if nothing had happened, and Misty was sitting on the edge of the bed waiting for me. When I entered the room, she jumped into my arms, and I met hers and we kissed forever.
"You weren't gone but thirty minuets, and I still worried over you like I did." Misty said teasingly, looking at me with a smile. I quickly undressed, and told Misty of it all. After about another thirty minuets, we went back to bed. We fell asleep almost immediately, and before I knew it, it was morning. "Good morning, Ash." Misty said, bringing me out of my sleep easily.
"Good morning, Misty. How'd you sleep?"
"Great, aside from that little incident last night."
"Yeah, that wasn't worth my trouble." We got up out of bed, and dressed, preparing for my big date with the president. Pretty soon, Carl came to the room and knocked. He informed us that the meeting would be shortly, so I'd better hurry and get dressed. A bit later, the three of us were outside the barracks, looking at the palace.
"Misty, I think you'd better stay. I don't want any questions asked when they see you not being in any political standing." Carl said kindly, and Misty started to walk away.
"Wait a minuet. Misty can come if she wants, and if the president doesn't like it, then too bad." I defended Misty, who upon hearing my words turned around again. So the three of us walked to the palace, and told the guards of our standing. They escorted us to the president's office, and he saw us immediately.
"Greetings, I am President Jord. And you are?"
"Mr. President, I believe you know me, Commander Carl, and this is Commander Ash, and Lead Biologist Misty. They are from Fiona's city." Upon hearing this, the president took on a look of study. He finally spoke
"So Ash, Misty, what I it you want with us?"
"Mr. President, I would appreciate it if you would consider an alliance with our cities. I was not sent here to ask you this, but I do believe it would be a good idea. I could arrange a meeting with my people's political branch if you wish." I said, looking the president in the eyes with as much seriousness that I could muster. I may not want to be in this, but if I am, I'll be in one-hundred percent.
"Why, May I ask, would you want an alliance between our two cities?"
"Well, sir, I think it would be for the best on both of our sides, due to the obvious strengths. Such as twice the military and so forth."
"That is all very well for your military, but what about the other vital areas of operation. An alliance can not survive on mere military strength alone."
"Yes sir, I agree. That is why I've informed you that I will try to get my political people to have a meeting with you."
"Fine, but where do you propose this meeting be held?"
"Well, sir I believe since it is me who is attempting to make an alliance, my people should come here."
"Very well. I'll send a messenger to your city right away. You write a letter informing of your actions, and requesting them to meet here."
"Yes, sir." I wrote the letter, and President Jord had it sent immediately. Man, I really hate this political stuff. Just give me a sword, and I'll show you politics my way. I bet all of you people reading this are scratching your head about the military situation, let me be your guide. The militaries of this land are just as modern as ours in the present, except for the weapons, and the lack of electric communication. The uniforms though are the same.
"Come on Misty, I don't think we're needed any longer. Let's go." I said, as I took Misty's hand, and we left for wherever. I guessed the political people of Fiona's city would come, but I didn't care. Misty and I continued going in the same direction we planed on going, and soon we were out of the city. Not knowing where we were going, Misty and me just walked. Through nearly every terrain out there we traveled, until we found another cave. Settling down in the cave, we took off our backpacks, and rested on a rock.
"Was this what you wanted?" I asked Misty, who had an odd smirk on her face.
"Yeah, that was fun." Misty said in reply. We continued to sit, looking at the outside of the cave, and just relaxing in the cool wind. "Ash," Misty started, "Do you think that there's any way to get back to our own time?" That one was tossed in from nowhere.
"Well, there has to be a way. And if you want to go back home, I'll dedicate all of my time to finding that way." I said, getting a smile from Misty. It seemed like we hadn't even thought the previous life we used to live, and to be totally candid, I didn't want to. The only thing back there was getting picked on by Gary, and Pokemon battles. Speaking of Pokemon, Pikachu and Togipi died a few years ago. No biggie any more. I was happy here as long as Misty was with me. And she said she felt the same way, so we were both content.
"Well, I would like to go back and see how everything's changed." Misty said, looking at me with those eyes that she used to use when she wanted something. I could never refuse.
"The only problem is, we don't know what to look for to get us back."
