Disclaimer: This may come as a surprise but I don't own 'em.
A/N: Here's the third chapter to Like a Million Raindrops. No songs to disclaim this time! Sorry (I think…Not too sure if they were wanted in the first place but oh, well!) maybe next time…? Well, as usual, please review mah stuff when you're done reading it! Got any suggestions? Too bad! Just kiddin'! If you've got any of those, please feel free to e-mail them to me or give 'em to me in the review or whatever. Thanks for all the good reviews it would be awesome to get past ten…?
~!# Kasagi Onaso #!~
Like a Million Raindrops
Chapter Three
But it was.
Misty reached out to grab something, anything before she fell over. She ended up grabbing a wobbly wooden chair that shook as she moved her weight onto it.
"Misty?" Her voice. How dare she say her name? Misty was suddenly filled with anger and she didn't respond. This was chronic anger, and anger that had been boiling up in her mind and body for so long and now she was ready to let it out.
A cool touch on her arm.
She jerked away, angry tears pooling in her eyes.
"What's wrong? Aren't you happy to see me?" Misty's eyes widened at her stupidity.
"Happy?" she barely choked out. "Happy?" Her voice was rising with each word. "Am I what? Happy?!" She clenched her fists so hard she could feel the sting of her nails cutting into her palms.
"Well…yeah."
"No!" Misty screamed, rounding on her. "How can I be happy, Daisy? How!?" The tears pooled out of her eyes. "You left me there," she whispered. "You left me there!" Daisy sighed.
"We're sorry-"
"Are you?" said Misty softly. "You just left me there! You never came to pick me up! So I ran away." Misty let go of her death grip on the chair for a moment to wipe her sweaty palms off on her jean shorts. "I left Mea there," she added softly, sniffing. "Just like you left me!"
"Misty!" shouted Daisy, her eyes narrowing. "Just calm down-!"
"No, I'm not calming down!" she shouted back. "You just decide to show up now? Now?!"
"We went to the center and you weren't there-"
"You didn't even try to look for me!" Misty yelled.
"What's all the noise back here?" said another voice as Lily and Violet walked into the room. Misty sent them a malevolent look before turning and racing down the hallway.
Down and down…rooms flew by like the wind until she came to a familiar room. It was still boarded up but she could see where she had engraved her name on the wood with a stone before she had turned five.
She tore at the boards until the rusty nails gave way and burst into the room. Immediately, dust swirled through the air and she coughed. But it was just as she had left it. The same blue Staryu bead spread, the same see-though window curtains, hanging gracefully over a blue window seat.
She locked the rusty lock on the door before she bounced on the bed, sending even more dust into the air. Laying back on it, she could hear footsteps coming towards her room.
The doorknob jiggled.
"Aw, come on Misty!" came Violet's voice. "We know you're mad…can't we just talk it out?" Misty angrily closed her mouth.
"You're being rude to your guests." Misty could imagine Brock and Ash were baffled by the situation but frankly she didn't care right now.
"Just go away! I don't wanna talk to you!"
"Come on! Let us introduce you to the new Gym Leader!" Misty froze.
"Who's that?"
"Come on…the Leader's out here!"
"I'm not coming out there, Daisy, so don't even try!"
"Misty, we need to talk. Come out." Misty didn't want to and as much as she hated to admit it, Daisy was right. Slowly, she opened the door and wiped her eyes like a child.
"Fine," she whispered.
They walked into the kitchen and sat at the round table, cleared from its chains of dust.
"After they…you know…we went to rehab and got some help. That took quite a long time." Ash twitched nervously beside her. "When we were finally well enough to come and get you from the center we were shocked to find that you had run away."
"Why?"
"I hated it there," said Misty flatly. The three sisters looked upon the younger one, trying to milk her for more detail but she kept silent.
"Anyway," said Violet. "We put up signs for you for a year-"
"And no one had seen you!" said Lily. "So we gave up."
"Some sisters," snorted Misty.
"What can you expect? We hadn't seen you for what, four years?"
"Whatever," said Misty in a monotone voice. "Who's the new Leader?" Daisy beamed proudly and extended an arm to the door.
"Remember your cousin, Renee?" Misty rolled her eyes and groaned.
"She's the new Gym Leader?" Sure enough, Renee in all her rose-haired wonder, strutted into the room. She was as vain as the three 'Sensational Sisters' put together and came from the Cerulean City Central.
"Hello cousin," said Renee, looking Misty over like a fox to a chicken. "My, you've grown! I haven't seen you since we were…what was it…six? Not even! Five!" Renee laughed and flicked her hair over her shoulder.
"Yeah," said Misty, shrugging. "There was a reason for that," she finished, snarling slightly. Renee flushed and Lily shot Misty a look.
"I've got something for you," said Renee, pulling a chafed box from her jean pocket.
"Mama's jewelry box," Misty whispered to no one and took the box. She knew what was inside. Opening it, she saw flashes of red as three pokèballs rolled around. Renee grinned.
"I've got a proposition to make." Misty heard but paid no heed. "Join up with me, cousin! Together we can be the best Gym ever!" Misty nearly slammed the box lid down as she glared at Renee.
"No thanks," she said nonchalantly as she pocketed the box. She turned to Ash and Brock, who were looking quite baffled by now. "Beat her," she demanded, grabbing Ash by the wrist and pulling him into the arena. "You've got yourself a challenge, Renee!" she called.
