Chronicles of death

A/N

Well... I didn't realise it would be- popular. So, er, these will be short stories and-

Oh, just let me answer the reviews!

BansheeGirl: Wow? Cool. Thank you. ) Elaboration? Myu, I hope short stories fit that criteria!

SierraLou: ... Yay? I hoped it would have some sort of strange effect. Mmm, yep, every chapter will be sad and death-related. Heh.

Fierystreak: YES! It's great to be writing something short. Because I'm such a terrible procrastinator! Gah. Nah, I don't suspect I'll take it any further than multiple scenes of death in thirteen different ways.

And I'll reply soon, honest. I just can't think up something intelligent to say to your Rhydon Trainer. Gah with brass knobs.

Anyway, I should really update this fic every Sunday. But as mentioned above, I'm a procrastinator. So smoosh me.

Oh, and I don't own Pokémon. Except for my O.T characters. And- yeah.

Chapter 2: Hanging on a thread of despair

A roar. A terrible, ear-shattering roar echoed in the cavern. His fingers, stinging and bloody, could hardly keep him hanging. They were trembling in despair, trembling in fear, trembling in weakness. It pained the young man to know that somewhere above him were his friends, and somewhere below him was certain death. And he was hanging by a thread. He let his first whimper escape him, and dared not look down. He could feel the heat rising, and undoubtedly knew that the lava was also increasing. It was becoming rather hot really, but he was already sweating out of fear.

Somewhere above him were his two friends. And a savage and furious undefined monster that had an insatiable thirst for blood. This very place had been the mythical beast's lair, and it hadn't take kindly to prying intrepid trainers. But he was certain that the prophecy spoke of curse that lasted ten thousand years if the beast could not be soothed. The only way to calm the tempest of rage that had gripped the large fire-breathing creature, he had discovered, was to spill innocent blood.

He had lost two other partners to date, so his face was already wet, and tear-streaked. Ash gave him a grubby appearance, and his brown locks were sticking to his sweaty neck and brows. They had had to cross a wooden plank bridge, and as he had come very close to the other side, it had given way. He had been left there, left there to muse over the fate of his friends, because his lady companions had been confronted with the terrible beast in question.

A shrill scream sounded and the lad had voiced his protests. In vain. No one could hear him at that point in time, no one cared. They were focused on one simple concept: living and killing. There was no way to climb up the broken bridge, and his fingers started to slip. He tried calling out, desperately hoping his friends would come to his aid, but no game.

A triumphant yes echoed unnaturally, and the boy was caught off-guard. Had they perhaps succeeded in taming the creature? But it's continuous roaring indicated that- no, it hadn't been finished off. A pokéball's distinctive ping proceeded the monosyllable that had raised my hopes, and a pokémon's war-cry followed. It was a Charizard, and not just any fire-breathing Dragon. It was Nanazaïka's first and most powerful pokémon: Charcoal. A command was issued, and the two titans engaged in fatal combat. A gasp of fright sounded, so the boy assumed that the Charizard was loosing. Already?

"There is only one way to win this fight!"

A scream of protest. A long, drawn out shriek which denied what was going to happen next. He knew, when the courageous girl's voice had sounded, what she was planning to do, and he was flailing. Perhaps hoping that she would stop in time, and see him, and help him back up. He didn't want her to, she wouldn't, she was tearing him in half. The mere thought of loosing her made him want to give up his own life.

But the sight of her body, flying past his in a downwards fashion put a stop to his suicidal thoughts. The molten fire rock had been mounting considerably, and as the young lad stared downwards he could see her collision course. A sound of yelling reached his ears, the girl's yelling. Triumphant? No. It sounded like one tinged with despair, one lined with pain. A voice that knew nothing but total suffering. There was no other way to end.

He closed his eyes, but he couldn't block out the hissing sound that her body made when it came into contact with the volcanic lava. Nor could he ignore the smoke rising. In a matter of seconds, Charcoal's roar of utter denial rang out, striking the young man in the heart. The fire pokémon had completely devoted it's life to it's trainer, and now that she had thrown herself into the chasm of death, there was nothing else to do...

But follow her.

A distinct orange body sailed past the boy, and he had to turn his head. He wished he could erase what he had just seen, it was mentally torturing him. To see bodies melting into the lava, to see his friends being torn and ripped apart, shredded like they were nothing more than leaves in autumn, was as soul-wrenching as actually dying itself. He wished he could let go, too, but Dyanna was still up there. Besides, he couldn't brave death. Not like Nana' had just done, not like her devoted fire Dragon.

There was silence, and he knew the beast was retreating. He stared upwards, and a bloodied figure appeared at the top, her blonde hair unable to conceal the tears that trickled relentlessly down her face. It was just like rain, and splatters of it landed on his own features. But no matter what she did or what she said, she could not soothe him. Even rain could not put out that fire, torrents of it would not tame the wild lava, or the blood-craving beast. So finally, with four innocent victims, it had deemed itself quenched and had left for hibernation.

The boy was hoisted up, and when he was on solid ground he embraced his young lady friend, his only remaining friend. His body trembled with the emotion, his mind sought solace but could not find a way to end. He wished to stop himself, there and then, to simply switch himself off, to sleep his life away...

He wanted to die, but he would be a coward if he fled life like that.

Whereas Nanazaïka, Charcoal, Nathan and Jess passed away as heroes preserving mankind.