March 7th 1:49 p.m.
Sinnoh
"I don't see an exit wound" Lance barked, casting his rifle aside, "Dawn, I need some help"!
Ash's eyes closed, and he went limp. His head lolling against the side of the jeep as Kyle maneuvered their way down the road. Speeding as fast as they could away from that Rocket base.
Dawn gave Misty's hand a quick squeeze, then hurriedly climbed past her, over the seat, and hit her knee as she landed in the back. The red head's trancelike state lifted, and she spun her torso, peering over the seat at Ash. Seeing the blood oozing out of his bullet wounds, mixing into the drying blood he was covered with. Dawn sidled up next to Lance as he applied pressure to Ash's shoulder.
"The bullets grazed over his calf and arm" Lance spewed rapidly, "we're going to have to dig the one out of his shoulder".
"We have to what" Dawn paled, her stomach churning as she fully took in Ash's appearance for the first time.
There was so much blood on him, bruises, cuts...his hand and fingers were purple and swollen. He looked terrible, like he had been in a war zone for a solid week...hard to believe it'd only been a little over a day.
"Kyle! Knife"!
Placing his knee against the steering column, Kyle removed one hand from the wheel and dug into his pocket. Procuring it, he tossed it back to Lance, who caught it swiftly.
"Ok Dawn" he continued, "I'll need you to hold him as still as possible. The jolts from the jeep are going to be bad enough, but if he wakes up and thrashes around, I may cut something I shouldn't. Understand"?
She nodded weakly, swallowed, and steadied her shaky breath. Lance pulled Ash forward, placing him on his chest, and pushed a knee into the younger man. Taking a long breath, Lance spared a glance up at Misty, who was watching Ash with a pained expression.
"You may not want to watch this".
Her eyes flicked to his, telling him she had to see if he'd be alright. But then they narrowed, and she asked, "I thought you couldn't treat injuries"?
Remembering just before arriving in Sinnoh when Ash had struck his head, Lance actually gave Misty a weak smile. "I can't, but I've been shot more times than I care to admit".
Dawn's jawline tightened, but she said nothing, and Lance quickly returned his attention to Ash and dug the knife into the bullet wound. It was almost instant, Ash roared in pain, jerking his body harshly. Dawn played her part, having to completely crawl onto his back and shove her body weight against him to hold him in place. Misty winced as the fresh blood squirted up across the hilt and Lance's hand. He shoved the knife in deeper, gritting his teeth to help maintain his focus.
Ash bellowed louder, his screams ripping into Misty's ears. Causing her heart to grow angry at Lance for hurting him further. Twice she almost screamed for him to stop, to leave the black haired man alone, but twice she reminded herself this had to be done.
And finally, a metallic clink on the floor told them Lance had removed the bullet. Ash was immediately silent once more, his breathing ragged. Dawn hesitated, but removed herself from his back, keeping a hand on him to hopefully be of comfort in some small way. Misty's breath held in her lungs as she waited for someone to speak, anyone.
Wiping Kyle's knife off on his cape, Lance did first, "we have to get somewhere safe, secluded. He's needed medical attention since we arrived in Sinnoh. I'm a little surprised he's gone this long without it".
"Where do you think the nearest hospital is" Dawn asked, only to be cut short by Lance, "I said secluded. All cities and towns will, or should, be fully evacuated, and we can't risk the Dominion's attacking. We'll have to treat Ash to the best we can do".
Silence. As much as both of the girls wanted to argue, he was right.
"I'll see what I can find" Kyle spoke up, finally slowing their speeding vehicle so that the trees were no longer streaking blurs of green and brown.
"Dawn" the Dragon Master continued, much softer now, "I need you to patch Ash up the best you can right now. I'll set Misty's arm, had my fair share of broken bones too".
The bluenette nodded, catching Lance's eye for a moment. A breath of relief filled her up, all of them were together, and alive at least. Not necessarily in a good place, but alive. He turned away, scooting up the the front seat, "let me see".
With a bit of pain shooting through her arm, which was cocked in a way it shouldn't be, Misty raised it and carefully rested it on the back of her seat. Lance ran his fingertips softly along her forearm, and instantly she almost yanked it away. Giovanni's touch flashed through her mind...his callused fingertips brushing against her skin, his hot breath on her neck...She only stopped herself by forcing the fact through her mind that it was only Lance touching her.
"Oh yea, this is gunna hurt" he said apprehensively. Taking her arm in both his hands, enticing Misty to suck in air through her teeth, he swallowed once and asked, "ready"?
Gritting her teeth, and closing her eyes, she nodded. Lance rotated the bent part of her forearm to realign it up with the rest. Searing pain as if her arm were on fire, exploded its ways through her nerves, making her open her mouth and quietly emit a noise between a scream and a grunt. He continued twisting and pushing, until her arm no longer looked abnormal, but aligned as if all she had were a massive bruise.
"Ok, worst parts over".
Letting her arm carefully rest back against the seat, Lance reached to his neck and unfastened his cape. Whipping it around, he gently raised Misty's arm once more, and wrapped the bottom half of it around and around. Then he pulled the top part across her back and slung it under her forearm, creating the worst homemade sling Misty had ever seen, but it worked.
