Story Notes:
This may become a bit of a Naruto crossover, but no characters from the series will appear, this I promise.
The Snow Princess
Cassandra awoke at the sound of birds singing outside the window. She felt the arms of Lord Ashton embracing her from behind. She looked back at his gentle face. He was smiling as he dreamed. Her dream had been even more lovely than usual. Cassandra gently touched her most sacred spot on her body as she thought back to her dream. She could feel her master mounting her and filling her as they made passionate love. She would give anything for that dream to be a reality. She raised a paw to her lips, savoring the memory of their kiss from the night before.
"Master, I never thought it would be you who would kiss me first. Could it be that I mean more to you than you're letting on?" Cassandra looked back at her master and shook her head. She knew that he was intelligent, but was a little dense when it came to noticing the deepest desires and attractions of people. She was sure it would take some time for Ashton to truly realize her feelings for him.
Cassandra carefully slipped out of her master's embrace and quietly snuck out of the room. She was about to run down the hall to the front door when she nearly ran into Zandria, who was pushing a cart with their breakfast on it.
"Whoa! Cassandra, I swear, if you were anymore of a daydreamer, you would have made me spill both yours' AND the master's breakfast all over you!" Cassandra bowed, "Sorry, Lady Zandria! I'm just feeling very happy at the moment! Bye!" As Cassandra ran down the hall to the front door, Zandria yelled, "Wait, don't you want some breakfast first?!" Cassandra replied, "I'm OK! Please place it in the freezer and I'll eat it later!" Zandria shook her head while grinning slightly. "Cassandra, you are a real bundle of energy. I have to wonder how Lord Ashton endures her."
Ashton awoke to the yelling outside his bedroom. As he got dressed in his favorite all purpose clothing, Zandria walked in with his breakfast. It was the same as yesterday. "My apologies, my lord, but we are low on stock with breakfast foods." Ashton thanked her, "Thanks for the notice. I'll order a shipment today. How is Ruby doing?" Zandria replied, "She is doing fine this morning. I think she was a little freaked out to find that you were not with her. Other than that, she enjoyed my cooking again."
Just as Ashton finished up his breakfast, Zandria asked, "My Lord, may I ask you a question?" Ashton gave her a look of interest. It wasn't normal for her to sound sincere when asking a question. "What do you think of Ruby?" He replied, "Well, she is very important to me. She is enjoyable to be around. She seems to like everyone here. Why do you ask?" Zandria blushed, "Oh, you know me! Always wanting to know everything there is to know about potential rivals! Hehehehe..." Ashton gave her a funny look, "Rivals? In what respect?" Her whole face turned as pink as a peach. Without saying a word, Zandria gathered the dirty plates and shuffled off to the kitchen, leaving Ashton puzzled.
Ashton had a hunch that he would find trouble today, so he took his Flamberge sword off the wall before he left for the market. However, when he was about to leave the manor, he felt a slight chill blow him from behind. "Is that you, Aurora?" Ashton felt her large head nuzzle his face. "Yes, it is I. May I accompany you on your errands?" He caressed her face, "Of course you may come." She stayed by his side as they walked out the door. A sudden breeze caught Aurora's deep blue mane, making it quaver more than it usually did. Ashton took this time to notice how Aurora stayed directly at his right side at all times. Could it be that she considered herself as his wife? He shook his head. Of course she didn't.
After her master and 'sister' left for the market, Cassandra went about her duties of trimming the bushes in the garden. However, she had her eyes closed, was prancing about, and sounded as if she was singing. Zandria had decided to eat her breakfast outside and noticed Cassandra using Razor Wind without even aiming! To her surprise, the Razor Wind attacks trimmed the bush sculptures with much more detail. Zandria could make out the eyes, hair, even the texture of the fur! Something must have been on Cassandra's mind that boosted her performance.
As soon as Zandria took a seat on a stone bench, she was startled by a loud squeal of giddiness from Cassandra. She was just rolling around in a flower bed. "Oh Zandria, isn't it wonderful?!" Zandria gave her a glance of partial interest, "What, you flattening your flowers?" Cassandra stopped and embraced a thick patch of flowers and buried her head in them. "I can't remember the last time I felt so happy! It's such a wonderful feeling being in love! I'm so happy, I can't stand it! Oh, those gentle brown eyes. His raven colored hair. That angelic face. I want him!" Cassandra went on and on about her love while Zandria tried to deduce who she was referring to.
"Gentle brown eyes..... Raven colored hair...An angelic face...?" Zandria felt a strange burning sensation in her chest when she realized who Cassandra was in love with. Cassandra noticed Zandria clutching her chest. "Are you OK, Lady Zandria?" Zandria stuttered, "Er, uh, just some heartburn. I'll be fine." She gathered her plate up and ran back to the kitchen. After that, Zandria ran to her room and locked the door.
After searching through her drawers, Zandria found what she was looking for. It was the birthday gift that Ashton had given to her. It was a special circlet with a small opal in the center. As Zandria gazed at it, she felt tears building in her eyes. "Master, the day you came into my life, I have always loved you more than life itself. I know that I can be rude at times. I sometimes argue with your other servants. Even then, I love you and I don't want to lose you to someone else. I want to be with you forever." She collapsed onto her bed while grasping the circlet, weeping bitter tears as she wondered if she would ever find love with her master.
Ashton walked through the market while keeping his left hand on Aurora. He wasn't about to let anything else happen to his loved ones after nearly losing Ruby the day before. They came to the shipping district, where Ashton made an order for food supplies. After the order was made, Ashton and Aurora decided to do some browsing through the market.
After searching through some shops and stalls, Ashton and Aurora heard the sound of an auction in the town square. As they approached the small group that had gathered in front of the stage, Ashton could hear what the auctioneer was saying, "Gather round, everyone! I have here an extremely rare Beast! A real snow wolf! Feast your eyes on it!" He pulled a curtain off of a rather small cage. While all the other viewers gasped in awe, Ashton and Aurora felt their hearts sink. Inside the cage was an albino Mightyena. However, she seemed horribly malnourished. She seemed weak and several odd-looking spots could be seen on her fur, as if there were infected wounds underneath them.
