Ok…so, a lot happened in my life, but that's no excuse. I can't say that it was all good, but I haven't been able to write at all. So sorry.

I don't own Pokémon or its characters.

Chapter 24: Unexpected Meeting

"Arden, how much longer till the mountains?" May yelled over the screaming winds. She hoped he could hear her: the sandstorm was truly vicious. But they couldn't allow themselves to rest: they had to reach the mountains before winter had set in. According to Arden, going up from this side when there was snow was truly impossible.

Apparently, the snow rolled down easily here, forming avalanches. But getting there was hard when their vision was limited to only a few feet before them.

"We should be there within a few hours!" came the muffled reply of the male although May could tell he had shouted it. She hoped it was true. Since they had gone into the desert a few weeks earlier, she had lost sight on what time of the year it was.

It was all the same in the sand after all. May supposed she had to thank Ash when she came back: the horses were tired but seemed to have as much intention of stopping as their riders. One thing could be said for sure: they had character.

It left May with time to think as the horses guided themselves. What was she going to do now? King Norman, her father, had told her to find another husband before she left. Well, Drew wouldn't be coming home now. It was painful to think still as she didn't want to acknowledge it at all, but the weeks in the sand made it easier to think of.

It had once been so set in her mind: she was supposed to marry whomever her father thought suited. Gar had been horrible, Drew a lot more likable. But now that she had seen a bit of the world, May felt there should be more: also for her.

She was the king's firstborn but wasn't Max just as able to rule as her possible husband could be? Maybe better, since Max has been prepared in Royal circles since birth.

May wasn't all that prepared to give up her new found freedom: Freedom that Drew had offered her. It was only afterwards one realized but May had found her thoughts returning to Drew every so often.

She might have loved him. It was bitter and May didn't want to dwell on it too long. She might have loved him since he had pressed her against the ground, since he told her he'd bear his punishment, since he had stopped her wedding.

There were so many memories with him that May couldn't pinpoint when she started loving him. And that made her not one bit happier. She would never tell him that she did.

"May?" Arden's voice brought her back from her memories. As occupied as she had been, she hadn't noticed the grey wall in front of her. She stared up at the misty mountaintops and a cold wind blasted her in the face.

"What do you think?" she asked.

Arden peered at the dark mists surrounding the grey stone: "Winter is early,", he replied.

May turned to him, "What does that mean?" she asked.

Arden smirked self-deprecatingly, "It means that if we go up here, we will be caught by the snow. There's no way to go over; we have to go around the mountains."

May bit her lip, "Around?" she asked.

Arden stared up at the mist again, almost accusingly. "It means heading towards the woods next to the mountains. It means a bit detour," he glanced at May. "It's that or camp out the winter at the foot of the these mountains."

But May barely had to consider that option: "We will go around. I am not sitting around doing nothing!" Arden only nodded. He too had no inclination to sit out the winter.

Luckily the sandstorm laid down after a few days and May and Arden could see each other decently for the first time in weeks.

"Why don't people go through the woods more often?" May asked. She learned more and more about her country and she found herself liking it. For the first time she had an idea of how her country actually looked.

Arden pursed his lips in thought for a moment: "People used to," he said. "It is obviously the easier the route. But brigands know that too. There were so many people robbed that he place is now as good as abandoned despite the fertile grounds. Only a few farmers are there now. Hardened, but good people." May nodded: no wonder. If you got robbed often, you harden up eventually. "We should best go through it quickly though."

May grinned, "We still should get there first."

Arden smiled, "It shouldn't be more than a few days now, and it helps the wind isn't blowing us against the mountains anymore."

With that, May couldn't disagree. She was almost liking riding like this. The high walls of rocks made sure that there was a small breeze pooling so the heat of the desert was endurable. But Drew's death still laid heavy on her shoulders. If she had had Drew with her, she'd enjoyed it a bit more, she'd even enjoyed the desert.

She shook her head. She wouldn't let Drew's memory bring her down. Priority was getting home. She'd decide what to do then.

Arden too seemed to be determined on keeping her mind off her late fiance. He was telling her stories like before, from when he hadn't enlisted in the army yet. "By the I decided I'd better made a run for it," he finished.

May laughed, "You swindled a swindler out of his own money by pretending to be a tax-collector? I could get you arrested for that: swindling and fraud!"

Arden looked abashed, "Would you princess? I never swindled an honest man out of his money before! I leave that to the tax-collectors themselves," he said.

May frowned, "Taxes aren't that unfair right?"

Arden grinned, "The idea of taxes itself isn't, princess. Most tax-collectors often charge extra "administrative" fees though."