"True, but we could find a way." She said again, smiling at me, and grabbing my hand. I thought hard, we'd come here through a black hole into somewhere, and it was in the sky. How could we ever reopen it? About that time, we heard a scream. A bloodcurdling scream sounded through the air, and it was coming from the hills to the north. Misty and I both ran off after whatever it was that screamed, and what we found shocked us even more. About fifty yards down the way, a young girl was cornered by a rock, and in front of her was a tall cloaked figure. I saw the situation, and quickly ran over to the attacker and delivered a strong kick to his ribcage. The man in the cloak cried out in pain, and vanished into thin air.
"Thank you for saving me." The girl said as she walked up to me and kissed me on the cheek. "I'm Brea, who are you?"
"I'm Ash, and this is my girlfriend Misty." Misty seemed glad that I emphasized the fact of her being my girl.
"She's your girlfriend? Come on, you can do better." Brea said, smiling at me.
"Are you saying that you are the 'better'?" Misty asked Brea. She was now switched into death mode.
"Maybe, but Ash is still cute." Brea said, leaving me blushing. Misty and Brea then went into a heated argument, leaving me to think about that thing that was attacking Brea. How could it have disappeared into thin air? About that time, a stray rock from the girl's battle hit me in the head and knocked me down.
"Ash!" They both said in union. Then it was a 'you did it' fight, and it was started all over again. Tired of fighting, the girls shut up, and sat down beside me. Jeez, now I know why Tenchi Masaki is tripped out all of the time.
"Sorry Ash, that was immature of me." Misty said, snuggling down into my chest. Brea just looked on in longing.
"I think I'll go home now." Brea said as she got up and started to walk off.
"Wait, don't go." I said, motioning my hand for her to come sit back down. She complied, and sat back down.
"Sorry for being so straightforward to you Ash, but I'm just not good at keeping my mouth shut." Brea said, apologizing where it wasn't necessary.
"Don't worry about it. Now, who was that man that was attacking you?" I asked, getting down to business. At my question, Brea just looked down and said nothing. Misty then whispered in my ear that we should go back because it was getting dark.
"Brea, where do you live?" I asked before I knew why.
"In a cave a little off from here." She replied. I thought for a moment, and finally decided that it would be better to leave it at that. If I invited her to stay with us, Misty might start suspecting things, and I know that I'm not thinking in that way. Misty is mine, and I'm hers. Nothing's going to change that.
"Well, so do we, and we're going to that cave. See you around." I said, a little rudely as a got up and left for the cave with Misty still clinging to me. Brea watched us walk off a little, before she too turned around and walked off to her cave.
"Ash, what did you make of Brea. She seems innocent enough, but you can never tell." Misty warned me as we walked into our cave to spend the night.
"Well, I don't know what to think really, but I'll giver her a chance to get off free if she wants to. If she takes it, fine, if she doesn't, then we'll cross that bridge when we get to it." I said as I lied down to sleep. Misty joined me, and we cuddled up to prepare for the cold. In no time, we were drifted off.
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Post Note: Nobody seems to like this story, but I'm gonna keep trying. A lot of things are going on, and a lot had changed since chapter two. Sorry for having such long chapters, I'm gonna stop doing that, and make them a bit shorter later. Well, if anybody reads this, please drop off reviews telling me how much you like or don't this story, and Keep it real, people!
The fighting continued, but a few of our men began to fold under the intimidation of the ungodly warriors. No wonder Fiona was so scared. The peak of my fighting was when I was matched four to one in a battle. They came at me from all sides, and surrounded me. I was a pin cushion for swords and fists for a few moments, but I finally broke free with a great slash of my sword. I beheaded one of the enemy, and the other three had a look of a bit more respect for me. I was then the one who attacked with another mighty slash of my sword. A shield countered it, and I staggered back a bit from the recoil of my sword hitting the shield. The three took this opportunity to kill me then, and came at me again. I managed to roll out of the way of one slash, and counter the other two with my shield. I finally got to my feet, and began to single out opponents to fight. I killed two that way, but the last one remained strong. This vaguely reminded me of my earlier fight with the bikers, the last one versus me. We fought for longer than any other match that I'd been in. I'd cut him, he'd cut me. We bled and caused blood, we hit and got hit. This was starting to get annoying and repetitive. I was soon swinging out of having nothing better to do.
