Chapter 9: Traps in the Shadows
Summary: The bait is set, what will Ash and Salvia do when they find out who exactly is in danger?
Greed woke up with his right arm in a sling, 'man, this is stupid,' the furious Greed complained, he noticed that Ash and Salvia were nowhere to be seen and that there wasn't much to do, "I need to tell them, that there is a trap," Greed sat up and turned around, knowing what dangers would befall his two friends, getting out of bed he walked towards the door, opening it and was being greeted by a woman with long pink hair, in her nurse's uniform
"No, I was give specific orders not to let you out," the woman told the Shadow Lord.
"But I need to tell my friends something important," Greed argued with a frown.
"Calm down, they will be back soon," the nurse informed the man, smiling at the man she tilted her head curiously.
Greed grew a little uneasy by the actions of the woman, "what?"
"You know, you are actually quite handsome," the Nurse told the Shadow Lord making him blush.
Greed turned around and walked back to his bed, scratching his shoulder length brown hair, "yeah, just don't get too attached," Greed replied, hiding his blush from the nurse, 'oh man, now I am exhibiting such a stupid action, damn you Ash and Salvia, what have you two done to me?" Greed started to complain about his softness towards everyone he has come across.
"My name is Melissa, nice to meet you," the nurse known as Melissa introduced herself to the Shadow Lord.
"My name is Greed, I am a Shadow Lord," Greed retorted with a frown, he glanced over his shoulder and smiled at the nurse who walked away from the room, 'must admit she is pretty cute,' Greed thought, walking back to the bed he stopped thinking about the nurse and the plot to kill the princess, 'great, I need to talk to my friends, but….." Greed stopped before he was about to remind himself of the nurse waiting at the counter and making sure that he didn't leave the room to get to them.
Meanwhile in the Pokemon Centre down the street Ash was eating one of the meals that Salvia had cooked, "still good," Ash complimented the young woman.
"You know Ash, a thank you would be nice," Salvia berated the trainer, trying to get him to act nicer, "there is one more thing Ash, since I met you, you haven't even smiled once, you have been all serious," Salvia started to point out some of Ash's colder characteristics, sitting in front of him while he continued to eat without saying a word, "well Ash, say something," Salvia tried to push the trainer into commenting.
Ash lowered the fork and looked up, he swallowed the food in his mouth, "mom always told me not to talk with my mouth full," Ash answered back, leaving the princess fuming at his response.
"Well then choke on the food," Salvia snapped back and walked away from Ash, leaving him in shock at her answer.
Ash looked at the food and sighed for a moment, 'her food is really good, it makes me wonder when she learned how to cook,' Ash wondered to himself, not daring to look at the princess who was clearly upset with him, 'I cannot smile, I just don't know how to be happy anymore,' Ash tried to answer Salvia's question, but couldn't say out loud himself.
Salvia stood outside the Pokemon Centre, her back to the wall wondering what she could do to make the trainer happy again, "I am trying, but no matter what I do, I cannot get him to change his attitude," Salvia slide down as she started to cry, 'Dawn, what should I do?' Salvia asked her friend.
Salvia looked up to see the spirit that had followed them all the way from Canalave City, "You again, who are you?" Salvia asked the spirit, but the moment she asked the apparition vanished yet again, Salvia shot up and walked over to the spot the spirit was standing on, 'why are you following us?' Salvia thought as she looked back to find that Ash was no longer sitting at the table, but walking towards the exit, 'Dawn, I don't want him being upset, so I will find the answer myself, I have a reason to fight,' Salvia resolved waiting for Ash to leave the medical facility.
"We are heading to the hospital, we need to talk to Greed," Ash informed the princess, passing her along the way.
"Alright Ash," Salvia replied timidly.
Ash walked through the town with Salvia following close behind, "why do you want me to open up?" he asked the blue haired royal.
Salvia glared at the trainer and shook her head, "don't worry about it Ash, you clearly aren't going to move forward, you are obviously to stuck in the idea of revenge," Salvia replied, crossing her arms and visibly angry at the raven haired man.
"Why are you upset with me?" Ash asked the princess, puzzled by her recent change in attitude towards him.
"Because it is clear you don't want to be happy!" Salvia yelled at the trainer.
"Who said I wanted to be happy princess?!" Ash snapped back, leaving the bluenette in shock with his question.
