As Time Passes and Distance Widens, Pain Grows

Tsukasa: I know I should be working on other fanfictions, but I found a picture on Gelbooru that sparked my creativity.

Karen: This fanfiction is rather dark, especially considering it's a side story from As Time Passes.

Tsukasa: Ash and Dawn lived happily ever after, and Misty found a new man, but what happened to May?

Karen: Well, it's not a kind story. In fact, this has to be our most morbid fanfiction.

Tsukasa: I know you guys like how I don't make many sob stories, but I can't help this one. Don't worry, it won't end badly. I just hope you guys enjoy it, especially since, once again, I tried a new style…

Karen: We don't own Pokémon, nor the picture that inspired this idea.

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The crunch of snow and the occasional snap of a twig echoed across the frozen landscape as white frost floated to the ground. A beautiful sight to behold, yet still tainted by the emotional callous of darkness and pain that so dreadfully floated around the former coordinator. Happiness forgotten, friendship abandoned, she had lost every last ounce of her childhood. Traveling was now her way of escaping, believing that she'd never have to face her past. Or at least that was the excuse she used to mitigate the choices she made in the faux pas she called her life.

But deep inside she knew her time of false tranquility would run out. That one day her emotions would be pulled back out from the pit of her hearts, awakened to face the truth… the truth she hated so much…

Just west of Snowpoint City, May couldn't help but feel anguish as she treaded the snowy fields. The horrors she had endured throughout her life had numbed her to pain, so even while in her usual skimpy clothes, she felt no hurt from the cold. So emotionless, her heart beat seemed silent and weak. She knew she couldn't go on for much longer, hiding from her mistakes and clothing her shame with travel.

Her past was unforgettable, no matter how hard she tried, and despite her sealing her emotions, she could never stop the tears that broke out at random... Tears that gave no opening to release her never ending pain. She had no outlet; no escape from the plague that destroyed her very soul.

She had given up her life as a coordinator; it was, in fact, what caused her life to fall apart… No, that was just a lie her she made to help dampen the fiery hate she held toward herself. Her idiocy towards winning contests, vigor toward beating everyone… all it did was destroy her life.

Once Ash had become a master, she vowed to try even harder to become Contest Master to impress him. When she did that, Drew became an enemy rather than a friend, the first step toward her destruction: Giving up friendship for fame. She gave up one of the most avid points in her personality to stupidity. Stupidity that knew no bounds. She'd sacrifice everything to get his attention, yet attention never fell upon her, other than the rising tension and anger her fellow coordinators began feeling towards her.

She recognized it, yet held not a thought about it, declaring it as meaningless. An insuring thought that won her trophies from every region… yet the cost was far worse than she could ever imagine. From that point on, she no longer was herself, and she realized this far too late.

She could never go back to the man she loved… nor the man she looked up to. She had become a monster. One who held trophies from all regions should be respected, yet she received none, and she preferred it that way. The most heart wrenching punishment for the most disgusting and daft mistake she'd ever made, and a blunder that she'd never be able to recover from…

So here May was, walking through the Acuity Lakefront, continuing her nomadic quest into oblivion. Nothing permeated her attention, no sound caused alarm. She held no focus towards anything around her…. The only thought that dared pass through the destroyed girl's mind was images of the most unforgivable crime one could commit… Yes, May wanted it all to end. There was nothing left for her in this world. She had nothing left to live for, yet she still couldn't bring herself to do it. She was waiting for a sign, an emotional excuse for the felony on her own life she so desperately longed for, but she never found it, though, in preparation, she carried a knife in her bag. Many had questioned her right to carry it, but none dared confront her over it. The world had given up on the girl; the Contest Master who deserved nothing but pain.

Her days were numbered, May knew. She just needed that one last push… A push that stung more than she ever could have imagined. From the corner of her eye she saw black amongst the white. As May turned her head she felt the blood rise to her head, her eyes became clouded in despair; just before her walked an Absol. Thoughts of who was once a friend broke her head rush, clearing the clouds and filling her sight with red, just as both her eyes and the Pokémon's eyes met. The Dark Type took a moment to sit, staring at the ex-coordinator, as though trying to prove that this was it, her reason to die had finally come. Her sign had finally appeared, and now she had to follow through. She held a few small thoughts as the Absol ran off, leaving her to follow through with her decision.

Tears began to melt the snow at her feet as her hand shakily reached for her pack. Even though she finally had her reason to end it, to finally abandon her wretched life, she had to admit to herself she was utterly terrified. Was she really able to do this? To give up on whatever future she might have had?