It seemed like all around me, people were having fun fighting and killing. To me, it was fun to fight if it went somewhere and you killed your opponent. But this was going nowhere. I finally gave up, and began swinging like a madman. Slash after slash, I'd gash away at his weak flesh. Even after he was down, I continued cutting him like a slab of ribs. Mt sword was a solid red with blood and tendons of this poor fool who dared to challenge me. This war wasn't all it was made out to be. Sure, I sustained considerable damage, but the enemy wasn't all it was cracked up to be. Mostly, the enemy was being fought off by Link and me. The villagers were obviously not being trained to fight very well. Maybe Link and I would train them all and begin our own military with them. But anyway, back to the 'war'. My armor was dented, banged, and in one spot on my left shoulder, cut by a battle axe. My face was quite bloody, cut, and bruised from many numerous blows with sword hilts, and fists. My sword was quite 'used', seeing as how the hilt was cracked, the blade stained with blood, and dented, and the handle nearly eroded from all the sweat protruding from my hands.
All around me, more fell, and more came. Yes, the enemy still came off the ship, one by one. This third line of defense was holding them off pretty well though. Our main weapons were swords, but the enemy had it all, swords, axes, sticks with spiked balls attached to them by chains, and knives of all shapes and sizes. Many times had I been stabbed with a knife, but eventually, I rendered it as a flea bite, annoying but not threatening. Our numbers decreased significantly, and it seemed as though the enemy was through sending troops off their ship. Link, myself, and about twelve other soldiers was all that remained to ward off about twenty- five opponents. As the last of them left the boats, we readied ourselves for a final charge. "Take all the life you can!" Link's voice rang clear over the sea of bodies. As the enemy just exited their boats, we charged, sword out, and deathly purpose in out eyes. A wild battle cry escaped everyone's mouth as we continued our charge for the enemy. This was it. If we didn't finish it all now, there wouldn't be anyone left to defend the village.
As we neared the enemy, they prepared themselves as best they could with their shields. When we all finally met, there was a great deal of slashing and yelling. I met one boat all to myself, and I killed five instantly. Three more met my sword's blade eventually, and that was the end for me. Apparently, all of the enemy were killed, and only five of our men faced death. We had won, but at what price? Only seven men left to go home their families, only seven men left to defend and entire civilization of people. Village it may be named, but Fiona's people have a very large population, and structure count. It could easily be called a city. Anyway, the seven of us didn't even bother to recognize our wounds as we honored the deaths of the many warriors that had died for their way of life. Clearing all of the enemy into a large hole, and burying them, we took each and every dead back to the village signally, and gave him a proper funeral. It took longer than the war itself did, and even though we kept if up for two days straight without sleep, we persisted, to give the fallen the honor they truly deserve, and respect to their families.
The political persons had finished their business with the enemy, and still uninformed of their names, we declared ourselves free from their hands forever. I didn't see Misty for three days, and Link had mysteriously gone missing. We searched everywhere for him, but to no avail. We finally declared him as M.I.A. I never saw him at the burial at all, so he could have been gone even then. No one else saw him either, so we took it as he was gone from the end of the battle. Fiona took it hard. She never slept, ate, or acted sane for about a week. After that, she never left Link's room, and only ate when the servants brought her meals up (which they never failed in doing). She was torn from head to toe in losing Link for the second time, and we sadly all thought that it would only be a matter of time before she totally lost it, and would have to be sent to a mental facility. Misty and I decided to settle down here, and we learned to be happy with it. I did start my own military, and the population of soldiers grew tremendously as they saw that I had a well- trained army at my command.
Every day I trained my men, and every day I watched as they learned the ways that I knew from Link. I built myself an appropriate training facility, and in my H.Q., I had a portrait of Link in bloody battle hanging from my wall. When ever I started my training, I would remind the men of the real reason I was even here, Link. I would tell all I knew of him, and how his bravery and heroism had saved us all. Link was (if even only to me) the greatest hero of all. There was one student in particular that had caught my attention. He was a young man of about fourteen, and had fierce determination. Oh yeah, I forgot, I didn't raise this empire in a day, no, it had been five years since the war, and I was nineteen. That would make Misty twenty, Fiona twenty-two, and Link twenty-three. Misty and my relationship was stronger than ever. We had moved happily into the palace's royal military compound, and thankfully, Fiona had moved on, even though she had gotten with someone else, and was going to get married. Link never left her mind though, and you could tell she had always loved him.
