Dawn shifted in her seat slightly, unnoticed by May but Cynthia could definitely see it. She was about to interrupt when Dawn cleared her throat and smiled.
"Well, you can say that someone is the inspiration for all the love songs I write and sing," Dawn smiled at May, her heart thumping against her chest wildly. May wanted to pout, but decided against it,"Ah! Leaving us hanging like that?"
"Well! Sorry?" Dawn sheepishly chuckled.
May pulled out another envelope and gave a sheepish look to Dawn. Dawn smiled, signalling her to go on. May shifted a little to face the camera. "Well," May started,"We will ask Ms. Benio some questions which her fans want to know. Are you ready Miss Benio."
"Yes."
"Well, the first question is from Jake, who lives in Lumiose City. What is your favourite ...food?" May asked, her eyes almost bulging at the question. She added,"I think he wants to take you out on a date Ms. Benio."
Dawn giggled a little before answering,"I like Chinese. And Indian dishes too. Specially sweets."
May chuckled a little, saying,"Who would have thought you have a sweet tooth?" Dawn playfully said,"Hey? I don't look like a bitter person right?"
"Okay!" May exhaled loudly,"Moving on to the next question. Ms. Benio, one of your fans, has asked.. umm... or requested you to sing a duet with any artist. They're curious to know how a duet will effect you and your singing."
Dawn wanted to shout out loud and say that she had lost her singing partner. No one, practically no one else could connect to her heart and bring out tunes like he could. But she softly answered,"I will try."
"And now , I've a question for you Ms. Benio," May said, sounding professional.
"Yes?"
"Two years ago, you made your début with the Album: 'Zoya Benio' ," May paused for a dramatic effect,"Then last year, your album, 'Blue Bird,' came up. What about this year?"
"I have one or two songs in stock but I'm still working on it. May be, it will be up before you know it!" Dawn smiled.
"We know you can play the guitar. Are there any other instruments that you can play?" May asked her. Dawn shook her head,"I can play guitar and piano. Other than that, I'm just a throat-player!"
May gave her a crazed look,"Throat player?"
"I play with my voice. Throat player," Dawn pointed at her neck. May shook her head, smiling nonetheless. Then she asked again,"Another fan, Neha, wants to know what types of men you're interested in!" May then giggled on seeing Dawn's embarrassed face, saying,"That must be the question of many bachelors out there."
Dawn gulped a little then closed her eyes. The smiling face of Ash flashed in front of her eyes and she quickly opened them, a sudden jolt running down her spine. It was as if the wind was carrying his scent, the air was telling he was too close to her. She knew what type of man she always wanted. She wanted him. She still wants him.
"A kind man," Dawn spoke, her voice without any hint of doubt,"A man who will do anything for what he loves. A loyal man, who will not cheat on his girl even if they're separated. A loving man, who will love and care for his girl like a kid. A patient man, who will think and try to clear the disputes without jumping to conclusion."
"Quite thinkable qualities Ms. Zoya Benio. Well, we might have to pick four men for you then, as a single man can not have all these qualities in him!" May teased her guest. Dawn giggled and asked her,"Don't tell me that your husband don't have these qualities."
May shrugged her off, smiling,"He has. And he is taken. So there is no other boy left and I'm not handing him over.''
"Oh my!" Dawn exclaimed,"You sound so jealous and possessive."
"Let's change the topic," May chuckled,"The next one is a question by someone named Mei. She is asking why do you use blue highlighs?"
Dawn gulped a little before asking,"B-blue h-h-highlights?"
May pointed at Dawn's hair, saying,"Yeah. You have tints of blue at the tip of your hair you know." Dawn exhaled slowly, calming herself down. Then regaining her composure, she asked,"Why? Doesn't it suit me?"
May waved her hands defensively,"It does Ms. Benio. But, you look like the natural type."
"I've some weird fantasies."
May laughed, as if finding it amusing,"Moving on to the next question. What is your biggest fear?"
Dawn shrugged a little,"Umm.. Maybe getting blamed for something I didn't do? Or maybe my private life getting flashed on news front page?"
May was surprised,"Yes, that's right. Not much is known about your private life."
"My fans have even labelled it as eight wonder of the world," Dawn laughed,"When I surf online on Tumblr or Instagram, I come across many posts. My fans and I guess a lot of people are worried about my origin. Some even fear that I might be an alien."
That answer made the whole crew laugh and May moved on to the next question,"Oh this question is a bit mean so do you want to hear it?"
Dawn nodded,"Yeah. Why not?"
