Chapter 10: Resolution of a Princess
Summary: returning to where Ash felt the most pain, he discovers something that will change him, Salvia soon makes another promise to herself, as well as meeting the Unova king and Queen all before heading to the next battle, with a new enemy surfacing.
Ash entered Sandgem Town having not been in the small town for some time, he was quick to notice the number of soldiers had dwindled down to a small number, but the air of unease was still in the atmosphere. Scanning the city he spotted Professor Rowan who was talking to a starting trainer, he seemed like he was getting ready to start his journey for the very first time, "you know princess, one day I would like to restart my journey," Ash said in a saddened tone.
Salvia noticed the shift in Ash's personality, it was the first time he showed a hint of sadness and not his angry self, "you can do that now if you want to," Salvia was quick to suggest the intention of the trainer.
"No, not now, I need to deal with the Shadow Lords," Ash quietly answered back, turning away from the lab and heading out of the small town, almost as fast as he had entered it.
Salvia ran up to Ash who seemed like he was in a hurry, "so what are you going to achieve by coming to Twinleaf Town?" Salvia asked the Aura Guardian with a puzzled expression.
"You need to know that Twinleaf Town was Dawn's home town, I want to see it again," Ash admitted to the princess, walking ahead of the young royal.
Salvia stood still, looking at the back of the trainer, "liar, you are living in the past," Salvia whispered inaudibly.
"What was that?" Ash asked the princess.
"Nothing Ash, let's go," Salvia lied to Ash, hiding what she already knew about his intentions, 'great now I am lying to him,' Salvia criticized her words, she walked up to Ash who stopped in front of a tree, "are you alright Ash?" Salvia asked the raven haired man.
"Here is where Dawn is, after she passed away from her injuries after saving my life, I buried her here," Ash informed the bluenette.
Ash walked a head hiding his tears, not noticing the princess walking up to the grave, she looked down and noticed that an item had been dug up, "hey Ash, what is this?" Salvia called to Ash.
Ash ran back towards the grave and looked down, in shock he spotted a golden ring, still intact and with the gems in place, "that's the engagement I gave Dawn," Ash stepped back in horror, trying to figure out what it meant, "she tried to give it back to me, I buried it with her," Ash fell to his knees, still in shock at what was going on, it seemed like no one was around to steal it.
"Maybe Ash, she still wants you to hold on to it," Salvia pointed out while staring at the ring.
"Leave it there, it still belongs to Dawn," Ash snapped back, placing his right hand over his head, 'Dawn, are you trying to tell me something?' Ash questioned the bluenette.
"Listen Ash, you need to know that Dawn might be feeling like she broke her promise to you, I think that black spirit is actually Dawn," Salvia theorised as she looked up to the scratching on the trunk of the tree, "maybe you are too busy keeping a promise that you cannot possibly keep," Salvia placed her hand on the names on the tree.
Ash took a deep breath and looked up to the bluenette who turned her attention to him, smiling at him, "why are you telling me this?" Ash asked as he spotted a spirit next to the princess, this time it was more obvious in who it was.
"Come Ash, you cannot expect to move forward if you stay the way you are," Salvia walked up to Ash, but was tripped on the way to the trainer, Salvia sat up and noticed the ring moving into her hand, 'Dawn, you want me to give it back to him, but why?' Salvia asked herself, trying to figure out what her friend was conveying, 'oh right, you cannot keep your promise but as for Ash…..' Salvia looked up to Ash and accepting the ring at the same time, 'you want him to be happy and not mopping about,' Salvia acknowledged her friend's choice.
"Come on princess, we need to get to Twinleaf Town," Ash started walking back to the town, ignoring the fact that Salvia had placed the ring in her pocket.
Salvia looked back to the tree and nodded, 'whatever it is Dawn, I will help Ash out, you have nothing to worry about,' Salvia promised her friend with a nod. Placing her hand over her pocket she rushed up to Ash who still had tears running down his face, 'one day, I will try to make you happy,' Salvia turned her attention to the road as they continued on, without looking back to the tree, 'but first I need to save my father,' Salvia promised herself as she walked up to the hill.
(Orebugh City)
Greed ran out of the hospital happy to escape, "alright, all that shitty hospital food, and that nurse all gone, now for the finer things in life, fine food, wine and women," Greed laughed out loud, he looked back to see the doors closing, but he also knew a more serious task was about to befall him, "I need to get ready, I am not going to be beaten by Gluttony again," Greed promised himself, he walked off, but soon stopped, "what are you doing here?" Greed asked the person.