"She needs medical attention. I have to help her." Ashton stepped forward as the auctioneer tried to think up a starting bid. He yelled, "I wish to purchase that Mightyena! I offer..." Just as he was about to shout his bid, a shower of arrows were fired at Ashton from all directions! "Lord Ashton! Do not move!" Aurora dashed in front of him and used Gust to blow the arrows back at their users. Her aim was sure as the arrows ripped through the strings of the bows, rendering them useless. "Thank you, Aurora. Now, who set this up?!" When he yelled that, heavy wooden gates fell in place, closing off all passages leading in and out of the square! The auctioneer laughed, "You aren't going anywhere, Sir Ashton!"
Ashton placed his hand on the hilt of his Flamberge. All the bidders turned to face him. Both Ashton and Aurora could tell by their eyes that this was a setup. "Heh, your bleeding heart would be the death of you someday, Ashton. Now that day has come!" Ashton gritted his teeth, "You put a Pokemon up for auction with the hopes that I would show up to purchase her?! Monsters!" Aurora whispered, "My lord, there is something unusual about these ruffians. I can sense something..... Dark. Very dark." Ashton replied, "I know. I recognize them. They are all members of the Black Wing, rogue knights who specialize in combat on dragon back. However, newcomers must earn that privilege. Since they don't have any dragons, they must be the weakest members." This remark seemed to tick them off. "Just because we aren't allowed to ride dragons doesn't mean we can't take you down!"
The group of criminals, about twenty total, surrounded Ashton and Aurora. They all drew a wide variety of weapons. Short swords, spears, axes, wave swords, daggers, even a zweihander sword like Ashton's! Out of fear for her life, Ashton whispered to Aurora, "Aurora, please. You must escape. Your large form makes you an easy target. Go, now!" Aurora replied, "Forgive me, my lord, but I can't comply with that order. I will face these demons with you. I won't leave you now." Ashton grinned, "Heh, you always were headstrong. Fine, but keep your distance from me. This sword of mine has a long reach."
"CHARGE!" The ringleader ordered the attack on the Vulcan Warrior. In the blink of an eye, Aurora plowed right through one side of the circle of enemies with her great speed! At that moment, Ashton grabbed the hilt of his sword and performed a very wide slash, neatly cleaving about eight of his opponents in half at the waist. Even though he was still outnumbered, Ashton still held his own with great reflexes and making very frequent wide slashes to keep his enemies at bay. Aurora created a wave of water and swept some of the thugs off their feet. She then quickly froze them into the wave with an Ice Beam!
When there were just five thugs left standing, the 'auctioneer' decided to do away with the Mightyena. Ashton saw him draw a sword and face the Mightyena. As the auctioneer was about to skewer her, Ashton threw his sword at him! Without even knowing what happened, the auctioneer was impaled against a wooden pole. However, this left Ashton defenseless. Taking the opportunity, the five remaining thugs charged him.
Aurora noticed that Ashton was in no position to defend himself and used Gust to blow them into walls with great force, knocking them out cold and breaking some bones in the process. Ashton breathed a sigh of relief, "Thank you, Aurora. It would seem that sending you away would have been a bad idea after all." Aurora blushed, "Well, you were always the brawn and I've always been the brains!" She was about to giggle, but stopped when she saw Ashton approaching the cage that held the Mightyena.
After removing his Flamberge from the body of the auctioneer, Ashton quickly shattered the cage with a single swing. Even though the Mightyena had not been injured in the fight, she was barely conscious. Ashton gently lifted her head with one hand and caressed her face. He then inspected the strange spots of fur on her body and found heavily infected open wounds under them. Oh so carefully, he sheathed his sword and picked up the Mightyena in his arms. "Aurora, we need to get back to the manor at once. I need your assistance." Understanding the situation, Aurora lowered her body so her master could mount her. Once he was seated, Aurora ran towards the manor faster than the wind. Ashton had to smash one of the wooden barriers for them to leave. After one of them had been turned into a splintered pile, the threesomes were gone, leaving a gruesome scene of death in their wake.
Atop a bell tower overlooking the town square, a lone man frowned. "Heh, I should have guessed that newcomers wouldn't have had the strength to kill him." A lone Dragonair growled deeply. "Be patient, my pet. The time will come for you to tear the Vulcan Warrior's head from his body. However, we must be cautious and plan our meeting with him carefully." Before anyone could notice the silhouette atop the tower, they were gone.
During the setup, Ruby tried on her maid uniform. Thinking that she would be charged with cleaning the manor, she searched through her room and found a feather duster. Using her acute sense of smell, she sniffed out thin layers of dust on furniture and dusted them thoroughly. When she was about to enter Serenade's room, Ruby thought it would be best to knock first. After a few taps on the door, Ruby heard Serenade reply, "Come in." Ruby greeted her, "Good day, Lady Serenade. Allow me to check for dust. Hmm? What are those?" Ruby pointed to a bunch of odd tools. Serenade explained, "These are medical tools. I'm the nurse here, so if you are hurt or sick, just come see me. Um, why do you seem confused?" Ruby joked, "Now I don't know whether I should call you Lady Serenade or Doctor Serenade!" After having a good laugh, Serenade inspected the bruise on Ruby's head. It had disappeared, so she removed the bandage.
