Beyond Forever

...

The girl was leading the boy. Where? She didn't know, not that it mattered. The boy was running along with the girl, hands intertwined, smile and happiness clearly visible on his face. Her actions didn't surprise her. He was following her without hesitation, without any question. It didn't matter where they were going, all that mattered was that he was with her, without any doubt or compulsion.

The girl had never witnessed freedom like this before, she felt democratic, she felt free. The clouds, shining due to the sun hidden behind it, was letting out a magnificent glow. There was a calm atmosphere all over, no extra sounds, no extra company, just the two of them.

The soft grass beneath their feets was making a soft, churning sound with every step. She could hear the sound of rushing water. She knew the waterfall was near. She, with a new found energy, dragged him towards the source of the sound.

The girl, standing close to the waterfall now, stretched her arms. The cold, swift water was a relief to her body, which was tired due to all the running she had done. She felt an arm snake around her waist. But she didn't move. She knew whose arms those were. She smiled. The boy turned her around and gently kissed her lips.

With a sudden stroke, she let him go. The boy stumbled backwards but managed his balance. She smiled at him, he found himself doing the same. She slowly closed her eyes and took a deep breath.

"Am ready," he told her.

She unbuttoned the first hook of the shirt she was wearing. The boy, unable to say a word kept on staring at her. She unbuttoned the second one and opened her eyes. The boy's eyes ere fixed on her. She knew what he was feeling. She was feeling the same. Love. Happiness. Nervousness. Lust.

With only one button remaining, the boy lunged towards her capturing her lips with his. He found his hands making its way to the hook of her skirt.

But then, she felt nothing.

She opened her eyes to see darkness all over. She quickly gathered herself and looked around. Darkness. Thick, impenetrable darkness. She ran towards the tree where they had scribbled their name before. The tree was gone. With fear filling her eyes, she looked around again, this time shouting,"Satoshi!"

Silence.

"Satoshi!" She cried again, at the verge of tears.

"Answer me Satoshi, please where are you!?"

No answer.

She slumped down where she was standing and let the tears flow slowly. She heard a faint voice,"Hikari.. I don't want to die... Save me... I don't want to die..."

Dawn woke up with a start. She had the same dream again. She nervously looked around, but couldn't see a thing. Scared of the dark, she reached for the the switch. Turning the lights on, she found herself in her room, in her bed. She was soaked wet due to perspiration. Her breathing was fast, she could feel her heart pumping rapidly, almost making her believe it would blow any minute.

Suddenly there was a loud crashing noise in the kitchen. Pulling up her water bottle, she made her way to the kitchen.

She found a meowth, licking the milk spread on the floor. 'Its enough now! The landlady's cat must be taught a lesson!' She picked up a nearby plate to throw at it but sensing her intension, the meowth purred and escaped through the window. What a hectic night, she thought and went to bed.

She had hardly hit her bed when she heard her phone ringing. She glanced at the clock. 1.30 am. Angrily, she picked up the phone.

"Who is it?"

"Sorry to disturb you mam, but a new patient has arrived. His condition is critical, we need your assistance."

"I thought its was Kenny's turn to be there at the hospital."

"He is not here mam"

"Did you call someone else?"

"No, You're the first one."

"Fine, I am coming. But, I will suggest and hope that you inform Mr. Rowan about Dr. Kenny's disappearance. He has done it for the third time this month." Duty calls, so she changed her clothes, picked up her car keys and left.

She arrived at the hospital soon. She signed her name into the register and directly went to the emergency room. She found a small seven year boy, winching and suffering due to pain.

"Whats the matter?" She asked the woman sitting near the stretcher.

With round, red and puffy eyes, she said," He has habit of walking while sleeping, tonight he fell from the stairs."

Dawn wrote all the info and hung the observation at the edge of the bed. Picking up an injection, she slowly pierced it into the boy's body.

"I have given him pain killer, it will relieve him for a while." She said to his mother. She sat near the boy and asked sweetly,'' Is there any specific area you are feeling pain?"

"My left foot," the boy said with difficulty.

Dawn very gently touched the area, he winched but didn't shout loudly.

