A/N: Warning- blood and gore near the end

I have yet to figure out all the functions of my Microsoft Word with because I'm having a bit of trouble with italicizing sentences that are separate from paragraphs, especially in songs or dialogue/flashbacks from the past. So, some sentences may be un-italicized when they should be. Everything that's italicized shows up on Word when I'm typing, but when I upload it and read it on the website, some sentences aren't. Mostly, the problems are at the beginning and/or end of a song or flashback.

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Chapter 3

They didn't stop at the mansion first like they had planned. Daisy and Lily easily fell victim to the spell of haute couture and often stopped to browse inside boutiques or buy whatever was "in" at the moment. After four pit stops, Ash and the others thought it best to do the same and enjoy the sights while they were there. Ash, May, Max, and Brock had only been there for 2 other days, which were mostly spent meeting the Pokémon League Committee and discussing Ash's new responsibilities as Pokémon Master. They had kept Ash late last night, and he had woken up early this morning to meet Misty and her sisters at the train station, so he was a bit tired.

But the idea of getting a good rest as opposed to forcing himself to stay awake was quickly shoved from his mind when he saw Misty again. He looked at her now and couldn't help but smile. It had been two years- maybe a little more- since he had last seen her, but it seemed as thought she had changed so much. The first thing he noted was her hair. She had it down today, which was something he had rarely seen, and even when she did let it down, he never really acknowledged it. He never really noticed before how perfectly it framed her face. Around her neck, he saw that she wore her favorite cascade necklace. She wore it everywhere she went. The second thing he noticed- or rather felt- was the aura that hung about her. She seemed much more self-controlled and benevolent than she was 2 years ago. If she were still her old self back at the train station, she would've given Brock more than just a whack on the head and little retort. She most likely would've punched him and sent him flying straight back to Pewter City. However, she still retained some of her forceful attitude. He had to admit; things weren't as lively without her around.

While Daisy and Lily roamed each store and attraction like hungry vultures, Misty and the others hung back near a fountain and talked about everything that happened over the past two years. Ash was glad to hear that the Cerulean Gym was beginning to rise into the higher ranks while Misty was gym leader. Last time he had gone to battle there, he wondered how her sisters had ever become gym leaders. They seemed too narcistic and lazy to care about battling.

By the time everyone finished talking, it was almost evening. Orange and pink hues dappled the horizon, draping a nostalgic curtain over Misty. She remembered sunsets like these Ash and Brock. It was so good to be back.

The group made their way to the corner of 32nd and Raconteur Avenue to meet up with Daisy and Lily. The two weren't in sight yet, so Misty and the others stood to wait for them. A cocktail store was nearby. There were several hoots and shouts escaping the slightly ajar door, and to everyone's surprise, the next things to come out of that door were Daisy and Lily themselves.

They carried shopping bags in their hands and were laughing raucously at something someone inside had said. To Misty's horror, their faces were flushed and their usually tidy, bouffant hair was disarrayed like they had been in a particularly deadly pillow fight.

"Ooh..." Max cringed. They began stumbling around each other, laughing wildly. They didn't...

"Hey! Daisy! Lily!" Misty snapped. The two girls looked up at Misty lazily.

"Oh, hi, Misty! Whatcha doin'?"

Daisy cocked her head to the side. "Hey, Misty, did you like, get into a fight or something? Your face looks all red and horrible-like."

Ash sniggered. Misty's face turned redder. "Shut up! It's not funny!"

"Oh, man, this is bad," Max groaned.

"Wonder why they were drinking..." May asked no one in particular.

Other than to conform to the standards of pop culture society? Misty stood there, trying to calm herself down. She couldn't believe it. Daisy and Lily had gone out and wasted themselves. And on the first day here too! How were the next ninety days or so going to turn out? Misty tried to assure herself that they were just a little overexcited at getting to stay in this city. However, as she looked back at their drunken and oblivious gazes, it was difficult for her to resist the urge to seriously contort those pampered and over make-upped faces.

Brock laughed nervously. "Well, glad to see they enjoyed themselves, but they're going to attract a lot of attention on our way to the mansion. And it's about 10 blocks or so away from here."

Misty groaned. "Great..."

