Yesterday's Tomorrow
Six – Once Upon A Time
Pokeshipping Day 6 Theme: AU (Alternative Universe)
Universe: AU Fantasy Universe
...
Gasping for air, he rushed through the unending woods, his thick boots crunching twigs and fallen leaves, his black cape billowing behind him. In his arms were two small creatures, one with yellow fur as bright as a daffodil, the other appearing to still have part of an eggshell around its body. He clutched them close to his chest as he ran away from the angry shouts behind him.
A short creature with pointed ears and bright blue fur ran just in front of him, guiding his path with ease. There were other creatures flying and running with them, but they stayed hidden in the brush, out of sight in case the pursuers caught up. The blue creature twisted around, a glowing, sky blue sphere appearing in her hand. She slammed the orb into the ground, and the light spread out across their path. It didn't appear to have any effect, but the boy knew that it would stop the other creatures from tracking them for a while.
It did the trick for the moment. The only lifeforms he felt were the ones that he was familiar with, or the wild ones that had little to no interest in him beyond the fact that he was running through their homes like a madman. The boy knew that they needed to stop somewhere.
Finally, the trees opened up to a clearing. It was a strange place, a meadow leading down to a crystal clear lake. The trees encompassed the clearing in a perfect circle, almost like the wall of a fortress.
The young man looked up passed the brim of his hat, towards the sun, trying to gauge the time of day, if he had his bearings correct. Slight movements against his glove-covered hands drew his attention back down to the two creatures there, and he decided that this place was good enough.
Kneeling down on the bright green, oddly soft grass, he set the two creatures down, staring at the wounds on their small bodies. The yellow one was injured badly, deep scratches running across his back, intersecting with the brown stripes there. The egg-like one had a couple tiny cuts, but she appeared more frightened than anything else. For a moment, the young man wondered what he must look like, because they were probably fresh flowers compared to him.
"What did you do to them?"
He jumped with a yelp, looking around with wide, bright brown eyes. He flinched back, startled by the fact that there was a young woman towering over him, but then doing a double take and just staring. She was beautiful, with long, wavy orange hair, pale skin and eyes that looked like the dark waters of the tropical oceans he'd briefly seen before. He was never one for articulating such thoughts very well, so all he could do was stare.
Her eyes were narrowed, her pink lips twisted into a frown and her hands were on her hips. Everything about her was completely agitated, but he wasn't frightened by that. The dress she wore was such a bright blue that it really seemed like something only nobles could afford to have made, the style unlike anything he had ever seen before. The necklace around her neck, simple silver with a tear-shaped blue pendant glittered brightly in the sunlight.
His staring just seemed to anger her further, and she stomped her bare foot on the ground. "Did you hear me? Or are you a simpleton? What did you do to those poor creatures?"
Snapping out of his faze, he realized what she was accusing him of. "I'm not a simpleton! My name's Ash, and I didn't do this to them." He pulled off his thick gloves – blue with traces of gold and a strange aqua gem in the middle – and started rooting through his simple, brown leather belt. He took out some wrapped berries that were slightly squished, silently urging the smaller creature to eat them. They would heal her wounds just fine. The other one was something else though. He took a deep breath, placing his hand against the injury. He silently pleaded forgiveness when the creature twitched with discomfort, and focused on mending the injuries. A faint blue glow surrounded his hand, spreading over the injured area. When he drew back, it was completely mended with only a scar.
"See, I told you..." Ash trailed off, looking around the area with confusion. The red-haired girl was nowhere to be see. "Where's she go?" He looked in the other direction, where his blue companion was staring at the lake oddly. "Ria?"
"Luca lu cari ri," the Lucario shrugged a bit, and that was even more worrisome. Ash was distracted when she approached, he could miss someone else's presence when he was focused on something else, but to sneak by his smaller-than-normal Lucario was something else all together.
Neither of them noticed someone watching them briefly from the edge of the lake before silently disappearing into the water.
...
The clearing was as safer than any other place he'd been recently, so Ash chose to stay there as night fell over them. The other creatures that were traveling with him had long since joined them there, curling up as a group to keep one another warm without the need of a fire. Fire just attracted those they didn't want to find them.
