Lance: *Gives Phantomness the Death Glare of DOOM*

Phantomness: *Shrugs*

Shoyko: *Floats* is this darkfic?

Phantomness: Not yet, unless Lance dies.

Lance: >.<

 

Disclaimer: No, I don’t own pokemon. ^-^ Only destiny, new pokes, the plotbunnies…

Notes: <> for telepathy, ** for thoughts, italics for pokemon talking.

Timeline: 4 days later

 

Chapter 8: Recuperation

 

            Lance had finally started getting better, even though she was still bedridden most of the time. At least she was managing to keep semi-solid food down. She looked rather emaciated though. But the fever had broken.

            Of course, she had lost almost eight pounds.

            That was serious because the Dragon Master did not have the weight to spare.

            Ash propped her up against four layers of pillows and fed her the raspberry jelly spoonful by spoonful, knowing that if she couldn’t keep it down, she’d get sicker.

            Sleepy blue eyes studied him thoughtfully.

            “Ash?”

            “Mm?”

            “I can’t eat any more.” Lance said, feebly pushing the bowl away. Ash got the hint and put the gelatin down, sitting next to her.

            “Can I help?” Ash said, knowing she was still in pain.

            “Tell me a story.”

            Ash blinked. “A story? About what?”

            “Anything. Faeries, maybe, or a baby pokemon…”

            Ash nodded as he closed his eyes. “Okay then. Let’s see, where should I begin…”

 

            He spun a tale of spiders and maidens who lost their slippers while fishing, a tale of palaces hidden under giant waterfalls and a little Cleffa who was at the center of it all.

            It took almost three hours in the telling. Afterwards, he fed Lance some more jelly, as well as a few slices of apple, before she fell asleep again.

            Sighing, he kept keep an eye on her for another hour before Charlotte came and took her shift.

 

            The fire master sighed and fed a little bit of fire energy into the dragon master, just enough to help a tiny bit, as dragons could absorb small amounts of the four base elements.

            Lance stirred but stayed like a log.

            Charlotte picked up her copy of ‘Pilgrim’s Progress’ and perused for almost two hours, before she got up to get a glass of water. Lance stirred and woke up.

            “Want me to get you something?”

            Lance nodded.

            “Okay, just a second.” Charlotte returned with hot chocolate and a bowl of split pea soup. Lance managed to get all of it down, and drowsily fell asleep again.

            “Hope you get better soon.” Charlotte whispered.

 

            She stayed until the end of her stint, and then Lorelei took her place. The ice guardian lowered Lance’s temperature a little more, just in case another bout of fever struck. She helped Lance walk around the room a few times to stretch her legs, before the weak and shivery trainer got under the comforters again.

            At least it was slowly getting better.

            The situation was changing for the better.

 

            Four days later, Lance was finally well again.

            Ash sat next to her as they basked in the warm sunlight outside the Plateau, enjoying triple thick strawberry malts.

            “Are you feeling a little better now?”

            Lance cracked a grin. “Definitely. Anything is preferable to being helpless and bedridden all day.”

            “Ah.”

 

            “Besides, my pokemon needed the exercise too.” Lance said, as they watched her dragons fly around in the air.

            Ash nodded as he slipped his hand into hers.

            They rested on the pink propylene chairs, stirring their iced desserts with straws.

            Lance had finished her malt and was now ordering fries from the waitress, who declared that they would be on her, swooning at the sight of ‘two’ bishonen in her fast food restaurant.

            < I find it amusing. > Lance said.

            < I’m sure many hearts would be broken if your secret ever got out. >

            < Perhaps. > Lance mused.

 

            After they had devoured the fries, the two walked around the nearby park, admiring the river that flowed through it.

            Was it a stream of purity in a world of corruption?

            Ash didn’t know. Frankly, he didn’t care much either. He and Lance sat down on the grass and chatted amiably.

            It was late at night when they finally returned.

 

            Charlotte and Lorelei had been toasting marshmallows in the fireplace. The two waved briefly, before bending over their roasting sticks once again.

            Ash waved back.

            “Funny, isn’t it?”

            “What, Lance?”

            ‘Fate.” The trainer said simply before they both went into her room.

 

           

            And as the darkness spread, Ash reflected that it was actually quite simple.

            He woke up the next morning with a headache. Having memories crammed into your skull overnight wasn’t pleasant.

            There was a lot of information to sort through. He wondered how Lance dealt with it.

            He went back to sleep.

            The guardians could phase out of normal life for long periods of time without ill effects, he reflected.

            He slept for a month.

           

End Chapter