After Serenade prepared some tea for herself and Ruby, her guest asked, "Lady Serenade, may I ask a question about Lord Ashton?" Serenade grinned, "Of course you can. I've been with him all my life, so I'm sure I know the answer." Ruby gulped. This question might be better off unasked, but she wanted to know. "Have you ever seen Lord Ashton suddenly become covered with flames? When I was kidnapped yesterday, he and his sword were engulfed with flames. He also seemed...different. Very angry." Serenade set down her cup of tea and frowned. "What you saw was his hidden power being unleashed. Ever since he was a child, he has had that power within his body. That was how he became known as the Vulcan Warrior. He has control of fire when it is active." Ruby was silent for a moment. "Lady Serenade, have you seen him like that before?" Thinking that Ruby had a right to know, she explained, "The first time I ever saw him like that was when we were just five years old. I was still a tiny Ralts at the time. That day, brigands attacked us. My parents were wounded when they tried to protect us. The brigands tried to capture us, thinking we could be sold for great profit. Ashton... He was so traumatized by the brutality towards us. He had no memory of his own family, so my parents looked after him. He was one of our own. When he stared at their unconscious bodies and heard me call his name, that's when it happened. His dormant fury was awakened and he killed the brigands with his bare hands. After that, we were all taken in by close friends of his family. It took weeks for Ashton to return to his calm, gentle self. I never wanted to see him like that ever again." Serenade placed her face in her hands and let her tears fall.
Ruby tried to comfort Serenade, "It's OK. I know how you felt. When I saw Lord Ashton look at me with those angry eyes, I honestly thought that he was going to kill me. But after he killed my captors and held me, I knew that he would never hurt me or any of you." Serenade wiped away her tears, "Thank you, Ruby. You're right, I know that even when he is at his angriest, Lord Ashton would never try to harm us. Huh?" Ruby and Serenade jumped at the sound of the front door being opened forcefully. They heard Ashton yell, "Serenade! I need your medical services!" Serenade gathered up her tools and ran down the hall with Ruby in tow.
"In here! Hurry!" Serenade and Ruby ran into the bathroom where Ashton was waiting. Serenade saw him seated near what seemed to be an albino Mightyena. She was out cold. She was also emaciated. "Lord Ashton, I must ask you to leave us. I fear I will have to operate." Ashton placed his hand on Ruby's shoulder and led her out of the room. They heard Serenade lock the door. "Lord Ashton, will she be all right?" He looked down and didn't answer. Ruby begged, "Is it bad? What happened?" He finally replied, "I'm sorry, but I really do not think that Serenade can save her. I hope she will survive, but I have my doubts." Ruby tried to remain positive, but she had a hunch that her master was right.
Ashton entered his room and shut the door. He opened a chest where he kept certain small objects. Quickly, he opened a secret compartment. Inside was a vial containing a special liquid. Carefully removing the vial from the chest, Ashton closed it and left the room. "I hope that this can save her. I have nothing else that may help." He stopped in front of the door to the bathroom and knocked. "Serenade, may I enter?" Ashton heard the lock open and entered. He felt his heart sink when he saw the infected wounds carefully cut open and drained. However, she did not seem to be doing any better.
"Lord Ashton, I fear she only has an hour to live. I'm sorry that I could not save her." Ashton held out the vial to her, "Pour this into her wounds." Serenade gasped, "My Lord, isn't that...?" He nodded, "Indeed. If we don't use this on her, she will surely perish. Please." Serenade took the potion and carefully poured it into the open wounds. After the whole potion had been used up, the wounds began to close while giving off a gentle blue glow. The Mightyena's breathing became stable. Even some of her white fur grew over the sealed wounds. Serenade breathed a sigh of relief. Her patient was going to live.
Serenade bowed, "Thank you. I'm sure she will be most grateful when she hears that you used such a precious medicine on her." To Serenade's shock, her master frowned, "Somehow, I don't think she will be happy at all. I just hope that I'm wrong. I'm going to ask Zandria to prepare a special meal for her since she seems to have not eaten in days." Serenade stayed behind to watch over the Mightyena. As Ashton walked to the kitchen, he felt immense relief that she was going to live.
As Ashton neared the Kitchen, he stopped at the sound of Zandria yelling. Was she having trouble perfecting a new recipe? She did tend to get feisty when having a hard time getting a new recipe just right. However, when Ashton got closer, he could hear her perfectly, "OK big man, TALK! What were you doing seeking in through the window?!" A second later, the sound of a knife hitting wood was heard. "Still won't talk, huh? Well then, I'll have you know that I'm in the mood for a certain dish that requires human flesh. And your body seems to be just right for it." Ashton ran into the kitchen to see Zandria twirling a knife around in her left hand, the one without claws. Ahead of her was a man tied to a large wooden board with many knives outlining his body. He also noticed a certain dark spot in the center of his pants.
"Zandria, what is the meaning of this?!" Zandria looked at her master, "This moron tried to ambush me by sneaking through the window. I decided to interrogate him before serving him as tonight's' meal." Ashton looked at the intruder out of the corner of his eye and saw that he was trying hard to remain calm. A sneaky smirk came across his face, "Oh, that recipe. I must admit that even though I was a little disgusted by the fact that it contained human meat, it was quite delectable. I wouldn't mind having it again." The thief began to sweat heavily at the sight of Ashton drawing his massive sword. "I like my chunks big. Allow me, Zandria." As Ashton approached the thief, he finally screamed, "All right, all right, I'll talk! Just don't cut me up into little pieces and eat me! Please!" Much to Zandria's disappointment, her master lowered his blade.
"I was ordered to infiltrate the Vulcan Warrior's home. I snuck through that window, but was captured by her." Ashton frowned. He could tell by the thief's outfit that he was another member of the Black Wing. After hearing the confession, Ashton grabbed the thief by the collar of his jacket and threw him straight out the window that he had climbed through! Zandria complained, "Oh man, I really wanted to make that dish tonight." Ashton chuckled, "Don't worry, if anymore intruders ever show up, go ahead and use them in your recipes." Zandria licked her lips at the order. Ashton added, "By the way, I need you to prepare a small dish that is highly nutritious and very filling. We have a guest who needs nourishment, but a small amount of food due to a shrunken stomach." Zandria got to work and soon had a special soup made. Ashton made his way back to the room where the Mightyena was resting.
When Ashton returned, he asked Serenade, "How is your patient?" She grinned, "Her condition is still stable." Serenade noticed Ashton holding the bowl of soup and excused herself. Ashton took a seat near the Mightyena. They were now in his bedroom. Ashton gently rubbed her head, slowly awakening his guest. "Welcome back. I hope you enjoy this soup. You need to recover your strength." However, when the Mightyena saw the human next to her, she felt intense hatred and wanted to see him dead. She began to growl fiercely and Ashton could tell. Before she could strike, he ran to the far side of the room. "Please! I only wish to help you! You must eat!"