It was so peaceful in that meadow that, though he was conscious, Ash didn't really want to get up and leave. He had long since shed his thick cape, his hat and gloves, feeling more comfortable and well-rested than he had in a while. He knew more than most that peace was so easily shattered though.
The sounds of yelling woke him abruptly. He jerked up, looking around with confusion as a roar echoed around them, and the creatures with him shrunk back.
"Stay here," Ash ordered them. "Ria, keep them safe." He started to walk towards the commotion that was hidden just beyond the tree-line.
"Pikapi!" He stopped, looking back at his yellow companion, a creature known as Pikachu. He was a stubborn little thing, and though he was still recovering, Ash knew that he wanted to come.
"No. Watch Togepi. They're less likely to notice just me." He nodded his head as if reassuring himself, and then left them all behind.
The boy stayed close to the ground, using the natural coverage to keep out of sight. It didn't take long to find the cause of the commotion though, especially when it was burning down the surrounding trees.
A group of men in dark armour were surrounding a massive creature with bright orange scales and a burning flame at the tip of its tail. They had their swords and shields out, lashing out at the creature who fought back with its sharp claws, even sharper teeth, powerful tail and scorching fire. Ash had heard of these creatures before, but he had never seen a Charizard up close. His eyes turned to the creature's wing and he frowned. It was clearly broken, some of the scales torn, preventing him from flying away.
They were proud creatures, but Ash couldn't leave this one to his own battle. Instead, he leapt out of the bushes and ran at the men. "Stop it! Leave him alone!"
One man turned to him and actually laughed. "Boy, I don't know what you're doing out here, but this beast is none of your concern." He lashed out, his sword aiming for Charizard's neck, but it bounced off a barrier just before it would have hit its target. "What?"
"Leave him alone," Ash repeated slowly. He held out the palm of his hand, and a glowing sphere appeared, floating just above his skin. With a quick flick of his wrist, it split into several smaller spheres and flew at the knights.
"What is this witchcraft?" One of the men yelled as he picked himself off of the ground.
"He's an Aura Guardian," another one said, his voice wary as he eyed Ash. The boy firmly placed himself between the knights and the Charizard. Surprisingly enough, Charizard didn't lash out at the boy's exposed back, just watched on curiously.
"Thought they were all dead."
Ash gritted his teeth and threw his arm out in front of him. A wave of invisible energy slammed into the men, throwing them back into the trees and holding them against the rough bark, several feet off of the ground. "Leave this pokemon alone! Just go and no one will have anymore trouble!" He moved his arm back to his side and they fell.
One man stood up, ready to lash out but another grabbed his arm. "Don't. We don't have the means to deal with an Aura Guardian. There's a reason the King wants all them witches dead." He spat at Ash's feet, but led the retreat away.
Ash sighed and ran his fingers through his hair, turning towards the Charizard. The creature snarled at him, showing off his long, dagger-like teeth.
"Hey, I'm not going to hurt you," Ash reassured him, trying to think of what he should do. The pokemon was much too injured to fly or really even move on his own, and he knew from experience that doing a lot of healing in only a few hours time was a very bad choice on his part.
"Bring him closer to the lake."
Ash jumped and looked around. Through the trees, he could see the red-haired girl standing at the very edge of the meadow. He blinked with surprise and then said, "Why don't you come here and help me with him if you're so worried."
Hesitation crossed her face, being replaced quickly with agitation. "I can't. I can help, but I can't go there. You have to bring him here."
Ash stared at the Charizard and said, "Help me out. I can take the pressure off you if you walk." His green eyes narrowed suspiciously. "Please, Charizard? We're only trying to help."
It took a bit of effort, but the wounded creature stood. It was a strange process, but Ash used his aura to help him move, almost like a big invisible crutch. All of his other pokemon scurried away as the rather fearsome creature appeared, and along with the woman, they headed close to the lake. When they were almost to the edge, the Charizard laid back down, completely exhausted.
Ash knelt down beside him, pulling the last of his berries out of his pouch. "Here, these will help a bit." Charizard smelled them, staring at Ash suspiciously before he carefully ate them off of his hand. It wasn't much, but Ash could still sense the appreciation coming off of the large pokemon. He wondered when was the last time he ate something.