Dawn, meanwhile, peeled Ash's bloody shirt back. Examining his shoulder wound carefully. The blood flow had already ceased tremendously, so she sighed in more relief. If someone would have told her months ago that agreeing to help Professor Rowan at the temple men't she would be doctoring Ash in the back of a speeding jeep...she probably would have snorted.
Ripping the bottom of her shirt, she pulled it harshly, yanking a long strip away from the rest. Leaving her midrif exposed to the wind blowing by. She wrapped the fabric tight around Ash's shoulder, hooking it under his armpit and tying a knot to hold it in place. Next she tore another piece off her sleeve, and dabbed at the wet blood across his body, wiping away the dirt and grime with it. Multiple spots were already caked over, so she focused on only the places she could clean.
Once her sleeve could soak up no more, she discarded it and tore the other one off. She set to work wiping away at his cuts, so as to see them better and judge if they needed attention. Only the bullet gashes seemed to require aid. Ripping more fabric from the bottom of her shirt, she tied the pieces around his calf and arm, hoping that would clot the wounds for now.
"He hasn't opened his eyes" Misty's voice made her jump, but she was right, Ash had yet to reawaken.
"Shock and blood loss" Lance tossed, "I'd be surprised if he was awake".
More silence followed, and Dawn discarded her second sleeve to examine Ash's hand. In an educated guess, his fingers were certainly broken, and had been for a while.
"That happened back at the wedding" Misty explained quietly, her eyes glued to her lover.
"I'll need to set them too" Lance sighed, moving closer to Dawn, "we'll need something to act as a splint so he doesn't move them".
"We don't have anything like that" the bluenette said, casting a glance around the bumpy jeep.
"Use the empty rifle clip" Kyle spoke up, "place it on the back of his hand, and tie it tight".
Catching Dawn's eye, Lance shrugged, "guess that'll have to do for now".
He reached for his rifle, pulling it closer and pressing the release. The clip slid into his palm, and he once again discarded the rifle. Tearing fabric from his own shirt so Dawn didn't have to anymore, Lance pulled Ash's fingers straight. Popping them one by one, and then set the clip and tied it firmly.
"Now we just need somewhere to lay low".
"Still working on it" their driver muttered.
They fell into silence as the jeep roared on, bouncing down the rocky road. Hours passed, and Ash still would not wake up. Misty's eye remained glued to his motionless body, unwilling to glance away for anything. Dawn's eyes had glossed over as she slipped into deep thoughts. She was glad Lance and Kyle were here, but was worried about why. Hadn't they left for Unova? Evacuating Professor Rowan and his research? She watched their helicopter leave after all. Maybe they traded duties somewhere along the way. No need to worry, right?
Or maybe...something bad had happened. Well then how did they find her?
"Lance"
Her voice was soft, scared for an answer, but she had to ask, "how did you guys find us"?
Lance, who had been leaning against the side of the jeep watching the trees of the forest rush by, shifted uncomfortably the minute she said his name. Knowing this was coming sooner or later, he let out a sigh, "we never made it away from the Temple. Team Rocket hijacked our helicopter".
No need to worry..."Professor Rowan"?
The red spiky haired man swallowed, "he's dead".
Her eyes burned, but she blinked her tears back. Now was not the time to cry.
"We tracked Team Rocket back to their base because we couldn't allow them to have Rowan's research" Lance continued, "even if it killed us, but we found you. Somehow that research isn't as important as you guys".
He tried to finish on a note of humor, but it fell flat. Dawn pulled her knees to her chest, wrapping her arms around them and tucking her chin into the crack. Ash's head lolled back and forth as Kyle ran over a bump in the road.
"We're together now" Lance tried reassuringly, "whole or not. Now we just need to find a way to Unova".
"Pure hearts...Ash, Dawn, Gary". The bluenette snapped her head up, jerking her gaze to the others in the vehicle.
"Who whispered that" she demanded.
The others turned to her quizzically, even Misty pulled her eyes from Ash, but only for a moment.
"Whispered what" Lance asked with a frown.
"Something about me and Ash" she said, narrowing her eyes as if she could see through the others, but none of them claimed credit.
"Pure hearts...three, always and for eternity". Ok, she knew for sure she heard that whispered this time! But no one moved, it hadn't come from the others. Did they not hear it at all? By the way they were looking at her concernedly, no they had not.
"Dawn...". Her eyes snapped to Ash, it had come from him!
"Very funny Ash" she scolded, "don't make me think I'm going crazy".
Nothing. He didn't move, or chuckle. Just continued his light breathing at a steady pace.
"Since when did you become such a good actor" she said mockingly, "come on I know it was you"!
"Dawn" Misty interrupted gently, "Ash isn't awake".
"Pure hearts...". There it was again, the whispering, but Dawn's breath hitched in her throat. Ash's lips had not moved, but she was sure the sounds were radiating from him.
"You guys don't hear that" she asked timidly, inching closer to the unconscious man.