Smiling, she said," You are a strong boy, the bones are not broken. But you have to stay here for a while. "

The boy, smiling at her patience was feeling better already. Due to the effect of the pain killer, he found himself drifting to sleep.

"What's his name?" Dawn asked.

"He is Satoshi," the woman slowly replied, a little relieved as her child was sleeping peacefully.

"Satoshi," Dawn quietly said.

...

"You look horrible Dawn," Misty said.

"I feel horrible too," Dawn said, yawning.

Since that day, she kept on having those dreams. Those dreams always ended at the same place. The harder she tried to forget about it, the more she thought about it. She checked her family history, there was no one named Satoshi or Hikari. The dreams were horrifying her so much that she was even scared of sleeping.

The dreams had left her devastated. She hardly slept and her signature smile was absent. Since she was a kid, her parents always told her she was special, special as she never cried. Her family abandoned her as even after her parents death she didn't shed a tear. Tell a five year old girl that her parents had gone, she would probably ask where and why did they leave her alone. She did the same. Now she understood what going away had always meant. She was an orphan.

"You need to sleep Dawn," May said, concerned about her friend's health.

"But those dreams will haunt me again!" She was trying to explain but snapped. Then seeing the hurt expression on May's face she apologized.

"I think you need a vacation," May said. Misty nodded in response.

"No, even if I leave this place, the dreams will haunt me! What's the use of going then?" She said, tearing forming in her eyes.

She left her landlady's home, thinking the place was haunted. She moved in with Misty and May, but her dreams never left her alone. It always came back to her, every alternate day, but recently, she was having them regularly.

"I think we should take you to a doctor,"Misty said.

Dawn looked at her emotionlessly. Then she added," Am a doctor myself! And I have already taken an appointment with Dr. Sukizo. He said that there is nothing wrong. I even went to a psychiatrist, he was unable to help me too." This time, she cried.

May and Misty hugged her tightly. They wanted to help but didn't know how they could.

May found Dawn sleeping peacefully. Constant crying must have exhausted her. With combined efforts with Misty, she picked Dawn up and carried her to May's bed. Since they lived in the same flat, but separate rooms, they could easily meet whenever they wanted.

The next day, they were leaving for a trip to a nearby countryside, Pallet town. Although Dawn wanted to stay, her friends literally dragged her along with them.

"Do you remember Soledad, Dawn?" May asked, while Misty concentrated on driving, paying full attention to the conversation at the same time.

"Yes, I remember"

"Her brother-in-law is somewhat special, according to her," May said.

"Special?" Misty asked.

"Yeah, he is really talented. He sketches really well. I heard he started sketching when he was five!" May said, engrossed in the conversation.

"At such a very young age!" Dawn exclaimed.

"Indeed!" Misty said, looking at the road infront.

"And Soledad says, his paintings are beautiful, but it also scares her. He sketches things he had never seen before. He even, even sketched.." May stopped to search for the right word," a girl, who looks a lot like you!"

Dawn stared at her blankly. She was going to say something when Misty said," We are taking you there so that we can see if there is any similarity in both of your conditions. It will help you we hope."

Dawn sighed and leaned back in her seat. She slowly asked,"His name?"

"Ash",May said.

When they finally reached pallet town after a three hours drive, they were tired. They were going to stay at Soledad's house, who was happy and curious too.

"Hey Sole!" May and Misty hugged her. Dawn, on the other hand gave her a fake smile. Soledad, understanding her condition, smiled back.

They chatted and caught up with each other for the next one hour or so. Dawn spoke a little. She was eager to meet Ash, to find the mystery. She really needed an answer.

A young and tall boy entered the room. He kept his shoes neatly and hung his umbrella. He was unaware of the presence of three ladies in her room.

"Welcome back Ash!" Soledad cheerfully said.

Hearing that name, both Dawn and Ash looked up. Ash, because he was called. He smiled at Soledad. Dawn because she was curious about the mystery boy.