"I signed off, my day's work is finished," Melissa replied with a gentle smile.
"Listen, if you stick with me, you will only get hurt, princess," Greed informed the nurse seriously.
"Why did you call me Princess?" Melissa asked the Shadow Lord.
"That's is what you are, your great grandmother was a princess," Greed quickly answered the young woman.
"You told me to leave, because you didn't want me involved, why?" Melissa asked the Shadow Lord.
Greed looked at the ground and started to laugh again, "because it is best that the other Shadow Lords don't find out, the Kanto Royal Family are supposed to be all dead, including you, for now, you need to stay as a nurse," the Shadow Lord informed the Kanto Princess of the situation.
"What are you after? You make the Shadow Lords out to be all evil and here you are being nice, you were betrayed and yet, you committed many crimes, well?" Melissa asked the Shadow Lord, furious that he would keep it quiet from even his friends.
"Alright, I will answer it as best as possible," Greed submitted with a deep sigh, "I want the Shadow Lords destroyed once and for all, the world cannot go through their reign of terror, I want to repent from my sins by saving the people of this world from them," Greed told the nurse with a smile, he turned around and put his left hand on her head, "thank you for helping me out, I will repay you the best I can," Greed promised the woman with a nod.
"How about a date?" Melissa suggested with great hope.
Greed turned away from the young woman, he looked back and grinned at the nurse, "I think I will pass, maybe some other time," Greed refused the date offer from the nurse.
"Alright Greed, you behave yourself," Melissa watched the Shadow Lord walking away from the Hospital, 'he needs to open up, he really is a gentle person,' Melissa thought to herself as she turned back towards the hospital, 'I don't believe it, I thought I was an orphan, but my family line is a royal family,' Melissa remained perplexed by what she had learned.
Greed stopped and stared at the mountains, "redeeming myself from my sins?" Greed asked himself, taking a deep sigh, chuckling at his proclamation, "that would be easier said than done, but…..I will save this world and bring an end to the Shadow Lords," Greed promised himself, he looked back and watched the nurse who had helped him, "Envy and Lust, you're right I have gotten soft," Greed whispered to himself as he turned away and started to get to the city limits, he continued to walk but looking back once more, "but I prefer it that way."
(Near Twinleaf Town)
Salvia looked down at the destroyed town, trying her best to hold back her tears, "it hasn't even been repaired in how long?" Salvia asked the trainer, noticing his growing anger immediately.
"Three weeks," the raven haired Aura Guardian hissed in frustration, staying fixated on the destroyed town.
"If my father was his normal self, he wouldn't have abandoned this place," Salvia tried her best to keep Ash calm, but even she was getting visibly upset with the town that was completely blackened by the Shadow Lords.
Ash scanned the town, before he started walking towards the bleak sight, "you stay here," Ash ordered the princess.
"No," the princess quickly snapped back. Salvia put her hand on the pocket where the ring was, "I am going to make sure you don't do anything stupid," Salvia informed the trainer, but he continued walking towards the painful past.
After thirty minutes Ash walked through the streets with the Sinnoh Royal following him, the trees were completely flattened and the houses destroyed, "why hasn't the king done anything?" Ash whispered as he continued down the road, the cars which had crashed in the trees, remained in place.
Salvia looked on both sides of the street noticing that there was no one alive, "Ash," Salvia called to the man, but he remained quiet, "what happened here?" Salvia asked the trainer.
Ash lowered his vision and looked at the streets, "Envy and the Shadow Lords set up some explosives to set up the Unova forces, Greed tried to stop him, but it was too late," Ash answered solemnly.
"But don't you think there were more than just explosions Ash?" Salvia asked the man, she looked around to see more of the destruction, "like over there Ash," Salvia pointed to a part of the town which wasn't consistent with the explosions that destroyed a part of the town.
Ash ran to where Salvia was pointing, he looked around to see that someone had ran through the buildings with great momentum, "what is this? I never noticed this a few weeks ago," Ash asked as he walked closer to the building, he entered the building to find that everything was destroyed, "this wasn't random, no, this was deliberate," Ash spotted everything in the building destroyed or completely burnt.
"It seems like there was more than one Shadow Lord involved," Salvia called to Ash who was still inspecting the destruction inside the house.
Ash walked out wondering what had happened, "it seems like the only thing we do know is that this Shadow Lord, is that he has to remain moving," Ash placed his hand on his chin, looking at the other houses that had been decimated by this foe, "but why?" Ash asked as he glanced over to the royal who shrugged her shoulders and shook her head.