Somehow, the caravan reached the mansion without attracting too much unwanted attention. Daisy and Lily were brought to the kitchen for some water and to relax and cool down a bit.

While they sat at the table mumbling incomprehensible words to each other, Misty hung back with Ash to take a look at the mansion she would be staying in for the next three months.

The minute she had walked into the living room, she was greeted with surrealistic luxury. It was the kind of mansion celebrities or the rich would choose to live in.

The living room was a vast, cubic space with a high ceiling and expensive furniture lain on the sides. Expensive tapestries embroidered with glittering jewels lined the walls. In the center was a lush, red carpet underneath three leather sofas surrounding the sides. In the center of the carpet was a glass table bordered with dark-green marble.

There was a tall staircase that led to the bedrooms and bathrooms. To the left of the living room was a doorway that led to the kitchen and dining room. To the right of the living room was another doorway that led to a family room. There were probably many other rooms in this house Misty didn't know about yet. Wonder how many bedrooms there are in this house? Bedrooms? Is there a gym? Yeah, there is. She laughed at the thought of a secret lair of some sort existing in this house as well. Why not? This house is definitely big enough to hold one of those.

The entire mansion itself sat atop a grassy hill in the outskirts if Lazuli City. There was a fountain out front. Everything was enclosed by a tall, black steel gate with an alarm system set. Misty had also seen about two or three other mansions like this one on the way here. Do people need a lot of money to live in a town like this? She wondered.

The highly engrossing glam didn't end there. Ash showed her the rooms everyone would be staying in. Misty's room was behind the last door at the end of a hallway. It was about twice the size of the average bedroom. Maybe about 2.5 times that of the average bedroom, actually.

There was a canopy bed straight ahead, complete with white, translucent fabrics draped between the posts. On the left was a mirror that overlooked a small vanity. Not too far from the vanity behind gauzy white curtains were glass doors that led to a balcony. The words, 'Romeo and Juliet' blared in Misty's mind. The balcony overlooked a patio.

It was a room fit for a princess. What was that supposed to say about her? Misty laughed aloud at such a ludicrous thought.

Ash smirked. "What's so funny? Do you like it?"

"Of course I like it! Everything just looks so pricey in this place." She tilted her head curiously. "Are most of the people who live in this city rich, or millionaires?"

"I don't think so. Along with these big mansions, I've seen several smaller houses. And I hear most of the things they're selling at the stores here are less expensive than they look. I guess it's just the appearance of the city that attracts those kinds of people."

"Wow... I can't wait to get a better look at the city."

Ash nodded. Misty looked over at Ash, who didn't look back at her. Now that she thought about it, he seemed, unusually reserved ever since they started their way to the mansion. Just earlier that day, he'd been yakking away about al the people he'd battled, pokémon he'd met, etc.

Ash's eyes flicked over to hers. He smiled briefly and looked away again. Was he nervous? About what? They way he was looking down with his hat covering his eyes made him look like a little boy who was just about to tell his mom that he had spilled a whole gallon of juice all over her clean kitchen floor.

Misty smiled coyly at his little modest posture. She couldn't resist irking him. Just a little.

"What's up, Ash? You seem so quiet all of a sudden. You're not keeping something from me, are you?"

"Wha-" Ash snapped out of his reverie. "Of course not! I'm not hiding anything from you! It's... I'm just thinking about something May told me earlier..."

Misty pouted. "Oh, is that it? You have been awfully distant from me ever since we got here."

Ash's eyes widened. He opened his mouth to respond, but Misty cut him off with a sigh. "Don't worry, it's alright. I'll leave if that's what you want. It'll be one less girl to come in between you and May."

Ash started flailing his arms wildly. "No, it's not that! It's nothing like that! I like having you around! We all do! We were all looking forward to seeing you! Me, especially!" He seemed to realize what that sounded like. "Wait, that is..."

Misty giggled at Ash's gullibility. "Ash, calm down. I was just kid-"

"I was just wondering... I wanted to ask you if... if your sisters aren't around... would you like to come with me for a walk around the city? Just us? Just a... friendly walk."

