Story Notes:
This may become a bit of a Naruto crossover, but no characters from the series will appear, this I promise.
Wrath of the Phoenix
"Shall we dance? The Dance of Death?!" With wave swords drawn, the assassin charged Ashton with murder in its eyes. "You're making a big mistake!" Ashton made a wide swing with the Claymore, but missed when the assassin made a sideways roll. "Too slow!" Using both swords like a pair of scissors, the assassin lashed out with very quick swings. Ashton had never faced someone so skilled with wave swords, so he was hard pressed to block every blow with the wide blade of the Claymore.
"He's so fast! I don't think Ashton can win this one!" Aurora said with fear in her voice. "No way! Ashton's the best there is! YOU CAN DO IT, LORD ASHTON!" Laura screamed. "Even so, he needs me." Laika prepared to jump the wall, but Chiara grabbed her. "I'm sorry, but he must do this alone. This is a one on one fight, so we can't interfere." Laika took her seat, although Chiara could see that she was very distraught, even through her cold eyes.
"Darn you! Back off already!" During a brief pause in the assassin's attack, Ashton dug the Claymore's blade into the sand on the ground, which was there to absorb the blood of the combatants. "Get away! Sandstorm Jutsu!" With a wide swing of the sword, Ashton sent a blast of wind at the assassin, carrying with it a load of sand! The sand was clearly irritating to the assassin as he tried to protect his face. During this time, Ashton performed yet another swing. "Ninja art: Wind Scythe Jutsu!" A windstorm seemed to come out of nowhere and swept the assassin right off his feet. The sound of slashing could be heard as blades of wind tore at the cloak that concealed the assassin's face. After several seconds, the wind died down and the assassin fell face first into the floor.
The crowd went wild at the display of wind magic Ashton had unleashed on his opponent. Laika was particularly impressed. "I never would have imagined that Ashton was skilled in the ways of magic as well as swordplay." On the battlefield, Ashton breathed a sigh of relief. "Well, I guess that's that." However, his good mood was short lived as he saw the assassin climbing to its feet. During the process, the hood, having been torn to shreds, fell to the ground, revealing the face of the figure. However, it was not as anyone had expected.
"You...you're a..." The assassin smirked, "A woman? Indeed. You've proven to be very enjoyable prey, Lord Ashton." What stood before him was a young woman with blond hair that was in curly tails at the sides of her face. "You're the...the Night Hawk?! The assassin that has claimed over a thousand victims?!" The young woman burst into hysterical laughter at the obvious fear Ashton was showing.
"The Night Hawk....." Cassandra looked at Chiara, "Is something wrong? Do you know about her?" Chiara was silent. Aurora yelled, "You must know something! Tell us!" Chiara whispered, "She is...the most notorious assassin in the kingdom. She is responsible for the deaths of several nobles, hundreds of skilled mercenaries, and even the King of Rohta himself." Everyone gasped. The assassin who Ashton was facing was the very same one who had slain the late king himself?
"So, what are you going to do, Lord Ashton of Green Mile? Are you simply so overwhelmed by my very presence that you can't even try to look like you can continue fighting?" Ashton yelled, "Quite the contrary! I know how you assassins work. You rely on one-hit strikes to kill your targets. You have to take out your targets with a single blow without them noticing. In a fair and open duel, like this, a knight would crush an assassin." The Night Hawk chuckled, "True, but a knight needs a weapon, and I don't see you with one."
Ashton looked down at the Claymore he was holding and stood aghast at the sight of the blade having been shattered all the way down to the hilt! During the attack from the assassin, she had deliberately struck the blade at certain points in an effort to weaken it. The two swings Ashton made were too much for it and the Claymore shattered during the second swing.
"Aw, what's wrong? Are you going to cry?" Ashton had hunkered over and seemed to be shaking violently. However, as soon as he looked up, the Night Hawk saw his face filled with anger! Ashton looked at the audience and yelled, "What's the idea of giving me a faulty weapon?! Piece of junk! I ought to reprimand you idiots for keeping these things in such poor shape!" The audience burst into laughter at Ashton's temper tantrum. His servants were somewhat embarrassed of him for losing his cool over something so silly, seeing as how the sword did not even belong to him, except for Laura, who yelled, "YEAH! YOU TELL THEM, ASHTON!"
As the Night Hawk looked on, she asked herself, "What's with this moron? Doesn't he know that his life is at stake?" Ashton then glared at her and yelled, "SHUT UP!" He then threw the hilt right at her, barely missing her head. When the hilt struck the wall behind her, there was a crash as a large crack was made in it. "That would've killed me if it hit. You've got a good throwing arm. But so what?! You can hardly call yourself a knight without a weapon! Just how do you expect to hold your own against me now?"
For a moment, Ashton still seemed to be seething, but his scowl soon turned into a sneaky grin. "You do have a point there. A knight is only a knight when he has a weapon to use in battle. However..." Ashton then made a series of hand signs. Zandria saw this and giggled, "Aw man, this is gonna be good!" Ashton then started to reach for something concealed under his cape, "A shinobi without a weapon..." He then pulled out something that seemed to resemble a metal fan. But with a flick of his wrist, it unfurled into what seemed to be a small windmill with deadly blades on each fan! "Is still a shinobi!"
As he reached back with the strange weapon in hand, Ashton yelled, "Demon Wind Shuriken!" He then threw it expertly at the Night Hawk like a buzz saw! Zandria grinned, (OK, Ashton. Let's see what Master Koga taught you.) The Night Hawk laughed, "One little boomerang? You must be joking." Ashton then pressed his hands together, "Try one THOUSAND! Shuriken Shadow Clone Jutsu!" Out of nowhere, one thousand more shuriken appeared around the one Ashton threw! "No way! Gotta think fast!" The Night Hawk started using her natural agility along with her wave swords to evade and deflect the incoming shuriken. "If just one gets me, it's over!"
