I DO NOT OWN POKEMON!
Hey, guys, sorry for the delay! Here's a hopefully more pleasing chapter than the last. The final one? Maybe.
Unfortunately, I can't really think of a way to epically end this story or anything; it wouldn't really make much sense anyway, being that this is a story more connected with reality quite a bit more than my other chapter fics. I mean, has an actual Pokemon appeared once yet? I'll give Kenny and Harley titles in this chapter.
Lotsa cool action in this chapter! Or... maybe lame action.
Well, regardless, enjoy chapter 12!
The scene: The Assassin's Guild.
A shroud of black surrounded two sets of sparks and clashes in the Archives room of the Assassin's Guild.
The shroud was a group of Assassins and Blademasters observing two duels; the blades of the combatants producing sparks with vicious connection.
Ash and Kenny were on one end and Drew, Paul and Harley on the other.
The magnitude of these duels could only be known by the duelists themselves. It was far more an emotional battle taking place in the physical world. The dreams of Kenny and Harley against the lust for vengeance of Ash, Drew and Paul.
Some may say this entire conflict may revolve around three girls; Dawn, May and Zoey. The rivals of the Silent Overlords and the childhood friends of the Three Outcasts, resulting in deception, treachery and, ultimately, the fateful battle which now took place in the Assassin's Guild itself.
Ash and Kenny clashed hard, the former wielding a claymore used by the Blademasters of the Guild, while Kenny wielded a handcrafted longsword.
Harley may have been outnumbered, but he wielded an apparently lighter, sliver claymore against the trademark longswords of the lesser Blademasters.
Despite his desire, his need for revenge, Ash felt he would rather accept a more peaceful solution. If so, they would merely disband the Guild. "Come on Kenny, think!" He urged, avoiding a slash to his legs. "This dream is far too petty to be worthy of acts of such violence!" He swung down hard, letting the claymore's weight assist, but Kenny met his strike with powerful force. "You sound like my family." He spat venomously.
"How do you know they weren't right about you?" Ash countered, "The way you tell it, you were naive and it shows even now!"
Kenny's only response was a near-Pokemon growl as he nearly knocked Ash's blade out of his hands with a strike near the hilt. Ash's grip held, but he damn near lost his arms in the process! Kenny was losing his finesse and resorting to brute strength as a result of Ash's taunt. This wasn't quite the effect Ash had in mind.
Nearby, Drew and Paul were beginning to think Harley was stronger than he looked. After all, he often swung his claymore as if it were a one-handed blade. This made it difficult to fight back, even if Harley was outnumbered.
To compensate, they moved as one, parrying and striking at the same time to match the power of Harley's claymore. Even so, the mighty blows rattled the outcasts.
Out of the corner of his eye, Ash saw the difficulty the other two were facing. He had to intervene, which was impossible with Kenny in such a fury.
Kenny lunged with his blade, but Ash sidestepped, managing to grip the lower part of the blade with a free hand. Yanking Kenny forward so his arm was fully extended, Ash raised his elbow and slammed down on Kenny's arm joint, hard. There was a sickening crunch as Kenny's arm was now bent in a grotesque position. The agonizing pain forced him to drop his weapon, crying out in pain.
Ash didn't wait to see how long it would take Kenny to recover and leaped at Harley with a downward slash. He was seen coming and his strike was blocked. Barely.
Now facing three opponents, the usually cocky Overlord put more finesse into his battle technique, managing a sweeping slash which forced all three Outcasts to either parry, which was difficult, or dodge, which gave Harley a moment to take the offensive on a single Assassin.
By this time, Ash noticed Kenny trying in agony to force his arm back into place. Letting ferocity get the better of him, Ash lashed out with all he had. This sudden show of force seemed to startle Harley and he diverted more of his attention to Ash, but his parrying became too slow and too sloppy. Eventually, Ash landed a deep cut in Harley's right arm, near the shoulder.
Rolling backwards and letting Drew and Paul continue that battle, Ash saw Kenny with eyes watering in pain from relocating his arm, but also present was a hellish inferno of hate. Ash only smiled, inciting a brutal but clumsy swing from Kenny.
Ash sweep-kicked the stumbling Kenny who fell to the ground, rolling to avoid any attacks. But Ash cut him off and raked his claymore across Kenny's right leg. Practically howling now, Kenny got to his feet, visibly putting less pressure on his injured leg.
By now, Ash knew that the Overlord had absolutely no control over his wild emotions. They controlled him, making otherwise skillful swordsmanship seem like a child wielding a blade. Ash no longer had any intent to end this without bloodshed; his thirst for vengeance was driving him now, having a much more impressive effect on his battle technique than Kenny's petty hatred.