Salvia walked ahead of the trainer, visibly shaken up by his response, she looked over her shoulder with tears running down her face, "you know, Lady Dawn would be upset with the current you right about now, she wouldn't want you to be like this," Salvia reminded the young man, she turned around and walked towards the hospital, "she wouldn't want you to act in this manner," Salvia continued to remind her crush on what she knew about her best friend.
Ash froze, unable to walk, he clenched his fists angry that someone would be the one that was being reminded of Dawn's expectations, 'how would she know that?' Ash questioned the young royal's words towards him.
Meanwhile Salvia walked into the hospital heading towards the elevator in order to meet up with her friend, "why am I angry with him?" Salvia started to question herself about her reaction with Ash. Pressing the elevator button she waited for the door to open, thinking back to the days she and Dawn helped one another out.
(Flashback)
Salvia and Dawn walked through Arrowroot Town, talking about the time they exchanged places, "Lady Dawn," Salvia called for her look alike.
"Please just call me Dawn, these formalities are embarrassing me," Dawn scratched the back of her head.
"Alright Dawn, I will try," Salvia replied as the two friends walked through the town together, "what would you do if Ash lost himself?" Salvia asked her friend curiously.
"That's a tough one, I have never encountered a situation like that," Dawn informed her friend, trying to figure out what her friend meant by the question.
"Really, so with you that means he is truly happy," Salvia acknowledged her friend's place in Ash's life, the two walked on, wondering what they could get for lunch, "you know, I am really blessed to have you as a friend Dawn," Salvia confessed with a broad smile on her face.
"Alright Salvia, let me ask you, if Ash lost his happiness, what would you do?" Dawn asked her friend curiously.
"Me, why are you asking me that?" the princess asked her friend with surprise in her expression.
"No reason, I am just curious that's all," Dawn replied with a playful tone in her voice.
Salvia looked at the ground and started to laugh a little, "I would try to remind him, he is never alone or if he is really down, I would remind him that you would want him to be happy," Salvia answered her best friend.
"Oh come on, you talk as if something bad is going to happen to me," Dawn teased her friend.
"I don't think that anything bad will happen to you, you and Ash are inseparable," Salvia answered back with a proud expression.
"Well if something bad does happen," Dawn started as she placed her hands on her friend's shoulders, "I am glad you will be there when he needs it the most," Dawn reminded her friend, nodding at her.
"Now you are talking as if something is going to happen," Salvia remarked as the two friends started laughing at their own comments.
"Yeah what are the odds of something bad happening?" the two girls asked in unison, laughing at one another as the two walked towards the markets of the small town.
(Return from Flashback)
"What are the odds?" Salvia asked as she entered the elevator, she pressed the floor that Greed was on, "that was the last thing we asked one another, that was the last time I talked to Lady Dawn," Salvia told herself as she waited for the elevator to make it to the floor.
The elevator continued towards the next floor while the princess looked into the mirror, "you asked me once, if Ash lost his happiness, what would I do to help him?" Salvia asked herself as she stared at her mirror image, 'the truth is I have no idea Dawn,' Salvia confessed her own problems, "because he lost his true source of happiness," Salvia looked at her image, she was shocked to see the image wink at her. The princess rubbed her eyes wondering what she had seen, 'must be really tired,' Salvia thought as she turned away from the mirror.
The elevator stopped allowing the princess to walk out of the elevator, she looked around to see the nurse that promised to keep an eye on the Shadow Lord, "Greed, you were told not to leave the room, that is the fourth time today," Melissa berated the shadow Lord about his actions.
"But I need to talk to my friends, for five minutes," Greed responded but was stopped when he spotted the princess walking towards the room, "oh hi princess, so where is Ash?" Greed asked the young royal with an innocent expression.
"He will be here soon," Salvia replied as she walked into the room with Greed going back to bed.
"You know I hate being stuck in the hospital bed," Greed confessed, quickly getting a glimpse of the nurse.
"Yeah, but you would only hurt yourself more, you need to rest," Salvia informed the Shadow Lord, as she pulled out an apple from her bag.
"The hospital food, is crap and that nurse….she is a horrible person," Greed hesitated, waiting for the princess to peel the apple, "so what has Ash been doing, you don't seem your cheerful self," Greed pointed out with a concerned tone.
"Don't you worry about it, it is something I need to sort out on my own," Salvia replied with a sigh, she cut the apple up and put the pieces on a plate.