In a major stroke of luck, the Night Hawk managed to avoid every last shuriken that was thrown at her. "That...was too close." As she looked ahead, she saw Ashton gave a whistle, "Not bad. That was a very advanced technique you just evaded. I see that striking from a distance won't help. So..." He then reached behind his cape again and pulled out a short black dagger in each hand. "I'll just have to take the fight to you!"
Ashton made a sudden dash at the Night Hawk at speeds that no knight could hope to achieve! "This is bad!" As soon as he closed in, Ashton went for the assassin's throat with his weapons. However, the Night Hawk's wave swords had greater reach, so Ashton had to make sure to keep an eye on them.
"You spoiled brat! You're my prey! You can't be doing this!" Ashton was successfully backing the Night Hawk into a corner as the crowd started cheering wildly at his display of courage and speed. "Now do you understand?! I'm much more than just a knight! And to prove it..." Ashton suddenly jumped away and threw his two daggers at the feet of the assassin. "Big mistake! Now you can't...guh..." The Night Hawk gagged as her opponent slammed his fist into her gut! "There are three forms of combat for a shinobi. Genjutsu, Ninjutsu, and Taijutsu. This is Taijutsu!" Ashton then proceeded to pummel the black hearted woman with just his fists!
"Yeah! That's so amazing! Left! Right! Jab! You've got her!" Laura kept screaming as her master began to acquire the upper hand of the duel. "This is unreal! I can't believe he's doing this well, even though he's unarmed!" Laika exclaimed. She had never been so excited in her life. Ruby also yelled, "He's so strong! No wonder he could carry such a big weapon! Huh?" Zandria pointed, "This is it! He's going for the finish!"
Ashton threw the Night Hawk off balance with a kick to the abdomen, and then sent her skyward with an upward kick to the face! "Here's a little something I came up with myself!" He then made a surprisingly high leap towards his opponent! In a desperate attempt to save herself, the Night Hawk tried to throw her wave swords down at Ashton. However, since she was facing upwards, her aim was poor and she missed.
As the Night Hawk noticed that she had stopped rising, she heard a voice directly under her. "Long live the king! Your time is up!" With an upward kick, Ashton struck at the base of her spine! Next, he flipped her over and performed a reverse axe kick to her face, sending her spiraling backwards. Finally, he grabbed her and moved her under him, and then sent her falling to the ground with a deadly heel drop to the chest!
"Not done yet!" Ashton took a deep breath as he tapped into his Vulcan powers. "Now fry!" In a bold display of power, the Vulcan Warrior sent a pillar of flame directly down at the Night Hawk! Just before she hit the ground, the blast struck right down into her, melting some of the sand and producing a heat wave that made the coliseum feel like a desert for a moment. Despite the height from which he fell, Ashton landed as gently as a floating feather.
As the crowd went wild, Laura screamed, "YOU DID IT! YOU'RE THE SEXIEST AND STRONGEST KNIGHT IN THE KINGDOM!" Zandria grabbed Laura around the mouth and whispered, "Don't say that here! We could get in loads of trouble if someone heard us! Although.....there's no denying that he is the sexiest boy in the kingdom." Zandria blushed, knowing that it would have been a lie if she had said otherwise.
"Well, I do believe that this duel is over." Ashton sighed as he looked at the smoldering crater. The referee came over and looked the crater over and said, "As it seems that the opponent is no longer alive, the champion of this match is...is...wooo....." The referee fell over without warning. "Huh? Hey, old man! Are you OK?" Ashton walked over to him and saw that he was fast asleep and noticed a pair of needles in his neck. "Wait...poison?"
Ashton gasped as he looked back at the crater and saw a figure emerge from it. "I don't think he'll be interrupting us for a while." The Night Hawk staggered out of the crater with a very pleased look on her face. "Not bad. You really know how to fight. It's not often that I have to fight someone trained in the ways of the ninja." Ashton gulped, "You mean...this isn't the first time?!"
The Night Hawk sneered, "Indeed. I have been hired in many places. Even the Far East. I have become acquainted with dealing with the likes of you. I have even slain some of the more renowned shinobi of the east. What's more..." The gauntlets on the Night Hawk's arms began to glow a sinister purple. "I happen to know how to dispose of you."
With a wave of her arm, the Night Hawk formed a hailstorm of ice needles! "She's a sorceress! AUGH!!!" Ashton screamed in agony as he was skewered from all sides! "LORD ASHTON! NO!" Cassandra screamed as she saw the love of her life fighting for his life. "No...I won't back down...they still need me!" Ashton groaned as he regained his balance. "I won't abandon them. They are my family, and I promised that I would win!"
The Night Hawk, who had been smirking the whole time, began to scowl. "You think that Beasts are people too?" Ashton panted, "I don't think. I know!" The Night Hawk leered, "You disgust me." With another wave of her hand, a pillar of rock jutted out of the ground and nailed Ashton in the chest, shattering his ribcage. As he coughed up blood, the Night Hawk laughed, "Fine. If you really don't want them to be left all alone, I'll gladly kill them when I'm done with you!"
The Night Hawk chanted a brief incantation as clouds of sand rose from the floor and compacted into many small clubs. "I'll soon have you beat!" One after the other, the sand clubs pounded into Ashton at a steady rhythm. "Why...why are they like this? Why are humans so cruel to Pokemon?"
As the clubs smashed away at him, Ashton cried, "Why...what did they ever do to deserve this?!" A final blow sent Ashton rolling away, only to have him start to climb to his feet. "Mother...Father...what have they done to you?!" Soon, a faint veil of fire began to enshroud Ashton. "Why do they enjoy causing us such pain?!"
Serenade immediately noticed what was happening to Ashton and began to shed tears, "No...not again...not this..." Aurora noticed Serenade's behavior and asked, "What's wrong with him? Has this happened before?" Ruby pointed out, "I saw him like this before. He was really angry at the men who kidnapped me." Serenade sobbed, "No...this is different...that rage..." Aurora asked, "Serenade, did something happen to you and Ashton when you were still children?" Serenade still seemed to be in shock, but whispered, "I...I never wanted to see him like this again...after ten whole years..."