Harley seemed to notice his partner was having a hard time and, after subduing Drew and Paul with a series of swift strikes with his claymore, moved to Kenny's aid. Still focusing on Kenny, Ash only evaded Harley's swings. Once or twice, it seemed more likely he would kill Kenny from the drag of his swings than Ash.
"Get back, you idiot!" Kenny roared. Harley was startled at his voice. Even to him, it barley sounded human.
Taking advantage of this, Drew and Paul moved on Harley, who had his back turned. Kenny, however, noticed and desperately motioned for Harley to turn around.
Spinning quickly, Harley could not deflect both of the slashes, one at his arm and the other aimed at his legs. In the midst of his attempt to parry Paul's leg slash, he sprang back. Even with all his efforts, Drew managed to land a slash nearly on top of the wound Ash had created, deepening it further.
Harley screamed, clenching his right arm to subdue the trickle of blood emerging from his deep wound. Amazingly, he still tried to swing; with his injured arm!
Drew and Paul didn't move. It was not possible he could swing a claymore with a single injured arm. Sure enough, he grimaced and halted his attack, now down on one knee.
Paul slowly pressed down on Harley's right hand with his foot, forcing him to let go. Now panting, Harley looked at the two Outcasts before him, his entire body trembling with hate.
Weaponless, he leaped wildly at Drew, who merely rammed his fist into Harley's chest with as much strength as possible. Harley grunted and fell, now spitting blood due to the damage to his ribs.
Paul, now holding Harley's claymore, approached, pointing the blade down at the injured Overlord.
"I'll give you a chance- no, not to live, you fool." He added, smiling as Harley's eyes began to widen. "As I was saying, I'll give you a chance to back up your words."
Harley let out a harsh laugh; and it was clear how much it pained him to talk. "You mean... when I said Zoey was worthless?" His breathing was shallow; his ribs must have been broken. "You cannot change the truth, Outcast." He seemed to enjoy this, despite being on the verge of death.
Paul's eyes flared. "So be it, then." He dropped the claymore and grabbed Harley by the hair, yanking him to his feet, gripping his neck with the other hand.
His grip tightened. Slowly. Paul wanted Harley to feel all the pain he had gone through in these moments. It became more and more apparent Harley's air supply was being cut off. Even as he struggled madly, he might as well have been fighting a rock. Paul's gaze remained cold. Then, the horrible crunch of bones snapping echoed throughout the chamber. All the Assassins flinched. Drew, however, seemed only mildly satisfied with this brutality.
Dropping the broken body to the floor, Paul picked up the claymore again and jammed it into Harley's stomach, leaving the blade upon its dead master. A pool of blood slowly spread out from where his own blade pierced him.
The Assassins were shocked at this ferocious display and the Outcasts could feel the fear emanating from them. After all, they had just killed a Silent Overlord.
Not sparing Harley a second glance, Drew and Paul retrieved their weapons and made to help Ash, who was still heatedly exchanging slashes with Kenny.
"No!" He yelled as his friends approached, stopping them in their tracks. "He. Is. Mine!" On the last word, he performed a blindingly fast slash at Kenny's face; one which he wasn't fast enough to completely avoid.
Wiping away the blood from his cheek, Kenny attempted to strike Ash's claymore hard enough to force him to drop it, but Ash had outsmarted this trick one too many times already; Kenny was clearly running out of options and his emotional chaos was not making this battle any easier for him.
Ash himself was fighting with increasing brutality; his morale being escalated when he saw Paul finish Harley off.
By watching, Drew and Paul could tell that the power of Ash's lust for vengeance exceeded that Kenny's dark determination to fulfill his dream.
Ash feinted with a twirling slash and followed up with a roundhouse kick that sent Kenny sprawling.
"You should never have toyed with us." He said, striking again and again even as Kenny rolled out of the way, nearly losing his head each time. He held Ash's next strike at bay with his own blade.
Horrified, Kenny realized Ash was only pushing down harder and harder. His strength seemed limitless. Trying in vain to push Ash away, Kenny now felt true fear. This Outcast's power was beyond Kenny. But... he couldn't give in. Not now.
"Just give up, you whelp." Ash said, his voice cold and even, despite the intense force he was applying on the weakened Overlord beneath him. "Our Salvation will not be prevented. By you, or anyone." His last words sounded like winter air blowing through a cave; cold and merciless.
Kenny could feel his bones beginning to bend backwards. Try as he might, Ash was unstoppable. Kenny's arms collapsed. Vowing not to give Ash the satisfaction of his screams, he merely gritted his teeth as he looked up and his deathbringer.
His blade lying next to his broken arms, Kenny was completely defenseless. Ash was not about to make death this easy for the one responsible for his suffering.