Laura heard Ashton yelling inside his room while she was dusting some paintings in the hall. She gasped when she saw a Mightyena threatening her master. "HEY! Don't you treat my master like that!" Ashton yelled, "Laura, stay back! I can handle this!" Suddenly, the Mightyena made a lunge for Ashton! However, she fell flat on the floor with a yelp. One of her back legs was broken and wrapped in a bandage. It hurt too much for her to move, let alone stand.
Slowly, Ashton walked over to the Mightyena. She still had intense hatred in her eyes. Ashton sat down in front of her and set the bowl in between them. He spoke, "Try not to use too much strength. You are nearly starving to death. Eat this soup. You will feel much better. I promise." She relaxed slightly as Ashton used a ladle to scoop some soup out of the bowl. He filled it halfway to reduce the risk of spilling it. "Please, open your mouth." Reluctantly, she did as she was told. Ashton poured the soup into her mouth. She shuddered at the delicious flavor. It almost hurt. She slowly swallowed and opened her mouth for more. Laura giggled as her master fed their guest in such a loving manner.
Once the Mightyena finished the soup, Ashton asked, "Laura, please go find Cassandra and bring her here." Laura giggled and was gone. While Ashton waited, he gently caressed the Mightyena's head. She still looked at him with severe distrust. A few minutes later, Cassandra walked in. "You wanted to see me, my lord?" Ashton stood up, "I would like you to ask our guest here some questions about her past. I need to know what she has been through. I recommend that you speak to her in your native tongue. Please excuse me." Ashton left the room and shut the door. Cassandra walked in front of the Mightyena and lay down. "Hmmm. It's been a while since I last spoke in my native tongue. Well, here goes." Cassandra took a moment to clear her throat. She then spoke in her native tongue, "My name is Cassandra. I am a loyal servant and friend of Ashton Ketchum, the boy who helped you earlier. What is your name?" The Mightyena seemed reassured. Cassandra was a canine and a Dark type Pokemon, just like her. She replied, "I do not have a name. I have been in captivity all my life and abused constantly. Because of this, I hate humans. Your 'master' is no exception to me." Cassandra looked pained, "There is no reason for you to hate my master. He saved you when any other human would have let you die. However, if you try to harm him, I will defend him. Now, I must go." Cassandra then left the room and found Ashton right outside the door.
"How is she?" Cassandra shook her head, "She really hates you. I can't say that I blame her. She has no name and has been abused every day of her life." Ashton thanked her and opened the door. "My lord, what are you going to do?" He replied, "I am going to teach her how to speak. Have faith. Once she is fully recovered, I will release her into the wild." He shut the door as Cassandra shed a tear of pride. She was overwhelmed that her master would even give a name to someone who hated him.
Ashton took a certain book off a shelf in his room and took a seat in front of the Mightyena. "I am going to teach you how to speak English, so we can understand each other better. Ready?" The Mightyena just gave him a cold stare. A few hours later, Ashton had almost given up hope. The Mightyena hadn't even tried to learn English. "Please, if you can speak at all, if you learned even one word, please say it!" A moment of silence passed. Aston closed his eyes and placed his face of his palm. "Freak." Ashton looked up. "Did you say that?" She barked another insult, "Moron." Ashton just remained silent. She had every right to be rude to him. "Jerk. Buffoon. Weakling. Stupid!"
Ashton applauded the Mightyena's achievement. Gently, he picked her up in his arms and placed her on his bed. She had succeeded in learning the English language faster than even Zandria and Cassandra! "Miss, if you want, I can give you a name. Would you like me to do that for you?" She just stared coldly at him. Ashton thought for a moment. He looked at her fur. It was as white as snow. He knew of a nation to the northwest were there was snow all year round. They also had interesting accents and names. There was one that popped into his head. "My dear, may I call you "Laika?" She closed her eyes for a moment. Curious, Ashton crawled over to her. Sensing that he was close, she gave him an obvious answer. She licked his chin in one quick motion. Ashton grinned. He then caressed her face, even though she still glared at him.
About an hour later, Ashton consulted Serenade about a room to give to Laika as her own. "I'm sorry my lord, but we only have two remaining guest rooms. We can't afford to lose anymore." Laika felt sure that she would be forced out of the manor. She tried to not look upset, but she wouldn't last long in the wild. She lived in captivity throughout her entire life. Later, as the sun was almost out of sight, Ashton enjoyed dinner with Ruby in her bedroom. The meal they had was the same as yesterday since the new shipment of food had not arrived yet. "Lord Ashton, I'm glad to see that you saved her! Her name is Laika, right?" He nodded, "Indeed. She will be staying with us from now on. Please treat her with respect." Ruby smiled, "OK! My name is Ruby! I hope you enjoy your new life with us, Lady Laika!" Laika's ears perked up when she heard that she would be staying. But where?
Finally, everyone turned in for the night. Ashton tucked Ruby in and stayed by her side until she fell asleep. He then blew out the oil lamp in the room and headed for his room with a candle in hand. Laika was by his side. When they were right outside Ashton's bedroom, she asked, "Master, you said I would be staying with you. So where will I be staying? In a dog house?!" Ashton grinned softly, "Of course not. You will sleep with me." She couldn't believe what she heard. Ashton opened the door and walked over to his side of the bed. However, Laika lay down in front of the bed. To her shock, she felt Ashton pick her up in his arms and set her on the bed. He then pulled the covers over both of them. "Why? Why is he treating me like an equal? I just can't understand it! Is he mocking me?!" Many feelings of anger, hatred, confusion, and sorrow flooded Laika's mind. Suddenly, she felt her master embrace her from behind. He whispered, "I view you differently from other humans. I know that you are a person. Your days in sorrow and pain are over. I promise to fill your life with kindness and respect. Good night, Laika."