"I think I've seen enough blood for now. Time to say goodbye." With a sweep of her hands, the Night Hawk conjured up another wall of ice. However, instead of needles, this ice had been shaped into full-sized spears. "Don't you worry, though. I'll be sending your little pets to join you." The hail of ice spears streaked towards the fallen knight, but just as they impacted him, they burst into steam!
"What the devil?! How could anything be so hot?!" Slowly, Ashton turned to face the assassin. When his eyes met hers', the Night Hawk shuddered at the changes in them. They had become a fiery red and were filled with bloodlust that was more sinister than her own. It was as if he had just been possessed by the devil himself.
"You...you humans are all the same. You seek nothing more than to make everything around you bend to your will. Whatever refuses to do so, or what is of no use to you, you destroy. You humans are a plague. You care nothing for anything but yourselves!"
The Z shaped markings under Ashton's eyes began to extend and become bolder. "You...all you humans are..." Suddenly, Ashton collapsed to his knees while screaming in agony! The flames enshrouding his body began to blaze as what seemed to be wings of fire began to form on his back. "You are.....barbarians! You are my prey!" Ashton screamed as the flames intensified. Serenade whispered, "No...please don't do it...not again..."
"Serenade! Look what I found!" A little boy yelled as he ran with something in his hands. After a moment of running through the woods, the boy came across a little female Ralts. However, the red horns on her head were missing, an unfortunate birth defect. Even so, she could tell just by looking at the boy that he was very excited.
"Hi, Ashton! What's that?" Ashton opened his hands to reveal to his sister what he had found. "EEK! A BUG!" Ashton spoke, "Not just any bug! Look!" Reluctantly, Serenade looked closer and saw that the bug was some sort of beetle with a shiny green carapace. "I think it's called a jewel beetle. Isn't it pretty?" This time, Serenade smiled, "Yes! It's very pretty!" She then gently ran her hand over the back, but yanked her arm back when it opened its wings. As it took off, Ashton and Serenade laughed at the loud buzzing sound it made.
"That was a very noisy bug! Huh?" Ashton and Serenade sniffed the air as they smelled a faint aroma. "Mother's making dinner! Come on, Serenade!" Ashton grabbed his sister's hand and took off running towards their home. "It smells yummy! What could it be?" Serenade would soon find out as a dwelling came into view.
"Father!" Ashton yelled as he saw a small clearing to the side. Standing in front of a recently chopped log with blades still extended was a Gallade. At the sound of Ashton's voice, he turned and saw his two children running towards him. "Ashton! Serenade! I see that you've been having fun." The Gallade scooped up the two children in his arms and held them close. Serenade giggled, "You squeeze so hard, Father!" The Gallade chuckled, "That just shows how precious you are to me. Now, since I've finished chopping firewood, shall we head inside to see what your mother is fixing for supper?"
As the trio entered the modest little cottage, the aroma of spices fill their nostrils. As they entered the kitchen, the Gallade asked, "That's quite a delicious aroma, Starlet. What's on the menu tonight?" Standing in front of the stove was a female Gardevoir. As she turned to face her husband and children, she smiled, "Asking right away? You must be starving, Siegfried." "MOTHER!" Little Ashton ran over to Starlet, who quickly snatched him up in her slender arms.
"Mother, I found something for you!" Ashton pulled something out of his pocket. "Oh my! Is this a peridot?" Starlet gazed at the olive green gemstone. "It's for you, Mother!" Starlet gave the little boy a very grateful hug. "I will always cherish it. Thank you, Ashton." The lovely Gardevoir gave her little boy a sweet kiss to thank him.
"Mmmmm! Tasty!" Serenade said as she gulped down her mother's cooking. She had cooked up fried potatoes, roasted duck, spinach, and sautéed carrots. "I'll never know how you became so good at cooking, Starlet. Who taught you again?" Starlet giggled at her husband's question, "I'm self-taught. Did you forget?" Siegfried laughed, "So I did. My apologies."
That evening, Ashton and Serenade ran out to chase fireflies in the dark. "These things are hard to see! Serenade, can you see any?" Suddenly, there was the sound of a twig snapping. "Uh-oh. Serenade, don't move." For a moment, the two kids stayed absolutely still. "Hey, you kids lost?" The two children turned to face who the voice belonged to. Standing behind them was a pair of rather brutish looking men.
"Kinda late for a couple of kids to be wandering the woods alone. You two lost?" Ashton and Serenade were obviously nervous, but the other man spoke, "Hey, we're not gonna hurt ya! We're just a little worried." At last, Ashton replied, "Uh, we're not lost. We know the way home." With a smirk, the slightly taller man kneeled down to the kids and whispered, "Ya know, this forest can get really dangerous at night. I've heard of monsters that only come out at night that hunt in this forest."
Ashton and Serenade were obviously scared by the tall tale the guy just said. To top it off, he added, "What's more, they really like the taste of children. The younger you are, the tastier. And I'd say that you two are just about ripe for the pickings." Finally, Serenade flipped out, "NOOOOOO!!!!! I DON'T WANNA GET EATEN! SAVE ME!!!" However, the stranger added, "And that's why we are gonna escort you kids home. Since we're adults, the monsters don't like the taste, so they won't bother you if you're with us. OK?" Serenade calmed down and said, "Thanks, mister!"
As the strangers followed the two children home, they whispered amongst themselves. "Ya know, it's a good thing that Ralts doesn't have those horns. It would've seen right through us." The other bandit replied, "Yeah. Ya know, we could make a solid profit if we sold the parents." The partner nodded, "Yeah, we could. Just remember. We need them alive."
As the house came into view, Ashton and Serenade saw their mother hanging out some of Ashton's clothes to dry. Just as he was about to call out to her, Ashton was pulled back into the bushes along with Serenade. "Almost forgot. Those monsters have a really crazy ability. They take on the forms of the loved ones of their prey. That thing out there is definitely one of them." Ashton breathed a sigh of relief, "Thanks, mister. But what should we do?" One of the bandits grinned, "Just leave it to us."