Ash looked around the room and waved to the brunette and the red head. They waved back. He directed his gaze towards the other couch, where Dawn was sitting. Dawn was looking at him continuously. On seeing her, his face brightened. He smiled a little. She did the same. She could understand what his lips were trying to say. He parted his lips a little and said one word, which was inaudible to most of them, but Dawn knew she heard him right. He had said," Hikari."

They wanted to talk but were unable due to unwanted company. Soledad suggested everyone to have lunch. While they were making their way to the dining table, Ash 'accidentally' bruished his hand against the hinge on the door. Seeing blood, Soledad shrieked but Dawn silently sat beside him, cleaned his wounds with her handkerchief and applied antiseptic lotion which she always carried with her.

Ash was staring at her continuously. He said,"You're beautiful, just like the girl in my painting."

May,Soledad and Misty left silently. Ash rose up and helped her stand too. Without saying a word, he carried her to his room.

She was looking at him with mixed emotions. His touch, his feel, his breath, everything felt similar.

She saw him pulling a big, fat sketch book from his shelf. Carrying it to the bed, he opened it and signaled her to come closer. She sat opposite him.

There was a sketch of a young girl, with shiny blue hairs and sparkling sapphire eyes, wearing a yellow summer dress, hugging a boy, about the same age at her.

She found a picture of a girl next. She was undoubtedly the same girl as before, but this time she was grown up.

Next she found a sketch of a waterfall, with the silhouette of two people hugging. Her eyes widened at the picture. She turned the page, but there were no more pictures.

"How do you.., how did you sketch me? " she asked, still staring at the picture book.

"I don't know, I really don't know. Sometimes, they come naturally, sometimes, I see them in my dreams."

"You know what happened after that kiss under the waterfall?"

"No, my dreams always ended at that point. It freezes there and I find myself searching for Hikari in darkness." He said while biting his lips and playing with his fingers.

"Satoshi...," her voice came as a whisper.

Ash suddenly spoke," When I first saw you, I felt like I knew you from before. I can't tolerate these dreams any longer. They scare me,they make me feel helpless."

Dawn put her hand over his shaking fingers. A distance memory flashed in her mind. A boy hanging from the edge of a cliff, bruised all over and a girl, crying and trying to do everything she could to bring him up. The distance was too much to be covered by stretch of hands alone. But she managed, she managed to catch him.

Dawn suddenly broke the contact. Ash looked at her wide eyed. "I saw a cliff, hanging, falling," he said, his breathing becoming shorter.

This time Ash tightly held her hands, but nothing happened.

"I can't believe it! We are reincarnated!" Dawn exclaimed. Her voice was neither excited nor scared. It sounded shocked.

A tear rolled down from their cheeks. Ash,on an impulse hugged her and kissed her cheek.

Another memory flashed in their heads. 'Lemme go Hikari otherwise I will just take you with me! I don't want to die, but I don't want to see you die either. Let me go!' The girl held on tight. She was trying to pull him up but failed. Suddenly she found him slipping away from her grip. 'Hold tight Satoshi, I will pull you up. You can't die, we are destined to be together.' Her tears were blinding her vision but she tried to keep her grip tight. Crunk. Crash. The rock he was using for support tumbled and crashed. He was unable to keep his balance any longer. She could feel him slipping but she didn't let go.' Leave me Hikari, I will wait for you forever.' 'Take me with you!' 'No! Leave me Hikari, if we are meant to be together, we will be!' 'No! Dont leave me Satoshi!' Before they could understand anything, Satoshi's grip loosened. He was falling, but even now, Hikari was holding his hands. She just said,"Promise me you'll be mine" before they hit the ground.

Ash and Dawn broke their hug and looked at each other. Ash swiped away her tears and kissed her forehead. He pulled her closer and said," I found you, I really found my Hikari. I had promised we will meet again. We kept our promise. I promise I won't leave or let you leave."

...

Read and review please! I really want to know whether you all liked it or not. This is the longest one shot I have ever updated! And you all know, I am proud of it. It was lying in my phone for more than a month and since its vacation time, I thought to publish it as quick as I could before life pisses me again.

I am requesting again. Please READ AND REVIEW.

This is darkestlightofhope signing off!