"Hear what" Lance asked uneasily.
"There it is again" she said more to herself, turning her eyes onto Ash's pockets, "maybe...".
Her fingers dug into them, feeling the different items he stuffed in there. Removing an assortment of PokeBall's, relief swept over her as she recognized some to be hers. Next she pulled out a notepad covered in pages of text, then...she pulled a cloth covered object. Turning it over in her fingers, she heard yet another whisper, this time coming from the thing in her hands. She went to unwrap the item, and instantly regretted it. The Darkin was revealed as the cloth fell away, and brushed against Dawn's skin. A dark flash erupted in her eyes, and she let out a short shriek mixed of fear and pain.
"Dawn" Lance shouted, lurching forward to yank the Darkin from her grasp, but the damage was already done. She convulsed harshly, thrashing around on the floor next to Ash, her limbs flying all directions. Lance threw himself on her, using his body weight to hold her down. Kyle began to slow the jeep down, but the Dragon Master shouted, "No! Keep going! We need to find a safe place"!
Rather reluctantly, the blonde sped back up, glancing back in the rear view mirror at the seizing bluenette.
"Misty" Lance bellowed, "cover that thing"!
He nodded to the Darkin, and one of Dawn's hands broke free, smacking him in the ear. Misty reached for a bloody piece of cloth with her good arm, gripping the fabric in her fingertips. Searching for the Darkin, which had thankfully been thrown close to her, she picked it up in the cloth and covered the artifact completely.
This did not work, Dawn continued to scream and seize on the floor.
"DAMNIT DAWN! Hold on"!
Blackness. Pure, unending blackness was all he could see. Silence so quiet he could hear his own blood flowing in his veins, hear the thump thumping of his heart. Was this death? Is this what awaited those who passed on? A world of absolutely nothing? An eternity of your own thoughts and feelings? How did he get here? What happened?
Turning around, hoping to see a glimmer of light somewhere, anywhere, he reached up to run his hand across his hair, almost as if making sure he was a physical body. Well...he felt solid.
So, then where was he? Dead, right? He could only assume...how did he even know he was a he? Everything was so hazy, right on the edge of his memory, but too clouded to see. Blurry faces shifted in his thoughts, and for all he knew, he could be any one of them.
There was a man with spiky brownish red hair, dark eyes, and a cocky grin. Was that him? Then a girl with blue hair, incredibly dark blue eyes, and a sweet smile. Or what about her? Another face swam into his mind, with jet black, unkempt hair, brown eyes, a crooked smile, and a somewhat naive expression...this was him. He was sure of it! But what about the other two? And what about names? They were so familiar, he knew them, that much he could guarantee to himself. A voice whispered across the black realm, echoing silently with a feint whisper, "thus the Earth shall turn to Ash".
Ash...he was Ash. Well, he wasn't positive, but for some reason the name matched his face, and it just felt right. The same voice floated by, making him turn his head to follow the sound, "pure hearts...three, always and eternity...".
Pure hearts? He'd heard that before! Somewhere...somewhere cold, and the blue haired one had been by him at the time! Also a orange haired one too...but he couldn't see her face. Why was that?
Pure hearts...
"For the same reason the Dominion's are targeting you Ash" another voice, different this time. Rougher, familiar, but still as whispered and quiet, "they cannot foresee Gary or Dawn's future. They are unaware they exist...I believe the Dominion's cannot foresee your futures because the three of you have pure hearts".
Gary...Dawn...that was their names! The three faces he could see more clearly than the other images in his head...Ash, Gary, and Dawn...
"Pure hearts" whispered from the first voice, rushing by Ash again.
He turned, following the sound as it swirled around him, "hearts of pure...only when three hearts of pure control the powers of the world, can Darkness be removed from the universes soul...soul...soul".
Something lit up among the black, behind him, casting a feint blue glow across his shoulders. Carefully he turned around, facing the tiny blue light that was slowly growing bigger, but not brighter.
There was something in the center of it...what is that? Shaped closely to an elongated diamond, rocky and slightly see through...Darkin. The Darkin! Why was it here? Should he try to run? Hold on...how did he know precisely what that thing was if all of his memories were clouded?
Suddenly a light exploded into existence before him, there was nothing but him to illuminate, and it took the structure of...sort of resembling a window, if he had to describe it. Crystal clear in the light, the orange haired woman took up the majority of the space. Staring straight at him with light blue eyes that sparkled deeply as tears threatened to fall. A yellowing bruise on her temple stuck out from underneath her dirty bangs. Dirt and grime were streaked across her face like it had been hastily wiped off.
Just behind her stood the blue haired woman, Dawn. Looking past the fiery orange hair and staring straight at him as well. Her hands were drawn up to her chest, and she was crying.
"Come on Ash" the closer woman spoke, as if through a tunnel, "don't go! You can't leave me like this! I-".
Her words caught in her throat, a groggy, wet noise interrupting them. She swallowed hard and finished, "I need you Ash. Please...".