May thought harder, "They get paid by the crown: there is no need for that!"

At her indignation, Arden chuckled, "How often do the provinces get checked? Far off regions?" Well that much was true, May figured. As far as she knew, the far off region rarely got checked unannounced because complaints rarely reached them. At second thought, that was not hard to filter.

Arden nodded, content at the thoughtful look on May's face. It drove the point home. Personally Arden was happy about this. It seemed that problems that never would've been handled otherwise, would change now. He understood that it was difficult to rule a country. Small things were often overlooked.

"How are your sword-skills, princess?" he asked.

May looked at him confused, "You only saw them recently; they are fine?"

Arden shook his head, "Not to downplay on your progress, princess, but the men at the gate have rarely seen any battle, if any at all. The robbers in the woods are battle-hardened through and through.

May stayed silent for a moment and then smiled weakly: "We could practice some more? " she offered.

Arden grinned, "That's what I thought."

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As Arden had told her, they reached the woods in days and to be honest, May wasn't surprised the woods housed the roughest of men. The huge trees stood closely and no sunlight filtered through the leaves, the bushery made ground-level densely covered.

"Are you sure we have to get through here?" May asked nervously, looking at the looming darkness. Arden looked at her in a way that almost made her regret asking it. She couldn't help it that the forest made her nervous. The woods she was familiar with near the castle that she longed for being in the desert didn't compare to this: there was no gentle light or calm wind whispering through the leaves.

May didn't like it at all.

Arden had removed the shawl from his head and was not getting rid of the covering clothes they had used against the sands. He looked at her, "Well come on then. From this point on, you won't need that stuff." May looked once more at the dark forest and then climbed off Blaziken to get the clothes off her to.

Once she had, she had to admit she felt a lot more comfortable in just her tunic and leather pants. They were less stuffy than the dressing of the desert. She and Arden put the clothes away carefully. They might not have a use for it now, but if there is one thing May had learned it was not to be wasteful.

Blaziken trampled nervously and May patted the royal horse's nose, "Don't worry girl, we'll just be fine," she said. Blaziken's ears turned forward as eyes flitted between the trees. May followed it's trail. "Yeah, I know. I don't feel comfortable either." She smiled and pressed her face in the warm fur of her loyal carrier, "I won't let anyone take you away. Don't worry."

Blaziken gently pushed her with her nuzzle and May felt a rush of affection for her gentle companion wave over her. Then she mounted again and turned to Arden who had been waiting already. Both looked at the forest. "Be on guard, May. Vision is limited."

May tensed, "I don't need you to tell me that!" she snapped but she did check if her sword was within reach anyway. When she got home, she'd have these woods combed out. There was no need for travelers to be afraid to pass here. Main point was now actually getting home.

She was however, determined to not let Drew's memory lay forgotten. She owed him that.

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Drew wiped the sweat off his brow. Plowing the fields even though it was cold enough for snow, was hard word. Fern had emphasized that the ground should not become hard in one piece of earth, less the seeds would not get nutrition in spring.

"Where does he even get all that information?" Drew muttered to himself while he hacked his tools back into the ground. But even though he was complaining he was actually glad for the distraction. He was sure Reod had told the older couple about his tendency to wake up at night, even if he had not come to his roommate himself.

He knew that he woke up with the female voice on his thoughts. She was always saying his name but the range of emotions had expanded. He had once woken with her name on his lips but he couldn't remember to his frustration.

Neither did Reod hear. It had frustrated the hell out of him but at least he knew he had not harmed the woman in cold blood: she knew him and he knew her.

He sighed again as he stared up at the clouds looming snow was going to fall soon and he'd be stuck indoors. That was not a fun prospect.

"Drew, are you coming inside?!" Loua called from the doorway.

Drew turned towards her, "Yeah, in a moment!" he called back. He didn't dislike going inside per se, but outside, he felt more useful. Even if he really wasn't. But instead of turning around, Loua was running towards him.: he mouth open in a warning.

"Drew!" she yelled.

And there was an echo to her voice.

In shock, Drew turned around and a solid piece of metal was heading down towards him. He closed his eyes: he didn't want to see how he was going to be chopped into pieces. Loua and Fern had warned him, hadn't they? The brigands around here were vicious, and even near the house he had been careless.

But the streak of pain he had expected never came: instead the sound of metal on metal broke the air. A grunt of strain and the breezing of a horse. The echo meant there was someone else and Drew opened his eyes.

A fiery red horse, a truly magnificent animal blocked his view.

Drew looked up: the sounds of a power-struggle still hadn't ceased and to his surprise there was a woman seated on the horse. Her own sword having caught the stroke meant for him. Her back was turned towards him and all Drew could see was a subtle form and chestnut hair but his heart leapt in recognition.

