Hello, hello everyone. Welcome to an actual Tuesday update. This update is made possible by reviewers like you. ^_^

I have a massive headache and it's quite late and stormy...-kills Florida rainy season- so this is just a short little intro because, well, it just wouldn't feel right without some of my rambling.

On...and on...and on...

~Chapter Thirty-Two~

My breath stopped and I completely let go of Darrell's coat, putting one wavering hand to my mouth. I backed up a few steps, still staring at him wide-eyed.

"What...what are you talking about?" I whispered so lowly, it was amazing even I heard it.

"You spoke the language of Dragons," he replied. He suddenly launched forward and I winced as he roughly grabbed my shoulders and shook me back and forth, like I was a doll or something.

"How could you do that?!" he cried, his dark hair hiding his eyes, and I still knew he was staring at me. "How could you possibly be her?!"

"Darrell quit---!" Before I could yell out "it", Steve rushed over and yanked me from Darrell's hold.

"What are you doing?" he yelled. "Lindsey has no idea what you're talking about, and neither do I, so we're just...just going to go!" He started down the path out of the forest, pulling me along with him. I was too exhausted and shocked to fight, but I turned my head back towards Darrell, and saw him staring at me like he had never stared before---and I understood there was so much more to him than I realized. He knew things I've never even dreamed about---and I realized that he probably didn't love me as I much as I thought he did. All he wanted was a Dragon Pokemon.

When we were out of sight of Darrell, my eyes filled with tears and I silently starting crying, which really pissed me off. I hate crying, and I hate when people cry too much. But the tears just started flowing, and I tried my best to make it unknown.

I guess I wasn't quiet enough, because Steve stopped walking and turned to face me. I just looked at my feet, wishing I was somewhere else. And without tears streaming down my cheeks.

"Why are you crying?" Steve asked, turning me so I could look at him. Not that I did.

"Lindsey?"

I covered my eyes with one hand, still looking at my feet. My tears soaked my skin, but I didn't care.

"This is so screwed up!" I hiccupped. "Darrell...Dragonair...Hades...and then now...and..." I babbled, now sobbing. I barely noticed when Steve stepped forward and gently wrapped his arms around me. I just forgot about everything and cried into his chest.

"Hey," he said, stroking my hair. Not that I noticed, being too preoccupied with practically an entire ocean spilling out of my eyes. Did I mention I hate crying? "It's okay. Go ahead and cry all you want, and then you can tell me why exactly you're doing it."

For some reason I laughed at that, but it was more of a choke. I looked up at Steve and gave a slight smile, which probably looked wrong with my red eyes.

"I just..." Darrell. That's why I was crying. But of course I couldn't tell Steve about it. After all, just barely an hour ago he had confessed he was in love with me.

Oh yeah. Like I was really going to tell my best friend, who was supposedly in love with me, that I was upset over the guy I loved.

Liked.

Who knows?

Since I obviously couldn't tell Steve what was really on my mind, I had to improvise. "It was...Dragonair. Steve, I'm positive it was that same Dragonair that we saw when we were younger—"

"And the same one that nearly killed you?" he mumbled, his hold around me getting tighter.

I ignored that. "Yeah, that one. I just…it almost attacked me but then Darrell---" I paused, wondering whether I should continue. The look on Steve's face told me not to.

"Anyway, it almost attacked me, but before that it said something about---"

"It said something?!" Steve cried, astonished.

"Yeah...it was the weirdest thing. I thought I heard this voice in my head and I think, 'Geez, am I going even more crazy today?', but then I realized it was talking to me. And I understood it. Dragonair killed Hades."

Steve didn't even seemed the least bit concerned about Hades. "You understood it? But how?"

"I dunno. God, first I can read that freaky book and now---" I paused and suddenly gasped.

"What?"

"That book thingy!" I cried. "It has to have the answers! I just know it!" I broke free from Steve's hold on me and grabbed his wrist. "COME ON! We have to look at that thing!"

~*~

"Where have you two been?!" Dad demanded to know as Steve and I jogged back onto the property. "You don't just go running off like that!"

"N-Nothing," I stammered, eyeballing Ivy, who was standing behind Dad. I noticed her eyes drift towards my hand, and an eyebrow went up.

Way up.

I realized I was still holding Steve's wrist. As if I didn't care about it, I shook it off and started to kinda-sorta-not really explain.

"Well-dad-we-just-went-to-see-something-okay-we-gotta-go-now!" I babbled so quickly, I barely understood myself. I gestured with Ivy to with my eyes to follow Steve and I into the house, but Dad sighed.

"Well, whatever, but...I'll warn you...Diana's in there, and she's pretty shaken up about Hades. I mean, we all are…"

I knew what he meant. Mom had been closest to Hades, so of course she would be shaken up about it.

"What did she do with him?" I whispered, not daring to face Dad.

"We buried him a little while ago, under a flowering tree," Dad answered quietly. "We would've waited for you but…"

But if the other Pokemon saw Hades' body, they would have freaked out. Oh, and I was busy confronting the Rapidash's killer, a Pokemon I could allegedly speak to. Uh-huh, yeah, and I don't know what to feel about Darrell, even though I've always loved him. And before I came out here, my best friend confessed he loved me.

"Anything else?" I murmured to myself as Steve, Ivy, and I stepped through the side door.

As we traveled through the kitchen and past the living room, I saw Mom sitting on the couch, staring into space. I didn't want to disturb her or anything, so I motioned to my friends to be quiet as we tiptoed towards the stairs.

Mom didn't look up once.

"Arguh, where's that book?" I complained once we were all in my room. I reached under my mattress. "Ah-ha!"

"Uh, explain this all to me again," Ivy said.

"Oh yeah..." I sighed, stretching my legs out on my bed and putting the book in my lap.