"It would be better to get him in the lake." Ash had forgotten that the girl was there, and looked over Charizard's body at her. She was just as striking in the morning light as she was at sunset, but now she wasn't glaring, she just seemed worried.
"It'll kill him," Ash said, pointing towards Charizard's tail. "If his fire goes out, he'll die."
"Oh." Her sea-green eyes went wide. "I didn't know. I've never seen something like him before. He's beautiful. They all are." She motioned to his other pokemon.
Pikachu ran over, smelling at Charizard and waving, before looking at the young woman curiously. Togepi just thrilled happily, running over and hugging her leg. Ash watched the interaction curiously, watching as she picked up Togepi and tickled her spiky head, a thrill of laughter as her reward.
"Togepi doesn't just like anyone. I've been trying to find her a good home, but you're the first one she's acted like that around, aside from me." He didn't know why he said it, but it put a smile on the redhead's face.
With Togepi in one arm, she turned towards the lake and scooped up a wooden bowl that Ash hadn't even noticed before. She filled it up with the clear water and presented it to Charizard, who happily lapped the cool liquid up. "This water is special. It can heal pokemon." She motioned to the edge of the trees. "As long as the pokemon are in this circle, they cannot die."
Ash blinked at her. "Seriously? What—?" He cut himself off as he coughed dryly. "Sorry."
"Here." His eyes were seriously starting to play tricks on him, because he knew that flask wasn't at the edge of the lake a moment before, but now she was holding it out to him. "The water doesn't heal people, but it is still water."
Ash sensed a little Marill hiding behind her, realizing that it must have brought the flask from in the water. Feeling a little more comfortable with one mystery solved, he gratefully took it and drank the water.
The girl eyed him curiously the entire time, and he looked at her when he was done. "What?"
"The water was a test," she explained, setting Togepi on the ground again. The Marill quickly ran back to the water, jumping in as the young woman approached the edge of the lake. "It's magic, like I said. Blessed by Arceus himself. It heals pokemon, but people are different. Should they be pure of heart, it's simply water. Should they be monstrous men like those in the woods, they die." She looked over her shoulder at him. "I must admit, I am glad that you passed. It would have been a shame for the pokemon to lose a friend."
"What?" Ash stared at her with wide eyes. "Who are you? What are you?"
"My name is Misty." She took a step out onto the water, but instead of falling in, she walked on top of it, the surface rippling with every step that she took. Misty looked back at him again, a tiny smile on her face. "I'm the guardian of this lake." She took a few more steps and vanished.
...
When the strange boy appeared at the edge of her lake with such sweet creatures that were so badly injured, Misty instantly wanted to lash out at him. Let him feel the wrath of the lake for hurting the innocent. Watching him in secret as he helped them, and then that beautiful Charizard made her change her mind. He genuinely cared about them, and she had never met someone quite like that before.
She watched him from the safety of her lake, knowing that he couldn't see her even if he tried. Though he could use a strange type of magic like she had never seen before, and Misty was more than a bit curious. Then again, she couldn't remember the last time someone who wasn't killed by the waters of her lake had stayed there for more than a day, most taking water before continuing their journeys.
If one of her water-pokemon would have been with her that morning, they might have said in their own language that she was disappointed to see that the young man had vanished from the meadow. The large Charizard was still napping peacefully in the sunlight, but none of the other pokemon were in sight. He must have left, just like the others.
She walked across the soft grass, kneeling next to Charizard and looking at his injuries. They looked much better than the day before.
"Hi."
Misty jumped, putting a hard over her heart as she looked up and met Ash's amused brown eyes. He had a brown bag in his hands, and all of his pokemon friends came out of the woods behind him. He came to her side, kneeling down and offering the bag to Charizard. The creature smelled inside before eagerly eating the berries within.
"I thought you left," she said nonchalantly.
"No, I just needed to get the pokemon something to eat."
"They can't die here."
"You say that's true, but I'm not willing to risk it." He shook his head, messy black hair moving around his face. "Besides, berries can heal, and no offense, Miss Lake Guardian, but your idea was to put a Charizard in water. I think I'll stick around until he's better. Just in case."