And the window turned off, dropping the blackness all around him once more, save for the tiny glow of the Darkin. The silence was now more unbearable than before, due to his rapidly beating heart. That woman...she was...was...his face contorted as he tried to place the word...Love! She was love, his love. He needed to get back to her! But how?
"Ash Ketchum".
The voice was no longer a whisper. Loud and had a full vocal tone, coming from behind him. Facing the voice, he inhaled at the illuminated figure before him closely resembling the shape of a centaur. It was a light gray color, with a darker gray underside, had golden coated hooves, and had a wheel like structure attached to its midrim, with four spokes sticking out at different angles, and gems attached at the intersections. Its mane seemed to be flowing in a breeze, but he didn't feel any wind against his skin.
"It's been a long time" the creature spoke, without moving its mouth, "do you remember me"?
Just like the Darkin, the figures name came rushing back, "Arceus".
"Good" the God nodded, "very good".
"Am I dead" the question slipped out before Ash could stop himself, and Arceus tilted its head to the side in amusement.
"You are not dead, but close" he said, "hovering dangerously between lives. Fortunately, you will survive".
Relief? He wasn't sure if that's the emotion sweeping trough him...part of him was ready to rest, to quit...but that woman, his love...she needed him.
"We must talk" Arceus pulled him from his thoughts, "urgently".
"I agree..." he started, but quickly frowned, "although...I can't remember why".
He could clearly remember a thought-or was it something he had said? Finding Arceus. Well, here he was.
"Natural in limbo" the Creator nodded, "organizing thoughts can be tricky here, but you must. Dominion's, Ash, they are a threat. Darkness is on the verge of returning and only the pure hearts can stop it".
"Pure hearts" Ash repeated, "me, Dawn, and Gary..."
"Yes. The Souls of Light, or pure hearts by human definition".
"Souls of Light"?
"Perhaps I should start from the beginning" Arceus mused, then continued, "long ago, before time itself. Darkness reigned supreme".
Well at least this sounded familiar.
"Dominion's rose up in the ranks of dark creatures beyond your comprehension. Then I came to be, a spark of light in an endless void of blackness. And for a time I was allowed to roam the void, so long as I obeyed the Darkness. But I grew curious about my own power, and began to experiment in the furthest reaches of the blackness. I tapped into other realms, different dimensions, stringing together molecules and atoms to create my first children, four unique Mew. And were they beautiful. But being the only source of light, I was soon discovered, and the Dominion's came to destroy my children and I. So in our defense I created the others, the Legendaries, and I created many. Most did not survive the war, but over the course of what you would consider millions of years. We won".
So far Ash was aware he knew the majority of that already.
"Once the Darkness had retreated to the furtherest depths of the universe, and knowing should it return I would not be able to fight against it and succeed, I took security measures. Three of my first children offered themselves, their souls, to be used. And from three of my precious Mew, I created the Souls of Light".
Whispers echoed through Ash's head as Arceus talked.
Souls of Light...pure hearts...Ash, Dawn, Gary...
"My four Mew" Arceus hesitated, his thoughts wandering for the briefest of moments, "each were special, unique. While one was Light in its purest form, the others were the elements of the universe. Fire, Ice, and Lightning. These three gave me their souls to create everything you know now, to build a universe around their souls".
Something began to click in Ash's head, but what was it?
When three hearts of pure control the powers of the world...
"Their souls have been reborn since the dawn of time, through various living creatures. Always do they exist together, and forever shall they be reborn. Unless...if a force of Darkness destroys them, they will not rebirth. The powers will be off balance".
A flash of a memory shot though Ash's mind.
He was standing in Pallet Town, looking up at the stormy night sky as the clouds swirled into the black portal where thousands of Dominion's were about to pour through. Desperately trying to come up with a way to close it.
"LOOK OUT" Gary's voice came from behind him, and he was roughly shoved aside.
He crashed into Misty and they toppled to the pavement. There was a rip, followed by a grunt of pain. Unwillingly, he swung his eyes around...seeing the Dominion's arm shoved through Gary's chest, blood dripping to the concrete.
"One of the souls are gone" Ash said quietly, and then gasped aloud as everything came rushing back in one sweeping trail of thoughts. Dominion's. Misty. Gary. Team Rocket. The Darkin.
"I'm aware" Arceus spoke softly, "that is why, you must bring it back".
"How am I supposed to do that" Ash sputtered incredulously, "and backtrack for a second...does all this mean that Dawn, Gary, and I are...are your Mew"?
Sensing his doubts, Arceus began to explain, "no, you are your own soul. The essence of my children reside in you. Their Souls of Light, reside in you. The three purest hearts of this age. To resurrect the Soul of Fire, you must resurrect your friend".
"Once again, how am I supposed to do that"?!
"The Darkin is a life force of its own, an artifact created long before I existed. It connects the Dominion together, and binds the Darkness" the God iterated, "it can be used to wipe away all traces of Darkness, all evil as you would call it. In my measures I took to defend against the Darkness should it return, after creating the known universe from the Souls of Light, I fabricated an artifact of my own. The Vitan. Connected to my one remaining Mew, Light. Using it, combined with the power of Light, you will be granted the gift of life. But once and only once".