"Some people claim that you can't sing and all. They even recommend you getting a vocal teacher. What are your thoughts about this?"
Dawn paused, feeling a bit uncomfortable. So some people out there didn't like her singing? "Ahh.. I am sorry if some people feel that way. I am still learning and I guess I have to work harder."
May tried to make her a little eased,"People are mean for no reason. You have a great voice!"
Dawn giggled,"Thanks so much. I guess it all depends on your preferences. Some people like the sound of rain while some hate it. Opinion differs."
"What about kids Zoya?" May read the next pamphlet.
"When I was younger, I wanted kids! But now, whenever I step out, all I see is cameras around me. It gets so overwhelming sometimes. People like us can't take a vacation and have time to ourselves without getting photographed by someone or the other. I know that this is the life I chose for myself but sometimes it gets all a little bit too much. So if I have kids someday, he or she will be under limelight since a very young age. That stuff is scary and knowing that I cause it is even scarier. And that I can do nothing about it is scariest."
"That was deep," May sighed,"I guess there's no turning back now, right?"
Dawn nodded,"I guess people need to understand that we have our personal space too."
May smiled,"Well that was the last question. But I've one question for you. You never went on a tour before. So are you planning on going on one now since Blue Bird came out a few months ago?"
Dawn shook her head,"To be honest, I'm not going on a tour now. However once I release my next album, I am doing a blue bird and new album tour together."
"And what about songwriting?" May grew even more interested,"How do you write your songs?"
"Writing songs is kind of, ever-changing. Sometimes I think of a tune and record it. Sometimes some phrases come up to me and I note them down to work on it later. Sometimes I have a vague idea about the lyrics and the song just flows. It depends on my mood, my co-writers mood and what not."
"And some people really like your acoustic covers of your songs. Are you ever going to release one?"
Dawn winked,"Who knows what the future holds?"
May cleared her throat and smiled again,"So how about a song? We can end this interview with a song of your choice."
Dawn nodded in agreement and passed on a CD, saying,"Put it in. I've already made and encrypted the tune."
May passed the CD to the nearby crew who quickly took it. Then taking a spare headphone, she passed it to Dawn, saying,"Miss. Benio? You can use it."
"Oh? Thank you!" Dawn gladly said,"And Cynthia, can you please get me my guitar?"
"Yup!" Cynthia got up and took the guitar which was resting against the wall,"Here."
"Okay folks, here we present Zoya Benio!" May gleefully said on the microphone.
So many miles
We have wondered
So many tears to be cried
When we were good together
That's what we'll remember
In time, yeeaah
So many hours, you're laughing
Down all these days
We traveled so long
Souring the pain
A part of what remained
That's alright, it's alright
Dawn could feel Cynthia's gaze on her, as if ready to help her if she needed it. Dawn couldn't believe it. After spending two years away from the Ketchum's residence, she believed that she was used to it. But all it took was one catalyst to stir up all the emotions in her. She wanted to see him. Just for once.
When the sun comes up to my road
You will be walking right beside me
And when the stars light up the sky
You will be shining
You will be shining
Dawn began stroking the guitar gently, trying her best to cover up her pain beneath her mask. Seeing May after such a long time brought out so many memories that she wanted to forget, get over with. Her first meeting with Ash, their marriage, the honeymoon trip, then the accident, meeting with Ritchie, discovering he was Ash who had lost his memories. It was hard. It really was.
Oh, and when the sun comes up to my road
You will be walking right beside me
And when the stars light up the sky
You will be shining
Yeah shining
So many times, fighting and falling
So many nights calling you again
Draft around each other
Seeking temporary covers
From this wild and wicked world
This wild and wicked world
So many miles, yeah
So many miles
Oh, so many miles
Yeah, so many miles
As she finished her song and got up from her seat, the camera crew came up to her and shook hands with her. Some even asked for an autograph.
Once everything was done, May turned upto her and smiled, saying,"Let me lead you where Mr and Mrs. Shukizo is. They are waiting."
"Yes. Thank you," Dawn smiled back.
Cynthia said that she will be waiting for her in the car and they they will pick up lunch somewhere. Dawn nodded and said that she will be back soon.
"I can't believe that I'm walking with you!" May said excitedly,"Feels like a dream."
"Should I pinch you? Then you can be sure," Dawn teased her.
"No!" May exclaimed,"I will get fired if the dreams end!"
Dawn couldn't help but laugh at May's childish antics. Seeing Dawn giggle, May burst into her own set of giggles.