She scowled at him fiercely, but his grin only got wider. He left the bigger bag for Charizard, but he also had a smaller one tied to his belt that she hadn't noticed before. "Here, I brought this for you and your Marill. There's enough for other pokemon, if you want them."
Misty blinked with surprise and cautiously took the bag from him. The lake water said he was pure of heart, and she knew to trust it, so she wasn't necessarily afraid that he was trying to hurt her. She just couldn't remember the last time she had interacted with someone who was kind to her without any other intentions. Some men that she met thought that she was simply a normal girl stranded there and tried to take advantage of that, but the lake always punished those who tried.
She tasted one of the berries herself, and Misty felt like her mouth was exploding with pleasure from the sweet taste. She smiled broadly and said, "I can't remember the last time I tried something like this. Actual food."
"You don't eat?"
"No." She shrugged and moved to the water, dipping a finger into the surface. A moment later, half a dozen pokemon popped out, and she handed each of them a berry. "I don't need sustenance, and I don't feel hunger. Funnily though, I can taste things when I eat. Perhaps that's a bit of a punishment." Even as she said it, Misty knew it wasn't true. Her real punishment wasn't something so silly.
Ash looked like he wanted to ask more questions, but he didn't and for that, Misty was grateful. He was kind, and he had a good heart, but she didn't trust him. Not yet, at least.
...
Ash stayed to care for the Charizard, and Misty admitted to her pokemon that she was grateful for the sudden company. It had nothing to do with the fact that he would go into the woods every morning and return with different varieties of fruit and vegetables that could be found there. It made sense for him to search for food, he didn't have the luxury that she and the pokemon had in that safe haven, but the boy didn't seem to mind.
The longer he was there, the braver his pokemon friends seemed to become, spreading out to explore the meadows and the edges of the forest. Some even approached the lake curiously. His Pidgeot, Noctowl and Fletchinder stayed in the tops of the trees and soared through the skies, while Butterfree, Bulbasaur, Cyndaquil, Bayleaf, Sceptile, Turtwig, Chimchair, Tepig, Snivy and Scraggy all spread out, scampering or fluttering about the meadow. The ones who loved the water, Squirtle, Totodile, Oshawott and Froakie were all welcomed into the lake, and her own pokemon were quite happy to have some new friends.
"Ow." Misty put her finger in her mouth when she accidentally cut it on one of Totodile's claws.
"I thought you couldn't get hurt like that." Ash tilted his head curiously.
"I can't die. I can still get hurt really badly. It just heals, eventually."
Ash just shook his head.
"I can't believe so many are with you." Misty told him in awe. The only pokemon that never seemed to leave Ash's side were Pikachu and Lucario, while the Togepi had become attached to her hip when she was above water. "Where'd you find them all?"
Ash's smile was bitter as he stared at them, watching Pikachu and Ria talk to the healing Charizard. "I saved most of them. There were more that followed me through the woods. I kept them safe and found them good homes. These are the ones who refused to go with anyone else."
"Huh," she plopped a berry into her mouth, chewing thoughtfully. Togepi thrilled and she giggle, giving the baby pokemon one as well. "Do you mind me asking why you're being hunted?" At his surprised expression, she clarified what she meant. "You saved these pokemon, you were running from something when you got here with some injured ones, and those men in the woods said as much. Is it because of your powers?"
"Well..." He hesitated, "I guess you deserve an answer. Letting us stay at your lake and all." Ash held out his hand, a tiny, glowing sphere appearing above it. "Have you heard of Aura before?"
"Yes. It's life energy," Misty nodded her head, long strands of red hair falling into her face. She reached out and touched the aura sphere, feeling it tingle against her skin.
"That's right. Well, when I was really little, my mother found out that I had the ability to manipulate it. It's really rare. No one could believe that a common widow who sold seasonal fruits and vegetables could have a child with that gift. It made me angry to hear people say that about my mother. I made it my goal to be the best Aura Guardian in the world."
It was obvious from his tone that Ash adored his mother very much. She put her hand on his arm and asked, "Your mother, is she...?"
"Dead? No." The relief in his voice was palpable as he shook his head. "I ran to her first, but I knew I couldn't stay. I left a Mr. Mime to protect her and kept running. She'll be okay, even if I never see her again." He took a deep breath and continued to his story. "When I left home for training, I was instantly pegged as a strange kid. Every other Aura Guardian had a Riolu as their first pokemon companion. Mine was Pikachu. I met him on the way there, and he hated me."
