Lightning-Dono: Angst, anyone? This one is one that WILL be finished, being only a few chapters long.

Night of the Falling Star
Author
: Lightning-Dono AKA Lightning-Chan
Recommended Age Group
: Teen
Mistycouldn't get anyone to love her until now, when a stubborn, Pokemon trainer amateur came her way. It's been years since she met him on that fateful day, but why has fate taken him away?

-

Gunshots showered the air with sparks and smoke. Misty had dove behind a brick wall. While it might not hold as long, she needed to shelter herself from the raging battle outside. He wouldn't want me hurt. She thought selfishly in an attempt to convince herself that the one person she had always loved would be all right. Then again, lying and playing wicked mind games with herself never aided anyone.

Fire exploded around her, the sound of screaming rang through her eardrums. It didn't take her long to discover that the only one screaming now was her, her vocal cords strained so hard she felt like they were going to snap.

Cold-blooded, shrill laughter rang through the air. The feeling of impending pandemonium spread fiercely through the cold rush of wind that was followed by a single voice, speaking directly to her. It was a victory-swollen tone that poisoned her blood, just hearing his words.

"I have taken what is most precious to your lover," James vocalized throatily, a bony hand gripping Misty's shivering shoulder, squeezing it with contempt, as though to crush her very bones.

"What have you done?" Misty screamed at him, purged of her once over-whelming fear. "What have you done to Ash?"

Jessie's sharp, joyous laugh came, echoing around the abandoned plaza that belonged seemingly in a ghost movie. The streets had been deserted for months, save for a Pokemon Center that was often closed, due to lack of visitors to this old, forlorn town.

"You'll have to come out and see, won't you now, little girl?" She cackled.

With all the rage in her mind powering her muscles, Misty headed steadily towards the area infront of her protective brick wall. The first thing she cast her eyes on was the excessive stain of dark red splattered across the dusty cement. Although it was night, she could tell exactly what substance that was, and the more she thought of it, the more images appeared in her head.

"Ash will be fine," she told herself aloud, despite Team Rocket's ongoing jeering that drove her a crack over the edge.

"So," James started.

"Do you see you boy?" Jessie finished, her voice growing exceedingly taunting.

A hat that was filled with holes. Bullet holes. And what sent the jolt through Misty's heart was that it wasn't just any random hat that had been left to be forgotten. It was Ash's hat...and he would never leave his precious accessory behind. Treading carefully, she the trail of filthy blood that had spewed messily across the ground. She grew queasy, her stomach turning like it had the first time she had seen a shooting star while sitting in the solitude of night, Ash watching over her carefully from the boughs of a tree...spying on her.

"Oh my God," she whispered, hands clamped tightly over her mouth. Tears filled her eyes that bore the resemblance of diamond-cut lapis luzi. Misty's breathing was rapid, the light dimming from her eyes as they misted over with a fog of death.

There was Ash – lying there, bleeding to death. He was clutching his upper arm in hurt, moaning in obscure pain, voice muffled by a cloth that had been vindictively wrapped around his mouth to muffle his cries. His clothes were ragged from dragging himself across the ground, slowly making his way towards a Pokemon center that shed it's light over most of the town from it's size. Dirt stung his wounds a freckled his smooth face.

Dropping to her knees, tears falling freely, heart jerking rapidly from shock, she untied the cloth from his mouth.

"Ash...are you okay?" She said, her voice shaking, the salty liquid dripping from her cheeks and onto Ash's arm.

He emitted a quiet groan. "I wish I could say that I was," Ash said furtively, breathing hard. "But...I really need to rest." His eyelids drooped.

The redhead shook her head, caressing his callused hand in her smooth ones. "Please...no, Ash, don't fall asleep. Because if you do-," she choked on her words, unable to force them from her throat. "-y-you might never wake up."

"Trust me," Ash coughed, blood flying from his lips. "I will wake up..." His breathing slowed to a soft hum that faded out.

"NO!" Misty screamed, collapsing onto Ash's still body, sobbing out her woes. What had he done to deserve such punishment? Why had he been taken away from her? Tears splattered onto the ground, darkening the already drying blood.

As Team Rocket took flight, unable to witness the conclusion of their own crime, Misty lay there, warming Ash with her own body heat, her half-mast eyes staring blankly up at the sky.

As Team Rocket's balloon silhouetted the moon, Misty could've sworn she saw a star, falling from space, sparkling with unshed tears...burning a trail of memories into the sky.