"Maybe this Shadow Lord has to remain moving or his heart will stop, don't think this sort of fury needs to keep moving no matter what?" Salvia questioned Ash who looked back at the house in shock.
"Wrath, was the one who did this, then that means the only way to defeat Wrath is to stop him from moving," Ash started to figure out how to defeat Wrath in a fight, Ash looked back at the house wondering what the plan was to be, "okay so we know Wrath's weakness, but there is still Sloth and Pride," Ash stated with a concerned tone.
"You have a plan?" Salvia asked the Aura Guardian with a slight hint of optimism.
"Almost, but that doesn't explain why they attack Twinleaf Town," Ash retorted as he looked around with a frown.
Salvia glanced over her shoulder and noticed two people walking around the town, "hey is that?" Salvia started running towards the two people.
Ash remained standing thinking about the attack on Twinleaf Town, "it was too convenient to be random, explosives and now this, Just what are the Shadow Lords after?" Ash started asking himself as he watched his friend chasing after the two people, "the first hint might have come from what Greed told me about killing the king of Sinnoh, then there is the fact that the Shadow Lords destroyed their biggest rivals, the Aura Guardians, "but there is more, I can sense it, it is cold, dark in fact it is malicious," Ash whispered to himself.
"Hurry up Ash, Queen Hilda and Hilbert are here!" Salvia called to the Aura Guardian.
Shifting his attention to the top of the building Ash continued to scan the block for the mysterious presence, 'there is something else,' Ash thought, walking up to the Unova leaders.
"Yo Ash, it has been a short time," Hilbert smirked at his friend.
"Yeah, it has, we have been here for a little while, but I knew you would be here," Hilda said as her expression soon turned to concern, "you can sense it too, can't you?" Hilda asked Ash leaving the other two worried about her words.
"Yeah, I have felt a dark presence since arriving here, it isn't the Shadow Lords they are nowhere near this town," Ash commented as he looked over his left shoulder to find that no one was around. Ash walked passed the other three people and approached a house that, it was mostly destroyed, but there were some parts of the house intact, "this is Dawn's house," Ash reminded the three people behind him, he pushed the door open and noticed that everything inside was completely destroyed.
Salvia was quick to enter, she looked around and gasped in horror, part of the back of the house was gone, but with only parts of the stairway remaining with, Ash put his backpack on the floor and walking up to the unstable stairs, "stay here," Ash whispered, he placed his right hand on the stairs and started walking up the steps slowly.
"Wait Ash, you can't be serious, those stairs look like they could collapse at any time," Salvia warned the young man, but he ignored her and continued up.
"She's right Ash, the foundations of this building are almost none existent," Hilbert continued to warn Ash, but the Aura Guardian continued to ignore the concerned pleas of his friends.
"Wait, you two, he will be fine," Hilda stopped Salvia and Hilbert from warning Ash about the dangers, she watched her friend walking up the stairs carefully, she only grew concerned when his foot fell through the stairs, but that didn't stop Ash, 'he will find something important in Dawn's room,' Hilda said with a smile.
"So Queen Hilda, why did you and Hilbert go to Eterna City anyway?" Salvia asked the Unova natives.
"We were investigating something in Eterna City, you know the Shadow Lords were never alone, but then again Ash already knows this," Hilda answered the blue haired royal.
"That's right, we heard rumours in Unova about a secret trio, not like the Shadow Triad we have in Unova, but something much worse than that," Hilbert explained to the young royal, they looked up to find that Ash had finally reached the next floor, he walked around the corner and out of sight from his friends, "Ash is an Aura Guardian right?" Hilbert asked the bluenette calmly, Salvia nodded as she remembered the time she found out in Snowpoint City, "you see, our problem is that Ash isn't the only Aura Guardian in the world," Hilbert stated with his fists clenched in anger.
"Why is that a problem?" Salvia asked her friends.
"Because they are pure evil," Hilda replied with a saddened expression.
"There are five, Ash is one, the other one is in hiding and the other three, I am certain you can feel their presence now," Hilbert told the young royal, "Hilda can, but she is scared of them, so she refuses to tell how close they really are," Hilbert reminded the princess, as he glanced at his young wife who was shaking in fear.
Meanwhile upstairs Ash walked into Dawn's room, he looked around and noticed that part of her room was gone, he walked slowly towards her desk and noticed an envelope, he picked it up and opened it, "did Dawn write something?" Ash whispered, opening the envelope, he grabbed a chair and pulled out the paper inside, "is this her message?" He asked himself. Reading the letter with Dawn's voice echoing in his mind, the trainer read each line carefully.