Anyway, back to the young man of great promise that I was talking about. He had wild black hair, and red eyes that clearly displayed his willpower. He was lean, but well-built, tall, and had a small scar on his right cheek that he didn't care to talk about. Of course being the commander of an army, I had to be strict, and gave him hell about that scar. I had gave him the name 'scar face', but his real name was Christopher Gooding Smith. He had the nickname 'Ice' among his ranks, and that's what he reported for duty as. This boy of fourteen was a determined to be the best as I used to be. Perhaps I took a liking to him because of this, or because of something else, but either way, he had something that was special, and very few people anymore have it. He respected me, and shunned my teasing names as a true warrior should. He passed every training course, and every test at one-hundred percent efficiency. He had more stamina and strength than all of the other soldiers in my ranks, but he still didn't let that fact cloud his mind. He saw himself as the lowest person in the training facility, and he worked harder and harder to be the best.
My personal life wasn't at all on hold. Every day I came back to Misty and we would act just as we did before the war. The war had changed us a lot, and we both grew up that day. I never in my wildest dreams imagined being the commander of an entire army. One day though, everything turned around, some for the good and some for the bad. "Misty! I'm home!" I yelled as I entered our home, dropping my things in a chair.
"Ash!" Misty yelled happily as she ran to greet me. We hugged and kissed for a while before we asked the usual 'how was your day'. Misty was as hard of a worker as I but in an entirely different field. She worked with all sorts of water animals, as a marine biologist and she was good at it. "I had a normal day, and by the look on your face, so did you."
"You got me on that one." I said in reply, as a walked into the kitchen for a snack. "Misty, come here." She came into the kitchen and sat down beside me. "We're too young to be settled down. I mean, we're at our prime, and we're acting as if we've already lived through it. If I asked something drastic, how would you react?"
"Well, it depends on what you ask me." She said, giving me one of those smiles that keeps me close to her.
"Will you agree to you and me leaving here for a while?" I asked, leaving her with a look of deep thought on her features. "We'll leave now, and not come back for about two weeks." She looked at me and smiled.
"Fine, let me pack." Misty said as we both got up and shared a kiss before walking into our room and getting some things. We each had a small case of some clothes and supplies, and we were ready. Misty led the way as we walked out of the door, and towards the hills. At about the entrance of the hills, we were stopped by Ice.
"You two are leaving? Be careful, there are dangerous things out there. Believe me, I know." Ice said as he let us pass.
"I know Ice, but thanks anyway." Misty said as she and I walked past him. I turned around to say something too, but he was already gone. That kid was weird. Misty and I walked for a while before we came upon some caves that looked inviting enough to be a temporary getaway. We selected one, and unpacked there. "Ash, Can't we just do what we used to, and wander around some more? I know it was stupid at the time, but I miss it."
"Yeah Mist, so do I. Let's go." I said as I got up from the rock I was sitting on and helped Misty off hers. The two of us packed a backpack each of clothes, and left. For some reason, I had brought along my old hat, and both Misty and me had our old backpacks. Heading farther east of the hills, we said that we would discover the surrounding lands and make a map.
"Sometimes Ash, I wish we were still young, and still wandering aimlessly around, like we used to. This new life is fun, but I fell so grown, and I don't like it." Misty said as she took my arm, and cuddled her head against my shoulder.
"I know Misty, and to tell the truth, I miss it too. But we have duties now, and we can't just abandon them." I said, immediately realizing some ways out after I had already said it.
"I'm sure someone can take your place as the leader of the army, and I know I could quit my job." Misty protested, revealing that she was thinking just what I was.
"I know Misty, and maybe we can do it." I said, ending the conversation for a relaxing walk down new memory lane. Continuing walking, Misty and I passed several streams, crossed a river, passed through a good sized wood, and traversed many more hills. We finally came upon a big hill directly in front of us, and when we finally reached the top, we spotted a new city under the watch of the hill.
"Wow, what a place." Misty said as we studied the panorama below. The place was about twice the size of our village, and had a palace too. Only this one was about twice the size of ours. We found what appeared to be a barracks for their military, and (since I was still in uniform) I decided to check it out later. "I hope these people are friendly with Fiona's village." Misty finished when I told her of my plan to visit the barracks.