Ever so carefully, the two bandits snuck up on the unsuspecting Gardevoir, their clubs in hand. Starlet had just finished hanging the laundry and was about to head inside when she heard a twig snap. "Hm? Is someone there?" At this moment, the bandits panicked and leapt at her! "Wha?! NO!" With one blow to the head, Starlet collapsed to the ground. "Careful! We need her alive!" It was at that moment that Ashton and Serenade realized that these two thugs were just ordinary criminals. Together, they both screamed, "FATHER! MOTHER'S HURT!"
"Crud. It seems they found out." One bandit said as the front door burst open. Siegfried dashed out into the yard and froze at the sight of his wife bleeding from the head. "Whoa, a Gallade?! This one will surely fetch its weight in gold!" Siegfried felt his battle lust return as his elbow blades extended. "You beasts...I'll kill you!" The former gladiator charged the bandits with rage in his eyes.
"Think you can take us both? Think again!" Both bandits brought down their clubs, but Siegfried blocked them both with the blades on each arm. A fierce battle ensued with Siegfried holding his own against the thugs. However, they were steadily inching towards the bushes where Serenade and Ashton were watching from.
"This thing's tough! Huh?" The bandit recognized the bush he was right next to. "Gotcha!" He thrust his hand into the bush as Siegfried was about to bring his blades up through the bandit's chest. "Do you really want to do that to your own kid?" The bandit chuckled as he held up Serenade as a shield. "Father!" Siegfried only barely stopped himself from slicing through his own daughter. "Monsters..." Siegfried gasped as he collapsed to the ground from a blow to the head from the other bandit.
"Father! Get away from them!" Ashton charged the two bandits after witnessing his parents' brutal attack. "Whelp! Don't push your luck!" The bandit stopped Ashton cold with a kick to the face, which sent him rolling a good distance away. "Ashton! Help me!" Serenade screamed. "Don't waste your breath. The kid can't help you now." Ashton slowly climbed to his knees, aching from the bruise on his face. "Why...? Why are they doing this? Why do they treat Mother and Father like animals?"
Ashton began convulsing as he played the horrible sight over and over in his head. "It doesn't make sense. Why did they hurt them? Is it because..." Ashton looked up at the two bandits, but then looked in horror at his own hands. "Am I...am I the same as them? Am I a monster too?!" Ashton brought his hands to his face as he screamed in anguish.
"Ya know, that kid could tell the knights about us. Think we should kill him?" The other bandit nodded, "Yeah. Leave no eyewitnesses." As his partner approached the weeping boy, Serenade screamed, "Leave him alone! Ashton, run!" However, hearing the cries of his sister awakened a forbidden power within Ashton's soul. A power that only he could use.
"Sorry kid. I'm not one for killing brats, but it's for the best." However, as he raised his club, the bandit froze when Ashton looked up at him. His eyes had become a fiery red. Worse, a savage bloodlust was just underneath the surface. "This kid's a freak show!" In fear, the thug brought his club down hard, slamming into Ashton's cranium. "ASHTON!!!" Serenade screamed as she saw her brother take a fatal blow, but her fear was short lived as she saw him slowly look up at the bandit that had just tried to murder him. Blood was oozing down his face, but he didn't seem to be in any pain at all.
"This...kid..." The bandit panicked and started pounding away at Ashton with his club. However, after several whacks, Ashton grabbed the club. A second later, the wooden weapon ignited, causing the bandit to back away in terror. Just then, flames erupted all around Ashton as he clutched his face in pain. Then, in a scream of agony, he threw his face upwards as flames seemed to surge out of his face! A moment later after the flames seemed to disappear; he looked back at the bandits. They, along with Serenade, were frozen with dread at the sight of Ashton's face. Just under his eyes was a pair of neatly made Z shaped openings in his skin. Blood was pouring from them as Ashton shed tears of silent grief. The fire the bandits had just seen had burned right through Ashton's skin, forever burning the scars that would be a testament to his dark secret.
"Fine! Forget that! I'll just have to carve out your heart!" The bandit drew a dagger from his jacket and charged at the boy. However, just before he reached Ashton, a pillar of flames engulfed the bandit. Only a second later, it receded. Where the bandit used to be standing was a pile of ashes. As Ashton glared at the remaining bandit with his cold, yet burning gaze, the thug decided to cut his losses and escape. He immediately dropped Serenade and ran screaming towards the forest. However, no one would escape the woods alive.
Just before the bandit reached the trees, ropes of fire came out of nowhere and wrapped around him! For some reason, the fire was not burning the thug. Still, the bandit was screaming his head off in terror of what was happening. As the tangled bandit was lifted high above his victims, he was able to look down and saw Ashton reaching out with one hand, as if the flames were merely an extension of his arm.
As Serenade looked at the bandit and back at her brother, tears of loss began to fall from her eyes. Had her brother become a monster bent on death? She had never seen him so angry. So...brutal. At last, as he glared at the bandit, Ashton whispered, "Die." The instant he closed his open hand, the bandit was consumed in a massive inferno! However, the blaze quickly expanded outwards and appeared to bloom into the form of a flower. As the flames died down, ash fell from the night sky and blanketed the area.
"Ashton...?" Serenade whispered. The boy turned and faced his sister, his face still creepily emotionless. "I'll be right back." Ashton headed inside the cottage to find some medicinal herbs and bandages to patch up his parents. The whole while, Serenade cried, "Ashton...what happened to you? Did Mother and Father know?"
As the audience looked on with mixed horror and awe, Ashton growled deeply as the flames surrounding him blazed fiercely. The wings of flame on his back had unfurled, revealing an incredible sight of rainbow colors flickering in the flames. However, his face was consumed with inhuman wrath as he tried to hold on to his sanity. Even the Night Hawk was shuddering in fright at this demon.
