Ace's Death
Draco's Flame Revised Edition
By JLB with Co-authoring by Gwen E. and minor work by Ruby C., Loki write ins by Ray "Raychu" and JLB
Hamlet:
Thou pray'st not well.
I prithee, take thy fingers from my throat;
For though I am not splenitive and rash,
Yet have I in me something dangerous,
Which let thy wisedom fear. Hold off thy hand.
-William Shakespeare, Hamlet: Act V, Scene 1.
Prologue: Ace's Death.
Inside the church he paced with aggravation written in every crease and furl in his face. He turned about and stared at Nero, who cowered from Ace’s glare. Misphisto silently meditated as the dark hero growled something at Nero.
Ace looked at his hand, he held Emerald’s crown in it as the castle came crashing down about him. He was so close to being King. He shut his eyes as he twisted his face into another leer. He wanted Rezel’s head for all that she took from him. The Rocket Queen slaughtered his family, stole his crown when he was competing in Amber. She tried to tempt him when he was young but, he refused her in favor of pursuing Angel. She stole everything from him and now to the world outside this humble church he was dead.
“I’ll kill her! Whatever it takes I’ll kill her! Fuck! The prison bars won’t protect her! I’ll kill her no matter what I have to pay!” He slammed his fist on a pew top.
“You dare speak of revenge, of such ruthless bloody revenge in the house of your Lord Father of your religion?” Phisto slipped from his trance. “To use curses and swears among his sacred walls? Ace your own violent and rash behavior caused you the loss of your kingdom. You have none to blame but, yourself.”
“He’s right Ace! You had been warned by several to change your ways! Angel’s mother warned you! Even Ash Ketchum warned you Ace yet you refused to listen!” Nero suddenly broke his spell of silence.
“Did I tell you to give me fucking lip Nero? Go get my monsters like I told you to!” Ace shouted as he felt a low rumbling in his throat, he knew his wolf side was waking.
“Quit treating me like a servant! If you forgot we are supposed to be friends asshole!” The teen was glaring at Ace but, he was more hurt than enraged, he stepped out of the church.
Outside the church Draco stood silent. He had released Ace's other pokémon. Snorlax was abnormally emotional for a Snorlax. He sat crying for his trainer. Drowxena held her head low. Qwil puckered her mouth and slapped her tail. She grunted and asked to be put back into her ball. Draco returned the disgruntled qwilfish.
"Ace is dead!" Snorlax cried into his big paws.
"What do we do now Draco?" Cynder patted Snorlax on the back.
"Well...I don't know." The charizard sat thinking.
"What's dead mean?" Pichu hopped onto his back and nestled between Draco's horns.
"Uh...well...how do I explain it to her?" He looked at Cynder.
"It means he'll be taking a dirt nap." The Typhlosion shrugged his shoulders.
"Cynder!" The Drowzee scolded him, Snorlax cried even harder.
"Oh like a chicken! I've seen them! They lay down and throw dirt all over themselves! What a silly thing! Why does Ace wanna do that?" Pichu laughed.
"That's a dirt bath kid. I meant Ace kicked the bucket." Cynder got another dirty look from Drowxena.
"Is that a fun game? I wanna kick the bucket!" Pichu danced on Draco's head.
"Uh, well it ain't no game. He's feeding worms kid." Drowxena smacked him upside the head.
"What do you feed a worm?" She asked from her perch.
"Pichu, Ace is gone and he won't be coming back." Drowxena cradled the baby Raichu in her arms.
"Like my mom? Why doesn't Ace wanna stay with us? Why did my mom go away?" Drowxena had no answers for the baby she just rocked her to sleep.
"Draco we are going to have to figure out what to do now." Snorlax managed to stop crying.
"Draco! Draco! Over here!" Draco saw Ace's friend Nero.
"Maybe Nero will watch over us now." Draco told the others.
"I have to show you something!" He rushed them into the church.
"I can't believe it!" Draco stood there but, couldn't understand how Ace was alive.
"Draco!" He hugged his dragon.
"How? We all saw you die?" Draco said in his odd half human and half pokémon language.
"I thought I was going to die myself. Being a werewolf has it‘s benefits I guess." He thanked Misphisto for watching over him.
"You must do as I instructed Ace. Everyone in Emerald thinks you are dead. You must leave and let the city heal." The Mewtwo handed him a map. "Where will you go?"