"You ran off after seeing Hades was dead and Steve ran after you. That's all I saw."

"Yeah well..." I trailed off, not wanting to tell the story. I looked up at Steve, realizing I was the only one who could tell it, up to a certain point, anyway.

"Well..." I echoed, fingering a loose thread on my blue long-sleeved shirt.

"Well?" Ivy prompted.

I sighed again and stared at the book in my lap, not daring to look up as I retold the tale.

"So I ran into the forest, and I see Darrell there, but there's also a Dragonair. I know Darrell was happy since he thought he was about to capture a Dragon Pokemon...but Dragonair looked like it was about to attack him, so I ran in there to shield him from it and..."

"And?" Ivy asked.

"And...I guess I closed my eyes during that because when I opened them, turned out I was shielding Dragonair from being captured." I snorted. "I wonder why, considering it was the one who killed Hades?"

Ivy gasped. "What?! How do you know?"

"Well, for one thing, it was covered in blood...and...it...told me."

"Eh?!"

"I heard this voice in my head," I explained for the second time that day. "And I thought I was going insane or something, but I know it was Dragonair."

I finally looked up, and Ivy was gaping at me. "That's...that's impossible! Pokemon can't talk…can they?"

I shrugged. "I think it was more like telepathy. But after Dragonair left, Darrell was telling me I spoke in the language of Dragons..."

Ivy was still gaping. Kitsune suddenly Teleported into the room, startling everyone.

"Kit," I warned.

"Esssssss," he purred, curling up between my knees for a comfy spot to lay down.

"Hmm? Do you know what's going on?" I asked my Espeon as I stroked his smooth lavender head.

"'Peon," he replied.

"So anyway..." Ivy said, looking down at the book. "Why did you suddenly decide to look through this? Think it might tell you what's going on? About that freaky message and the Dragon talk and all?"

I picked up the book, staring at the worn blue cover. "It has the answers," I whispered. "I know it does." I looked up at my friends. "After all, Darrell did say that I am a Dragon Tamer.

"Whatever that may be," I added under my breath, opening to the first page in the book and watching the symbols transform before my eyes.

"Squiggly lines are so interesting," Ivy frowned.

"I'll tell you what it says in a sec," I said, blinking to read the first passage to myself:

The secrets in which make up the Dragon's Den lie in your hands, chosen Tamer. Go forth and accept your destiny in the home of the Dragon Pokemon and leave behind your legacy. Continue what Tamer Lynn has started and know that only together they can truly be Tamed.

I stared at the page for a few seconds before looking up and repeating what I had just read to Steve and Ivy. Like me, they seemed thoroughly confused.

"It's like...it's like whoever…or whatever wrote this knew you were going to be reading it," Ivy said, shaking her head. "Tamer, Tamer, Tamer. And all this stuff about Dragon Pokemon---and you keep running into that Dragonair."

"I wanna know what this Dragon's Den is," I sighed. "I think it's the home to Dragon Pokemon...but where would it be?"

I stared down at the page again, my eyes drifting towards some particular words: "accept your destiny."

Accept your destiny...

Accept your destiny...

I gasped and stood up so suddenly, the book flew off my lap. I covered my mouth, trying to get my thoughts to make sense.

"Lindsey?" Steve asked.

I whirled around to face my friends and cried out, "Ecruteak City!"

"What?" Steve and Ivy asked in unison.

"If this Den is real, it's in Ecruteak City! Or near it or...something." I started pacing my room. "You guys…" I said quietly but urgently. "We have to get there."

~*~*~

WOO! Lotsa reviews ^_^ I is a happy Serenity, so happy I be talking funny. Indeed.

Silvie~ O_O Wow...that was...invigorating. I've never had one of my characters glomped before...^.^;; I fear the massive plot bunnies...AAAAIIIIEEE! Something tells me they're going to be after me for awhile...

Karania~ When I think about it, it's kinda weird. I thought Darrell did it too, at first, but then I realized...AHHH! KILLER DRAGONAIR!...wait a sec, shouldn't I know why my characters are doing what they're doing? O_o

Opaltiger~ OH GOD! MORE KILLER PLOT BUNNIES! AND THOSE EVIL TIGER-DRAGON KNIGHTS OF DOOM ARE COMING! AAIIIIEEE! –runs and hides- See. Tuesday update. Yay for me!

Zero_Chan~ Okay, I'll give you that. It IS more fun...daaaarkside...bwahahaha...-cough- If Lindsey & Co. ever get to the Den, remind me not to bring Lurk. Or at least that Frying Pan of d00m. –shivers-

Natalie~ I know the Nightquil feeling, trust me. –sighs- Evil...penguins...stealing...CHEESE! –cough- Anyway, hopefully this chapter helps you feel better soon ^^;;

Saisaishi~ Umm...hi? ^.^;;; Never seen you around here before! Or at least that I can recall. Yeah, that last chapter was short, and this one was a bit on the short side too, but trust me, they're going to get waaaaaay longer. –falls over-

Robin Ryan~ EEEE!!! I IS HAPPY YOU IS ABLE TO REVIEW AGAIN! –does a freaky little dance, much to the disgust of the readers- Hmm, weren't you going to yell at me about things? ~_^ Then again, you've done plenty of that already. –dies- Ha ha, not really...oh yeah! Once my headache dismembers from my brain, I shall read Anna! WOO!

Holy cheese. I am a happy RainbowSerenity ^.^;;

Readers: You're weird.

Yeah, I know. Kick ass reviews make me all...weird. And stuff.

So anyway, WHATCHA GONNA DO NOW?!

Readers: -bow- Oh yes, we know now what we must do, RainbowSerenity! We must review like the good readers we are!

I thought so.