A moment later, Ashton managed to look up at the assassin. His eyes were filled with so much rage and hatred that the Night Hawk could almost feel his gaze boring into her mind. With a demonic growl, Ashton roared, "Now, it is time that you disappeared!"
"He's so fast! I don't think Ashton can win this one!" Aurora said with fear in her voice. "No way! Ashton's the best there is! YOU CAN DO IT, LORD ASHTON!" Laura screamed. "Even so, he needs me." Laika prepared to jump the wall, but Chiara grabbed her. "I'm sorry, but he must do this alone. This is a one on one fight, so we can't interfere." Laika took her seat, although Chiara could see that she was very distraught, even through her cold eyes.
"Darn you! Back off already!" During a brief pause in the assassin's attack, Ashton dug the Claymore's blade into the sand on the ground, which was there to absorb the blood of the combatants. "Get away! Sandstorm Jutsu!" With a wide swing of the sword, Ashton sent a blast of wind at the assassin, carrying with it a load of sand! The sand was clearly irritating to the assassin as he tried to protect his face. During this time, Ashton performed yet another swing. "Ninja art: Wind Scythe Jutsu!" A windstorm seemed to come out of nowhere and swept the assassin right off his feet. The sound of slashing could be heard as blades of wind tore at the cloak that concealed the assassin's face. After several seconds, the wind died down and the assassin fell face first into the floor.
The crowd went wild at the display of wind magic Ashton had unleashed on his opponent. Laika was particularly impressed. "I never would have imagined that Ashton was skilled in the ways of magic as well as swordplay." On the battlefield, Ashton breathed a sigh of relief. "Well, I guess that's that." However, his good mood was short lived as he saw the assassin climbing to its feet. During the process, the hood, having been torn to shreds, fell to the ground, revealing the face of the figure. However, it was not as anyone had expected.
"You...you're a..." The assassin smirked, "A woman? Indeed. You've proven to be very enjoyable prey, Lord Ashton." What stood before him was a young woman with blond hair that was in curly tails at the sides of her face. "You're the...the Night Hawk?! The assassin that has claimed over a thousand victims?!" The young woman burst into hysterical laughter at the obvious fear Ashton was showing.
"The Night Hawk....." Cassandra looked at Chiara, "Is something wrong? Do you know about her?" Chiara was silent. Aurora yelled, "You must know something! Tell us!" Chiara whispered, "She is...the most notorious assassin in the kingdom. She is responsible for the deaths of several nobles, hundreds of skilled mercenaries, and even the King of Rohta himself." Everyone gasped. The assassin who Ashton was facing was the very same one who had slain the late king himself?
"So, what are you going to do, Lord Ashton of Green Mile? Are you simply so overwhelmed by my very presence that you can't even try to look like you can continue fighting?" Ashton yelled, "Quite the contrary! I know how you assassins work. You rely on one-hit strikes to kill your targets. You have to take out your targets with a single blow without them noticing. In a fair and open duel, like this, a knight would crush an assassin." The Night Hawk chuckled, "True, but a knight needs a weapon, and I don't see you with one."
Ashton looked down at the Claymore he was holding and stood aghast at the sight of the blade having been shattered all the way down to the hilt! During the attack from the assassin, she had deliberately struck the blade at certain points in an effort to weaken it. The two swings Ashton made were too much for it and the Claymore shattered during the second swing.
"Aw, what's wrong? Are you going to cry?" Ashton had hunkered over and seemed to be shaking violently. However, as soon as he looked up, the Night Hawk saw his face filled with anger! Ashton looked at the audience and yelled, "What's the idea of giving me a faulty weapon?! Piece of junk! I ought to reprimand you idiots for keeping these things in such poor shape!" The audience burst into laughter at Ashton's temper tantrum. His servants were somewhat embarrassed of him for losing his cool over something so silly, seeing as how the sword did not even belong to him, except for Laura, who yelled, "YEAH! YOU TELL THEM, ASHTON!"
As the Night Hawk looked on, she asked herself, "What's with this moron? Doesn't he know that his life is at stake?" Ashton then glared at her and yelled, "SHUT UP!" He then threw the hilt right at her, barely missing her head. When the hilt struck the wall behind her, there was a crash as a large crack was made in it. "That would've killed me if it hit. You've got a good throwing arm. But so what?! You can hardly call yourself a knight without a weapon! Just how do you expect to hold your own against me now?"
For a moment, Ashton still seemed to be seething, but his scowl soon turned into a sneaky grin. "You do have a point there. A knight is only a knight when he has a weapon to use in battle. However..." Ashton then made a series of hand signs. Zandria saw this and giggled, "Aw man, this is gonna be good!" Ashton then started to reach for something concealed under his cape, "A shinobi without a weapon..." He then pulled out something that seemed to resemble a metal fan. But with a flick of his wrist, it unfurled into what seemed to be a small windmill with deadly blades on each fan! "Is still a shinobi!"
As he reached back with the strange weapon in hand, Ashton yelled, "Demon Wind Shuriken!" He then threw it expertly at the Night Hawk like a buzz saw! Zandria grinned, (OK, Ashton. Let's see what Master Koga taught you.) The Night Hawk laughed, "One little boomerang? You must be joking." Ashton then pressed his hands together, "Try one THOUSAND! Shuriken Shadow Clone Jutsu!" Out of nowhere, one thousand more shuriken appeared around the one Ashton threw! "No way! Gotta think fast!" The Night Hawk started using her natural agility along with her wave swords to evade and deflect the incoming shuriken. "If just one gets me, it's over!"
In a major stroke of luck, the Night Hawk managed to avoid every last shuriken that was thrown at her. "That...was too close." As she looked ahead, she saw Ashton gave a whistle, "Not bad. That was a very advanced technique you just evaded. I see that striking from a distance won't help. So..." He then reached behind his cape again and pulled out a short black dagger in each hand. "I'll just have to take the fight to you!"