This was all too much. Ash's head was spinning a thousand different directions, not helped by the lack of scenery to look at.
"So let me try and simplify all this" he began, placing a finger in the center of his forehead to hopefully keep it from exploding, "you created four Mew. Called Light, Fire, Ice, and Lightning. After the Dominion's retreated you used the Souls of Ice, Fire, and Lightning to create our universe. Then you made this Vitan thing, connected with the Mew, Light. The essence of the other three have always existed inside the souls of three pure hearts that are always alive at the same time. These three have to control the powers of the world to fight against the returning Dominion's, but since one of the Souls are dead, we have to use the Vitan to ressurect the fallen pure heart...did I miss anything"?
"Simplified, but you are correct, however" Arceus lowered his head closer to Ash, "the powers of the world you reference is a mistranslated piece. The essence of my children cannot be unlocked except by wielding the three keys of Fire, Ice, and Lightning. The powers of the universe".
Something else came forth in Ash's mind. Something Lance had related to him from carvings in the Sinnoh Temple.
The Darkin and Mew are two of three of known keys to Paradise or Hell.
"Ah, the Sinnohans were once great at changing stories" Arceus spoke with amusement.
"Wait, did you just read my mind"?!
Ignoring his question, the God pressed on, "while that statement is correct, it is also false. The Darkin, Mew, and the Purest Heart are the three keys they seek, but you have held in your hands the three true keys to Paradise or Hell".
Held in his hand? Somehow if he had held keys representing Fire, Ice, and Lightning in his hands, he would more than likely remember...oh...
"Now you underdstand" Arceus smiled down at him.
"Shamouti...but, I handled that" Ash protested, "those can't be the keys".
"Prophecy's have a way of repeating" the God waved off.
This couldn't be seriously happening again?! He had talked a big game, being the Chosen One and what not, but in truth he had never been more scared in his life, until that day. The fate of everything had rested on his shoulders, and he never wanted that again, but here he was.
"Are you sure it has to be me" he practically pleaded, "can't it be someone else"?
"Certainly it could" Arceus admitted, "but I have been watching the three of you for a very long time. You bare the essence of my children after all, and I can assure you, you are the one. The purest heart".
The purest heart...somehow Ash didn't feel like it...
"But...what I did" he stopped, his throat suddenly becoming dry as the memory of Giovanni washed over him, just like the man's blood, "I destroyed him...".
"Actions may speak louder than words, but reason defines your actions" the God said simply, "why did you do what you did"?
"To...to save Misty from him. To stop him from doing the things he did to anyone else...".
"That sounds pure to me".
"But I destroyed him" Ash shouted, clenching his fists, "I ripped him apart, and-and I enjoyed it! How is that pure"?!
Arceus looked him over, taking a long time to answer, and only furthering Ash's frustrations.
"Darkness is more" he finally explained, "it penetrates deep into everything like a plague. That man, was in his own way, a Dominiom of Darkness. He cared only for his own goals and pleasure. You stopped him for the sake of others, regardless of what it would do to you. And if it bothers this much, enjoyment is not what I would say you felt. Think for a moment, what was in your pocket"?
Man did Arceus talk a lot...but Ash complied, thinking hard.
"Our PokeBalls...the notepad of Rowan's research, and...the Darkin" he realized.
"An artifact connected to Darkness" Arceus nodded at Ash's realization, "no living creature is perfect. The Darkin will make you feel the Darkness within you, but only the purest of hearts can avoid acting on it".
"So...still, it may not be me" he lowered his head, a pitiful tone escaping his lips.
"No, it may not" the God sullenly agreed, "but I believe it is. I believe you are the Purest Heart".
"Great...".
"Do you understand what must be done"?
Ash looked up, straight into the God'd eye, "find the Vitan and Mew, revive Gary, then collect the Shamouti Treasures to fight against the Dominion's".
"And only the purest heart can use the Darkin and eradicate the Darkness" Arceus finished for him.
"So where do I find the Vitan and Mew"?
"My shrine in Sinnoh, that is where you will locate the Vitan, as for Mew...my child of Light has vanished from my sight. I do not know where she is, but you must find her".
Even more great..."I will".
Suddenly Arceus snapped his head up, alert, tensed up tremendously. Ash felt it too, a blast of cold heading straight for them.
"Darkness is here, you must wake up Ash. Do what you were destined to accomplish".
Arceus began to fade, and Ash stepped forward hastily, "wait! I don't know how to wake up"!
But the God was gone, leaving Ash once again alone in the blackness, with only the unhelpful glow of the Darkin, and the rushing closer cold. A low rumbling sound began to grow louder, and Ash's fear kicked into overdrive. Taking off at full speed, running like he had never ran before, he bolted in the opposite direction of the cold air. Running through the dark with no destination in sight.
Misty inhaled deeply, breathing in the crisp morning air. Back in Kanto the beginning of spring weather was warm and comfortable, but here in Sinnoh, yeesh the cold seemed to never go away. A Starly chirped among the high topped trees, echoed by another in the distance.