Picking up Kenny's longsword, he impaled his foe's right hand, pinning it to the floor. Then he did the same to the left hand with his claymore. His hands now leaking blood, Kenny still did not scream, despite the agony he was going through.
Ash went over near the fallen Assassins retrieved the dagger he had taken from Ken.
Going back to Kenny, he crouched, wanting to see the pain in Kenny's eyes as he died.
"Your family was right. You aren't worth anything. Not even killing, but you've caused people enough pain." Ash said.
"D-don't you dare- Ah!" He gasped as Ash pierced the left side Kenny's chest with the tip of the dagger, staining his blue uniform with blood.
Even Drew and Paul were nearly appalled as Ash only smiled. "Consider this a gift from them." The blade went deeper, nearing his heart.
"And this," Ash paused. "is for Dawn."
He shoved the dagger right through Kenny's heart. Blood now gushed from the wound. Kenny, in a firestorm of pain, screamed. Leaving the blade there, Ash stood up, staring into Kenny's eyes all the while.
Finally, the life was sucked out of Kenny and only a dead stare remained in his eyes.
No one said a word. Pure shock at what had just happened silenced any words anyone might have uttered. The deaths, the brutal deaths of their Overlords had rendered the Assassins speechless.
Picking up the longsword of another fallen Blademaster, Ash approached Drew and Paul. They inclined their heads.
"We have achieved our vengeance!" Ash spoke to all in the room. "The Guild cannot be allowed to go further. Only pain can come out of it. I give you the chance to disband immediately. Otherwise, you will die like your Overlords."
For a full thirty seconds, no one spoke. Then, a Blademaster answered, "H-how could you do such a th-" He did not get to complete his sentence, for Ash took his head off with a single vicious slash. The decapitated Blademaster dropped to the floor.
"Our actions here are not to be questioned!" Ash shouted forcefully. "Now... What say you?" He waited. Then...
Oh, dear Lord. Ash thought, exasperated. He nudged Paul, but he already knew what Ash was trying to indicate.
Raising his blade, Paul spun around and stabbed forward, impaling an Assassin who had been approaching them with a dagger.
Drew had had enough. "Is more violence your answer then?!" He boomed.
Unbelievably, more Assassins moved to fight. Not many, but at least ten.
Sighing, the Outcasts counterattacked, making short work of the attackers. In seconds, all were on the ground with deep wounds in their chests, arms and legs.
Ash shook his head. "You imbeciles. If this is your response, so be it!" He raised his sword and charged at the nearest Assassin, who cringed.
"WAIT!" Only that voice could have possibly hoped to stop Ash at that moment.
"Dawn?" He said faintly, looking towards the entrance.
There stood Dawn, May and Zoey, shocked at the sight before them.
"How did you get here? Why are you here?" Paul asked. "Well, the empty halls passed on the echos from all the commotion up here pretty well." Zoey replied. "As for 'why'," She shrugged. "we know the truth."
Ash noticed May smiling, looked over and saw Drew smiling back. The latter nodded once. Ash raised his eyebrows questioningly and Drew gave him an I'll-tell-you-later look.
Dawn was looking around. "By Arceus... Kenny?" She breathed as she saw the mutilated corpses of Harley and Kenny, as well as the numerous dead Assassins around them. May too gasped on recognizing Harley. "Ash, wh-what's going on?" Dawn asked.
It melted Ash's heart, just hearing her beautiful voice again; so much so that it took him some time to respond. "W-we have to purge the Assassin's Guild, Dawn. It's for the good of the world, even for these Assassins. They don't deserve to live with all the pain they've been put through by these two." He waved a hand at the corpses of Kenny and Harley.
Dawn only looked sad. "Do you have to answer violence with violence, Ash?"
"Sometimes you have to Dawn, even if it's against your own will." Ash replied. "Kenny and Harley; they were your childhood friends, right?" He addressed May and Dawn, who nodded. "Long story short, by defeating them in the Grand Festival, you ruined their dreams and all hope of impressing their parents, who told them this dream wasn't worth anything; and neither were they." He said in a single breath.
"Ash, what do you mean? How do you know about that?" Dawn asked.
Ash sighed. "I'll explain later. We have to finish off the Guild!"
"No! No, w-we'll disband." This voice came from within the crowd of Assassins.
"Show yourself." Paul commanded.
A mask-free Blademaster stepped out; one of the older Assassins. They were respected beyond all for, not only their skill, but there wisdom. Ash recognized this particular Blademaster. "Gary." He said. "Figures."
"We accept your offer. None of us will try to attack you now. Those who did before were foolish, but scared. We will do as you say." Gary said.