"Really?" She was surprised, because it was so obvious that Pikachu adored him now.
Ash nodded his head, smiling as he watched Pikachu scamper across Charizard's shoulders, causing the larger creature to smile. "I saved him, he saved me, and we became best friends. Pikachu can't use Aura though, so I was seen as a bit of an outcast. Later on I found an egg that hatched into Ria." He nodded towards the Lucario. "So it became a little bit better. She was born too early and was smaller than most, so we were still underestimated. The other trainees and I didn't get along, but my mentor, Riley, was a really good friend. Even the head Aura Guardian, Sir Aaron, was very kind." Ash's smile instantly fell. "Then the good King died. No one's quite sure how. An evil, twisted man took his place, and that made people say it was murder. The Aura Guardians had plans to stop him, but there was a traitor who found out. The King's army attacked, slaying everyone they could find, even the young children and the pokemon eggs that were there. Riley found me in the chaos and told me to save the pokemon, to run with them and survive so that Aura would live on." Ash frowned, looking to the ground. "I didn't want to, but I still ran. I left them all."
Misty looked down at the ground, eyes sad at hearing such a tragedy. She reached out, grasping his hand with her own, and he looked up at her. "It wasn't cowardice that made you run. If even one survives, sometimes that's enough. All these pokemon might have died. You as well. If you had stayed and perished, that poor Charizard probably would have died. He was out of my area of control." She squeezed his hand. "And I never would have gotten the chance to meet you. We both have similar tragedies in our past. Maybe it wasn't just happenstance that you ended up here."
Ash was going to ask what she meant by similar tragedies, but he decided not to. She seemed almost ragged after hearing his tale. Just one for that day was enough. He held her hand, enjoying the warmth because she was right. While he didn't care about his own fate, there was a good chance all of the pokemon that were now happily playing in the field and water would have been killed.
For the first time since he ran, Ash thought that, just maybe, he had done the right thing.
...
Charizard was fully healed, thanks to a combination of the magical water, natural berries and a little bit of Ash's power. Oddly enough, the fire-type didn't fly away. He did soar in the skies and would leave sometimes to explore, but he always came back to settle by the lake, or sometimes he would just lounge around them.
Likewise, though he originally claimed to only be there to help Charizard, Ash hadn't left either. Misty found herself feeling a little bit of hope with every day that she rose from the water and he was still there. One night, she even stayed out of the water, laying in the grass and listening to stories about the world outside of her meadow.
Ash learned more about her. He couldn't remember the last time he laughed as much as he had when a Weedle came up to her, and she screamed and disappeared into her lake. He was even getting used to that. She was a beauty, and she absolutely adored the pokemon, laughing and playing with all of them (except the bugs that came too close, barring Butterfree), telling stories and making sure that they were okay. She took things the wrong way quite often, and her anger was positively explosive and fierce. It was almost fascinating to see.
"I have a hidden grotto here," Misty said one day, when she was watching him fill in the earth that he dug up earlier. He promised to plant berry bushes within her boundaries so that she herself could grow and tend to them. She and the pokemon might not have needed food, but they were always a nice treat.
"A what?"
"It's a cave beneath the water. I keep things that people leave behind," she explained. "Would you like to see?"
"I can't breathe in water like you can," he pointed out with a laugh, finishing with the last of the seeds. He looked up towards the darkening sky, and frowned. There was no need to water them, there was a storm coming anyway, but he was worried about the pokemon.
"There's air in the cave," she assured him. "You'd just have to hold your breath until we got there. For just the storm. Your pokemon could go to the caves in the mountain." She pointed to the large expanse of rock that was behind the trees on one side. "They should still be there."
"I'll take them there," Ash nodded his head. "Hide them to keep them uninjured." Just because they couldn't die in her meadow didn't mean that they couldn't come close. "If there's time, I'll come back. If not, I'll wait there with them and return tomorrow."
"Alright." She frowned and sounded so disappointed that it made his heart drop.