As Ashton slept with Laika firmly wrapped in his arms, Laika pondered these new feelings in her heart. No human in her life had ever shown her such kindness and acceptance. He even risked his life to save her from her captors. Out loud, she whispered, "Thank you....." A single tear trickled down her muzzle. She soon fell asleep. But just before that, Laika, for the first time in her life, smiled.....
"Master, I never thought it would be you who would kiss me first. Could it be that I mean more to you than you're letting on?" Cassandra looked back at her master and shook her head. She knew that he was intelligent, but was a little dense when it came to noticing the deepest desires and attractions of people. She was sure it would take some time for Ashton to truly realize her feelings for him.
Cassandra carefully slipped out of her master's embrace and quietly snuck out of the room. She was about to run down the hall to the front door when she nearly ran into Zandria, who was pushing a cart with their breakfast on it.
"Whoa! Cassandra, I swear, if you were anymore of a daydreamer, you would have made me spill both yours' AND the master's breakfast all over you!" Cassandra bowed, "Sorry, Lady Zandria! I'm just feeling very happy at the moment! Bye!" As Cassandra ran down the hall to the front door, Zandria yelled, "Wait, don't you want some breakfast first?!" Cassandra replied, "I'm OK! Please place it in the freezer and I'll eat it later!" Zandria shook her head while grinning slightly. "Cassandra, you are a real bundle of energy. I have to wonder how Lord Ashton endures her."
Ashton awoke to the yelling outside his bedroom. As he got dressed in his favorite all purpose clothing, Zandria walked in with his breakfast. It was the same as yesterday. "My apologies, my lord, but we are low on stock with breakfast foods." Ashton thanked her, "Thanks for the notice. I'll order a shipment today. How is Ruby doing?" Zandria replied, "She is doing fine this morning. I think she was a little freaked out to find that you were not with her. Other than that, she enjoyed my cooking again."
Just as Ashton finished up his breakfast, Zandria asked, "My Lord, may I ask you a question?" Ashton gave her a look of interest. It wasn't normal for her to sound sincere when asking a question. "What do you think of Ruby?" He replied, "Well, she is very important to me. She is enjoyable to be around. She seems to like everyone here. Why do you ask?" Zandria blushed, "Oh, you know me! Always wanting to know everything there is to know about potential rivals! Hehehehe..." Ashton gave her a funny look, "Rivals? In what respect?" Her whole face turned as pink as a peach. Without saying a word, Zandria gathered the dirty plates and shuffled off to the kitchen, leaving Ashton puzzled.
Ashton had a hunch that he would find trouble today, so he took his Flamberge sword off the wall before he left for the market. However, when he was about to leave the manor, he felt a slight chill blow him from behind. "Is that you, Aurora?" Ashton felt her large head nuzzle his face. "Yes, it is I. May I accompany you on your errands?" He caressed her face, "Of course you may come." She stayed by his side as they walked out the door. A sudden breeze caught Aurora's deep blue mane, making it quaver more than it usually did. Ashton took this time to notice how Aurora stayed directly at his right side at all times. Could it be that she considered herself as his wife? He shook his head. Of course she didn't.
After her master and 'sister' left for the market, Cassandra went about her duties of trimming the bushes in the garden. However, she had her eyes closed, was prancing about, and sounded as if she was singing. Zandria had decided to eat her breakfast outside and noticed Cassandra using Razor Wind without even aiming! To her surprise, the Razor Wind attacks trimmed the bush sculptures with much more detail. Zandria could make out the eyes, hair, even the texture of the fur! Something must have been on Cassandra's mind that boosted her performance.
As soon as Zandria took a seat on a stone bench, she was startled by a loud squeal of giddiness from Cassandra. She was just rolling around in a flower bed. "Oh Zandria, isn't it wonderful?!" Zandria gave her a glance of partial interest, "What, you flattening your flowers?" Cassandra stopped and embraced a thick patch of flowers and buried her head in them. "I can't remember the last time I felt so happy! It's such a wonderful feeling being in love! I'm so happy, I can't stand it! Oh, those gentle brown eyes. His raven colored hair. That angelic face. I want him!" Cassandra went on and on about her love while Zandria tried to deduce who she was referring to.
"Gentle brown eyes..... Raven colored hair...An angelic face...?" Zandria felt a strange burning sensation in her chest when she realized who Cassandra was in love with. Cassandra noticed Zandria clutching her chest. "Are you OK, Lady Zandria?" Zandria stuttered, "Er, uh, just some heartburn. I'll be fine." She gathered her plate up and ran back to the kitchen. After that, Zandria ran to her room and locked the door.
After searching through her drawers, Zandria found what she was looking for. It was the birthday gift that Ashton had given to her. It was a special circlet with a small opal in the center. As Zandria gazed at it, she felt tears building in her eyes. "Master, the day you came into my life, I have always loved you more than life itself. I know that I can be rude at times. I sometimes argue with your other servants. Even then, I love you and I don't want to lose you to someone else. I want to be with you forever." She collapsed onto her bed while grasping the circlet, weeping bitter tears as she wondered if she would ever find love with her master.
Ashton walked through the market while keeping his left hand on Aurora. He wasn't about to let anything else happen to his loved ones after nearly losing Ruby the day before. They came to the shipping district, where Ashton made an order for food supplies. After the order was made, Ashton and Aurora decided to do some browsing through the market.
After searching through some shops and stalls, Ashton and Aurora heard the sound of an auction in the town square. As they approached the small group that had gathered in front of the stage, Ashton could hear what the auctioneer was saying, "Gather round, everyone! I have here an extremely rare Beast! A real snow wolf! Feast your eyes on it!" He pulled a curtain off of a rather small cage. While all the other viewers gasped in awe, Ashton and Aurora felt their hearts sink. Inside the cage was an albino Mightyena. However, she seemed horribly malnourished. She seemed weak and several odd-looking spots could be seen on her fur, as if there were infected wounds underneath them.
