Okay, okay, change of plans. My father just suddenly decided we wouldn't be leaving until late morning. Yay?

So here is update. I can't pretend I'm terribly happy about this chapter, because I'm not. I could picture everything perfectly in my head, and I was crying a little while I was writing it. ;-; -sigh- Sad chapter before happy weekend. What a...weird thing.

Okay, so turn on some sappy music and turn off those funny Friday-night sitcoms because here comes...

Chapter Forty-Two

I froze. "Uh, care to explain exactly why I should want any of them dead?" I managed to spit out.

Anthony narrowed his eyes. "Like I said, I can explain everything...you want to know, don't you?" He added his coy grin to his face.

I gritted my teeth, absentmindedly grabbing Steve and Ivy's hands. "Even finding out the answers to everything that's been going on wouldn't make me give up anyone." I shot a look at Darrell, who looked mildly surprised. "I wouldn't trade my relationships with my friends for the world."

"ENOUGH!" Anthony yelled, sending another energy blast towards us. Before any of us could react, we were blasted off our feet, but surprisingly still clutching each other's hands. We landed near Mom, who weakly opened her eyes.

"Lindsey," she whispered. "Don't...give in. Don't...let any of you give in...call her."

"Call who?" I asked, just as softly.

She lifted her head off the floor a fraction. "Mom," she said before her head fell back down and her eyes closed.

"Mom?" I asked, feeling worried, but I could faintly hear that she was still breathing. Good...but what did she mean by 'call Mom'? April? How on earth was she going to help us?

Anthony interrupted my confusion. "Fine! Since you just can't choose, I'll get rid of you instead!" he yelled, holding up his hands and preparing another kind of attack. I let go of my friend's hand's and instinctively covered my head as the blast headed straight for us.

'This is it...we're going to die. Die without even knowing what the heck's going on, and live without even seeing Darrell one last time...ha, it's true what they say, about never leaving things unsaid..I wish...I could just tell everyone...how much I love them all.'

It seemed like hours passed before I dared to move. Wow...I wasn't feeling anything at all. If this was dying, it wasn't so bad. Hopefully when I open my eyes, Steve and Ivy will still be with me...

I held back a gasp as I discovered that I was still in the Den. I was alive?! To my surprise, Steve and Ivy were also both alive, gawking at something in front of me. I gasped for real, knowing—that Darrell had protected us.

He had somehow gotten in front of us to prevent the attack from killing me, Steve, and Ivy. How he was protecting us, I had no idea, but there was a faint bluish glow coming from in front of him. He was holding out one arm in front of me...like Steve had done when we were in the crash.

"Enough of this," Darrell said, and I resisted the urge to grin at his familiar, monotone voice—though he did sound kinda angry. Well, no wonder...Anthony tried to kill me. That would make anyone who cared about me mad, right?

I snapped back into focus when I realized Darrell was talking again:

"We've all had enough of you. This cannot go on...you're done using me to bring back the Hunters, and you are finished harming the Dragons and their Tamer for nothing but your own amusement." He threw something in the air that I instantly recognized as Absol's Pokeball. "You...are...over."

I regrettably let go of Steve and Ivy's hands, who were kneeling next to me looking as confused as I felt. I grabbed Darrell's shoulder, asking him what in Lugia's name did he think he was doing?!

"Get Kitsune in here...no better yet, awaken the Dragons," was what he answered, holding his arm in front of his face and clutching another Pokeball that I knew contained Umbreon.

"Huh?" I honked, looking over at Absol, who was getting into fighting position in front of Anthony, who just looked amused at the Dark Pokemon.

"In the bedroom," Darrell hissed. "I will keep this old Hunter occupied...go with Ivy and Mochiles. Release all the Dragons. Hurry before it is too late."

"Umm...okay." I hissed the message back at my two friends, and the four of us jumped up at the same time. Darrell quickly walked over behind Absol, looking like he wanted to battle.

"Are you challenging me?" Anthony snickered. "Oh, but I haven't got a Pokemon."

"Like you'll need one," Steve muttered behind me, as we walked around the pool towards the door. I shushed him, but Anthony heard anyway. Damnit.

"And just where do you think you're going?" he asked, all too sweetly.

I narrowed my eyes. "None of your beeswax. Now you go back to whatever you were doing, and we'll just stay out of your way." Steve and Ivy smiled nervously to, eh, back me up.

"I don't think so, little Tamer." He prepared another attack, ignoring Darrell completely. I ducked, but I knew it wasn't going to make a difference.