Three days had passed since they escaped from the Rocket base. Ash was still unconscious, and Dawn had joined him for a time. She feinted after her Darkin spell, and would not wake up, no matter what they tried. A few hours later, Kyle spotted a cabin through the trees, and beelined right for it. This is where they had been since, waiting on their comrades to awaken.
Dawn woke up last night in hysteria, crying out and grasping at something only she could see. It took combined efforts from all of them to settle her back down. Which only worked halfway, no longer screaming and fighting, she was now lying in bed huddled in a ball, whispering to herself. Lance remained with her, keeping her company just in case she decided she needed it.
She stretched her legs out in front of her, resting her cast arm in her lap. Well, it wasn't really a cast. Lance and Kyle wrapped it up much more professionally with supplies they found in the cabin, and continued to use Lance's cape as makeshift sling. Another almost panic attack seared inside of her when their hands touched her. The feeling of Giovanni rushing back, his hands fondling her...
She shuddered, pushing the thoughts from her mind and gazing out into the trees. The cabin was completely surrounded by dense forest, she wondered how Kyle even saw it. The jeep was parked ten feet from the front porch where Misty resided, sitting on an old wooden bench up against the wall.
The area was quiet, and peaceful. The perfect place to rest up...if Misty was able too. No, when she tried to get some sleep, worries for Ash, or horrors of Giovanni, flooded her mind. She would lie awake, tossing and turning, no matter how long she forced her eyes shut. So for the last three days, she had not gotten any sleep. Make that four...no sleep since before the wedding. Least to say, she was exhausted.
Ash...her eyes swelled up with burning liquid. Dammit, why couldn't he just wake up already?! Where was Pikachu when you needed him...the tears fell, streaking down her cheeks. Fuck Misty...why did you just add that to your list? Oh Pikachu...
Wonder how the others are doing? Where are they? Are they even alive, or have they joined Delia, Pikachu, and her sisters?
"Don't think like that" she scolded herself aloud, sniffing her sob into the back of her throat, "you can't think like that...".
"Think like what"?
Misty jumped, turning towards the voice, only to exhale in relief when she saw Dawn standing in the doorway, wearing a fresh set of plain clothes she must of found in the cabin.
"It's good to see you up" Misty said, "how do you feel"?
"Like shit" the bluenette said flatly, taking a seat beside the redhead, "don't dodge me though, think like what"?
Misty quickly averted her eyes to a random place among the trees, but she could feel Dawn's stare. Taking a long sigh, she admitted, "I'm worried about everyone else. May, Cameron, Brock and Delila...we never actually saw them, escape".
She said the last word cautiously, not wanting to think about what it could mean if they didn't. Dawn's mouth opened to speak, but it quickly shut again. Her own eyes trailed off somewhere into the trees, and both women sat in silence. Listening to the calls of random Pokemon somewhere in the distance. One of the chirping Starly fluttered away through the branches, leaving behind a trail of falling leaves.
"So...what happened" Misty finally broke their silence, "when you touched the Darkin".
Dawn made a noise in the back of her throat, bringing her hands together in her lap, "oh, well, I guess it has an effect on me".
"I know that" Misty said exasperated in a very Misty-like tone. Dawn turned her, and for the first time in days, the red head cracked a smile, making Dawn smile too.
"Well" Dawn started, "I saw things again, and I don't think it was from the future this time".
Misty raised a brow, sitting forward to listen better as Dawn continued, "I was back at the Temple, standing on the ledge overlooking the forest below. A man rushed ahead of me, heading for the Temple. He was stopped by a Dominion cutting him off. They threatened each other, and I think his name was Jerome".
"Jerome? Like Jerome Junder" Misty recalled, "the guy Professor Rowan was talking about"?
"Yea, the one from the story in the Temple" Dawn confirmed, "he fought the Dominion, and I rushed in to help, along with another man. The three of us-".
"Wait" Misty interrupted, "you were physically doing things? Not just watching"?
"Yea, it's like I already knew what to do. Like I'd seen it before" the bluenette nodded, her expression just as confused as Misty's, "but we fought our way to the Temple, and that's when Jerome pulled out the Darkin. There was apparently a battle going on somewhere too, because I could hear the clashing of swords. Anyway, inside the Temple, we found an altar, and Jerome placed the artifact in it. Then he called forth the Mew, and there was a burst of light, then suddenly I was no longer there, but watching Ash be ripped apart by Dominion's".
She shuddered at the thought, wrapping her arms around herself in comfort.
"And that's when you woke up" Misty finished, and Dawn nodded.
Hm, well the story about Jerome made more sense to Misty now, but why were their two others? And why was Dawn seeing things through the eyes of one? Wait...
"Do you know something" the bluenette asked, reading Misty's expression.
She looked at Dawn as she said, "well, there is something I read on the notepad Ash had".
"You read that notepad"?
"I got curious...don't look at me like that"!
Dawn couldn't help the light chuckle that escaped. It was good to talk to a friend with no threats around. "Wanna share"?