Now it was Misty's turn to stare at him with a similarly baffled expression. Ash finally stopped flailing his arms and locked onto her teal eyes with his soft, brown ones. He stared at her with a timid, but determined gaze.

She certainly didn't expect to hear this kind of question from Ash. Not that she ever didn't want to hear it from Ash... Well maybe not specifically Ash. She would've liked to hear any guy she liked ask her. Wait... any guy she liked? Did she just think that?

Wait, I'm making too many assumptions. Maybe there are no implications behind Ash's asking me out for a "friendly walk." I mean, he's Ash, right? He's mostly got Pokémon battles on the brain. I've never seen him once think about dating girls. Dating... Oh geez, say something, he's staring at you! Besides, with him, the words "friendly walk" were probably at the epitome of literal. But still, who could miss that little shade of red on his face?

"Sounds great. I'd love to." Straight face, straight face! Don't look at him so suspiciously...

Ash smiled. "Great."

"Mmhm."

An awkward silence hung in the air. Misty swore she heard the hands of some nonexistent clock tick the seconds by.

"Ah, ha ha..." Ash laughed nervously. "I'll just... I'll go check on your sister." Misty nodded. Ash turned and scurried downstairs.

Misty watched him jog into the kitchen before turning to go to her room. She swung the delicate fabric of the canopy bed aside before plopping onto the red covers. She sighed and laid her head down.

That awkward moment still resonated in her memory bank. God, that was weird. Hope our walk doesn't turn out the same. She sighed again. That would really suck...

Misty lifted her head up slightly. Her gaze fell onto an alarm clock on top of the nightstand. The alarm clock had a radio. She reached over to turn it on. She needed music to quell the fire-like anticipation that- if left unattended- would soon singe the little nerve fibers that helped to keep her sane. Even if it would be just a friendly walk, she looked forward to it.

What a day. She hadn't felt this happy ever since she left her friends and started working at the gym.

The gym. After the 3-month period was over, would she still be able to travel with her friends? Or could Daisy and Lily force her to go back to gym leader life after hearing about all its success stories? And because they were too lazy to take care of it themselves.

Before Misty's heart could sink, she immediately reprimanded herself for such negative thoughts. Worry about it later. Have fun first. Think later, have fun first. Think later...

Misty turned the dial of the radio. She stopped at a song she couldn't recognize, but whatever it was, she felt that the music could relax her into a dreamy reverie.

Traveling I only stop at exits

Wondering if I'll stay

Young and restless

Living this way I stress less

Misty wondered what the song was called. She felt as though she'd heard it before.

I want to pull away when the dream dies

The pain sets it and I don't cry

I only feel gravity and I wonder why

Flames to dust

Lovers to friends

Why do all good things come to an end

Flames to dust

Lovers to friends

Why do all good things come to an end

Come to an end come to an

Why do all good things come to an end?

Misty shifted her weight on the bed.

Come to an end come to an

Why do all good things come to an end?

Well the dogs were whistling a new tune

Barking at the new moon

Hoping it would come soon so that they could

Dogs were whistling a new tune

Barking at the new moon

Hoping it would come soon so that they could

Die die die die

Misty opened her eyes reluctantly as the chorus drifted into he rears.

Talk about bad timing...

That was exactly the kind of thing Misty was hoping not to feel. Suddenly, the music turned from a pensive tune to a chilling premonition that prickled Misty's skin.

She groaned and flipped on her side. She wanted to believe that it was just a bad coincidence, but everything she had to live through in the past told her that it was best not to believe in those; that it was either her or the higher powers that controlled her life.

Yes, for her, coincidences ran parallel with the 'monsters in the closet,' or Bigfoot, or the Loch Ness Monster. It was just a myth that either existed or not depending on those who chose to believe them. Except for her, coincidences were most likely null and void. She either took control of her life, of someone else had to. Despite her ever-fluctuating and emotionally strenuous life, she preferred the former.

And the sun was wondering if it should stay away for a day 'til the feeling went away

And the sky was falling on the clouds were dropping and

The rain forgot how to bring salvation

Misty switched off the radio and traipsed downstairs. She heard Daisy's wild wail. Apparently, she and Lily weren't any closer to being sober than when they had come in.