"Doing things on your own," Greed grabbed the plate and grabbed a wedge of Apple, "you know, I tried to fight Gluttony on my own, look what happened, I barely escaped with my life," Greed informed the princess of his own actions, "I was stupid, I wasn't only fighting someone strong, I was also drunk at the time," an angry Greed confessed his own foolishness, trying to eat another apple, "all I want is to enjoy the finer things in life, friends, food, wine and women, and I get is hurt for it," Greed started to beat himself up.
"Now Greed, I bet you had a good reason to fight," Salvia tried to assure her friend.
"Yeah, Hearthome City was being threatened, I couldn't let Gluttony destroy it," Greed replied angrily throwing the plate towards the wall at the other end of the room.
"You know Greed, we are very similar, we are trying to do things on our own, yet, we have both failed," Ash's voice rang in the room. The two turned to Ash he was standing at the doorway with the nurse standing behind him.
"Oh Greed what are we going to do with you?" Melissa asked her patient.
"Get out is the first thing, I need to talk to these two alone," Greed replied causing the nurse to visibly get upset with the Shadow Lord.
"You're a jerk Greed!" the pink haired nurse growled at the Shadow Lord.
"Greed that wasn't very nice," Salvia informed the former enemy.
"Well she is annoying me!" Greed snapped back after Ash closed the door, "plus….I don't want her to know…..what we are going to talk about," Greed started to hesitate, he looked over to the nurse whom had been helping him for the last few days.
"Alright Greed tell us, why are you this badly injured?" Ash asked the Shadow Lord coolly.
"No time for that, I caught the conversation between Gluttony and Pride, they intend to lure the princess into a trap," Greed explained the situation to the two friends.
"Why me?" Salvia gasped in horror.
"To finish you and your father," Ash answered.
"Correct, the trap will be in Pastoria City," Greed told Ash and Salvia, not noticing that the door was part way open.
"Again why did you tell Melissa to leave?" Salvia tried to change the subject, visibly shaking from the new information.
"Hey quit changing the subject," Greed snapped back at the young royal.
"But I am scared," Salvia confessed, not taking any note of Ash glancing at her.
"If you want to know, I don't want her involved in our battles, she is too nice, the world still needs people like," Greed answered the princess as best as he could.
"So Greed, you have a crush on Nurse Melissa," Salvia teased the Shadow Lord.
"No…..no I don't!" Greed denied the claims. But couldn't hide the redness of his cheeks. "Alright, just listen up, Salvia's dad is being used as bait to lure what they call the little mouse into a trap," Greed explained while the three people listened in.
"I another question, why do you hate the Shadow Lords so much?" Ash asked the former Shadow Lord.
"Again with changing the subject? Oh man, you two are driving me insane," Greed complained, he looked towards the door and smiled, "you can come in now, since you have heard basically everything," Greed informed the young woman who was standing outside the room.
"I am sorry Greed," Melissa apologised, bowing her head to the Shadow Lord.
"Alright, I will tell you a bit more about the Shadow Lords, we aren't immortal, as you two have found out at Lake Acuity," Greed stated while remembering the ambush against Lust and Envy.
"So you aren't immortal, yet there is something else," Melissa pointed out with a concerned tone.
"Exactly, you can call us transmigrants, which means we can restart our work, over and over again, but there is a limit, a time limit that is," Greed explained to the three people in attendance, "one hundred years, if we are killed, then our spirits are forced to wonder and wait for the next desired person to arrive," Greed explained with a frown, he took a deep breath and started to laugh.
"So that explains a little bit, but what about your real names?" Salvia asked in curiosity.
"I forgot mine that is yet another problem with the Shadow Lords, we forget everything about the people we take over and then we take on our normal personalities," Greed retorted with a grimace, he clenched his fists furiously knowing how much the real person was hurting, "and now for the past, why I hate the Shadow Lords," Greed started as he closed his eyes as tears started to run down his face.
(400 years ago)
A man wearing a silver set of armour, his long brown hair swayed in the breeze was walking down the road with another man, his clothing was blue and he had a wide brimmed hat, "you know Greed, you talk as if we Aura Guardians are all bad people," the man stated with a playful smirk.
"Yeah right, what about Xander, your order keeps saying all Shadow Lords are bad people, I mean look at yours truly," the silver wearing Greed pointed to himself as the continued on down the same road.
