Title: Dark
Author: Shadow/Phantomness
Pairing: Championshipping (Lance x Red)
Fandom: Pokémon
Theme: #7, Dark
Rating: PG
Disclaimer: Pokemon belongs to Nintendo and Shogakukan Comics. This non-profit, non-copyright infringing fanfiction belongs to me under international copyright laws and taking it is plagiarism. Thank you. *Phantomness bows*

Notes: <> for telepathy, ** for thoughts, italics if a pokemon talks

Warnings: Fanon, shonen-ai

“Lance, it’s dangerous…” Red whispered. “Why are you doing this?”

Lance sighed. “Red, you know the way the elements play out. There are always three – Light, Shadow, and Darkness. I am darkness – and love is an emotion of light, even shadow. I could feel lust for you, envy, despair… but I cannot love you if it saps my power. Do you understand?”

“Not really.” Red sighed. “Are you saying that you love your duty as Realm Guardian more than you love me?”

“If you must insist, yes, I do. I cannot place your life over the lives of a thousand others.”

Red shook his head. “I understand, but… I just want you to be happy. Are you unhappy because you love me?”

“Mew, no!”

“B-But…”

“Shh.” Lance whispered. “It won’t hurt much.” He raised his voice. “Charlotte, we’re ready.”

“I still don’t understand this.” Red muttered.

Charlotte smiled, smoothing down the pleats of her white robe as she emerged from the next room. “It’s quite simple. I’m going to seal Lance’s emotions of Light into you, Red.”

“M-Me?” Red squeaked.

“Yes. That way, whenever Lance is with you, he will be able to feel, like normal. By the same token, when he is away from you, he can access his full potential – all his Dark power.”

Red meditated on the idea for a few minutes, before deciding it made sense. “How close does Lance have to be to be in love with me?”

“Oh, within a hundred yards of you should suffice,” Charlotte said thoughtfully. “Enough so that you two will not be attached at the hip, but far enough so that if he needs to, he can use his full power to protect you.”

Red blushed. It made sense, in a way, and well… there was no point in Lance loving him far away, right?

Right!

The ritual was surprisingly simple. All Red had to do was wait and not struggle while Lance held him. Charlotte chanted a few words underneath her breath, before she clasped her hands together and her eyes flared pure white. Red bit back a cry as a strange surge of pleasure washed through his body, and he colored as Lance peered at him quizzically.

“Is that all?”

“It’s not a hard spell, but only Light Masters can do it.” Charlotte shrugged. “All done. Lance? Are you feeling any different?”

The Dragon Master shook his head, as Red mentally applauded.

“Great. Then I guess I’ll leave you two alone for a bit.”

Red flushed as Lance kissed him. It felt as normal as usual, and he kissed back eagerly. One thing led to another, and they barely had time to make it to the bedroom before the last of their clothing was discarded.

Red woke up the next morning to find that Lance had made him bunny-shaped pancakes with blueberry syrup. It seemed that the spell really had changed nothing. He happily dressed and ate.

“So, do I owe you anything for this spell?” Lance asked Charlotte. The Fire Guardian took another sip of her hot coffee and smirked.

“Would it trouble you to kill all the other Light Masters for me? It seems that every naïve idiot is trying to become one and that’s destroying the balance.”

“Why can’t you kill them yourself?”

“Light attacks don’t work on other light-types.” Charlotte sighed. “Or I would.”

“… I suppose that makes sense.” Lance said thoughtfully. There was only supposed to be one Light Master, and one for Shadow. “It might take a few months.”

“I am in no hurry yet. No divination dreams, thank Moltres.”

“I’ll get to it.” Lance promised, and went back to find Red, who was blissfully unaware of this exchange taking place.

It was not as though it would affect him in any way… and it was always nice not to owe anyone.

End Fic

Completed 1/26/07

Red: Eek! People are dying again

Phantomness: Hai. This fic takes place before Theme #22, Light

Lance: *Shrugs*

Shoyko: Meh, it’s almost not dark at all, if the murder takes place offstage

Kairo: *Giggles*