Misty dared a peek into the kitchen. Daisy paced back and forth, commenting on the chrome cabinets and sink, something about fashion, and how great life was. Lily had her head down on the table. Her incessant groaning complemented Daisy's tirade. Misty didn't see Ash and Brock, but she found May and Max down on the floor picking up utensils that were strewn on the floor.

"What happened?"

May looked up. "Daisy went crazy all of a sudden and started throwing things around."

Misty blinked. She was surprised that she didn't hear any of it.

"Luckily, she didn't break anything."

Max snorted. "Yeah, if she did, it would've been on us. The Pokémon League Committee may be paying for our stay, but if we break anything in this house or cause too much trouble out in the city, the responsibility is on our shoulders."

Before Misty could ask, Max added, "Brock and Ash just left to get her shopping bags from her room. She promised she'd stop screaming if they got it for her." He shrugged.

Misty groaned. "What a mess. I'm so sorry about this..." Saying that made Misty feel like Daisy and Lily's babysitter. She didn't want it to be like that, but it was mostly her fault that they had come along in the first place. She could've put up more of a fight, but part of her truly wanted to get along with her sister. She honestly didn't know why they argued so much in the first place.

Besides, she knew all about their free-spirited natures and how urban cities like these invoked their inner party girl.

As if reading her previous thoughts, Lily piped up, "Why the hell are you apologizing for us, Misty? What are you, our mom?" Her words slurred.

Misty blinked. "Well, someone has to apologize for all this since you obviously won't. You guys are going to cause everyone trouble at this rate."

"So-o-ry." Daisy lamented. Misty couldn't tell if she was teasing her or not.

"Daisy, don't give in like that!" Lily snapped. She was the slightest bit saner than her sister.

Misty rolled her eyes. "Lily, I'm not challenging you to a bitch-off, I'm just saying that you guys need to be more responsible while we're here."

Lily stood up angrily. May stepped forward. "H-hey, calm down!"

"Like hell I'm going to let anyone tell me what to do!" She shrieked.

"Lily-"

"You have some nerve trying to act like our mom, Misty!"

Misty's heart skipped a beat. Oh. Shit. She didn't like where this conversation was heading. Her mind scrambled to think of a counterattack against Lily's drunken tirade.

Her mind went blank.

"What do you know about mothers, anyway? I bet you don't even know your own!"

All eyes went in Misty's direction.

"What's she talking about?" May whimpered.

"Yeah, you guys all have the same mom," Max added, confused.

Misty rolled her eyes. "She's drunk. Everyone goes crazy when they're drunk. Lily's the type who gets desperate to get into an altercation when she's intoxicated." She struggled to maintain a stoic front against Lily's onslaught. It was the best thing she could think of to do at the moment. It was pointless to try and bicker with a drunk, especially Lily, when they weren't even in their right mind. It was best to just leave them alone. She just wished the drunken person in question could do the same.

Lily ignored her comment. "I bet she hated you, too. Why else would she send you to a place as far away as Cerulean City, anyway, just to get rid of you?"

Misty froze. Lily's icy words speared straight into her heart, making her blood run cold. She felt as thought she couldn't muster enough oxygen to move a muscle or utter a single word.

May and Max looked as stunned as she did. They looked back and forth between the two, not knowing who was telling the truth. Of course, one of them was drunk, but...

Lily opened her mouth to say something else, but Daisy embraced Lily suddenly, smothering whatever it was she was going to spit out at Misty.

"Ooooh... Lily, you're not s'posed to talk about that!" She scolded.

Misty gulped. She suddenly felt dizzy.

Ash and Brock came in with the shopping bags.

"Hey, Daisy, we got the... what's going on?" Brock's eyes swept over the scene.

Misty found her voice. "Nothing. Lily just needs to lay off the alcohol."
She pushed through the numbness in her legs and turned and exited the kitchen. Ash and Brock looked back at her with puzzled expressions.

"I'm going to get some sleep," she called over her shoulder.