He did not know why but the pounding of the organ in his ears meant she had meaning to him.

"Now," she spoke to the attacker on the other side of the horse, "Either you leave or I'll be improving that face of yours." Drew knew that voice. How could he not when he had been listening to it saying his name for a few moons!

"Woman, you and which army?!" the man on the other side replied roughly.

The woman laughed, "You, me alone. Your mates won't come! My companion should be about be finished with them." The man did not reply and from the nervous shuffling of his feet, Drew could tell he had expected his mates to be here already. His laugh was now less sure.

"So, missy? What are you going to do then?" he asked.

The woman on the horse easily slid of the sword, enough to end the stale-mate and pointed her sword down. "Are you prepared to find out?" she asked. The man hesitated for a little bit and then Drew could tell from the sound he had slid his sword back in its scabbard.

"Tch," he sounded out and the taps of his feet sounded to Drew as him running off.

The woman now turned to him and Drew stared up in the most shockingly blue eyes he had ever seen. "Drew?" she sounded disbelieving.

Hesitatingly, Drew nodded, "Yeah, that's me," he answered. Then unexpectedly she grinned and Drew barely had time to ground himself when she flew him around the neck. As she came from a higher place Drew's knees easily gave out and they both tumbled to the ground.

"I thought you had died!" she sobbed.

Drew was at a loss for words as the young woman soaked his collar with her tears. "You had died, Drew: they told us you did! Your ship had sunk! How?!"

Drew pushed himself up off the ground and stared at the woman confused. "I am sorry, but who are you?"

Immediately the woman stopped crying and Drew felt how she had frozen up. "What?" she laughed nervously. "What do you mean?" Drew did not know how to answer her. She sounded as if he had told her the sun set in the east.

"Drew! Are you ok?!" A shouting Reod broke the tension and Drew was glad he was able to convert his attention to the approaching man.

"Yeah," he breathed. "This woman saved me," he nodded to the still blankly staring woman but she didn't acknowledge the man's thanks.

"Miss, are you ok?" Reod asked, worried for her apparent catatonic state.

"But, he's…" was all she uttered.

"May!" another man's voice called and when the two males looked up there was a tall blonde haired man making a beeline for the woman on the ground. "May? Can you hear me?" he asked.

The woman, May apparently, recognized the voice and she immediately turned to him: "Arden," she said with a small voice, "Drew, he doesn't know me."

This made the man look up at the two others and his eyes widened in shock: "General?!" he asked.

Drew was getting more and more confused, "I don't know what you mean?" he asked. The stared of these two people unnerved him.

"What?" the man said as well.

Reod scratched his head, "I am not sure I understand but Drew has list his memory, so that might be a reason". The two of them looked aghast at him and Drew didn't know what to say.

"Well then, young ones," Loua interrupted, "How about we do this over a cup of tea?" The four looked at the woman who had suddenly appeared and finally even the two strangers nodded.

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"So," Fern asked gruffly. "If I understand well, you two have searched high and low for Drew, who is the general of your army?" The two strangers, who had identified themselves as May and Arden nodded after a moment. "And you claim he was taken as a slave as a trade for this army's freedom?" Another nod. Fern frowned: "It sounds rather far fetched."

Drew thought so too, but he couldn't help but think it made sense. And he wanted to believe because it would mean that his skills weren't learned in brigandry. It meant that the scars on his back weren't a villain's punishment but a martial.

"It's up to you whether to believe us," the man named Arden said. "But we have no reason to lie. All we wanted was to take Drew home." This brought Drew to attention. Home? It sounded like a far-off dream.

"Drew?" Reod asked, "What do you think of this?"

Drew looked at his clenching fist, "It makes sense. But I can't remember any of it though." Then he looked up at the woman who had been strangely silent as she didn't look like the type to be. She was staring at her cup of already cold tea with empty eyes. "I still don't understand your part in this either," he told her.

All the while during the story they had told, it had felt as if they had been leaving things out: essential things that explained their connection. "What am I to you that the princess herself is looking for me?" Well at least she had been straight about that.

The woman blinked and looked up at him so forlornly, so sad, that Drew wanted to reach out to protect her from it, and these feelings came so unfounded to him that he was rather startled by it.

"There is no meaning to it, if you can't remember," she finally spoke with a sad smile on her face.

Arden looked at her sharply, "Are you sure?" he asked.

May pressed her lips together into a fine line and then released the tension again. "Yes," she said. But Drew could swear he saw tears behind her eyes and he had to look away. No matter what, he caused it.

