10/19/10 リン雨
The sound of a single gunfire rang out across the mountain. Her hands gripped my jacket, taking a sharp breath while doing so. The bullet from this shot had passed through her side, lodging itself deep into mine. Blood began to flow from our bodies in time to our heartbeats, running down our legs to the grass that had been trampled in the battle.

"Lance," she started. I heard the catch in her voice; she was trying not to cry.

"Satoko," her name escaped my lips, my mind faintly remembering her. The pain from the bullet lodged in my side flared throughout my body. I wonder if it was doing the same for her.

"I'm sorry, Lance," her voice was soft, and high with pain. Her tears started to dampen my shirt. "I'm so sorry."

I could feel her body trembling as I wrapped my arms around her. I held her tightly. "No, I'm sorry, Satoko," I whispered. "I can't make an excuse. I was a fool; a damn fool."

There was another shot that sounded, this one going through her left shoulder and into my chest. I choked, the bitter taste of my blood as it began to drip from my mouth. I hugged her tighter, coughing blood onto her shoulder. "I'm sorry this happened."

Satoko shook her head, the movement hurt the gun wound to my chest. "I-I don't want to die. Not again, not now."

Despite the pain that numbed my body, I gently placed my left hand to her cheek and pressed my lips to hers. I was so busy buried in my work, I never got to chance to get close to anyone; this was my first kiss. "Me, neither, sweetheart," I whispered. Satoko is still so young, now that I realize it, she is only fifteen; she had such a bright future ahead of her. I screwed up my life, detaching myself from the world for power; at twenty-three, with the insanity and rage that clouded my judgment, I didn't know that I could fix the hell I called my life.

Until now. But now it's too late.

"I love you, Lance," she whispered just before the third shot was set off. Satoko screamed, it was choked and pained; the bullet had passed through her neck, penetrating my chest to stop my heart. I didn't get the chance to tell her the many words I wanted to about how I felt.

It was only a few short seconds after the shot that took down Lance did the final bullet hit Satoko. The two of them, covered in each other's blood, fell to the ground. Both of them were dead.

A silence of death surrounded the mountain. The main enemy had fallen, but there was nothing calming about it.

Whitney, Goldenrod's Gym Leader and Satoko's best friend who was one of the two who led the fight and watching from just a few feet away in the crowd of armies, stepped closer. "This shouldn't have happened, not to those two," she said in a flat tone. "Lance had made poor decisions, he deserved to die. But not Satoko; she was killed for the mere fact that she loved him."

They were buried together in that spot on the mountain. A rock was placed over their grave, their names carved into it with one final phrase.

"They could have saved each other."

And that is the story! However…

Nikki: -stares intently at Rin-
Me: . . . WHAT?
Nikki: -whining- You killed them again!
Me: Yes… I di-
Nikki: Nooo! They are not allowed to die!
Me: -after a couple of awkward seconds- Umm…
Brittney: -same reaction as Nikki-
Me: . . . WHAT IS WRONG WITH YOU TWO?
both: Lance and Satoko are not allowed to die yet!
Me: I guess I'm not allowed to say "The End" yet…
Nikki: -thrusts stack of papers at Rin- Not a chance.
Brittney: We'll be waiting.

-coughs-
Well, I hope you enjoyed. Reviews would be nice!
Until next time, nakamatachi.
~RS