'Nice going Steve! Piss off the angry spirit dude that's attacking us, and Darrell's across the Den, so it's not like he can protect us. Hey...Protect...I think Kit knows that. Where is that little booger when you need him?'

"Lindsey!" Ivy hissed, poking my arm. I looked up. Well, whaddya know, there was Kitsune in a battle position, using what looked a lot like a Protect. And boy did he look mad.

"Dude, this is just plain weird!" Steve exclaimed, and I snorted in amusement. "How did Kitsune get down here?"

"Teleporting," I muttered. "C'mon, let's get over there while we can..."

"OH NO YOU DON'T!" Anthony bellowed once Kit's Protect had diminished. He smirked at Kitsune. "Little Tamer...I will allow to pass if you and your little Espeon can defeat me."

I raised an eyebrow. "Um, duh? I mean, if we totally defeated you, we wouldn't have to get your freaking permission to pass...and anyway, how do I know this isn't a trick of yours? I mean, you just tried to kill me twice now, should I really trust you?"

He smirked some more. "But what is death, anyway? If you're like any of these other damn Tamers, you'll be sticking around anyway."

I blinked. "What?"

Damnit, someone needed to wipe that stupid smile off of his ugly face. "Now should I really tell you?" he asked himself, mocking me. "Surprising that you don't know yourself...you are a Dragon Tamer." I gasped, remembering when Darrell had said those exact words to me, but Anthony didn't notice.

"But would you really want me to tell you everything?" He gave an evil laugh. "Really...Tamer, you are a—"

He was interrupted, thank goodness, when some sort of attack shot across the Den and hit the crystal wall the four of us were standing/floating in front of, missing me by inches. I jumped behind Steve, remembering how I was going to push him the manure pile later anyway, so I could take whatever crack he had for me.

"HEY!" Darrell's voice rang from across the Den. About time. "You are battling with me, Pokemon or not. Or have you forgotten already?"

Anthony sent a death glare at me before floating back towards Darrell. "Of course not, puppet. C'mon, give me your best."

Darrell narrowed his eyes. "Umbreon, Shadow Ball. Absol, Hyper Beam."

Well, this would be interesting. I had never seen Darrell battle before. But it was a lot effort, because Anthony just sort of made himself more-ghost like, and the attacks literally went right through him.

"Ha! Is that your best?!" Anthony laughed.

Steve spun his head around. "Lindsey, we should go and...do whatever we were doing," he hissed. "While Darrell's keeping Ghost-Man busy."

I nodded slightly, surprised Steve wasn't giving me a hard time about me hiding behind him, but didn't push it. Kitsune looked up at me like he wanted to join the "battle" Darrell was having, but I quickly shook my head.

"I don't want you hurt," I whispered and we all started tiptoeing the bedroom. We had barely taken more than five steps when I suddenly got a pain so excruciating in my stomach, I had to do what any normal person in this life-or-death situation would do:

I screamed, sat down, and didn't budge.

Since there was a horrible echo in the Den, Darrell and Mr. Evil Anthony Dude obviously heard me, so they stopped their "battle" and stared at me. Steve and Ivy were shaking my shoulders, not knowing they were making my agony worse, but it wasn't like I could tell them that.

I took a few deep breaths, a thin sheen of sweat starting to cover me. I couldn't remember the last time I had been in so much pain.

I wanted to slap Anthony in his stupid, smirking face when he suddenly laughed. "Well, no wonder you and this puppet Hunter are so keen on living. Damn those instincts."

"What are...you…" I growled, not wanting to put up with anyone's crap at the minute, but then his words began to sink in. My eyes widened. Could...I...?

I looked past Anthony and at Darrell, who was just looking really, really mad. I frowned, suddenly remembering something.

"Why do you keep calling Darrell your...puppet?" I asked out of the blue, narrowing my eyes for effect.

Anthony raised an eyebrow. "Like I have said, Tamer, I will tell you the whole story...if you can just chose who dies." Steve's grip on my shoulder tightened as he said those words.

I frowned. "Why do you need either my best friends or...or Darrell dead?!" I demanded to know.

Anthony scowled, but still somehow managed to look amused. "Oh, of all the things you don't know..."

I stood up and clenched my fists. "TELL ME!" I screamed so loudly that I was surprised my unconscious parents didn't awake.

I guess Anthony wasn't a fan of screaming, because in a flash—literally—he had pushed Steve, Ivy, and Kit away from me, and one hand of his was somehow around my neck—yeah, how he did it, being all ghostly-transparent and all, I had no idea, but I could feel it choking me. In his other hand, he produced a dull, jagged knife, and I immediately stopped struggling once it was pointed at my throat.