Ashton made a sudden dash at the Night Hawk at speeds that no knight could hope to achieve! "This is bad!" As soon as he closed in, Ashton went for the assassin's throat with his weapons. However, the Night Hawk's wave swords had greater reach, so Ashton had to make sure to keep an eye on them.
"You spoiled brat! You're my prey! You can't be doing this!" Ashton was successfully backing the Night Hawk into a corner as the crowd started cheering wildly at his display of courage and speed. "Now do you understand?! I'm much more than just a knight! And to prove it..." Ashton suddenly jumped away and threw his two daggers at the feet of the assassin. "Big mistake! Now you can't...guh..." The Night Hawk gagged as her opponent slammed his fist into her gut! "There are three forms of combat for a shinobi. Genjutsu, Ninjutsu, and Taijutsu. This is Taijutsu!" Ashton then proceeded to pummel the black hearted woman with just his fists!
"Yeah! That's so amazing! Left! Right! Jab! You've got her!" Laura kept screaming as her master began to acquire the upper hand of the duel. "This is unreal! I can't believe he's doing this well, even though he's unarmed!" Laika exclaimed. She had never been so excited in her life. Ruby also yelled, "He's so strong! No wonder he could carry such a big weapon! Huh?" Zandria pointed, "This is it! He's going for the finish!"
Ashton threw the Night Hawk off balance with a kick to the abdomen, and then sent her skyward with an upward kick to the face! "Here's a little something I came up with myself!" He then made a surprisingly high leap towards his opponent! In a desperate attempt to save herself, the Night Hawk tried to throw her wave swords down at Ashton. However, since she was facing upwards, her aim was poor and she missed.
As the Night Hawk noticed that she had stopped rising, she heard a voice directly under her. "Long live the king! Your time is up!" With an upward kick, Ashton struck at the base of her spine! Next, he flipped her over and performed a reverse axe kick to her face, sending her spiraling backwards. Finally, he grabbed her and moved her under him, and then sent her falling to the ground with a deadly heel drop to the chest!
"Not done yet!" Ashton took a deep breath as he tapped into his Vulcan powers. "Now fry!" In a bold display of power, the Vulcan Warrior sent a pillar of flame directly down at the Night Hawk! Just before she hit the ground, the blast struck right down into her, melting some of the sand and producing a heat wave that made the coliseum feel like a desert for a moment. Despite the height from which he fell, Ashton landed as gently as a floating feather.
As the crowd went wild, Laura screamed, "YOU DID IT! YOU'RE THE SEXIEST AND STRONGEST KNIGHT IN THE KINGDOM!" Zandria grabbed Laura around the mouth and whispered, "Don't say that here! We could get in loads of trouble if someone heard us! Although.....there's no denying that he is the sexiest boy in the kingdom." Zandria blushed, knowing that it would have been a lie if she had said otherwise.
"Well, I do believe that this duel is over." Ashton sighed as he looked at the smoldering crater. The referee came over and looked the crater over and said, "As it seems that the opponent is no longer alive, the champion of this match is...is...wooo....." The referee fell over without warning. "Huh? Hey, old man! Are you OK?" Ashton walked over to him and saw that he was fast asleep and noticed a pair of needles in his neck. "Wait...poison?"
Ashton gasped as he looked back at the crater and saw a figure emerge from it. "I don't think he'll be interrupting us for a while." The Night Hawk staggered out of the crater with a very pleased look on her face. "Not bad. You really know how to fight. It's not often that I have to fight someone trained in the ways of the ninja." Ashton gulped, "You mean...this isn't the first time?!"
The Night Hawk sneered, "Indeed. I have been hired in many places. Even the Far East. I have become acquainted with dealing with the likes of you. I have even slain some of the more renowned shinobi of the east. What's more..." The gauntlets on the Night Hawk's arms began to glow a sinister purple. "I happen to know how to dispose of you."
With a wave of her arm, the Night Hawk formed a hailstorm of ice needles! "She's a sorceress! AUGH!!!" Ashton screamed in agony as he was skewered from all sides! "LORD ASHTON! NO!" Cassandra screamed as she saw the love of her life fighting for his life. "No...I won't back down...they still need me!" Ashton groaned as he regained his balance. "I won't abandon them. They are my family, and I promised that I would win!"
The Night Hawk, who had been smirking the whole time, began to scowl. "You think that Beasts are people too?" Ashton panted, "I don't think. I know!" The Night Hawk leered, "You disgust me." With another wave of her hand, a pillar of rock jutted out of the ground and nailed Ashton in the chest, shattering his ribcage. As he coughed up blood, the Night Hawk laughed, "Fine. If you really don't want them to be left all alone, I'll gladly kill them when I'm done with you!"
The Night Hawk chanted a brief incantation as clouds of sand rose from the floor and compacted into many small clubs. "I'll soon have you beat!" One after the other, the sand clubs pounded into Ashton at a steady rhythm. "Why...why are they like this? Why are humans so cruel to Pokemon?"
As the clubs smashed away at him, Ashton cried, "Why...what did they ever do to deserve this?!" A final blow sent Ashton rolling away, only to have him start to climb to his feet. "Mother...Father...what have they done to you?!" Soon, a faint veil of fire began to enshroud Ashton. "Why do they enjoy causing us such pain?!"
Serenade immediately noticed what was happening to Ashton and began to shed tears, "No...not again...not this..." Aurora noticed Serenade's behavior and asked, "What's wrong with him? Has this happened before?" Ruby pointed out, "I saw him like this before. He was really angry at the men who kidnapped me." Serenade sobbed, "No...this is different...that rage..." Aurora asked, "Serenade, did something happen to you and Ashton when you were still children?" Serenade still seemed to be in shock, but whispered, "I...I never wanted to see him like this again...after ten whole years..."