"She needs medical attention. I have to help her." Ashton stepped forward as the auctioneer tried to think up a starting bid. He yelled, "I wish to purchase that Mightyena! I offer..." Just as he was about to shout his bid, a shower of arrows were fired at Ashton from all directions! "Lord Ashton! Do not move!" Aurora dashed in front of him and used Gust to blow the arrows back at their users. Her aim was sure as the arrows ripped through the strings of the bows, rendering them useless. "Thank you, Aurora. Now, who set this up?!" When he yelled that, heavy wooden gates fell in place, closing off all passages leading in and out of the square! The auctioneer laughed, "You aren't going anywhere, Sir Ashton!"
Ashton placed his hand on the hilt of his Flamberge. All the bidders turned to face him. Both Ashton and Aurora could tell by their eyes that this was a setup. "Heh, your bleeding heart would be the death of you someday, Ashton. Now that day has come!" Ashton gritted his teeth, "You put a Pokemon up for auction with the hopes that I would show up to purchase her?! Monsters!" Aurora whispered, "My lord, there is something unusual about these ruffians. I can sense something..... Dark. Very dark." Ashton replied, "I know. I recognize them. They are all members of the Black Wing, rogue knights who specialize in combat on dragon back. However, newcomers must earn that privilege. Since they don't have any dragons, they must be the weakest members." This remark seemed to tick them off. "Just because we aren't allowed to ride dragons doesn't mean we can't take you down!"
The group of criminals, about twenty total, surrounded Ashton and Aurora. They all drew a wide variety of weapons. Short swords, spears, axes, wave swords, daggers, even a zweihander sword like Ashton's! Out of fear for her life, Ashton whispered to Aurora, "Aurora, please. You must escape. Your large form makes you an easy target. Go, now!" Aurora replied, "Forgive me, my lord, but I can't comply with that order. I will face these demons with you. I won't leave you now." Ashton grinned, "Heh, you always were headstrong. Fine, but keep your distance from me. This sword of mine has a long reach."
"CHARGE!" The ringleader ordered the attack on the Vulcan Warrior. In the blink of an eye, Aurora plowed right through one side of the circle of enemies with her great speed! At that moment, Ashton grabbed the hilt of his sword and performed a very wide slash, neatly cleaving about eight of his opponents in half at the waist. Even though he was still outnumbered, Ashton still held his own with great reflexes and making very frequent wide slashes to keep his enemies at bay. Aurora created a wave of water and swept some of the thugs off their feet. She then quickly froze them into the wave with an Ice Beam!
When there were just five thugs left standing, the 'auctioneer' decided to do away with the Mightyena. Ashton saw him draw a sword and face the Mightyena. As the auctioneer was about to skewer her, Ashton threw his sword at him! Without even knowing what happened, the auctioneer was impaled against a wooden pole. However, this left Ashton defenseless. Taking the opportunity, the five remaining thugs charged him.
Aurora noticed that Ashton was in no position to defend himself and used Gust to blow them into walls with great force, knocking them out cold and breaking some bones in the process. Ashton breathed a sigh of relief, "Thank you, Aurora. It would seem that sending you away would have been a bad idea after all." Aurora blushed, "Well, you were always the brawn and I've always been the brains!" She was about to giggle, but stopped when she saw Ashton approaching the cage that held the Mightyena.
After removing his Flamberge from the body of the auctioneer, Ashton quickly shattered the cage with a single swing. Even though the Mightyena had not been injured in the fight, she was barely conscious. Ashton gently lifted her head with one hand and caressed her face. He then inspected the strange spots of fur on her body and found heavily infected open wounds under them. Oh so carefully, he sheathed his sword and picked up the Mightyena in his arms. "Aurora, we need to get back to the manor at once. I need your assistance." Understanding the situation, Aurora lowered her body so her master could mount her. Once he was seated, Aurora ran towards the manor faster than the wind. Ashton had to smash one of the wooden barriers for them to leave. After one of them had been turned into a splintered pile, the threesomes were gone, leaving a gruesome scene of death in their wake.
Atop a bell tower overlooking the town square, a lone man frowned. "Heh, I should have guessed that newcomers wouldn't have had the strength to kill him." A lone Dragonair growled deeply. "Be patient, my pet. The time will come for you to tear the Vulcan Warrior's head from his body. However, we must be cautious and plan our meeting with him carefully." Before anyone could notice the silhouette atop the tower, they were gone.
During the setup, Ruby tried on her maid uniform. Thinking that she would be charged with cleaning the manor, she searched through her room and found a feather duster. Using her acute sense of smell, she sniffed out thin layers of dust on furniture and dusted them thoroughly. When she was about to enter Serenade's room, Ruby thought it would be best to knock first. After a few taps on the door, Ruby heard Serenade reply, "Come in." Ruby greeted her, "Good day, Lady Serenade. Allow me to check for dust. Hmm? What are those?" Ruby pointed to a bunch of odd tools. Serenade explained, "These are medical tools. I'm the nurse here, so if you are hurt or sick, just come see me. Um, why do you seem confused?" Ruby joked, "Now I don't know whether I should call you Lady Serenade or Doctor Serenade!" After having a good laugh, Serenade inspected the bruise on Ruby's head. It had disappeared, so she removed the bandage.
After Serenade prepared some tea for herself and Ruby, her guest asked, "Lady Serenade, may I ask a question about Lord Ashton?" Serenade grinned, "Of course you can. I've been with him all my life, so I'm sure I know the answer." Ruby gulped. This question might be better off unasked, but she wanted to know. "Have you ever seen Lord Ashton suddenly become covered with flames? When I was kidnapped yesterday, he and his sword were engulfed with flames. He also seemed...different. Very angry." Serenade set down her cup of tea and frowned. "What you saw was his hidden power being unleashed. Ever since he was a child, he has had that power within his body. That was how he became known as the Vulcan Warrior. He has control of fire when it is active." Ruby was silent for a moment. "Lady Serenade, have you seen him like that before?" Thinking that Ruby had a right to know, she explained, "The first time I ever saw him like that was when we were just five years old. I was still a tiny Ralts at the time. That day, brigands attacked us. My parents were wounded when they tried to protect us. The brigands tried to capture us, thinking we could be sold for great profit. Ashton... He was so traumatized by the brutality towards us. He had no memory of his own family, so my parents looked after him. He was one of our own. When he stared at their unconscious bodies and heard me call his name, that's when it happened. His dormant fury was awakened and he killed the brigands with his bare hands. After that, we were all taken in by close friends of his family. It took weeks for Ashton to return to his calm, gentle self. I never wanted to see him like that ever again." Serenade placed her face in her hands and let her tears fall.
