Forbidden Desire

crystal-mist

Chapter 12

Ambush

Alice asked Ace if he would allow Shun to live in Darkas and was extrmely surprised at his positive reply. But she felt guilty that Shun would loose everything because of her. After what seemed like a long wait Saturday finally arrived. She and Shun had written letters to all their friends requesting their support. And to their surprise they all agreed to favour their decision.

*Ventus*

Shun was all ready to sneak out of the palace. He took his sword and turned to open the door. To his greatest surprise, the strong door wouldn't open. It was locked. At first he thought he was mistaken. His eyes widened in horror as he realized that he was locked in.

"No way, I should have sensed something was wrong when Father ordered the sudden renovation of my room yesterday…No…But does he think that he can keep me locked in here forever? Unless…"

He hit the door with fury, realizing what his father had in mind. "How can he be so cruel?" Shun looked at the window. To his greatest surprise the window was jammed shut. His father had thought of everything. Shun tried hitting the door all he could, but it was too strong. He was enraged. He unsheathed his sword and then tried to cut the door open with various strikes all of no avail. He tried and tried but couldn't even manage a small dent in it. He looked closely at the door and was surprised to see than his father had the door coated with a very strong metal-like wood.

"Cinha wood…Impenetrable." He concluded as his knees gave away, thinking about what would happen to Alice. "NO!" he shouted hitting on the ground with his fists.

"Uh…Prince Shun?"

Shun stood up, a sudden burst of hope flooding his heart. "Baron! Baron get me out of here." He shouted.

"What happened Sire?"

"I am locked in." Shun knew that Baron had a way with locks and such. He listened intently. And then after what seemed like eternity the door opened.

"Thank you so much Baron. I owe you BIG time." Shun said as he rushed out the room but then he stopped in his tracks.

"Baron, do you think that I could borrow that cloak?"

"Yes, of course Your Majesty." said Baron as he handed the Brown cloak him. Shun then wore it so that he could go out of the castle undetected. He knew that his Father would have been very particular with orders.

*Neutral Kingdom's Garden*

It's been a long time. I wonder where Shun is..Thought a orange haired girl as she waited for her beloved. She then heard footsteps. She smiled slightly, but the smile soon faded away as she realized that something was wrong. It wasn't the footsteps of just one person there were at least ten separate footsteps. She stood up and was going to hide. But before she could they saw her. At least half a dozen soldiers, all with the Symbol of Ventus of their shoulder-pads..

"Forgive us dear Priestess. But we have come here to do away with your life." said one of them as they proceeded towards her. Alice kept backing away until her back hit a tree. She looked at them with a horror-stricken face.

One of them unsheathed his sword and swung the sword at her. She closed her eyes and screamed, waiting for the impact; instead she heard the noise of metal clinking together. She slowly opened her eyes and saw a cloaked figure shielding her with a sword. A battle dragged on. It was amazing to see how the cloaked man fought back all the guards. He killed mercilessly. Alice was horrified at the sight of all the blood. She opened her mouth but no voice came out. One of them managed to ambush the cloaked figure and his sword pierced right through him. Alice saw the sword emerging out of his back .The dark cloak immediately got drenched with blood.

"NO…." she screamed at the sight of her savior being impaled. But he refused to give up. He fought them and he succeeded in killing every last one. Just as the last of the guards died, he fell on his knees, feeling weak from all the blood he had lost. The beautiful garden was drenched with blood.

Alice couldn't see who her savior was, but she was distressed. She knew that no one would risk their life for her. Unless….

"S…S….Sh…Shun?" she stuttered, grief and fear overcoming her entire being. The cloaked figure gave a small, dry, ironic laugh.

"Alice…"

She knew that voice. She could never mistake it … It belonged to-

"Ace?" she half-asked shakily as she made her way over to the cloaked man. She knelt down near him. "Even when a cloaked person saves you. You expect it to be HIM. You must really love him THAT much hey?" he asked in a strange tone. She couldn't answer.

She slowly removed the cloak's hood from his head to see his face clearly. And she saw him, her best friend. His chest had a deep wound.

He gave her a strange defeated smile. Just then he coughed, he coughed out Blood.

"Wait here...I'll go and get help." said Alice. Just as she stood up Ace caught her hand and pulled her back down.

"Don't go." was all he said. She was surprised that Ace still had the strength to do so.

"Ace what do you think you are doing? You need medical attention. You-" but she was cut short as he pulled her close and hugged her, in spite of the tremendous pain it caused.

"Alice, please don't leave me…Not now…If you do, then I will have to die alone here." He stated.

"What do you mean? You can't die… NO. I will go and get help." She said trying to break free from his strong his strong grip, but she couldn't.

"Alice, there is no mistaking it. I am going to die." He said calmly.

"How can you be so calm?" she half-shouted as tears ran down her eyes. She was shaking like a leaf.

"I am so sorry to cause you grief but death is unavoidable. And my time on Ekametrika is coming to a close."

"But, Ace...No…Why did you have to go and do that? Why did you protect me? You could have just let me-" she was cut short yet again. This time Ace pressed his finger gently to her lips and nodded his head from side to side.

"This is my decision Alice."

She had no choice but to surrender and watch as he coughed out more blood. He looked at the pale orange-haired girl in front of him.

"Please Alice dear, don't cry."

"But I…."

"I love you." His eyes widened as he realized what he had just blurted out. Alice's face was full of shock as she looked at her best-friend. "W…What did you say?" she asked unsteadily.

"I…Huh…Alice, I love you." He said as he sighed and then took her lips in his and kissed her. She was extremely shocked, she could not react. The kiss was extremely frail and gentle and she could taste nothing but blood.

He loves me? But then watching me in love with Shun must've hurt him so bad…No

He slowly parted and then smiled at her. A truly happy smile. Then he leant back to the tree. I thought that I would take this secret to the grave with me… But I couldn't…I just had to tell her how I felt. I am so pathetic. He laughed dryly.

"Ace?" he raises his hand to caress her face.

"Don't worry. I know that you cannot return my feelings. My dear Alice.." just as he said this, his hand went cold and it dropped to his side. A strange paleness spread on his face. And he was dead.

"NO ACE! …NO…" She screamed.

After about fifteen minutes she heard footsteps. She heard footsteps heading towards her. She stood up.

"What do you want NOW?" she asked in a strange deranged tone as she took hold of Ace's sword and pointed it at the person there.

It was someone in a brown cloak.

"Reveal Yourself" she said once again in a blank but ordering tone.

The figure took off the cloak to reveal Black-hair and topaz eyes.

Alice's body once again started trembling like crazy. The sword fell from her grasp as tears stained her face. Her knees gave away and she fell to the ground.

"Look at what they did to him. Look at what your people did to Ace." She shouted in a cynical tone as she grasped her forehead and broke down, her body trembling all the while.

- Uhm….Review Please..Tell me if you liked it….I am pretty sure some of you might have thought that it was Shun who saved Alice and got stabbed at first. That is what I aimed for anyways.

Please do review.. Arigatou for reading.

I don't own Bakugan Battle Brawlers