"Well that is true my friend, we really shouldn't be friends," Xander pointed out as the two started laughing, Greed pulled out a goblet and a small container of wine, "you know, I really shouldn't be drinking with you, what would the other Aura Guardians think?" Xander asked the Shadow Lord.
"Yeah, well the other six idiots I am fighting alongside, what if they find out?" Greed asked the Aura Guardian.
After the hours had passed, Greed spotted the city in ruins, the flames leaping from building to building, "what? No way, who is responsible?" Greed asked around he started running through the city looking around for his friend, "Xander, where are you?" Greed asked around for his friend. He continued to run until he spotted three shadows being illuminated by the flames.
"So, what do you think of our sneak attack?" asked a man with a proud smile directed at Xander, the man with short black hair, wearing red armour and showing his sinister black eyes approached the injured target.
"Envy, you bastard, these people are innocent," Xander berated the Shadow Lord, standing up with sword in hand.
"Oh dear me, you continue to fight knowing that your life is lost," Envy teased his foe, only to be met with Xander spitting on his face, "Gluttony, kill him," Envy ordered a much larger man to end the life of Xander.
"Envy!" Greed yelled out in anger, he tried to charge towards the his friend, but was met with an Aura Guardian who pushed his sword into the chest of Greed, "Envy, just you wait, I will…..make sure the Shadow Lords never rise again," Greed declared his intentions towards Envy, he started spitting out blood as the other Aura Guardians turned their attention to Envy and Gluttony after they had killed Xander, "and you Gluttony, I will destroy you as well, that is a promise," Greed promised his revenge on the Shadow Lords, passing away from the injury he had suffered at the hands of the Aura Guardians.
(Present time)
"Well that was the start of it, Envy and Gluttony did kill Xander, but sadly it wasn't over after that, a hundred years after that we were all killed by another group of Aura Guardians, then another hundred years after that the result was the same," Greed explained the following years after that.
"What about one hundred years ago?" Melissa asked the Shadow Lord.
"Yeah did something happen?" Salvia asked Greed.
"Yeah, something did happen, isn't it funny how a Shadow Lord would even fall in love with an Aura Guardian?" Greed started to laugh at his own weakness again.
"What do you mean Greed?" Ash asked the dark haired Shadow Lord.
"She had long pink hair, strong green eyes and yet she wasn't just strong as a person, she was also really delicate, she hated being the damsel in distress, her name was Melissa," Greed stated with regret, "she was also the princess of Kanto, this time I managed to save her life, but at the cost of mine," Greed explained as he remembered the person who took his life, "Lust was the one that killed me at that time, then that was when it was decided, my spirit would not rest until the Shadow Lords were completely destroyed never to rise again and here I am, already two down," Greed finished his story much to the amazement of the two people.
"You know, my origins were from Kanto," Melissa confessed with a gulp, "you were talking about my great grandmother," Melissa pointed out as tears ran down her face.
"Yes I know, you look exactly like she did, in fact you remind me of her, both strong yet tender at the same time," Greed started to get upset, "the Shadow Lords were responsible for the what happened to the Aura Guardians, I am ashamed to have ever been a part of their genocide of the Aura Guardians," Greed explained to the three people who listened to his story.
"Wait, what do you mean by genocide?" Ash was quick to ask the next question.
"It was a trap, set up by Pride, in one night all but one Aura Guardian were all killed, that one Aura Guardian was the nurse's great grandmother," Greed explained to Ash who was shocked to have heard of the story behind the lost Aura Guardian.
"Yeah, but you know that I am an Aura Guardian as well," Ash replied calmly.
"True, but you would have to have had to have been chosen as Aura Guardian, or a family member would have to been an Aura Guardian in the past," Greed told Ash as the trainer sat down quietly trying to figure out who he was talking about.
"It wasn't on my mother's side, must be on my father's side, but I haven't seen him in years," Ash tried to talk about his family, but still knew very little about what was going on, "or I could have been chosen by someone called Sir Aaron, I have no clue," Ash tried to figure out why he was chosen as an Aura Guardian.
"So there is a very good chance that it wasn't from your family, it was simply the fact you were chosen," Salvia informed Ash, trying to help him figure it out, "okay Greed, you said my father is bait to lure me into a trap, what else do we need to know?" Salvia asked the injure man in the bed.