Misty had been right about there being large caves that even Charizard could fit in. He curled up in the back, leaving his tail out so that the other pokemon could crowd around to keep warm. The rain was already falling and the wind was starting to pick up, so Ash planned on staying there. As he counted the pokemon that were in there though, he realized that there were two that were not.
"Ria!" He yelled to his Lucario, who jolted up and looked at him. "Keep everyone safe. I need to go find Pikachu and Togepi. I might not be back."
He ran through the woods, glad that he didn't have his cape and hat to slow him down. He slipped on the mud and the slick vegetation, until he finally came back to the clearing.
Misty was still out of the water, shielding Pikachu and Togepi from the wind. Pikachu yelled and pointed, but it was too hard to hear over the gusting air. The redhead turned towards him and nodded towards the lake. He understood. It would be stupid to try and run back to the caves now. Despite all his apprehension, Ash took Pikachu into one arm and her hand into his free one. She grasped Togepi tightly and yelled, "Hold your breath!" Then they all plunged into the water.
Ash had swam in his fair amount of streams, rivers, lakes and even oceans, but never before had he been in water that was so clear. While the surface was rough, everything below was so peaceful and calm. Misty guided them through the water quickly and effortlessly, leading them into a tunnel deep beneath the surface, twisting around a few corners, before they went up again, surfacing in a dark cavern.
Ash gasped for breath, as did Pikachu and Togepi, but he was also in awe. It was hard to see anything there, but it was truly a cave beneath the water that wasn't filled with water. He wondered how that worked.
"Come." Misty guided him forward, apparently able to see when he couldn't. Ash eventually ran into rock, and she helped him and the pokemon out onto solid ground. "This is my grotto."
She sounded so excited that he almost didn't want to point out that he couldn't see. Thinking quickly, Ash created an Aura Sphere in his hand, looking around curiously. There were so many different odds and ends on the cavern walls, like natural shelves for anything that she found. There were some other holes and tiny tunnels around, probably made by Diglett, let fresh air into the room. "Wow." It actually was pretty impressive.
His eyes caught sight of a couple gemstones sticking into the wall and he grinned at her. "Watch." He pressed the Aura Sphere into one, and then moved his hand. One by one, all of the gemstones lit up, making it much easier to see, even if the only light source was a blueish-green.
Misty clapped her hands together excitedly. "That's amazing! How long will it last."
"Until I want it to go out." He shrugged a bit, looking at some of the things that she had there. He frowned when he picked up an ancient dagger. "Wow. How do you have something like this? It's ancient." He immediately felt stupid for the question. She was an immortal lake guardian, time probably meant nothing to her.
Misty came up to his side, touching the blade. "It belonged to my father." He looked at her, completely startled. "I wasn't always what I am now. I was human once too." She turned away from him, walking towards the water.
Ash reached out, grabbing her hand before she could go too far. "Don't go. You don't have to talk about it if you don't want to."
Misty stared away from him before turning to face him with sad eyes. She nodded towards the ground, pulling him with her as she sat at the edge of the water, dipping her feet into the liquid. Ash followed suit, pulling off his boots and rolling up his pants first. Pikachu and Togepi sat on Misty's other side, staring at her curiously.
"There was once a village here. It was a humble place with small houses, generally left alone. No one knew that the residence had been given a special task passed up from generation to generation. It was our job to protect the lake." She smiled slightly. "You see, the water wasn't always like this. It used to cure everything and everyone. Even to the point where it could stop them from dying. It was said to be Arceus' personal healing water. They called it The Waters of Immorality."
Ash's eyes went wide with recognition. He had once heard the legends of a body of water with that name. It was said to have vanished from the face of the earth. "I've heard of it."
Misty nodded. "I was the youngest child of four, with three other sisters that got on my nerves so badly. It's been so long though, that I can barely see their faces anymore." She smiled sadly. "Like in your story, a dark, greedy man came into power. An Emperor. His armies stormed the lands, ravaging it of all the goods they could find. They tortured and killed men, kidnapped and raped women, and threw babies off of high walls. They were horrible." She took a deep breath. "They heard of our lake, and the Emperor wanted it for himself. Of course, none of us knew this."