…. For the first time in a long while, May laughed. "What future…" May thought aloud as she readied herself for the end, steadying her hand and holding the knife above her heart, "Would there be for someone as despicable as me…"

"Night Slash!" a voice roared as a black blade of Dark energy ripped through the snow, blasting the knife clean out of May's hand. May stared in horror as the same Absol from before followed behind a neatly combed green. Her fears had become reality; her past… had come for her.

"Your past has nothing to do with your future" green hair taunted May's eyes as the young man approached, "Making mistakes is part of life. It's remembering those mistakes that permits a brilliant future."

"No… No! St-Stay away!" May shouted as she bumbled backwards, her tear ducts emptying countless tears onto the fresh snow beneath her feet. "I… I can't… I can't live with what I've done! It's unforgivable!" May turned and ran for the knife, quickly grasping it and bringing it up, "I can't…." sealing her eyes shut, she brought it down as hard as she could, not caring where it went, but the sensation of her skin being penetrated never came. She slowly opened her tear filled eyes to gaze into Drew's eyes, "I can't face you…."

"And why not?" Drew asked simply.

"After all I've done… how can you let me live? Someone as selfish as me…" May was cut off, gasping as she was brought into Drew's embrace…. Despite her addiction for distance, she actually felt happy; for the first time in years, she could feel the loving warmth of another.

"Everyone makes mistakes. It's those who hate the perpetrator for their blunders that are selfish." Drew whispered into his dear friend's ear. "I can't let you end what could be an amazing future."

"Drew…" May mumbled the name of the man of her dreams, that she loved dearly yet discarded, before bursting into bawls of sorrow, "How can you say that!" she sobbed, "I deserve nothing but death! And even then, death's sweet embrace would probably be too good for me… I deserve nothing but pain after what I've done to everyone…" May paused to look up into Drew's eyes, "After what I did to you…"

Drew chose not to respond through words, allowing his actions to speak for him as he kissed her, gently at first, but then more and more passionately. The two remained in bliss for a few short but sweet moments before finally breaking the affectionate connection their lips provided them. "May." Drew began, "What kind of man would I be if I hated you for your sins?" Drew shook his head as he continued, "Why would I come out here if I hated you? I can't stand it… You used to be so much stronger than this! What would make you think that killing yourself justifies your mistake in life!"

The sheen of newly forming tears slowed Drew's voice back down to a murmur, "No… you need to live." The young man lent his strength through a tender smile, "Live so that you can right your mistakes."

"No one will ever allow me to…"

"I will. I'll stand by your side the entire way." Drew tightened his embrace, "You won't ever be alone again…"

"Drew…" May hiccupped as she looked up into her friend's eyes and smiled, "Th… Thank you…" she lowered her head and sobbed into his chest.

Moments turned to minutes, and minutes felt like hours as the two kneeled in the snow. May couldn't believe it; as time crawled around them, she began to feel, first noticing the cold that was cured by Drew's hug, she felt her sadness fading into happiness as the last few tears fell. She finally felt like she was alive again… all thanks to Drew.

Drew finally let out a sigh as he stood, "Well, I think it's time we left. You're probably freezing. How about we head over to Snowpoint and get some hot chocolate at the Pokémon center?" the young man offered May his hand.

May's sobs finally came to a halt as her head rose into a nod, "A… All right" she hesitated for a moment, still feeling a tad of dread in her heart after all this time, but then firmly took his hand, standing up with the aid of her friend.

"So, can I call this a date?" Drew laughed as he began walking.

"I see no problem with it" May giggled as she followed her friend. He'd changed a lot since they were kids, but she held no complaints. She was happy… for the first time in far too long, she was happy. And now with Drew helping her, she could correct her wrongs.

No more pain, no more suffering. It was time to change her life around… the first step? Simple; May ran up to Drew, grabbed his arm and turned him to face her, then kissed him. When he happily returned it, May knew that he spoke the truth earlier. They'd get through this… Side by side.

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Tsukasa: I told you that it wouldn't end badly.

Karen: Still, that's a pretty dark fanfiction…

Tsukasa: Well, thankfully the next chapter will be a lot more positive… still can't believe I'm doing a DrewxMay fanfiction…

Karen: Well, it's worth a shot.

Tsukasa: I hope you all liked this, as well as (once again) my new writing style. I'm probably going to make a poll asking for your favorite writing style so far.

Karen: Please review!"

Tsukasa: Until next time!