Ruby tried to comfort Serenade, "It's OK. I know how you felt. When I saw Lord Ashton look at me with those angry eyes, I honestly thought that he was going to kill me. But after he killed my captors and held me, I knew that he would never hurt me or any of you." Serenade wiped away her tears, "Thank you, Ruby. You're right, I know that even when he is at his angriest, Lord Ashton would never try to harm us. Huh?" Ruby and Serenade jumped at the sound of the front door being opened forcefully. They heard Ashton yell, "Serenade! I need your medical services!" Serenade gathered up her tools and ran down the hall with Ruby in tow.
"In here! Hurry!" Serenade and Ruby ran into the bathroom where Ashton was waiting. Serenade saw him seated near what seemed to be an albino Mightyena. She was out cold. She was also emaciated. "Lord Ashton, I must ask you to leave us. I fear I will have to operate." Ashton placed his hand on Ruby's shoulder and led her out of the room. They heard Serenade lock the door. "Lord Ashton, will she be all right?" He looked down and didn't answer. Ruby begged, "Is it bad? What happened?" He finally replied, "I'm sorry, but I really do not think that Serenade can save her. I hope she will survive, but I have my doubts." Ruby tried to remain positive, but she had a hunch that her master was right.
Ashton entered his room and shut the door. He opened a chest where he kept certain small objects. Quickly, he opened a secret compartment. Inside was a vial containing a special liquid. Carefully removing the vial from the chest, Ashton closed it and left the room. "I hope that this can save her. I have nothing else that may help." He stopped in front of the door to the bathroom and knocked. "Serenade, may I enter?" Ashton heard the lock open and entered. He felt his heart sink when he saw the infected wounds carefully cut open and drained. However, she did not seem to be doing any better.
"Lord Ashton, I fear she only has an hour to live. I'm sorry that I could not save her." Ashton held out the vial to her, "Pour this into her wounds." Serenade gasped, "My Lord, isn't that...?" He nodded, "Indeed. If we don't use this on her, she will surely perish. Please." Serenade took the potion and carefully poured it into the open wounds. After the whole potion had been used up, the wounds began to close while giving off a gentle blue glow. The Mightyena's breathing became stable. Even some of her white fur grew over the sealed wounds. Serenade breathed a sigh of relief. Her patient was going to live.
Serenade bowed, "Thank you. I'm sure she will be most grateful when she hears that you used such a precious medicine on her." To Serenade's shock, her master frowned, "Somehow, I don't think she will be happy at all. I just hope that I'm wrong. I'm going to ask Zandria to prepare a special meal for her since she seems to have not eaten in days." Serenade stayed behind to watch over the Mightyena. As Ashton walked to the kitchen, he felt immense relief that she was going to live.
As Ashton neared the Kitchen, he stopped at the sound of Zandria yelling. Was she having trouble perfecting a new recipe? She did tend to get feisty when having a hard time getting a new recipe just right. However, when Ashton got closer, he could hear her perfectly, "OK big man, TALK! What were you doing seeking in through the window?!" A second later, the sound of a knife hitting wood was heard. "Still won't talk, huh? Well then, I'll have you know that I'm in the mood for a certain dish that requires human flesh. And your body seems to be just right for it." Ashton ran into the kitchen to see Zandria twirling a knife around in her left hand, the one without claws. Ahead of her was a man tied to a large wooden board with many knives outlining his body. He also noticed a certain dark spot in the center of his pants.
"Zandria, what is the meaning of this?!" Zandria looked at her master, "This moron tried to ambush me by sneaking through the window. I decided to interrogate him before serving him as tonight's' meal." Ashton looked at the intruder out of the corner of his eye and saw that he was trying hard to remain calm. A sneaky smirk came across his face, "Oh, that recipe. I must admit that even though I was a little disgusted by the fact that it contained human meat, it was quite delectable. I wouldn't mind having it again." The thief began to sweat heavily at the sight of Ashton drawing his massive sword. "I like my chunks big. Allow me, Zandria." As Ashton approached the thief, he finally screamed, "All right, all right, I'll talk! Just don't cut me up into little pieces and eat me! Please!" Much to Zandria's disappointment, her master lowered his blade.
"I was ordered to infiltrate the Vulcan Warrior's home. I snuck through that window, but was captured by her." Ashton frowned. He could tell by the thief's outfit that he was another member of the Black Wing. After hearing the confession, Ashton grabbed the thief by the collar of his jacket and threw him straight out the window that he had climbed through! Zandria complained, "Oh man, I really wanted to make that dish tonight." Ashton chuckled, "Don't worry, if anymore intruders ever show up, go ahead and use them in your recipes." Zandria licked her lips at the order. Ashton added, "By the way, I need you to prepare a small dish that is highly nutritious and very filling. We have a guest who needs nourishment, but a small amount of food due to a shrunken stomach." Zandria got to work and soon had a special soup made. Ashton made his way back to the room where the Mightyena was resting.
When Ashton returned, he asked Serenade, "How is your patient?" She grinned, "Her condition is still stable." Serenade noticed Ashton holding the bowl of soup and excused herself. Ashton took a seat near the Mightyena. They were now in his bedroom. Ashton gently rubbed her head, slowly awakening his guest. "Welcome back. I hope you enjoy this soup. You need to recover your strength." However, when the Mightyena saw the human next to her, she felt intense hatred and wanted to see him dead. She began to growl fiercely and Ashton could tell. Before she could strike, he ran to the far side of the room. "Please! I only wish to help you! You must eat!"