"I can't go back to Amber. My fellow FBI agents think I'm dead too now. I guess Johto for awhile, no one there would remember me since I fought there as a kid." He began to empty his pockets. "Take this gold Misphisto and give it to the people. Tell them it was a parting gift from the final monarch. It's all I could save from the burning castle."
His hands came across three objects. He stood examining them.
"Misphisto would it be wrong of me to keep these?" He asked.
"What are they?" Misphisto inquired.
"My parent's wedding bands and my sister's locket." He felt tears well.
"By all means keep them Ace! They will remind you of them." Misphisto took the gold into a sack and gave Ace and Nero a few pieces to help get them to Johto.
"I agree with him." A woman's voice came from behind.
"Officer Jenny?" Ace watched her enter.
"Been sometime Ace." She grinned.
"Misphisto what is she doing here? I thought you wanted everyone to think I was dead?" Ace glanced from her to him and back to her.
"I invited myself. I had to see if you were truly dead." She hugged Draco.
"Do I know you?" Ace thought she was a bit familiar.
"I'm Laura Jenny." She gave Ace a hug.
"Yes! We grew up together!" Ace remembered playing alongside her and Angel. "It must be a shock to see me still alive."
"Not really Ace. I know you are a werewolf." She laughed.
"Who didn't know then!" He growled.
"Thank you for everything Misphisto, will we be seeing you again?" Ace was in debt to the Mewtwo.
"Perhaps, I have the feeling we might meet again." He lead the heroes out of the city.
"Good luck and let good fortune follow you friend." Misphisto waved.
"As well for you. Live long and prosper!" Ace laughed as he gave him the Vulcan sign.
"Must everything be a joke to you? Ace." The mewtwo shook his head as the three vanished into the forest.
Ace was surprised that Jenny would come along to make sure they got away safely, then very few things surprised Ace these days.
It was a bit morbid but, Ace couldn't help wanting to watch his funeral. He was to rest in the garden of the castle or more accurate the remains of the castle.
Ace was amazed how many people did care for him. He even saw Angel weeping. Then Jesus came and held her shoulders and kissed her. Ace sat on the hill cussing Jesus.
"Do you mind for I think I still love you. Do you mind always have evermore!" Ace sang a bit of an old song as he watched her, in his heart he still loved her.
“Why don’t you just kill him! It would be fun Ace!” The demon spoke in his mind. Ace tried to force away Loki’s voice.
Ace kept forcing away the voice, he wouldn’t listen to it. The demon was becoming bored, when Loki became bored he killed. It was something Ace was cursed with. He couldn’t release such a demon for it would lash out at the world for whatever pain it was going through. Ace feared what it must have been in another lifetime. Demons that never healed where the most deadliest things.
"Let's get out of here." Ace stood he had to get away from here. He lost everything! And now Loki was tempting him to do things he would love to do.
He stood high above on that hill. He found his eyes wandering to Jesus' throat. It would be so easy for him to run down there and leap, rip that damned throat of his out! Ace felt his fangs slip into place. He forced it all away.
"That's the spirit Ace! Just go and kill him! Better yet....let me do it! Release me! Release me." Loki taunted his captor.
"What and miss the macabre scene of them lowering your coffin?" Nero slung his pack over his shoulder.
"Leave him alone Nero." Laura was wondering if she was out of her mind by following Ace.
She brushed a few leaves from her blue jeans, pulled on a denim jacket over her white t-shirt. Ace pulled a black vest over his green shirt and wore his trademark hat and though forced to leave his trademark cloak in his pack.
Nero pulled on his hat hiding his unusually long ears. He zipped up a leather jacket. Ace, Jenny and Nero walked as Draco flew overhead. Another charizard gusted over them.
"Charcole?" Ace wondered why the female chose to follow them.
A week in Johto and that's when Draco's nightmares began to haunt him. He woke in cold sweats, his lungs grasping for air. He would settle down again to be waken once more by them. Charcole although still disturbed began to melt that chunk of ice in her heart. She worried about Draco.
Draco dreaded sleep because the dreams awaited. He wished he knew what they meant. He had yet to realize they were foretelling of a new adventure he was to set upon. He slept trying to unravel the meaning. What dreams inspired was the next step in Draco's legend.
Yes, Draco was oblivious to the forces surrounding him. He had no idea he would strike out against all for his dreams to come true. He was going to be free soon. Draco slept with his nightmares creeping upon him.
To be continued........