Misty ascended the staircase, cursing to herself for letting Lily put her down like that. Her head was spinning and her legs strained from keeping her from crumbing down into a lacerated mess. Her insides clenched from hearing Lily's awful words. She hadn't expected her to lash about Misty's mother. Misty knew that Lily had her bouts of coldness, but never- up until now- had she tried to exploit Misty's past in any of their arguments. The nerve... Lily didn't know anything. She didn't know about Misty's past. She didn't know about Misty's mother. Lily had either ignored her or spat scornful venom at her ever since Misty arrived in Cerulean City. Lily had no right to dig that makeshift information out in front of everyone.

Misty reached the top of the stairs. 'Yeah, you guys all have the same mom.' Max had said that.

It wasn't true.

Daisy, Lily, and Violet weren't her biological sisters. They were as far from it as the definition would allow. After Misty ran away from her original hometown and settled into the squalid little city of Cerulean, the Waterflower family took her into foster care. She couldn't really remember why they had been so generous.

What really worried her now was her reaction to Lily's words. Misty thought that she had gotten over that tragedy long ago, but what she had heard tonight proved her wrong. Her brittle heart had been pierced and old, repressed emotions flooded out, threatening to drown her in their tumultuous waves.

Misty went into her room and gently closed the door. No doubt the others would come up soon to check up on her. May and Max looked so suspicious of her now.

Misty pressed her back against the door and slid down to the floor. Her mind was muddled with anger, misery, confusion, and worst of all- guilt. Misty took slow breaths to keep the emotions from overwhelming her.

As if in emulation to the emotional thermometer, a hot, searing pain shot up Misty's spine and traveled to her right arm.

She gave a small yelp of pain. She clutched her arm and doubled over, her forehead to the floor. The physical pain was enormous. Everything that had been in her head during the last minute was forgotten as the wildfire burned and writhed inside of her. Misty struggled to slow her breathing through her clenched teeth. It felt as though the inferno was trying with all it's might to break through the body that confined it; only, it was impossible. All it did was cause her elevating pain.

Misty muttered a curse and rolled onto her back. The ceiling that had been stark white when she first came in the room seemed to have transmuted into vermilion.

She knew this pain. She had felt it before; back when she...

Misty suppressed a groan and clutched her scalding arm tighter when a random surge of pain erupted through it.

A dark, foreboding fear eclipsed her initial shock. Almost immediately, the pain began to recede. What would follow, however, was sure to be worse than some minute-long suffering. Oh no... Oh, no, no, no, no, no, no...

Misty squeezed her eyes shut. A chilling laugh that wasn't hers reverberated through her mind. It was faint at first, but crescendoed to something resembling a shriek. Misty held her breath and grit her teeth to suppress her own scream of realization.

No...no...no...please, not her. Misty exhaled audibly. She forced herself to open her eyes. She lifted her right arm slowly. Her heart raced with each second that passed.

No...

It was like a stone had been dropped into her stomach.

She gazed at her trembling arm; more specifically, the faded gray markings on her arm. She rotated it left and right to confirm it: a dragon mark that wound itself around her arm, from its tail at the middle of her upper arm to it's snout at the back of her hand.

Misty just lay there like a statue, staring at the mark- the mark that had plagued her childhood. The mark that had stirred up a frenzy in her neighborhood. The mark that had gotten her mother killed. The mark that was given to her by a certain spiteful- female- demon; the demon who started it all by taking over Misty's body.

Was Hotaru really back?

Misty didn't have time to ponder on that in her room any longer. The light gray mark on her arm was beginning to darken into black.

Her eyes widened and she leaped like a car back on her feet. She thought she heard her heart thumping in her chest.

If she did, that was a good thing. It meant that it was quiet. Her friends weren't making their way over to her room.

They wouldn't open the door- at least anytime soon- and see that she was gone. She needed to leave now. If she stayed any longer like this, she could hurt someone. It was especially worse since her emotional balance had been tipped by a certain pink-haired foster sister.

But still, they couldn't find out that she wasn't in her room, or they would panic.

Hastily, she pushed her pillows under the covers—the old pillow-under-the-blanket thing that only worked if no one pulled back the covers—and switched off her light. Without another thought, Misty leaped over the balcony adjacent to her room, landed squarely on her feet in the patio, and took off down the front yard, away from the mansion. With her enhanced strength as a side effect of Hotaru's possession, Misty easily hurdled the 15-foot high gate that guarded the mansion. Soon, she was greeted with vivid lights and the enticing smells of city night life.