Misty heaved a long sigh, then began, "Creation will fall, when Darkness arises
Hearts will falter, when Darkness is entered
Only when three hearts of pure control the powers of the world, can Darkness be removed from the universe's soul
But only one can turn the tide between night and light
Only one heart, in the purest form, can impede the entrance of Darkness for us all
Hearts will falter, when Darkness is entered
Creation will fall, when Darkness arises".
Stinging silence filled Dawn's ear as Misty's words penetrated deep. "Three hearts of pure...you don't think-".
"Explains why there was three of you" Misty cut in, "and Jerome must of been the purest heart".
"So why weren't the Dominion's destroyed, or removed, or whatever" Dawn questioned a little fast.
"Maybe they were missing something".
"Like what"?
Misty didn't answer, she had no idea, all this was just as new to her as it was to Dawn.
Days passed, then a week, and still Ash had yet to wake up. They remained in the cabin, Lance and Kyle taking turns hunting for food and water. Misty spent much of her time by Ash's bed, holding his hand in hers. He would come back, he had to...
Dawn worked on various chores around the cabin. All clothing had been washed and cleaned thoroughly. Blood stains were a thing of the past for now! She even put to use some of her sewing skills and patched up rips and tears.
Once, Lance collected everyone's PokeGear and tried to assemble a long range communication device. He received no signals, and concluded either the signals were too far away, or the towers in Sinnoh were destroyed. With no way to tell how the world was faring against the Dominion's, they would go unanswered.
When two weeks had passed, Lance quit anticipating the owner of the cabin to return. Ash was still not waking up, and Misty had taken to massaging water down his throat. They needed to keep him alive...Kyle returned with a Stantler for dinner, and Dawn gagged out loud, "you expect me to EAT a Pokemon"?!
"You do all the time and just don't know it" he informed her, resulting in more gags and promises of never eating again.
Three weeks passed, and Dawn was hissing at Kyle as he gloated about her enjoying her Stantler jerky. Misty began to feel drained, falling asleep at odd times, only to be woken up by Dawn bringing her food. She asked her blue haired friend for her opinion, but Dawn only said, "you're just emotionally exhausted. Sitting by the bed crying all day isn't going to make you feel any better, so let's go for a walk"!
While the walk helped, Misty fell ill within the next week. Every morning Dawn would hear her puking out back behind the cabin. One bad thing about the place? It had no bathroom. Following her down to a small stream, Dawn began to scold her friend for walking down their by herself while she was sick.
"I feel disgusting" Misty protested, pointing to her puke ladled mouth, then motioning to the rest of herself, "I haven't had a bath in weeks".
With a heavy sigh, Dawn turned to go back to the cabin, "stay put, I'll see if I can find something to help clean you up".
The cabin's original owner may not of had a bathroom, but he had a sense of hygene. There was a cabinet full of soap bars, guess he bathed in the creak too. Within twenty minutes, Misty was feeling a thousand times better after scrubbing herself down with the chilly water. Dawn too had decided to clean herself up, hating the griminess that coated her. Once, Kyle came around the corner, and was pelted with screeches and insults and he scrambled to retreat back into the cabin.
The two month mark was drawing close, and Ash still yet to rise. Misty was slowly beginning to lose hope...a tear dropped from her nose, falling to the wooden floor as she looked herself over in a mirror. She was standing in the master bedroom, and she was dirty again, having been helping Dawn scavenge for edible berries.
"Think positive Misty" she told herself, wiping away the tear, "he'll wake up"!
Unable to look at the doubt on her own face, she ripped her eyes from the mirror and stormed out, heading for Ash's room, her sanctuary for the last two months. She slid out of the hall into his room, silently snapping the door closed behind her. Taking her usual chair by his bedside, she leaned her elbows on the bed and took his hand in hers.
Her good hand of course. She cast a glance down at her broken arm, which was apparently healing nicely if Lance and Kyle were to be believed. About another month or so and she would be good to go.
That was the least troublesome thing in her mind though. Her sickness was now coming in waves, here a few days gone the next. Not to mention-
The door opened, and Dawn barged in, wearing an expression of irritation, but she paused when she saw Misty. "Oh, I should of known you'd be in here".
"Always" Misty said with a weak smile, "what's up"?
"Oh, um, well I was actually coming to scold Ash" she said quietly, looking down to the floor.
"As used to scoldings as he is, he won't hear you this time" the redhead tried her luck at humor, but it failed. Dawn broke, trying hard to hold back the sobs in her chest. This in turn made Misty break, but she did not cry, forcing herself to stay strong.
"I just want him to wake up" Dawn croaked, taking a step forward.
"Me too" Misty turned back to Ash, taking in his expressionless features. Wanting nothing more than to see his crooked smile again. But what if she never did? What if he never woke up? Tears welled up in her eyes, threatening to fall.
"Come on Ash, don't go! You can't leave me like this! I-".
Her words caught in her throat, a groggy, wet noise interrupting them. She swallowed hard and finished, "I need you Ash. Please...".
Nothing. He remained motionless as ever, breathing calmly in his sleep. Dawn took another step forward, resting her hand on Misty's shoulder.