"Oh?" Renee peeked around the doorframe and smiled. "He's so cute!" Misty growled.
"Just get on with it!"
"All right, all right!" Ash looked completely horrified but got into his place on the opposite side of the arena. "I'm Renee! Two on two, no time limit! Go Seadra!" Misty took a seat on the sidelines, the cold bleacher burning her leg.
"Go Butterfree!" Brock took a seat next to Misty.
"Will he win?" she asked, her voice low.
"I've no doubt." Misty smiled, satisfied. Renee growled as her Seadra was hit with Butterfree's Poison Powder attack.
"Dragon Rage!"
"Confusion!" Seadra's HP was dwindling down slowly while Butterfree was getting pumped. "Tackle!" The Seadra fainted and Renee angrily recalled it.
"Go Dewgong!"
"I choose you, Pikachu!" The electric rat leapt onto the ice. The Dewgong slid quietly into the water.
"Aurora Beam!" Pikachu yelled out as Dewgong burst from the water, hitting it squarely in the chest.
"Thunder Shock!" The water was aglow for a moment as Pikachu used the attack but a flash of white told him and Misty that the Dewgong was still going strong.
"Use something stronger!" yelled Misty, nearly leaping out of her seat. Ash sent her a fleeting look and nodded curtly.
"Get into the water, Pikachu, and use Thunderbolt!" Dewgong floated to the surface like a dead fish and Renee returned it.
"Gosh, you're strong," she said, batting her eyes. Ash flushed slightly. "Here's the Cascade Badge. And here's TM11! It teaches Bubblebeam!" Ash took both gratefully and Misty leapt down the stairs.
"Great job Ash!" she said and he grinned widely.
Soon they were heading out of the Gym, the Sensational Sisters waving at their back, or rather, Misty's back, and onto Vermilion.
"That was fun," said Ash, casting a glance at Misty. "What's wrong?"
"I'm worried about someone," she said, finally.
"Who?"
"Mea," she admitted. "We were friends when I was at the orphanage. She…tried to escape with me that one night…"
FLASHBACK*
"Misty?" The young girl rubbed her eyes. "What are you doing up? We're 'opposed to be asleep!"
"Shh Mea!" said the other. "I'm escaping!"
"What?" cried the other, incredulously. "But we're not allowed!" Misty smiled.
"I am. Come on!" Mea looked around nervously.
"I dunno…"
"Come on!" urged Misty one last time before creeping out of the room. Mea sighed and followed her out.
They walked down the white halls, their sock feet making no noise on the white tile. Soon they came to a door. The moon shone brightly through its window and Misty looked out longingly.
"Look," she whispered. "One push and we're out!" Misty gripped the door. "On three. One…Two…"
"What are you girls doing?"
"Uh-oh!" shrieked Mea.
"Three!" yelled Misty and they burst through the door. But on the fourth step, Mea tripped and went sprawling in the mud. "Mea!" cried Misty and ran to the girl but stopped when she saw the man was already at her side.
"Go Misty!" yelled Mea.
"I'll come back for you!" yelled Misty over her shoulder as she ran. "I promise!"
I promise
END FLASHBACK*
Misty sighed.
"I promised her."
"Where's the orphanage?"
"Are you serious?" She looked up into Ash's eyes and he smiled.
"Of course." Her lip trembled and she smiled.
"Thanks Ash." He held his arms open and she obliged happily. With his arms around her, she knew he meant what he said.
"Where's the orphanage, Brock?" he said, releasing his grip on Misty. Brock pulled out a worn map and traced his finger over the page until he found it.
"On the other side of the Gym."
"Across the river," said Misty, shuddering. Ash and Brock looked at her. "The river. It's big, deep and freezing cold no matter what season it is. One summer, three kids drowned going across it."
"Let's go!" said Ash, laughing. "Sounds like fun!"
"Are you crazy?" asked Misty, completely bewildered by his actions.
"Not entirely!" he said with another laugh. Grabbing hers and Brock's wrists, he pulled them towards the river.
Misty was right on all three things. It was easily three times as wide as them put together and was too deep for them to see the bottom. And it was pronounced 'cold' as Ash dipped a finger inside.
"They took the bridge down that summer," she said, scanning the bank. "It was pronounced rusty and moldy. Unstable."
"Then we'll have to find another way across, now won't we?" said Ash, grinned mischievously at Brock and Misty. Brock groaned.
"He's up to something."
"By the end of the night," declared Ash. "We will get across this bridge." Misty put her hands on her hips.
"How, O Smart One?" Ash's shoulders slumped.
"I haven't gotten that far yet!" Misty rolled her eyes and sat down on the bank. Suddenly, it began to rain.
"Just great!" Misty yelled over the roar of the rain and wind. "What now? The river's gonna overflow!" Ash sat down next to her.
"I don't know." Suddenly, his eyes widened. "Actually," he said, rising to his feet. "I think I've got a plan."
Cliffhanger! Yeah, I hate those too but what can you expect? What's on Ash's mind, anyway? Will his plan work or with they be overturned by the raging river? Is Mea still alive and well at the orphanage. Will Misty be recognized by her sisters and returned? Read on to find out when the next chapter comes! R&R!
~ Kasagi Onaso
