Disclaimer – I don't own Pokemon.
What would have had happened if Ash had caught up to Ash in the forest? What if Misty had headed his calls years earlier? What if their fight had been resolved so much sooner than it was? What if all of the 'what ifs' and 'maybes' that constantly passed through Misty's mind throughout the course of this story could be answered? I think then perhaps, it would be a little something like this.
Reasons of the Heart – Cry
I'll always remember
It was late afternoon
It lasted forever
And ended too soon
You were all by yourself
Staring up at a dark gray sky
I was changed
"Misty wait."
In places no one would find
All your feelings so deep inside
It was then that I realized
That forever was in your eyes
The moment I saw you cry
Misty kept on running, tears streaming down her face. She stopped trying to hold them back the moment she left the clearing. She didn't look back to see him, she knew he'd see her tears, so she just kept on running. She knew he was catching up, she could almost feel his presence surrounding her, but she didn't stop, she couldn't stop, not now.
It was late in September
And I'd seen you before
You were always the cold one
But I was never that sure
You were all by yourself
Looking up at a dark gray sky
And I was changed
In places no one would find
All your feelings so deep inside
It was then that I realized
That forever was in your eyes
The moment I saw you cry
"Misty wait!" he called out again this time louder hoping maybe she would listen to him. "I'm sorry."
And she was listening, she just chose to ignore his pleas as they just made her cry harder, made her run faster.
She didn't know what to do. It was all so just so confusing now, more so than it had ever been before. Part of her wanted to stop and turn around; to run back into his arms, but the rest her just wouldn't allow it. He had hurt her too much, so she just kept on running.
I wanted to hold you
I wanted to make it go away
I wanted to know you
I wanted to make everything all right
I'll always remember
It was late afternoon
In places no one would find
All your feelings so deep inside
It was then that I realized
That forever was in your eyes
The moment I saw you cry
In places no one would find
All your feelings so deep inside
It was then that I realized
That forever was in your eyes
The moment I saw you cry
(Mandy Moore 'Cry')
"Misty wait!" Ash cried out trying one last time knowing that the only thing that could make her stay right now was the truth he had been hiding for the past few years.
"Please Misty," he called stopping behind her. He wasn't going to chase her anymore, he wasn't going to make her stay with him just because he was selfish and wanted her for himself, he was going to let her fly. He wasn't going to force her, he was going to let her choose, but first there was just one more thing she had to know.
"I love you," he said loud enough for her to hear him in the small distance between them.
The fourteen-year-old girl stopped suddenly. She very slowly turned around to face him her features full of utter confusion. Her eyes were full of tears but just hearing those words had brought back the old sparkle that had disappeared only moments ago.
"I love you Misty," Ash repeated softly as he took several steps towards. "I'm in love with you," he added shyly almost as an afterthought.
"I . . . I . . ." Misty stuttered as she struggled to find the right words.
She could feel tears building up behind her eyes and her mind fought to decide whether or not to let them fall. She could already feel a single warm tear roll down her face as she looked directly at Ash trying to find whatever it was she was looking for.
Ash took one last step closing the space between them and wrapped his arms around her comfortingly and letting her cry on his shoulder.
So she did.
She held onto Ash as tight as she could, not wanting to ever let him go again and for the first time since she could remember, she didn't care who saw her cry or even that she was crying. She let out all the pain she had kept hidden inside all these years, every tear she had never shed and every memory she had tried to repress.
Ash just listened to the soft sounds of her sobs and held her against his chest as he whispered comforting words in her ear.
"Its all right to cry Misty," he whispered. "Let me be the one to be strong this time."
Misty nodded softly as she rested her head against Ash's chest. Misty always felt she needed to be strong or at least look strong on the outside. Sometimes it seemed that that strength, even when pseudo, was her biggest weakness.
Ash was like her rock, her anchor stopping her from just drifting away, the only thing keeping her in reality stopping her from flying away into nothingness. He was always there for her and he made life worth something.
"I loved you the moment I saw you," he told her softly as her tears began to die down, "and I will love you till the day I die."
He caressed her cheek softly as he turned her face up to his. There was something in her eyes urging him to go on, to tell her everything in his heart. It was so clear and so bright, the hope shining through her beautiful aquamarine eyes.
"I have never ever stopped loving you," he whispered, "and I never will."
His chocolate brown eyes stared into her tear filled eyes as his face inched closer. His arms embraced her tighter pulling her closer and closer until there was little more than a millimeter of breath between their faces.
"Can I kiss you, Misty?" he whispered unsurely his voice faltering nervously.
Misty nodded dumbly and sealed her eyes as they closed in on that last millimeter of space that had kept them apart for so long and their lips finally met in a passionate kiss.
It was all either of them had ever dreamed of, a perfect kiss, a perfect scene and the perfect person to share it with. It was perfect just the two of them so engrossed in each other that they barely registered anything else around them especially not the baby Pokemon that chirped away happily in its mothers backpack at the scene unfolding.
Misty felt as thought there were fireworks exploding in her mouth, that there were butterflies in her stomach that her entire body had turned to jelly and the only thing keeping her sane was Ash.
She couldn't believe it was all happening. It was like a dream come true, her only wish made reality and yet it all seemed an illusion. Everything seemed so perfect from the violet sunset painted across the horizon to the dancing flames of their distant campfire and the boy who's arms were wrapped around her waist, he was the most perfect thing of all. She was so afraid that she would just wake up any moment now only to find that it was all just another cruel twist in her story.