Arden gritted his teeth so hard that even Drew knew he was doing it without looking. "So in the end, we will leave with nothing?" he asked, frustration clear in his voice. But Drew hadn't expected the princess to react so violently.

*CRASH!*

One of the cups rolled of the table as May slammed her hands flat on the surface. "What do you expect me to do about it?!" she yelled. "I too traveled farther than I've ever been! I don't want to give up, but that's no longer my choice, now is it?!"

And with that, she turned to Fern and Loua, who had been listening silently. "Thank you for your hospitality. I'd better go now." There was steel in her voice and it worried Drew. She stormed out of the house and her trusty guardian immediately followed after her after a short nod to the couple.

Drew too, went after them with Reod on his heels. It felt wrong, just plain wrong, to let the woman just leave like this. But he didn't get quite far as the broad shouldered Arden had turned towards him. "You don't have any right to follow!" he spoke harshly.

Even from this distance, Drew could see May working on saddling her horse, but her motions were shaky. "She's upset because of me. Tell me why I shouldn't have any right," he argued.

Arden scoffed, grabbing Drew's arm when he want to slip past him. "The past you, maybe. Not this stranger. You aren't of any use to her."

This cut Drew rather deeply, and he pulled his arm free. "I am still Drew. The one who apparently was your general and involved in some way with her!" he said defiantly.

Arden pulled his lip up in a sneer: it was hardly fitting on his face but the contempt it held was almost touchable. "Then you accept it? You accept being a general?" he asked.

Hesitatingly, Drew nodded. Then Arden pulled back his arm. "Then I apologize in front," he said and it was all the warning Drew got.

For a second, Drew's view blackened and then a sensation of falling followed. His sight flickered and he laid a moment on the ground when the side of his head erupted in pain. Focusing on Arden, he saw the man with his fist out, a look of disinterest on his face again.

It wasn't hard to connect the dots: Arden had hit him with all his strength, an iron fist knocking him cleanly on the ground.

"General Drew, see this as retribution for the incredible hurt done to my princess," the man said, his voice more formal than Drew had heard it before.

But then, even if his head felt as if it was split open Drew scrambled to his feet. He felt blood drip down his chin coming from his mouth. Arden truly hadn't held back. From the corner of his eye he saw Reod holding back the still tense Arden. But he couldn't be bothered with that: he had to catch up to May!

He couldn't leave it like this!

"May?" he tried once he had caught up with her. There might have been a time for confidence, as his past had acted with her but not now.

"What?" May replied not turning towards him.

"If you really want me, I can come with you,:" he offered, not knowing what else to offer her,

"What?!" May asked again, but she had tensed up so Drew was pretty sure she had heard him.

"If you want…"

"No!" May said, now turning towards her and Drew could see the tear-tracks on her face but she was now glowering at him. "You are saying you will come even if you don't remember anything between us?!"

Drew shrugged, "I am sure..."

But he never got to finish his sentence: a sharp pain spread over his cheek.

"Where's the meaning in that?!" How can I settle for that?! How dare you!" she shouted.

Drew was taken aback for a moment: she had struck him and told him he had no meaning coming with her. But then anger welled up in him too. "How can I know the meaning? I don't know that, now do I?! You glossed over that…!"

"You are my fiance!" May finally shouted.

This effectively silenced Drew: What? "Or at least you were. Do you see now Drew?! I can't settle for anything less than all of it!" She shook her head, "Let it go Drew. I am glad you are alive. And it's time for me to go home." She signed for Arden to come.

And then Drew acted impulsively. All he knew was that if he had to watch her go, she'd take something of him with her. He couldn't watch her go!

He reached out his hand and with a sharp tug he had pulled her towards him. More that hearing, he felt the curse on her lips, but she didn't have the chance to let it out. Drew had covered her lips with his own in a hard kiss.

He wasn't thinking: he was going completely on instinct now and this felt right: May felt right.

But Drew could feel her wet cheek under his hand and she was fighting against his grip. "What the hell are you doing?!" she spat at him when she pulled back harshly.

And then, as if a wave slammed into him, Drew was flooded with images he knew belonged to his memory. He'd sift through them later.

"I don't want to let you go!" he told her hoarsely.

"But…" May tried but Drew had covered her mouth again. Together with his memories, the sensation of kissing her was heavy, overbearing but so unbelievably right.

His mind faintly passed the thought whether this was their first one but then she relented under his force, slacked in his arms, and his stomach erupted in a wonderful feeling of flying and fluttering.

And for all that would happen now, Drew at least knew he was home. He was exactly where he wanted to be.

We only waited 24 chapters for this. Whoo. Please don't forget to review. I still ain't dead yet!