"Well, my guess is they've probably never heard of us. I mean, Fiona's people don't know of any others except for the ones who attacked us across the sea." I said, reassuring Misty as we made our way into the city. Hopefully, I would recruit a new ally to our people. But then again, I did make that promise to Misty about us quitting and leaving the place. We made our way down into the city, myself drawing suspicious glances from my uniform. It was a bright white, with a single neat gold stripe down the right arm of it. I had my other stripes to show of my rank, but other than that, every one else's was the same. Finally arriving at the barracks, I knocked on the door three times. A small metal door opened near the top of the door, and a man looked through
"Who are you, and what do you want?" The man asked us as he saw Misty and me.
"I am Ash Ketchum and this is my girlfriend Misty Waterflower. We come from a city to the east of here and would appreciate it if you could direct us to lodging." I said sounding quite formal.
"Fine, but why did you come to the military training grounds, and why are you dressed in what appears to be a uniform?" The man asked as he looked me over once again.
"Well, I am the commander of my city's military, and I would like to have a word with you if you don't mind." I informed the man who seemed a bit more respectful after hearing of my status.
"Please, come inside, and my superior will speak with you." The man said as he opened the door. Misty and I walked into the office and sat down on a couch. After a short wait, another man walked into the office and sat down in front of us. He was a tall man, with a neat beard, and his uniform was navy blue with two red stripes going diagonally across his right shoulder. This army apparently had medals, and he had plenty. He was obviously very important.
"I hear that you are the commander of an army." The man said looking me over. He had a slightly gruff voice, but it was respectable. "You look quite young to be in command. Who trained you?"
"A great man named Link trained me in my ways of combat, and I have learned a great deal on my own. Aside from that, I do not believe that one should judge by age or appearance." I said, shocking Misty from the way I spoke.
"Understandable, but I need to know. Who is president where you come from?" The man asked. You see, this place was considered to all be one land. So each city had presidents. People knew each other from presidents' names and not the names of the city. It was a very confusing system, but I quickly adapted.
"Princess Fiona is our president and ruler." I said, using honor in her name. I hated her new mate, but since they weren't married, I totally left him out.
"Ah, your people recently defeated Prince Jon's men in a brief war. Well, not too recently, but you get the point." The man said, easing up on his formality when he recognized our power. "So, what is it I can do for you?"
"I am not a political man, but maybe I could arrange an alliance between our two cities. I was not sent here to do this, I am only on vacation, but since I have stumbled upon your city, and we appear to be quite close, why not?" I said, leaving Misty's mouth hanging agape.
"Your offer is most tempting, and frankly, I don't see a problem. But sadly, we are in no position to draw alliances. If you'll accept our offer to camp here, I'll set up an appointment with the president in the morning." The man said, standing up and going to a desk where he jotted a note to himself.
"Sure, I'd be glad to camp here tonight." I said. The man then personally showed us to some guest quarters, and we settled down. They weren't palace quality, but they were fine.
"I hope this will do. See you in the morning." The man said as he closed the door and left Misty and me in peace.
"I thought you said no more work. I thought we were supposed to be going away from the city and reliving our past." Misty said as she sat down on the bed and turned her face away from me. I quickly saw what a mistake I had made and I tried to sit down beside her and hold her, but she wouldn't let me. I respected her wishes and moved over. I undressed, and changed into some sleeping clothes, and settled down into my side of the bed and let Misty do the same. She joined me in the bed and I tried once more.
"Misty, please, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to drag us into this. I know it was my fault and I got us into a mess without even thinking or consulting you, but I am genuinely sorry." I said as I looked Misty in her beautiful green eyes. She looked back at me for a while, and finally (much to my delight) gave me a small smile. I took that as forgiveness, and slowly planted a soft kiss on her forehead.
"No Ash, I was being selfish. If this works out, the city would be much better off, and we still can do what we planned after this." Misty reassured me by saying. She then cuddled into me more, and we were finally happy again. "I love you."
"I love you too, Misty. If you only knew how much." We then drifted off into a peaceful sleep. I was violently awakened in the night, by a loud explosion, and a shockwave to match. Misty and me both sprang out of bed and rushed outside to see what was the matter. Everywhere, soldiers ran to prepare for whatever it was, and we finally saw the commander run by as well. He spotted us, and ran to us.
"They're here! You had better stay safe, young lady. Ash, if you don't mind, we need you." I agreed of course, and Misty and I both went back into our room. I put on my fighting clothes (never leave home without 'em) and stopped at the door.