She fiddled with the soft fabric of her dress. "I loved the lake and the pokemon. I would come here every single day from the moment I could walk. This is where I was when the armies destroyed the town. I ran back and found my sisters but they...they had been..." She was shaking from both sadness and anger, and Ash put his hand on her shoulder. She sighed and leaned into him a little bit. "I was the last one left. They begged me to run, but I didn't. I ran to the lake instead. The Emperor was actually with them. I begged him to stop this war. To stop the bloodshed." Tears welled up in her eyes. "He didn't listen to me. I know I shouldn't be surprised but..."
"It's okay," Ash insisted, worry lacing his voice. "You don't have to tell me the rest."
"No." She turned to face him a little more, taking the hand that wasn't around her shoulders into her own. "I just, it's hard. He laughed at me. I can't remember my sisters' faces, but I remember that laugh. He laughed and slit my throat and I fell to the edge of the lake. The last thing I saw was my blood running into it."
Ash didn't know what to make of that at all. He pulled his hand out of hers, and didn't hesitate to touch the spot on her neck where there was a distinctive scar that he hadn't noticed before now. Now that he knew what it was, how it had come to be, he couldn't help but notice it. He didn't even realize how badly his hand was shaking until she took it into hers. "Then Arceus destroyed them."
"What?" His eyes snapped from her scar, back to her eyes.
"Arceus saw their violence, and their greed. When my blood touched the lake, the water became tainted and cursed. None of them realized this. Instead of healing them or making them immortal, it killed them. Pokemon were considered innocent by him, so they can still live here without fear of death. People with pure hearts, people like you, are spared." She looked down at their intertwined hands before looking back up at him. "There is still a little bit of the original water left. It's been locked away for so long, so concentrated, that should someone drink it, they'll become immortal. Arceus could have destroyed this, but he didn't. Instead, he gave me new life. I don't know why he chose me, but he did. I was made to be the guardian of the lake, to protect the last drops of the water and the pokemon that came here for healing and shelter."
"That must have been a long time ago," Ash said, and she nodded. "It must have been lonely."
"I have my pokemon here, and others visit," Misty told him. "But yes, it is very lonely. When I was young, I wanted to travel. It was a foolish dream for a girl, I know. I wanted to make new friends and see all the oceans. I know I'll never be able to see the oceans now, but I still wish for friends someday."
Ash once again took his hand out of hers, moving it up under her chin to make her look at him. "I might not be able to do anything about the ocean, but...I can definitely be your friend."
The smile that crossed Misty's face was so genuine and happy that it made him smile too. She leaned forward and he met her half way in a deep kiss.
...
Happiness was so easily shattered. They heard the crashing of the trees as the dark knights stormed through the them.
"Hide with them," Ash urged Misty once she got all of the pokemon she could do her grotto. The others took off to hide in the woods and the caves in the mountains. "They're not here for you."
"No, they're here for you, so I'm not going."
Ash wanted to argue with her, but the trees split open with a thunderous crack, and a man appeared, riding on the back of an enslaved Rapidash. This wasn't a knight though, this tall, imposing figure was King Giovanni.
"This boy attacked us with Aura!" One of the knights behind him yelled.
"So I've heard," Giovanni's eyes turned from Ash to Misty. "We've come on time."
"Come on time?" Ash repeated with alarm.
"Don't you know, boy? When one of my men I sent to watch told me of the girl that could walk on water, I knew what this was the place. The Waters of Immorality." They both tensed up. "You must know the story of a beautiful water creature that lures people in and kills them, using the sacrifice to make the waters immortal for herself."
"That's not true."
"No? What did you think would happen?" Giovanni motioned to their intertwined hands. "She'd fall in love with you? Wait while you turn into an old man and die while she stays the same?" Misty glared at him fiercely. "Oh, what's this?" The smile that spread across his face was alarming. "She does love you." He got off his Rapidash, still tall and imposing as he unsheathed his sword. He lashed out at them, and Ash let go of Misty, throwing both of his arms out to create a barrier. He yelped with alarm when the vines of a pokemon wrapped around him and dragged him away from Misty, even as she screamed his name.
"I was just hoping to collect the water from his sacrifice, but this works just as well. Give me the water I know you keep, monster, and he lives." Misty took a step away from Giovanni, even as Ash struggled. "I give you my word."
"Don't listen to him, Mist!" Ash grunted as he was slammed into the ground.