"They are most likely going to unleash Wrath," Greed sighed knowing that Ash and Salvia were going to head out to save the king, "the one thing you both need to know, before heading out, is that Wrath was the one who destroyed the Aura Guardians in one night, his strength is unrivalled, even Pride had to chain him up," Greed explained the power of Wrath.
Ash gulped thinking about how this fight could turn the tide in the fight against the Shadow Lords, "but defeating Wrath would help us out right?" Ash asked Greed who nodded in agreement.
"Physically Wrath is the strongest Shadow Lord, but he is also the dumbest, Pride has intelligence and physical strength at the same time, he plays the situation like a game of chess," Greed explained the traits of his former comrades.
"But what about Gluttony?" Melissa asked the Shadow Lord.
"Gluttony will attack this city in a few weeks' time, to which I will be defending this city, You two will need to save the king, meaning you will need to fall for the trap," Greed explained the plan to Ash and Salvia.
"You will still be injured, you bastard," Ash retorted as the Shadow Lord started laughing.
"Well then, would you be able to help me out? All you need to do is use your aura abilities to heal my arm," Greed suggested the idea to Ash.
"No way, you will only get hurt again," Ash smirked at the new friend.
"I see you have a sense of humour that is just like Xander, joking about something like this injury I have suffered, " Greed replied as the trainer started to use his aura to help Greed with his recovery, "you know something? While I defend this city, I will be making sure the people evacuate as well," Greed promised the trainer who was continuing the healing process.
"Yeah, don't break your arms, because if you do, I will refuse to help you," Ash started laughing at the man.
"Gee thanks, you're a true friend," Greed stated with sarcasm.
The Nurse glanced at the two, "Greed you aren't stopping them?" she asked the Shadow Lord with a concerned tone.
"If I told them not to go, they still would, plus it is Salvia's father that is in danger as well as a city," Greed retorted as he felt his arm getting better due to Ash's aura. Greed looked up to Ash and nodded, "listen Ash, if things get too dangerous, take the princess away from the city," Greed instructed the Aura Guardian, as his concerns for the safety of the young royal started to become obvious, he then turned his attention to Melissa, "and you, with Gluttony coming here, it would be best for you to…..go somewhere safe," Greed ordered the young nurse,
"But what if you need help?" Melissa tried to argue with the Shadow Lord.
"No arguments, if the people are safe, then I don't have to hold back in the fight against Gluttony," Greed informed the pink haired nurse, he looked at the bandages and unwrapped his arm, he clenched his fist and smiled, "plus I can take care of myself, I am a Shadow Lord after all," Greed started laughing at his own position in the world.
"But Greed what if you're killed?" Salvia asked the Shadow Lord concerned about the wellbeing of her ally.
"Not a chance, I refuse to be killed off by the likes of that pig," Greed replied to the princess' worries, removing his cask, the Shadow Lord punched the air in front of him, "much better, you Aura Guardian amaze me to no end, it seems like I am fighting alongside one," Greed started complaining, taking a deep breath.
"Greed if it gets too dangerous, get out of there," Ash ordered the Shadow Lord, calmly.
"You know it's a trap and yet, you two will fall for the trap, man Ash you're a handful, that is just like Xander, he too would fall for a trap in order to save a stranger," Greed placed his left hand over his forehead, "just be careful alright," Greed showed more concern for the trainer and the princess. Greed watched Ash walking out of the room hoping that he had listened to him, 'Xander, I hope you are watching him, Sir Aaron, I know you will too,' Greed hoped to himself, preparing for his fight against the other Shadow Lord.
Ash and Salvia walked down the hallway towards the elevator, "so what next Ash?" the bluenette asked the young man, wondering what he was thinking about.
Ash looked back with a serious expression, he placed his hand over his chin, "before we head to Pastoria City, I want to head over to Twinleaf Town," Ash declared as the two made it to the elevator.
"But wouldn't digging up the past be painful?" the princess asked in a worried tone.
"Yes it would, but it might also help me at the same time," Ash replied while entering the elevator with Salvia.
With Greed's history being told, it is time to rescue the Princess' father, but knowing that this next fight is a trap, what will Ash find in Twinleaf Town?
Next time chapter 10: Reslove of a Princess.
alright I will make a confession, I have actually written a fair bit of the story already, the amount of chapters you guys are seeing is only half of what I have typed.