"You can just die right now," he hissed into my ear, and I tried not to barf all over him. "That way, you don't even need to know and we can all be happy. Everyone wins." I winced as the tip of the blade rested against my skin. "Right?"

I didn't know how he expected me to answer, since I was practically gagging, and you know, it's pretty hard to form words when your windpipe is closed off.

He turned his head towards Ivy, Steve, and Darrell, who were looking shocked and horrified. Darrell seemed paler than normal, and Steve and Ivy were just plain horror-struck.

"Like I've been saying, either the puppet or the others must die—or else, I'll just get the Tamer." My eyes widened as he inched the tip of the knife into my neck for effect, drawing a single drop of blood. Oh god, oh god...he was going to kill me. No way in Johto would any of them would die for me...Darrell probably doesn't take me seriously enough...and Steve and Ivy knew I wouldn't want them to die for me...I mean, sure we're best friends, but that would be going a little too far...

My breath was getting shaky as my air supply was cutting off. My eyelids drooped and my head fell to the side, spilling my long hair over my eyes. This was it...when did I think dying wasn't bad? It was. I wish I could've at least said goodbye to Mom...and remind her to refill Joker's hay net...

And...I never did have that talk with Steve. Aw, damnit, he's a ladies man, he'll find some other girl to... 'love'...ha, ha. Steve. In love with me. Wasn't that what he had said all that time ago? I had no clue...my brain was getting fuzzy due to the lack of air. I wish I did talk to him...I could've let him down easy. I think.

My excuses for thoughts ceased when I heard a single footstep echo in the silent Den. I struggled to open my eyes, and it became easier when Anthony lessened his death grip on my neck. I looked up a little to see that Steve had taken that footstep.

My eyes instantly widened. What on earth...?

Ivy's was staring at him with a look I had never seen her wear before; something along the lines of acceptance and admiring...and then she, too, took a step forward, now staring at Anthony and I.

"No..." I whispered.

"Let Lindsey go now..." Steve spoke, his voice shaking slightly, but sounding kind of...proud. "And tell her everything...once Ivy and I die."

"NO!!!" I screamed, suddenly thrashing around. Darrell stared in openmouthed shock. Anthony dropped the knife and let go of my neck, but grabbed onto my upper arm and threw me against the wall, keeping me there.

"About time," he sneered, drawing up a huge ball of cackling energy, filled with electricity, fire, and who knows what else. Considering how beaten up they already were...this attack really would kill them.

Anthony unleashed the attack with force I had never seen anywhere before. I continued to scream, wondering why they were just standing there, why weren't they getting out of the way?!?! Ivy was staring at her feet, but Steve was looking at me with the same light that had been in his eyes the day he confessed his heart to me. He really would do anything for me. Even...even...

"STEVE!!! IVY!!!" I screeched, but even the cries that I was sure the world could hear were drowned out when the attack hit my two best friends full-blast. They were thrown off their feet and landed headfirst on the floor with loud thuds.

I screamed again and pushed Anthony out of the way, running around the pool and dashing over to my friends. I heard Darrell challenged Anthony with Absol and Umbreon yet again, and I knew he was doing that to keep him away from me for the time being. Kitsune hissed in the distance, and I knew he was joining the battle.

But that all seemed so far away. Steve and Ivy were laying side by side, their hair messed up like after a long canter on a trail ride with the Ponyta...and I noticed, for the first time in years, Ivy's hair was out of her classic messy bun. Her auburn locks spilled over her shoulders, and I just then realized how beautiful my friends were...and how lucky I was that they chose to be my extended family.

I knelt down between them, grasping one of each of their hands. My eyes grew wet, and I knew I wasn't going to be afraid to cry this time.

"Ivy?" I whispered. Her eyes fluttered open, and my heart leapt. She was alive! Maybe we could get her out of here...and still save her...

"Lindsey," she said slowly in a voice that was barely a whisper. "I...I...know that was...stupid. But..." She wheezed, taking a shaky breath, and I grasped her hand tighter. "Steve was...right. We'll...never...leave you. You know...what...they say..."

"What?" I shakily asked. "What, Ivy? Keep talking...please..."

"No matter...where we are...we'll always be...together…right? Ha...hope it's true...that'd be...nice..." She looked up at me with empty eyes. "We need to...keep...Steve...straight. You know how...how...how crazy he...can...be..."

On that last word, her eyelids fell and her hand slipped from my grasp. I stared, my mouth hanging open, in shock. No...she couldn't...