"Misty, don't worry, I swear this won't be more than tonight. If it lasts longer, I'll leave." She understood, and we shared a brief kiss before I ran out to meet the commander, and prepare for whatever it was. I found the commander and the rest of the soldiers waiting outside, looking at the northern forest.
"It's our enemy," The commander started, "They're making more guerilla hits, and this time, we're ending their game." He ordered a small group of soldiers to charge the woods, and kill as many as they could. The opposition had a cannon and that's what caused the explosion.
"I still haven't gotten your name." I said, as I readied to charge as well. He told me it was 'Carl' and that was that. Myself, along with another small group charged the woods too. Carl and his group was at our side. There weren't as many enemies as I'd thought, and they were mostly scared to death. I had a sword and shield provided by Carl, and that was what I used to kill ten men. I was as clean as greased lightning with the execution of my foes. As quick as anything the ten fell before me, and before I could get more, none were left.
"That almost wasn't worth getting you out of bed. Sorry about that." Carl said, and I dismissed it with an 'it's okay'. I returned to my room just as if nothing had happened, and Misty was sitting on the edge of the bed waiting for me. When I entered the room, she jumped into my arms, and I met hers and we kissed forever.
"You weren't gone but thirty minuets, and I still worried over you like I did." Misty said teasingly, looking at me with a smile. I quickly undressed, and told Misty of it all. After about another thirty minuets, we went back to bed. We fell asleep almost immediately, and before I knew it, it was morning. "Good morning, Ash." Misty said, bringing me out of my sleep easily.
"Good morning, Misty. How'd you sleep?"
"Great, aside from that little incident last night."
"Yeah, that wasn't worth my trouble." We got up out of bed, and dressed, preparing for my big date with the president. Pretty soon, Carl came to the room and knocked. He informed us that the meeting would be shortly, so I'd better hurry and get dressed. A bit later, the three of us were outside the barracks, looking at the palace.
"Misty, I think you'd better stay. I don't want any questions asked when they see you not being in any political standing." Carl said kindly, and Misty started to walk away.
"Wait a minuet. Misty can come if she wants, and if the president doesn't like it, then too bad." I defended Misty, who upon hearing my words turned around again. So the three of us walked to the palace, and told the guards of our standing. They escorted us to the president's office, and he saw us immediately.
"Greetings, I am President Jord. And you are?"
"Mr. President, I believe you know me, Commander Carl, and this is Commander Ash, and Lead Biologist Misty. They are from Fiona's city." Upon hearing this, the president took on a look of study. He finally spoke
"So Ash, Misty, what I it you want with us?"
"Mr. President, I would appreciate it if you would consider an alliance with our cities. I was not sent here to ask you this, but I do believe it would be a good idea. I could arrange a meeting with my people's political branch if you wish." I said, looking the president in the eyes with as much seriousness that I could muster. I may not want to be in this, but if I am, I'll be in one-hundred percent.
"Why, May I ask, would you want an alliance between our two cities?"
"Well, sir, I think it would be for the best on both of our sides, due to the obvious strengths. Such as twice the military and so forth."
"That is all very well for your military, but what about the other vital areas of operation. An alliance can not survive on mere military strength alone."
"Yes sir, I agree. That is why I've informed you that I will try to get my political people to have a meeting with you."
"Fine, but where do you propose this meeting be held?"
"Well, sir I believe since it is me who is attempting to make an alliance, my people should come here."
"Very well. I'll send a messenger to your city right away. You write a letter informing of your actions, and requesting them to meet here."
"Yes, sir." I wrote the letter, and President Jord had it sent immediately. Man, I really hate this political stuff. Just give me a sword, and I'll show you politics my way. I bet all of you people reading this are scratching your head about the military situation, let me be your guide. The militaries of this land are just as modern as ours in the present, except for the weapons, and the lack of electric communication. The uniforms though are the same.
"Come on Misty, I don't think we're needed any longer. Let's go." I said, as I took Misty's hand, and we left for wherever. I guessed the political people of Fiona's city would come, but I didn't care. Misty and I continued going in the same direction we planed on going, and soon we were out of the city. Not knowing where we were going, Misty and me just walked. Through nearly every terrain out there we traveled, until we found another cave. Settling down in the cave, we took off our backpacks, and rested on a rock.