Her entire body was on overdrive, working on pure ecstasy alone. Her pulse was racing, her palms sweating and her brain only allowing her to focus on the one thing. It seemed as though the entire world had just crumbled away around them and they were all that was left.
Ash couldn't think of anything but the kiss, his mind wouldn't let him, not that he was complaining. He treasured every moment they were together, treasured every moment that he felt her lips pressed against his and his fingers lingering in the delicate curls of her hair. He treasured her more than he ever thought possible.
He felt like everything he had cared about before had suddenly become so insignificant and unimportant compared to her, compared to the feelings he felt inside just from being near her, compared to this. The titles, the badges, the fame, none of that mattered right now and he knew it never would again. It was like nothing else mattered anymore except for Misty and that nothing else would come even close to his feelings for her as long as he lived.
He would give up all he had, walk an ocean, walk through hell and back just to make this feeling last forever.
But it had to end.
The two teenagers sighed as the kiss came to the inevitable. They only wished it had lasted longer, but breathing had become somewhat of an issued. So they both just stood there letting time pass them by with their arms wrapped around each other as the stared into each other's eyes.
"Ash . . . I . . . I . . ." Misty tried blushing and suddenly averting her gaze to the ground. The kiss had said it all; he could see it in her eyes, the love, the devotion and everything else that went along with it. Everything that he had been unable to read before, the unknown emotions he had struggled to find words for suddenly made complete sense.
"Shhh," he whispered lifting his finger to her lips. "You don't have to say a word," he told her. He traced the line of her jaw, stroking her cheek and sealing it with a gentle kiss.
"But I need to," she told him as they broke apart again. "I love you Ash," she told him as she finally found the courage to speak the words that had plagued her existence for the last three years.
It was strange, in the four years she had known Ash, she had been able to tell him anything accept for this, the one thing she had wanted to tell him more than anything else in the world. The one thing it seemed he had wanted to hear just as much as she had. For so long it had forever played on the tip of her tongue longing to let him know. But now he did and she felt as though she could scream it out to the whole world.
Her life seemed full of meaning now. Ash made it all worth any pain caused before and she never wanted to let him go.
Ash smiled as he cupped her chin in his hands and kissed her again.
She closed her eyes and dreamily thought of how perfect everything had been made by the announcement of three little words. How her world could go from upside down and falling to pieces to all she'd ever wanted and fitting into place because of those three little words.
She savored a feeling of complete happiness that seemed to surround her just from being near him. She felt that everything she needed was right there, in his arms and that it was all going to work out perfectly.
She smiled back at him as the kiss ended then leaned into his chest.
Ash moved his mouth to her ear and she shivered with pleasure as she felt his warm breath on her cheek. She sighed happily as he whispered in her ear and wrapped his arms tightly around her in a sweet embrace.
"I already knew."
~ The Alternate End ~
As you can see this isn't the real end, it's what it would be like if this entire story only consisted of the two chapters. How much easier would that have been?
Anyway, now for the current list of thank you's.
Emerald Eyes – You mean the first one right? Well I actually don't entirely know who said it. I kind of just copied it down without checking. Now if you were talking about that last one I can say that is a bonafied Virgo Writer original all thanks to a pair of invisible Mary Jane's.
Glass-tear-drops – It seems everyone generally seems to love that part. Thanks for the review.
Hopeless Romantic – Wow, thank you so much for that. It's really good to know how much people appreciate what your doing.
Dragonsbane – I think I just made it worse didn't I?
Violet Emeralds – my favourite bit was the 'those aren't my pants' but probably because it's such a 'me' thing to say.
Joy-girl – Thank you for the compliment and I really am glad that I extended that scene a little, in the draft the bit where it described what was going on wasn't actually included.
Blue Flamed Cheetah – Weird huh. Of course since then my fight scenes have matured and he calls her a slut and suggest she goes off with Gary but that is so beyond the point.
Stoko – . . .
Smiley – I can't believe you've never heard of A1, they're one of my favourite bands. It really is too bad that they've currently broken up because one of the member left but Ben's going solo so 'she'll be right'.
Shadow Fox – Thank you
KuTiExAzNxAnGeL – Thank you
Pikagurl23 – Too true. I love that song, I used it in one of my other AAMR fics cause I had the sudden urge to turn Misty into 'one of us'. I think the best bit of it is 'I'm too shy to ask, I'm too proud to loose, But sooner or later I've got to choose', it describes Ash and Misty's relationship perfectly.
Miss Queen of the World – Again is say, it got worse didn't it? I think this has got to be the worst cliffhanger I've ever written, and I seem to really enjoy prolonging it.
Roxynomekop1288 – It wasn't that she didn't believe him it's just that she was upset that he hadn't just taken it back as if he really hadn't meant to say it.
Lilly – Thanks and sadly there are only two left and I am really going to miss writing this fic.
RuRsHeR – Thank you
Ash and Misty Forever – Thank you so much and I really am trying to make an effort not to leave whole months between updates.
Lyse – We really do have to stop meeting like this?
Arcanine Gal 242 – I guess that was what really made the chapter, and like I said before it was kind of a last minute inspiration that got it in there.
Thank you everyone and hopefully the next chapter will be up in a month tops.