"I think I've seen enough blood for now. Time to say goodbye." With a sweep of her hands, the Night Hawk conjured up another wall of ice. However, instead of needles, this ice had been shaped into full-sized spears. "Don't you worry, though. I'll be sending your little pets to join you." The hail of ice spears streaked towards the fallen knight, but just as they impacted him, they burst into steam!
"What the devil?! How could anything be so hot?!" Slowly, Ashton turned to face the assassin. When his eyes met hers', the Night Hawk shuddered at the changes in them. They had become a fiery red and were filled with bloodlust that was more sinister than her own. It was as if he had just been possessed by the devil himself.
"You...you humans are all the same. You seek nothing more than to make everything around you bend to your will. Whatever refuses to do so, or what is of no use to you, you destroy. You humans are a plague. You care nothing for anything but yourselves!"
The Z shaped markings under Ashton's eyes began to extend and become bolder. "You...all you humans are..." Suddenly, Ashton collapsed to his knees while screaming in agony! The flames enshrouding his body began to blaze as what seemed to be wings of fire began to form on his back. "You are.....barbarians! You are my prey!" Ashton screamed as the flames intensified. Serenade whispered, "No...please don't do it...not again..."
"Serenade! Look what I found!" A little boy yelled as he ran with something in his hands. After a moment of running through the woods, the boy came across a little female Ralts. However, the red horns on her head were missing, an unfortunate birth defect. Even so, she could tell just by looking at the boy that he was very excited.
"Hi, Ashton! What's that?" Ashton opened his hands to reveal to his sister what he had found. "EEK! A BUG!" Ashton spoke, "Not just any bug! Look!" Reluctantly, Serenade looked closer and saw that the bug was some sort of beetle with a shiny green carapace. "I think it's called a jewel beetle. Isn't it pretty?" This time, Serenade smiled, "Yes! It's very pretty!" She then gently ran her hand over the back, but yanked her arm back when it opened its wings. As it took off, Ashton and Serenade laughed at the loud buzzing sound it made.
"That was a very noisy bug! Huh?" Ashton and Serenade sniffed the air as they smelled a faint aroma. "Mother's making dinner! Come on, Serenade!" Ashton grabbed his sister's hand and took off running towards their home. "It smells yummy! What could it be?" Serenade would soon find out as a dwelling came into view.
"Father!" Ashton yelled as he saw a small clearing to the side. Standing in front of a recently chopped log with blades still extended was a Gallade. At the sound of Ashton's voice, he turned and saw his two children running towards him. "Ashton! Serenade! I see that you've been having fun." The Gallade scooped up the two children in his arms and held them close. Serenade giggled, "You squeeze so hard, Father!" The Gallade chuckled, "That just shows how precious you are to me. Now, since I've finished chopping firewood, shall we head inside to see what your mother is fixing for supper?"
As the trio entered the modest little cottage, the aroma of spices fill their nostrils. As they entered the kitchen, the Gallade asked, "That's quite a delicious aroma, Starlet. What's on the menu tonight?" Standing in front of the stove was a female Gardevoir. As she turned to face her husband and children, she smiled, "Asking right away? You must be starving, Siegfried." "MOTHER!" Little Ashton ran over to Starlet, who quickly snatched him up in her slender arms.
"Mother, I found something for you!" Ashton pulled something out of his pocket. "Oh my! Is this a peridot?" Starlet gazed at the olive green gemstone. "It's for you, Mother!" Starlet gave the little boy a very grateful hug. "I will always cherish it. Thank you, Ashton." The lovely Gardevoir gave her little boy a sweet kiss to thank him.
"Mmmmm! Tasty!" Serenade said as she gulped down her mother's cooking. She had cooked up fried potatoes, roasted duck, spinach, and sautéed carrots. "I'll never know how you became so good at cooking, Starlet. Who taught you again?" Starlet giggled at her husband's question, "I'm self-taught. Did you forget?" Siegfried laughed, "So I did. My apologies."
That evening, Ashton and Serenade ran out to chase fireflies in the dark. "These things are hard to see! Serenade, can you see any?" Suddenly, there was the sound of a twig snapping. "Uh-oh. Serenade, don't move." For a moment, the two kids stayed absolutely still. "Hey, you kids lost?" The two children turned to face who the voice belonged to. Standing behind them was a pair of rather brutish looking men.
"Kinda late for a couple of kids to be wandering the woods alone. You two lost?" Ashton and Serenade were obviously nervous, but the other man spoke, "Hey, we're not gonna hurt ya! We're just a little worried." At last, Ashton replied, "Uh, we're not lost. We know the way home." With a smirk, the slightly taller man kneeled down to the kids and whispered, "Ya know, this forest can get really dangerous at night. I've heard of monsters that only come out at night that hunt in this forest."
Ashton and Serenade were obviously scared by the tall tale the guy just said. To top it off, he added, "What's more, they really like the taste of children. The younger you are, the tastier. And I'd say that you two are just about ripe for the pickings." Finally, Serenade flipped out, "NOOOOOO!!!!! I DON'T WANNA GET EATEN! SAVE ME!!!" However, the stranger added, "And that's why we are gonna escort you kids home. Since we're adults, the monsters don't like the taste, so they won't bother you if you're with us. OK?" Serenade calmed down and said, "Thanks, mister!"
As the strangers followed the two children home, they whispered amongst themselves. "Ya know, it's a good thing that Ralts doesn't have those horns. It would've seen right through us." The other bandit replied, "Yeah. Ya know, we could make a solid profit if we sold the parents." The partner nodded, "Yeah, we could. Just remember. We need them alive."
As the house came into view, Ashton and Serenade saw their mother hanging out some of Ashton's clothes to dry. Just as he was about to call out to her, Ashton was pulled back into the bushes along with Serenade. "Almost forgot. Those monsters have a really crazy ability. They take on the forms of the loved ones of their prey. That thing out there is definitely one of them." Ashton breathed a sigh of relief, "Thanks, mister. But what should we do?" One of the bandits grinned, "Just leave it to us."