Another week went by, slower than the previous few. Lance was growing restless, he needed to get to Unova, to reconnect with the League Forces. To get some kind of information about the world. How were they fighting back?! Were any of them even still alive!?
"If Ash doesn't wake up in the next few days...we need to consider moving on".
Of course this sent Misty on a rampage, "WE WILL NOT LEAVE HIM BEHIND! HE'LL WAKE UP DAMMIT".
After a few more abusive arguments back and forth, Misty stormed from the cabin. Leaving an angry Lance, petrified Kyle, and worried Dawn behind. She marched down the stream, kicking fallen leaves and sticks as she went. Screaming to the heavens for Ash to wake up...she needed him...needed to tell him-
Her foot stepped into water, and she quickly backtracked. With a slap to the forehead, and a drawling groan, she realized she just about walked right into the stream. Deciding to sit down and let her anger simmer, Misty did just that, plopping onto her rear in the grass and removing her soaked foot from the water. Pulling her knees to her chest, she dipped her head into them, hiding her face from the world.
To Hell with Lance, and to Hell with the rest of the world. The only piece of Misty's world left was lying in a bed, refusing to wake up. Why wouldn't he wake up?! What was wrong? Dammit, if only she could do something to help him!
"Misty"? It was Dawn, hesitantly stepping up to the red head with a worried expression, "can I join you"?
Not lifting her head, Misty motioned to the grass beside her with her good arm, and Dawn took the invitation. She plopped on the grass beside her friend, placing herself in the same sitting position as Misty, only looking at the water instead of the skin on her knees. For a moment they sat in silence, listening to the ripples of the stream as they flowed by. It could have been peaceful.
"You know Lance doesn't want to leave Ash behind, right"? Dawn finally broke their silence, not taking her eyes off a leaf she spotted floating in the water.
"Could've fooled me" Misty chastised, her voice muffled in her legs.
"He cares for Ash deeply, just like the rest of us. It's tearing him up inside. He's just terrible at showing his feelings".
Misty raised her head, a strand of orange hair stringing over her face. She looked at Dawn, who was now staring right back, wearing the most innocent, concerned expression she had ever seen. Heaving a sigh, Misty closed her eyes and said, "I know...".
Her lower lip twitched, and Dawn reached an arm out to pull Misty to her. Their shoulders connected, and for the first time since they arrived at the cabin, Misty felt comforted. "So...are we going to talk about it"?
Misty reopened her eyes, looking into Dawn's big dark blue ones curiously, "talk about what"?
"Don't think I'm that naive" the bluenette scolded gently.
A twinge of nervousness crept through Misty, like a single butterfly in her stomach, "it's not obvious is it"?
"Only if you're a woman".
Dawn smiled comfortingly, giving Misty's shoulder a squeeze as she did. The red head gulped, averting her eyes to the water, one of the few things that could always help. She listened to the gentle stream for a moment, gathering her own courage for herself. Dawn quietly waited, patience was always a virtue.
"Fine" Misty huffed quickly, "I'm pregnant".
Something resembling a mix between a squeal and a laugh escaped Dawn's lips, and her arm tightened around Misty in excitement.
"That's good news" she exclaimed happily, unable to help kicking her feet a little. Misty, however, frowned at her friend, "no...it's not".
"Why not? You and Ash are going to have a baby"!
Misty swallowed hard, "about that...".
Dawn's excitement vanished, replaced by a chilling frown of confusion. Then almost agonizingly slow, she asked, "what do you mean"?
Swallowing once again, Misty took a breath before answering, "I didn't cheat on Ash Dawn. I would never-".
Relief washed over the bluenette like a tidal wave, and it was physically visible.
"-but...the night before the wedding, me and Ash had-well...anyway, fast forward to the Rocket Base. When Giovanni took me out of the cells, he-".
Misty stopped abruptly, her heartbeat pace growing exponentially. She had yet to tell any of the others what had happened, and in all honesty, she never planned on it. Finding the strength to continue, she finished, "he raped me Dawn".
The bluenette's mouth opened slowly into an O, her eyes widening at the realization. Misty could feel the physical tension through Dawn's arm resting on her shoulder. Unable to meet her eyes, Misty played with a blade of grass at her feet, twirling it through her fingertips.
"Oh my God" Dawn whispered, "Misty, I'm so sorry".
"Don't be, there wasn't anything you could of done anyway". Misty still didn't look up at her friend, feeling her wide eyes staring. She gulped, then asked, "how am I going to tell Ash"?
Dawn opened her mouth to answer, but quickly shut it again, frowning heavily. The door to the cabin burst open in a bang, bouncing off the wooden wall harshly. Lance nearly sprinted out, shouting to the girls, "Ash is awake"!
Dunh dunh duuuuuuuuuuunh! Well, there it all is! The majority of all the puzzle pieces I've introduced connected together, hope it all makes much more sense now :p There's still a few surprises in store, so I really do hope no one is completely lost haha
There was A LOT of information in this chapter, so if anyone is slightly confused, just P.M. me. I'll answer any questions if I'm able too!
As always, let me know what you think!