Misty ran aimlessly through the city. The buildings, people, cars, and lights blurred past her. She didn't know how fast she was running, but she knew she was fast enough that she couldn't discern people's expressions as she passed by. However, she could tell that they were giving her strange looks. She couldn't blame them. If she saw someone running hysterically through the slow-paced throng of people, she would probably laugh.

Strangely enough, she didn't feel an ounce of fear, considering what was happening to her, and that what was happening to her could get someone killed. Misty only felt a dull, numbing sensation in her mind. She didn't dare feel anything else. But the way everyone around her either looked at her, parted to let her pass, or yelled at her for almost crashing into them; she couldn't help but feel an inkling of a familiar emotion resurface. Even though she couldn't blame them for it, that she knew that these people didn't know her, and that they kept away from her for reasons different than the ones that plagued her thoughts, Misty couldn't help but feel a pang of loneliness strike through her. It made her feel like an outsider again.

Dammit.

She had to get out of here and fast. Before she knew it, the mass of people and cars thinned, and she found she could run a little faster. She was getting deeper into the city.

Eventually, Misty reached a nearly deserted part of the city. There were only about three people with her, and no vehicles coming as far as she could see. There were a few broken streetlamps around her. A few of the short-stacked buildings around her had their lights off. She was standing on a road that was so narrow and pitch-black that it was like she was standing atop an urban ravine.

Misty sighed and stopped running. This place was good enough. The three people she had seen earlier were gone and she was left alone. Most people wouldn't have wanted to stick around in such a foreboding place for long, but Misty did. The less people around, the better. She would try to relax and figure out what went wrong. She had no idea where she was or how to get back, but she didn't care. The chilly, night air was comforting for her. A cold breeze swept past and seemed to wrap its wispy, invisible tendrils around her and beckon her to the darkness that was her home.

My home? Why did she just think that? Misty shuddered and flailed her arms out as if to ward the breeze away.

She slipped into a nearby alley. She planted her hands on the cool granite of the building and took a deep breath. She didn't understand how it happened. Normally, she could conjure up that mark and the powers it contained, but this time, it had come of its own accord. There were only two possible answers: either Hotaru had somehow come back from the realm that the exorcism banished her to, or Misty had completely lost control of her emotions. She thought back to the events in the kitchen. Sure, Lily's words had stung, but Misty couldn't have been that upset, could she? She knew she didn't feel any ravenous urges to rip Lily's body to bloody shreds.

So, did that mean... Misty groaned and banged her head against the wall. The impact caused little splinters of granite to fall off. Misty cursed.

Hotaru couldn't be back. How the hell could she come back? Where was she banished to, anyway? And if she was back, what more could she possibly want from her?

'My legacy will live on in you.'

Dammit!

She slammed a fist into the wall, causing huge chunks to fall around her feet.

Almost simultaneously, a door to her left swung open. Misty stiffened. Oh, shit.

"WOOHOO!" A male's voice resonated through the quiet alley. He charged out of the door like a bull and collided with the opposite wall. The door he came through swung shut. He was probably drunk.

Don't look this way, don't look this way...

"Hey, baby, whatcha doin' over there all by yourself?'

Double shit...

"Get lost," Misty seethed.

She wasn't looking up at him, but she knew he was approaching her by the thud of his boots. He was standing right next to her.

"Hmmm... you look a little lost there yourself." Then he whispered huskily into her ear, "I can help you out."

Misty shoved him away from her and turned to face him. Anger bubbled as she discerned a stupid, lecherous grin plastered on his face.

"I am not lost, so take your offer and shove it up your ass," she snapped. She pointed behind her. "Unless you want to end up like that wall over there, get the hell away from me."

His grin grew wider in challenge. "What wall?" Misty noticed that he wasn't even looking at the wall. He was talking to her chest. She felt a sudden urge to gouge out those crusty, yellow eyeballs of his. She shoved it aside. This is bad.

"Look, you-" she started, but was cut off when he suddenly lurched forward and wrapped an arm around her waist, slamming her body into his.

"You're one cute bitch." His face loomed above hers. "What's your name?"