Laura heard Ashton yelling inside his room while she was dusting some paintings in the hall. She gasped when she saw a Mightyena threatening her master. "HEY! Don't you treat my master like that!" Ashton yelled, "Laura, stay back! I can handle this!" Suddenly, the Mightyena made a lunge for Ashton! However, she fell flat on the floor with a yelp. One of her back legs was broken and wrapped in a bandage. It hurt too much for her to move, let alone stand.
Slowly, Ashton walked over to the Mightyena. She still had intense hatred in her eyes. Ashton sat down in front of her and set the bowl in between them. He spoke, "Try not to use too much strength. You are nearly starving to death. Eat this soup. You will feel much better. I promise." She relaxed slightly as Ashton used a ladle to scoop some soup out of the bowl. He filled it halfway to reduce the risk of spilling it. "Please, open your mouth." Reluctantly, she did as she was told. Ashton poured the soup into her mouth. She shuddered at the delicious flavor. It almost hurt. She slowly swallowed and opened her mouth for more. Laura giggled as her master fed their guest in such a loving manner.
Once the Mightyena finished the soup, Ashton asked, "Laura, please go find Cassandra and bring her here." Laura giggled and was gone. While Ashton waited, he gently caressed the Mightyena's head. She still looked at him with severe distrust. A few minutes later, Cassandra walked in. "You wanted to see me, my lord?" Ashton stood up, "I would like you to ask our guest here some questions about her past. I need to know what she has been through. I recommend that you speak to her in your native tongue. Please excuse me." Ashton left the room and shut the door. Cassandra walked in front of the Mightyena and lay down. "Hmmm. It's been a while since I last spoke in my native tongue. Well, here goes." Cassandra took a moment to clear her throat. She then spoke in her native tongue, "My name is Cassandra. I am a loyal servant and friend of Ashton Ketchum, the boy who helped you earlier. What is your name?" The Mightyena seemed reassured. Cassandra was a canine and a Dark type Pokemon, just like her. She replied, "I do not have a name. I have been in captivity all my life and abused constantly. Because of this, I hate humans. Your 'master' is no exception to me." Cassandra looked pained, "There is no reason for you to hate my master. He saved you when any other human would have let you die. However, if you try to harm him, I will defend him. Now, I must go." Cassandra then left the room and found Ashton right outside the door.
"How is she?" Cassandra shook her head, "She really hates you. I can't say that I blame her. She has no name and has been abused every day of her life." Ashton thanked her and opened the door. "My lord, what are you going to do?" He replied, "I am going to teach her how to speak. Have faith. Once she is fully recovered, I will release her into the wild." He shut the door as Cassandra shed a tear of pride. She was overwhelmed that her master would even give a name to someone who hated him.
Ashton took a certain book off a shelf in his room and took a seat in front of the Mightyena. "I am going to teach you how to speak English, so we can understand each other better. Ready?" The Mightyena just gave him a cold stare. A few hours later, Ashton had almost given up hope. The Mightyena hadn't even tried to learn English. "Please, if you can speak at all, if you learned even one word, please say it!" A moment of silence passed. Aston closed his eyes and placed his face of his palm. "Freak." Ashton looked up. "Did you say that?" She barked another insult, "Moron." Ashton just remained silent. She had every right to be rude to him. "Jerk. Buffoon. Weakling. Stupid!"
Ashton applauded the Mightyena's achievement. Gently, he picked her up in his arms and placed her on his bed. She had succeeded in learning the English language faster than even Zandria and Cassandra! "Miss, if you want, I can give you a name. Would you like me to do that for you?" She just stared coldly at him. Ashton thought for a moment. He looked at her fur. It was as white as snow. He knew of a nation to the northwest were there was snow all year round. They also had interesting accents and names. There was one that popped into his head. "My dear, may I call you "Laika?" She closed her eyes for a moment. Curious, Ashton crawled over to her. Sensing that he was close, she gave him an obvious answer. She licked his chin in one quick motion. Ashton grinned. He then caressed her face, even though she still glared at him.
About an hour later, Ashton consulted Serenade about a room to give to Laika as her own. "I'm sorry my lord, but we only have two remaining guest rooms. We can't afford to lose anymore." Laika felt sure that she would be forced out of the manor. She tried to not look upset, but she wouldn't last long in the wild. She lived in captivity throughout her entire life. Later, as the sun was almost out of sight, Ashton enjoyed dinner with Ruby in her bedroom. The meal they had was the same as yesterday since the new shipment of food had not arrived yet. "Lord Ashton, I'm glad to see that you saved her! Her name is Laika, right?" He nodded, "Indeed. She will be staying with us from now on. Please treat her with respect." Ruby smiled, "OK! My name is Ruby! I hope you enjoy your new life with us, Lady Laika!" Laika's ears perked up when she heard that she would be staying. But where?
Finally, everyone turned in for the night. Ashton tucked Ruby in and stayed by her side until she fell asleep. He then blew out the oil lamp in the room and headed for his room with a candle in hand. Laika was by his side. When they were right outside Ashton's bedroom, she asked, "Master, you said I would be staying with you. So where will I be staying? In a dog house?!" Ashton grinned softly, "Of course not. You will sleep with me." She couldn't believe what she heard. Ashton opened the door and walked over to his side of the bed. However, Laika lay down in front of the bed. To her shock, she felt Ashton pick her up in his arms and set her on the bed. He then pulled the covers over both of them. "Why? Why is he treating me like an equal? I just can't understand it! Is he mocking me?!" Many feelings of anger, hatred, confusion, and sorrow flooded Laika's mind. Suddenly, she felt her master embrace her from behind. He whispered, "I view you differently from other humans. I know that you are a person. Your days in sorrow and pain are over. I promise to fill your life with kindness and respect. Good night, Laika."
As Ashton slept with Laika firmly wrapped in his arms, Laika pondered these new feelings in her heart. No human in her life had ever shown her such kindness and acceptance. He even risked his life to save her from her captors. Out loud, she whispered, "Thank you....." A single tear trickled down her muzzle. She soon fell asleep. But just before that, Laika, for the first time in her life, smiled.....