(Flashback)
Ash and Dawn sat at the top of the hill, staring at the sunset together, with the bluenette resting her head on his left shoulder, "you know Ash, I have been waiting for this day for a very long time," Dawn felt Ash's arm wrapping around her, pulling her in closer, "I love you Ash," Dawn whispered as she felt the gentle breeze cause her hair to move back slightly.
"You know Dawn, we have been traveling for a while now, but we haven't planned for the future," Ash pointed out while the blue haired coordinator, quickly looked up towards Ash, "what?" Ash started to chuckle.
"A future ha, well, I would like to have a family with you, marry you and even own a nice home in another region," Dawn stated her interest in her future plans with Ash as her husband, "you know, my promise to you is to love you for eternity," Dawn promised Ash who strated blushing as the bluenette finished her speech.
"An eternity? That is a long time," Ash joked with his girlfriend.
"Come on, I just want you to be happy," Dawn replied with a cheery tone.
Ash stood up and watched the golden disc fall below the horizon, Dawn stood next to him and grabbed his left hand, their finger's entwined, the looked at one another lovingly, before they closed the gap, kissing one another with the fiery display behind them.
(Return from the Flashback)
"For eternity?" Ash asked himself as he continued to read the letter, "in this world or the next, I will always be by your side," the letter finished, Ash got up holding back his tears, placing the letter back in the envelope, he walked out of the room, closing the door behind him and walking back towards the stairs, he looked down to see that his friends were still there, "hey guys," Ash greeted the three people.
Ash walked down the stairs with the house beginning to shake as the foundations started to give way, "hurry up Ash," Salvia pleaded with Ash, she watched him running down the stairs and landing in front of the three royals.
The four people exited the house as fast as they could, Ash looked back to see the house collapse in a heap of wood and tiles, "so what did you find?" Hilbert asked the Aura Guardian.
"Hilbert, that is none of your business," Hilda snapped back with anger, Hilda approached the trainer and put her hands on her shoulder, "one day Ash you will find happiness again," Hilda assured her friend, but he ran off wiping away his tears.
"Hilda, you know he is in pain right?" Salvia asked the Queen, but she nodded, she looked back at her Sinnoh counterpart, "where will he find his happiness? Who will give it to him?" Salvia asked the Hilda, trying her best not to let her anger explode.
"Well, I can tell you, but I think it would be best to keep it a surprise," Hilda informed the princess, as she left to follow Ash.
Ash walked around the corner and stopped, he glanced around the corner as the same sensation was felt from a short distance away, "alright, you three, you can come out now," Ash growled at the three entities that were following him.
"Oh, it seems like this Aura Guardian is worth toying with," A man with short brown hair appeared from one of the streets, wearing a black shirt and Jeans with his Black trench coat.
"I was wondering how long it would have taken for you to make an appearance," Ash glared at the person, the person rushed towards him, readying his fist to punch Ash, Ash followed with his own Aura powered punch. The two fists made impact causing a powerful shockwave to destroy the rest of the standing buildings, they leapt back Ash in shock at what had happened, it was then he noticed Aura coming from the man's fist, "you, you're an Aura Guardian," Ash stated with surprise.
"Well done, you discovered my little secret, but I am not the only one," the Aura Guardian proclaimed as another man wearing the same attire but with red hair appeared from the building next to his comrade.
"Where is the third one?" Ash asked the person with anger.
"Calm down, she will be here soon," the man replied, as he noticed the other three people rushing up to Ash, "oh it's the princess of Sinnoh and the King and Queen of Unova," he calmly stated with a smirk.
"Who are you?" Ash snapped out his question.
"Me, I am Shade," the Aura Guardian known as Shade introduced himself to the four people in front of him.
"I am Hollow," the other person introduced himself to Ash and his friends.
A woman with long blue hair wearing a pink skirt and boots, a white tank top and black vest appeared from the trees, Ash stepped back in horror at what he was seeing, "what? She looks like Dawn," Ash whispered stepping back as the woman approached him.
"Dawn? No my name is Dusk," she introduced herself coldly, "but I must admit, you would make a valuable addition to our team," Dusk smirked at the trainer placing her hand on his face, trying to be gentle with him, she smiled at the man but she was pushed back by the princess, "who are you?" Dusk asked the princess.