"Fine, then." Ash nodded. "Now, ALL of you will leave this place and act as if it never existed. Return to your loved ones, your families, your friends; just forget your lives as Assassins. Ask for forgiveness if you have passed the Trial of Faith. It is a grievous sin, but can be forgiven by pure hearts." He looked at the girls when he said that. "Live the lives of human beings, alongside people Pokemon; not as Assassins, isolated from them and killing for profit! Leave these lives behind you. Go."
Slowly, the large group of Assassins began filing out of the room, heading for the secret entrance to the Archives and eventually, the Guild's exit. They would now leave their second home. For the last time.
But one of them stopped near Drew. "I think you should have this, sir." He said, handing him something.
"Wha-?" Drew stopped abruptly as he realized what this was. Memories flooded back to him. May and him as children, going their separate ways. May had taken one of her precious bandannas and dyed it green, to match his hair. Long had he treasured it, and now, here it was again. He was overwhelmed with joy.
They waited until only the Outcasts, the girls and the dead Overlords were in the room, then approached each other. They just stared at each other for a few moments.
Ash finally spoke, "Dawn, I..." He didn't know what to say. What could he say? "I'm sorry. For everything." He sighed, looking at the floor.
To his intense surprise, Dawn stepped forward and enveloped him in a loving embrace. "I know, Ash." She simply said, laying her chin on his shoulder. Shyly, he returned her embrace, a single tear of pure joy escaping. She had forgiven him. After all the pain he had caused her by coming into her life; the pain she had experienced. No. The pain they had experienced. They had been through this together, every step of the way. And now... they had finally been brought back together. This was unlike anything that had happened to Ash before.This was his Salvation.
Dawn pulled back, smiled at the happiness in his eyes, then pressed her lips against his.
At that moment, Ash knew that nothing could match this feeling. The feeling, the very taste of Dawn was something he could live with forever.
Even Paul smiled as he watched the two, as did May, Drew and Zoey.
Drew approached May. "Thanks for explaining things to them, May. I owe you." He said softly, smiling.
Unable to resist, May flew into Drew's arms and kissed him. They had only kissed once, but that had been all too brief. This time, they made it count.
"Paul..." Zoey stepped forward, taking Paul's hand in her own. He seemed unaccustomed to this sort of intimacy. "I've hid my own emotions for too long. I love you." That was it. Plain and simple. She wasn't the least bit nervous, and that was what Paul admired about her.
"Zoey..." Paul was at a loss for words. "I... I don't deserve you." He looked away, afraid she would see the tears in his eyes.
"Come on, Paul." Zoey said. "If I fell, I wouldn't want anyone, anyone to catch me but you. Let me prove it." She forced Paul to look at him. He merely looked sad. Zoey shot forward and captured Paul's lips with her own.
Raising his arms in shock at first, Paul slowly relaxed and closed his eyes, melting into the kiss perfectly.
Ash and Drew, now standing arm in arm with their girlfriends, were rather surprised at how gently Paul wrapped his arms around Zoey, returning her fire with his own.
When they parted, Paul was smiling. "Thank you." He said.
The boys stood opposite the girls. "There's somethings you should see, guys." Ash told them.
From a pocket, Ash withdrew the bracelet given to him so long ago by Dawn from his pocket. He held it out to Dawn. She took it, examined it for a few seconds, then gasped.
When she looked up, she had tears in her eyes. Once more, she hugged Ash; although much tighter this time. She sobbed into his shoulder, not believing that any amount of time had erased all memories of Ash. Her Ash... He just held her close.
Next, Drew handed May the dyed bandanna. She nearly jumped when she recognized it. "Drew, wha-? I- but-" She sputtered, before her eyes widened in realization.
Squealing joyfully, she hugged Drew, planting another kiss on him. He responded with equal enthusiasm.
Finally, Paul held out the purple piece of cloth with the letter 'Z' stitched on.
Zoey's reaction was more contained. She smiled broadly, her eyes shining. "You don't deserve me, huh?" She asked. Before he could reply, she kissed him.
This hive of cruel memories was soon left behind them. Forever.
Hmm, that turned out better than I thought it would.
The action scenes may have been a bit dull, true, but at least the couples are reunited!
And, that's The Salvation of Three! I do hope you enjoyed it.
Let me know if you want an epilogue! If you do, I'll write it, if you don't... I'll still write it! MWAHAHAH!
Seriously, there are still questions that need answering. I hope to do so in the epilogue. Let me say this: Twenty-six people have favorited this story. You. Guys. Rule. You would rule even more if ALL of you reviewed this chapter, don't you think?
Again, sorry for the delay.
R&R, dear friends!
Daijobu!