Ever so carefully, the two bandits snuck up on the unsuspecting Gardevoir, their clubs in hand. Starlet had just finished hanging the laundry and was about to head inside when she heard a twig snap. "Hm? Is someone there?" At this moment, the bandits panicked and leapt at her! "Wha?! NO!" With one blow to the head, Starlet collapsed to the ground. "Careful! We need her alive!" It was at that moment that Ashton and Serenade realized that these two thugs were just ordinary criminals. Together, they both screamed, "FATHER! MOTHER'S HURT!"
"Crud. It seems they found out." One bandit said as the front door burst open. Siegfried dashed out into the yard and froze at the sight of his wife bleeding from the head. "Whoa, a Gallade?! This one will surely fetch its weight in gold!" Siegfried felt his battle lust return as his elbow blades extended. "You beasts...I'll kill you!" The former gladiator charged the bandits with rage in his eyes.
"Think you can take us both? Think again!" Both bandits brought down their clubs, but Siegfried blocked them both with the blades on each arm. A fierce battle ensued with Siegfried holding his own against the thugs. However, they were steadily inching towards the bushes where Serenade and Ashton were watching from.
"This thing's tough! Huh?" The bandit recognized the bush he was right next to. "Gotcha!" He thrust his hand into the bush as Siegfried was about to bring his blades up through the bandit's chest. "Do you really want to do that to your own kid?" The bandit chuckled as he held up Serenade as a shield. "Father!" Siegfried only barely stopped himself from slicing through his own daughter. "Monsters..." Siegfried gasped as he collapsed to the ground from a blow to the head from the other bandit.
"Father! Get away from them!" Ashton charged the two bandits after witnessing his parents' brutal attack. "Whelp! Don't push your luck!" The bandit stopped Ashton cold with a kick to the face, which sent him rolling a good distance away. "Ashton! Help me!" Serenade screamed. "Don't waste your breath. The kid can't help you now." Ashton slowly climbed to his knees, aching from the bruise on his face. "Why...? Why are they doing this? Why do they treat Mother and Father like animals?"
Ashton began convulsing as he played the horrible sight over and over in his head. "It doesn't make sense. Why did they hurt them? Is it because..." Ashton looked up at the two bandits, but then looked in horror at his own hands. "Am I...am I the same as them? Am I a monster too?!" Ashton brought his hands to his face as he screamed in anguish.
"Ya know, that kid could tell the knights about us. Think we should kill him?" The other bandit nodded, "Yeah. Leave no eyewitnesses." As his partner approached the weeping boy, Serenade screamed, "Leave him alone! Ashton, run!" However, hearing the cries of his sister awakened a forbidden power within Ashton's soul. A power that only he could use.
"Sorry kid. I'm not one for killing brats, but it's for the best." However, as he raised his club, the bandit froze when Ashton looked up at him. His eyes had become a fiery red. Worse, a savage bloodlust was just underneath the surface. "This kid's a freak show!" In fear, the thug brought his club down hard, slamming into Ashton's cranium. "ASHTON!!!" Serenade screamed as she saw her brother take a fatal blow, but her fear was short lived as she saw him slowly look up at the bandit that had just tried to murder him. Blood was oozing down his face, but he didn't seem to be in any pain at all.
"This...kid..." The bandit panicked and started pounding away at Ashton with his club. However, after several whacks, Ashton grabbed the club. A second later, the wooden weapon ignited, causing the bandit to back away in terror. Just then, flames erupted all around Ashton as he clutched his face in pain. Then, in a scream of agony, he threw his face upwards as flames seemed to surge out of his face! A moment later after the flames seemed to disappear; he looked back at the bandits. They, along with Serenade, were frozen with dread at the sight of Ashton's face. Just under his eyes was a pair of neatly made Z shaped openings in his skin. Blood was pouring from them as Ashton shed tears of silent grief. The fire the bandits had just seen had burned right through Ashton's skin, forever burning the scars that would be a testament to his dark secret.
"Fine! Forget that! I'll just have to carve out your heart!" The bandit drew a dagger from his jacket and charged at the boy. However, just before he reached Ashton, a pillar of flames engulfed the bandit. Only a second later, it receded. Where the bandit used to be standing was a pile of ashes. As Ashton glared at the remaining bandit with his cold, yet burning gaze, the thug decided to cut his losses and escape. He immediately dropped Serenade and ran screaming towards the forest. However, no one would escape the woods alive.
Just before the bandit reached the trees, ropes of fire came out of nowhere and wrapped around him! For some reason, the fire was not burning the thug. Still, the bandit was screaming his head off in terror of what was happening. As the tangled bandit was lifted high above his victims, he was able to look down and saw Ashton reaching out with one hand, as if the flames were merely an extension of his arm.
As Serenade looked at the bandit and back at her brother, tears of loss began to fall from her eyes. Had her brother become a monster bent on death? She had never seen him so angry. So...brutal. At last, as he glared at the bandit, Ashton whispered, "Die." The instant he closed his open hand, the bandit was consumed in a massive inferno! However, the blaze quickly expanded outwards and appeared to bloom into the form of a flower. As the flames died down, ash fell from the night sky and blanketed the area.
"Ashton...?" Serenade whispered. The boy turned and faced his sister, his face still creepily emotionless. "I'll be right back." Ashton headed inside the cottage to find some medicinal herbs and bandages to patch up his parents. The whole while, Serenade cried, "Ashton...what happened to you? Did Mother and Father know?"
As the audience looked on with mixed horror and awe, Ashton growled deeply as the flames surrounding him blazed fiercely. The wings of flame on his back had unfurled, revealing an incredible sight of rainbow colors flickering in the flames. However, his face was consumed with inhuman wrath as he tried to hold on to his sanity. Even the Night Hawk was shuddering in fright at this demon.
A moment later, Ashton managed to look up at the assassin. His eyes were filled with so much rage and hatred that the Night Hawk could almost feel his gaze boring into her mind. With a demonic growl, Ashton roared, "Now, it is time that you disappeared!"