"Ivy?" I asked, in a scared child-like voice. "Ivy? Hey...hey hun, say something...Ivy?"

I heard a slight groan from next to me, and I tore my gaze away from Ivy and saw Steve in a horribly worse condition. How did he get all of those scars on his hands and arms?

"Steve," I whispered, squeezing his hand with all the energy left in me.

"Heh..." he said, opening his eyes. "Didn't I...tell you that I'd do...anything for you?"

"I didn't mean anything...like this," I replied, my voice shaking.

"Heh..." he chuckled again. "Don't...underestimate...me. I always keep...my promises...to you." With a huge effort, he slowly lifted his free hand and gently wiped away the tears that had started to fall from my eyes.

I lifted the hand I was grasping and held it against my cheek. "No you don't," I sobbed. "You...you and Ivy said that you guys would always be there for me...you lied!" Still holding his hand, I fell on his chest and sobbed freely, my cries muffled against his shirt. "You...dirty...liars. I'll never forgive you."

"Ha," Steve wheezed, using that free hand to drape it across my back over my hair that had spilled there. "I...don't lie..."

"Yes you do," my muffled voice said into his shirt. "You idiot. You stupid, stupid idiot."

"Ha. Hey...Lindsey. You know...I...really...did...do..."

I drew in a breath, afraid of his next words.

"Love you..."

The arm on my back grew heavy, and without warning, slid off my body and landed roughly on the floor. I lifted my head a fraction, my face and Steve's shirt soaked with tears, and realized I couldn't hear his heartbeat anymore.

"Steve?" I whispered, more tears spilling from my eyes. My hand that was gripping his involuntarily loosened, and his hand began to slide from mine.

"No," I cried, clutching it so tightly that I was afraid that I would break his fingers. "No...c'mon Steve...you can't...you and Ivy aren't..."

I kept talking, expecting them to suddenly sit up and laugh, like this was all some horrible, twisted joke they were playing on me. And then, of course, I would yell at them and push Steve into the pool for revenge. That's what was supposed to happen.

"You guys," I said, twisting my head back and forth to look and them. "Come on. Quit kidding around...wake up already...we've gotta...we've gotta..."

Another tear escaped my eye and landed on Steve's battered hand I was still holding. I was so shocked that I loosened my hold and it slipped from my own and onto the cold Den floor. I blinked, and everything suddenly came into focus. Really, I think I snapped, just suddenly seeing my best friend's hand there, not even twitching, laying still and silent.

I stared down at the two people who meant more to me than anything, the two that had...died for me. Words suddenly started automatically pouring from my tear-stained lips:

Livesih tyort sedotnog ardeeht, nopullaci.

I didn't know what good it would do, but I was finally taking Mom's advice:

I was calling April.

-cry sob tear- ;-; -blows nose- Okay...review replies...

Rose—WHOO HOO! Alice 19th is so awesome, isn't it? ;D The fifth one's definitely out now...I ordered it from Barnes and Noble. ;D Hmmm...funky. As the similarities in characters sometimes.

Yes, why WON'T someone exorcise his ghost? . -falls over- Hey, I should know! –coughcoughchoke-
And I never wear shorts. XD

Karania Avalon—Haha, cliffhangers are my specialty. ;D –continues-

Adriel-- !Liveeb dluowta htllet nodon –snirg- weivere cineht rofs knaht

Zero Chan—I know how you feel. . Stoopid and their...non-server...ness. –imagines a nice and witty review- Aw, thank you! ;D

Hakura—It IS oreo pie...-sweatdrops- ;D Hmmm, we shall see, we shall see...she's already lost people close to her anyway. –resumes crying-

Robin Ryan—Nothing, nothing. –cough- ;D And I LIKE 'My Immortal', so poo on you. :P Hehehe.

LoneHowl—Ooo, seksi new pen name. ;D –gets blasted back by your yelling- You shall see! You shall ALL see! Bwahaha!

Muhahaha...okay, so now it's off to Orlando in about ten minutes for me. I expect mucho reviews when I come back. –cough- ;D BWAHAHAHA!

And oh yes, since I'm a total geek and loser, I'm bringing my sketchbook with me for those late-night Disney parties...-falls over laughing- Haha. Um, yes, so hopefully I'll concoct some sketches of Lindsey and whoever...my freewebs site is dead, so any new drawings from the fic will by going in my deviantART portfolio (there's a link my bio! You KNOW you wanna check it out! ;D).

This is RainbowSerenity, signing off, and hoping for some spiffy reviews. –cough- ;D