"You look a lot like my best friend, but there is no way, you are anything like her," Salvia angrily decreed before pushing the Aura Guardian back, "never put your hands on Ash! That is not your right!" Salvia yelled angrily as she glared at the Aura Guardian.
"Dusk stand back, we aren't interested in an unimportant princess, the useless king and queen of Unova, we are here to formally inform the Aura Guardian, that we are here to destroy him," Shade started to laugh at his new enemy.
"Just who are you three?" Ash questioned the three Aura Guardians with his fist clenched tightly.
"We three are known as the Dark Aura Masters," Hollow informed the shocked people in front of him.
"We knew about you, we followed you and we are the ones who caused you to explode with anger, unleashing your power against Lust and Envy," Dusk confessed to the trainer as she turned her back towards the trainer, "as for your precious Dawn, well we needed a trigger, Envy played a part, but you were our target," Dusk enlightened the trainer of the events surrounding the death of Dawn and his family.
"Dusk, that is enough, he is already shattered enough as it is," Shade stopped his teammate, "as for the other Aura Guardian, she isn't worth the effort, but you on the other hand, you are much more interesting to toy with, meet us at Celestic Town, there we will talk more," Shade started taunting Ash who was still in shock at seeing another look alike, "maybe I might be able to divulge something really interesting," Shade promised the Aura Guardian before leaving with Hollow and Dusk.
Ash watched the three Dark Aura Masters walking away, his eyes still glued on the female member of the Dark Aura Masters, "there is no way, she looks like Dawn," Ash stepped back, trying his best to figure out what was happening, Ash lowered his vision, staring at his hands,, gulping, ignoring the people around him, "what am I going to do?" Ash asked himself.
Salvia raised her hand and slapped Ash across the face, Ash looked up and spotted Salvia who was in tears, "I will tell you what you are going to do!" Salvia yelled at Ash, she lowered her hand seeing the red mark on his face, "you are pick yourself up, you have been down on yourself for way too long, that isn't like the person Dawn loves, that isn't the person I admire, you are better than that!" Salvia trying to get Ash to pick himself up.
Hilda tried to approach Ash but was stopped by Hilbert, "no, he needs this," Hilbert stopped the brunette.
"But…" Ash tried to make a comeback but was stopped by the princess who was crying because of his sadness.
"No buts, you see someone that looks like Dawn and you fall apart, what about around me? I look like her," Salvia enquired as she pointed her finger at the trainer, she pulled out the ring from her pocket, "you see this?" Saliva asked the Aura Guardian, showing him the engagement ring he gave Dawn, "this ring landed in my hands, it flew into my hands, it is a sign from Dawn herself, she wants you to go forward," Salvia grabbed Ash's right hand and forced the ring into his hand.
"I broke my promise to her," Ash solemnly stated as he looked at the ring.
"You broke one promise, it was outside your control," Salvia argued back, removing her hand from Ash's. the princess turned away and started walking, "the past might hurt, but what hurts the most is living in the past, walk forwards with no regret, I know when I save my kingdom, whatever I do, I will do it with no regrets," A determined Salvia walked away from Ash who was in shock at the princess' speech.
Hilda approached Ash, he was looking at the ring, "are you alright?" Hilda asked the young man.
Again looking at the ring, he then turned his attention to Salvia, "yeah I am fine," Ash started laughing at himself, he placed his right hand over the part of his face that was still tingling from the slap he was given, "I needed that, never expected it to come from her," Ash scratched the back of his head embarrassedly smiling at the princess.
"But what about the other Aura Guardian?" Hilbert asked his friend quickly.
"Salvia!" Ash called to the princess, "thanks for slapping some sense into me," Ash thanked the young royal, putting the ring back into his pocket, he looked at his other friends, "we are heading back to Oreburgh City, we aren't going to fall for that trap, but we will save the King," Ash decreed as Salvia turned her attention to Ash, feeling surprised by the Aura Guardian's declaration.
"Thank you Ash," Salvia whispered, knowing that part of the real Ash was back.
'Even though, we still have a long way to go, I am not throwing anything to the wayside,' Ash promised himself, walking slowly towards the princess with the other two royals following close behind him.
With the Dark Aura Masters now coming into play, Ash will try to change the conditions the battle against the Shadow Lords.
Next time Chapter 11: Greed VS Gluttony 2: intervention
This chapter also introduced the Anti-Hero of the story, have a guess at who it is, the hint is that it is one of the three Dark Aura Masters, I think it should be pretty obvious too.
please review and tell me what you think, there is really one more introduction to a villain, but that will happen in another 12 chapters from now