"I'd rather die," Misty spat at Giovanni, slashing out herself and trying to hit him. A knight grabbed her, restraining her arms.
"Interesting." Giovanni put his blade to her neck. "I wonder what happens if we remove your head? Does it grow back?" She spat on his face and he slapped her face. "You stupid abomination." He brought his hand with the sword up into the air.
"No!" Ash's Aura exploded out of him, throwing off the pokemon that was holding him and the men around him. He used it to shoot forward faster than he would normally be able to, but there wasn't enough power left over to throw up a shield.
Misty screamed loudly, and pain rushed through Ash's body as the sword stabbed through his chest. Giovanni growled, jerking the sword back out and letting his blood run free.
Ash fell backwards into Misty and then both topped to the ground. She held onto him tightly, tears springing into her angry eyes. "Why did you do that, you idiot? I can't die."
"No, but they could keep hurting you and that's worse," he choked out, eyes fluttering. "Better me than you."
She shook her head, burying her face into his hair and listening as his breathing halted, his heartbeat slowing to a stop. Then she sobbed. Misty couldn't remember the last time she had felt so much pain and hatred. The King laughed cruelly, his men repeating the sound. One of her hands was still curled around Ash, holding him to her chest, but the other turned into a shaking fist.
The water of the lake started to move and bubble. Misty looked up at Giovanni with hatred that she hadn't felt for a very long time. "You want the water? Have it."
The lake water lashed out in a giant wave, encompassing everyone in the meadow. Misty watched beneath the water as the men struggled, unable to breath. A small, grim smile appeared on her lips when she watched them realize that the air wasn't what they had to worry about. Their skin changed, becoming almost crystal-like, starting at their finger tips and spreading across their bodies. By the time the water receded, every single on of them was frozen.
An angered roar echoed through the air, and Misty looked up just in time to see Charizard appear from beyond the trees. His Flamethrower slammed into the statues, and when the fire let up, they were almost completely gone. The last bits of the ice and the puddles that remained faded away. Despite the legend, Arceus didn't want his lake to be tainted.
"Pikapi!" Pikachu jumped off of Charizard's back, rushing over to where Misty knelt with Ash. He nudged the young man, shaking him to try to get him to wake up.
Misty's already broken heart shattered a little bit more, but then it occurred to her that she still had a choice to make. She reached up to the necklace that she wore, yanking on it to take it off. She let Ash's body lean against her, reaching both her arms around him and twisting the metal out of the top of the tear-shaped gemstone. She hesitated for only a moment before putting it to Ash's lips and tilting it back, letting the water inside run into his mouth.
They all watched as a glow spread across his body, and the stab wound began healing itself. A moment later, Ash gasped violently, his eyes snapping open and looking around with confusion.
"Pikapi!" Pikachu jumped into Ash's arms, nuzzling his face into his shirt.
"I don't...what happened?" Ash looked up at Misty with confusion. "The King?"
"He's dead. They all are." Misty showed him the gemstone. "I used the water to save you. I—maybe it was selfish of me." She took a sharp rock and drew it across his hand, causing Pikachu and Charizard to both cry out in disapproval. Ash just gaped as the wound sealed itself. "You're...well..."
"I'm immortal." He breathed out.
"You're immortal," she agreed, almost shamefully, because she knew the price of immorality. Loneliness was a horrible, horrible thing.
Ash pushed himself up, looking around at her with wide eyes. "You're still immortal, even though you don't have water to protect?"
"I still have the lake and the pokemon," she pointed out, wondering what he was getting at.
"Then it's okay. I...maybe if you weren't here it wouldn't be but it's okay Misty. We'll stay together. You can't leave but we can build a little house or something at the edge of the woods, and we can—." Misty cut him off as she kissed him.
Ash was right. Loneliness was the price of immortality, but they weren't alone anymore, and they never would be ever again.
...
Note
I originally wanted to do Aura Guardian and mermaid but it's been done and then I read about Naiads (water nymphs) and got the idea for something similar and here we are.
I've been watching way too much Once Upon A Time lately.
Well, tomorrow's actually Pokeshipping Day and we'll be back in The Road You Choose universe!
Written: Skylight Sparkle
Edited by: CLAVUS