"Was this what you wanted?" I asked Misty, who had an odd smirk on her face.
"Yeah, that was fun." Misty said in reply. We continued to sit, looking at the outside of the cave, and just relaxing in the cool wind. "Ash," Misty started, "Do you think that there's any way to get back to our own time?" That one was tossed in from nowhere.
"Well, there has to be a way. And if you want to go back home, I'll dedicate all of my time to finding that way." I said, getting a smile from Misty. It seemed like we hadn't even thought the previous life we used to live, and to be totally candid, I didn't want to. The only thing back there was getting picked on by Gary, and Pokemon battles. Speaking of Pokemon, Pikachu and Togipi died a few years ago. No biggie any more. I was happy here as long as Misty was with me. And she said she felt the same way, so we were both content.
"Well, I would like to go back and see how everything's changed." Misty said, looking at me with those eyes that she used to use when she wanted something. I could never refuse.
"The only problem is, we don't know what to look for to get us back."
"True, but we could find a way." She said again, smiling at me, and grabbing my hand. I thought hard, we'd come here through a black hole into somewhere, and it was in the sky. How could we ever reopen it? About that time, we heard a scream. A bloodcurdling scream sounded through the air, and it was coming from the hills to the north. Misty and I both ran off after whatever it was that screamed, and what we found shocked us even more. About fifty yards down the way, a young girl was cornered by a rock, and in front of her was a tall cloaked figure. I saw the situation, and quickly ran over to the attacker and delivered a strong kick to his ribcage. The man in the cloak cried out in pain, and vanished into thin air.
"Thank you for saving me." The girl said as she walked up to me and kissed me on the cheek. "I'm Brea, who are you?"
"I'm Ash, and this is my girlfriend Misty." Misty seemed glad that I emphasized the fact of her being my girl.
"She's your girlfriend? Come on, you can do better." Brea said, smiling at me.
"Are you saying that you are the 'better'?" Misty asked Brea. She was now switched into death mode.
"Maybe, but Ash is still cute." Brea said, leaving me blushing. Misty and Brea then went into a heated argument, leaving me to think about that thing that was attacking Brea. How could it have disappeared into thin air? About that time, a stray rock from the girl's battle hit me in the head and knocked me down.
"Ash!" They both said in union. Then it was a 'you did it' fight, and it was started all over again. Tired of fighting, the girls shut up, and sat down beside me. Jeez, now I know why Tenchi Masaki is tripped out all of the time.
"Sorry Ash, that was immature of me." Misty said, snuggling down into my chest. Brea just looked on in longing.
"I think I'll go home now." Brea said as she got up and started to walk off.
"Wait, don't go." I said, motioning my hand for her to come sit back down. She complied, and sat back down.
"Sorry for being so straightforward to you Ash, but I'm just not good at keeping my mouth shut." Brea said, apologizing where it wasn't necessary.
"Don't worry about it. Now, who was that man that was attacking you?" I asked, getting down to business. At my question, Brea just looked down and said nothing. Misty then whispered in my ear that we should go back because it was getting dark.
"Brea, where do you live?" I asked before I knew why.
"In a cave a little off from here." She replied. I thought for a moment, and finally decided that it would be better to leave it at that. If I invited her to stay with us, Misty might start suspecting things, and I know that I'm not thinking in that way. Misty is mine, and I'm hers. Nothing's going to change that.
"Well, so do we, and we're going to that cave. See you around." I said, a little rudely as a got up and left for the cave with Misty still clinging to me. Brea watched us walk off a little, before she too turned around and walked off to her cave.
"Ash, what did you make of Brea. She seems innocent enough, but you can never tell." Misty warned me as we walked into our cave to spend the night.
"Well, I don't know what to think really, but I'll giver her a chance to get off free if she wants to. If she takes it, fine, if she doesn't, then we'll cross that bridge when we get to it." I said as I lied down to sleep. Misty joined me, and we cuddled up to prepare for the cold. In no time, we were drifted off.
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Post Note: Nobody seems to like this story, but I'm gonna keep trying. A lot of things are going on, and a lot had changed since chapter two. Sorry for having such long chapters, I'm gonna stop doing that, and make them a bit shorter later. Well, if anybody reads this, please drop off reviews telling me how much you like or don't this story, and Keep it real, people!