Misty's heart raced. Adrenaline coursed through her veins. But not because of the contact or the heavy liquor in his breath. She could feel the anger and irritation rising through her like a whistling tea kettle.

Situations like these normally invoked fear in people, but for Misty, who could flip him on his ass with or without powers, this was just an annoyance. But she was being unnecessarily angry. She believed that filthy perverts like him deserved a good ass kicking, and she would love nothing more than to deliver it herself, but with her strength on the fritz, she feared that the results would be very fatal.

Involuntarily, Misty gripped his arm to steady her fluctuating anger.

Apparently, he got the wrong idea. It seemed impossible, but the grin on his face grew even wider. He chuckled. "Eager little thing. Alright, pucker up, sweetheart," he murmured, "or do you want to do it somewhere else? My place isn't far, you know."

That did it. Her last strand of sanity snapped. She tightened her grip on his arm with a vise-like edge. She squeezed until the guy's eyes bulged and he stepped back.

"Hey, what are you... Let go!" He cried out in blatant pain. Misty stared at him nonchalantly, as if she were watching one of her sisters' repetitive water shows. She wanted to keep squeezing until his arm fell off. She could practically feel his arm turning blue beneath her grasp. His body was off hers, and was squirming to get away. He had recovered from his drunken stupor. He sank to his knees.

"P-please, le-et... AAH... go! I'll... URGHH... l-leave you alone!"

That should've been enough. That was what Misty wanted him to do in the first place. She tried to let go of his arm. But she couldn't.

Some uncontrollable force in the far reaches of her soul clawed at her, exploiting her irrational irritation towards this man and urging her to show him no mercy. Misty could feel this force becoming more powerful. It was desperate to flex its own strength.

A feeble little voice of reason inside her head kept telling her to stop, and that this was enough.

The voice was smothered by her spite. Actually, she didn't know if it was even her spite anymore. She felt detached from her own body. She felt as though this entire situation was nothing but a dream.

Misty smiled nondescriptly at the man and loosened her grip. But before he had time to be relieved, Misty gripped again and yanked his arm clean from his body with one effortless pull.

The cool gray buildings and alley were dappled with splashes of black. The man opened his mouth to let out a horrific scream, but a split second later, Misty's hand wrapped around his throat, shoving down his outlet of pain.

He gagged and choked, still feeling the need to scream. Misty cocked her head to the side in amusement and threw his severed arm aside. Rivulets of sweat ran down his face and collected onto her hand. She almost didn't see the tears that joined them. She looked into his pleading eyes. A sliver of moonlight behind her illuminated them. This would be the last time those eyes shone with life.

Misty chuckled at his pain. "You should've run while you had the chance." This doesn't sound like me. Stop! "I don't give a shit if you were drunk or not. Now this 'cute bitch' is going to kill you."

With that, she braced her left hand down on his shoulder and with her right hand yanked in the opposite direction. His head came off with an ear-splitting CRUNCH! Blood showered his body and the pavement. Some of his spine trailed after the head Misty clutched in her right hand. His eyes were glazed over and lifeless- no longer lecherous. She shrugged and tossed the head and spine somewhere over her shoulder.

She smirked in satisfaction at the mutilated body before her. Touch me, huh? That's what you get for crossing me, bastard.

She pushed it away. It landed with a dull thud. Misty laughed lightly to herself and slumped against the wall with her arms crossed and watched the flower-shaped puddle of blood bloom from the gaping hole between his shoulders as if it was the most interesting thing in the world. It was moving ever so slowly. How cute. It almost seemed to have a life of its own, and it was trying to crawl away from the very person who had set it free.

Misty's smile faded. Reality slapped her in the face. Oh god. The anger that had burned inside of her vanished and was replaced by utter horror. Oh, god. Oh, god. God no. Misty clamped a hand over her mouth to keep from screaming.

She felt dizzy. Trying to get past that body would only make her feel worse. Misty let her legs carry her to wherever they felt like going. She reached for the door the man had gone through and flung it open. She scurried inside. She didn't care about what she might walk into.

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A/N: I do not own the song or Pokémon

Song- All Good Things (Come to an End)

Artist- Nelly Furtado