"Can I take a selfie with you?" May asked out of the blue, tapping her index fingers together to ease her nervousness.
"May? We two were there in the camera room!" Dawn giggled at May's nervousness. May quickly waved her hands infront of her, sheepishly giggling,"Right! I forgot! Hehe!"
''I didn't mean it that way! I mean you don't have to be so nervous around me!" Dawn giggled again.
"Is that a yes?" May's eyes lit up im excitement.
"Sure!'' Dawn said and May quickly took out her phone to get a picture. Dawn smiled when she saw May's wallpaper. It was a picture of May and Drew cuddling.
"Can I ask you something?" May asked again, feeling a little easy. Dawn signalled her to go on.
"Why are you wearing gloves? And when I think about it, you have your gloves on almost every time you are seen in public."
"I am allergic to dust," Dawn lied quickly.
"Ah! That explains it!" May said while scratching her chin.
May introduced her to her boss and his wife, the Shukizo's who shook hands with her, wished her all the best for her upcoming life and left. May, once the Shukizo's were gone, turned to Dawn and said,"Well, I want you to meet the special guest of this evening."
Dawn gave her a smile,"I was looking forward to it."
May turned to the room, which read,"Crew." and called,"Hey! Come out Ash. Zoya is here!"
...~...
"I'm telling you Paul, this is not going to work!" Serena whispered to him while walking toward the meeting room.
"I can't sit and prepare any report now!" He hissed.
"What if we get busted?"
"We will lose a business partner," he said coolly.
"Seriously? You think we can fool them by showing the report of last year saying it is this year's report? She asked, a bit low on confidence.
"Nine out of ten men are born fools," He said.
Serena sighed and followed Paul inside. She stood beside him, her palms sweaty in anticipation. She saw three old men, about forty years old, sitting on one side on the long table and Paul took a seat on the opposite side. Giving her the CD, he signalled her to start it.
"Good morning everyone," Paul greeted. "We are here to discuss the marketing problems we're facing."
Throughout the meeting, Serena was passing glances between the men and Paul, her eyes widened on how Paul was managing it.
She thought that they will be busted the moment they start but an hour had passed and the three men didn't even show any signs of not believing them.
Paul got up and shook hands with them,"Thank you. We will meet soon."
One bald hair man jokingly said,"It is a coincidence that we aren't making that much progress. Seems like we're still following last years plan."
Serena almost forgot to breathe.
Paul skillfully said,"And that is why we need to work hard. Have a nice day everyone.''
Once everyone was gone, Serena slumped in a chair and breathed out heavily,"Almond busted."
Paul gave her a small smirk,"But we didn't, did we? And I think you meant almost instead of almond."
"I'm not doing that again!" She whined. "You know I jinx up words while I'm excited. Sorry."
"Come on, don't whine about it. Lets go to McDonald's to get some lunch," Paul said.
Though Serena knew he was just referring it as a normal outing, she couldn't help but feel happy. For her, it was a date, without actually being a date. She grinned,"Yah!"
...~...
Dawn couldn't believe it. Ash? She turned to May who was grinning. Feeling Zoya's stare on her, she turned and asked,"What?"
"Nothing!" Dawn replied quickly.
Why now? Oh man! Why Ash?
She thought that he would never get his memories back. He had forgotten her once, and she almost broke that time. First the trauma of almost losing him to death, then finding him again only to realise he doesn't know who she was. Then taking the job of a maid only to stay close to him and make him remember her, remember them. But he didn't.
And when she was convinced by others that she was a potential threat to him, she shifted away.
But now, all her efforts were in dust.
Spending two years alone, with a different name and identity, everything was just washed and wasted.
'I'm not ready to even face him!'
'Does he remember me? Does he remember what had happened?'
'Will I be able to control myself if I see him, again?'
"You look zoned out Zoya," May said, worried while running her palm through her hair, trying to calm her down.
"I just...I'm not feeling well," she said, not entirely lying.
"Well, just a few words with him and Ash will treat you up. He is the best doctor in our entire campus." May praised and Dawn understood that he had his memories back. Should she be happy that he remembers her now, probably or should she let her guilt flow in as she left?
But, another question came rushing back to her. Is he still waiting for her?
...~~.....
Serena was driving back home in Saffron City. She was listening to 'Two Worlds Collide' by Zoya Benio, humming the tune while driving.
Paul had taken her to McDonald's as he had promised and treated her to lunch. It was a thing of common occurrence. If the company made a profitable deal, they went out for lunch to celebrate.
Earlier, the reason were understandable but know, Serena could sense that he took her out for lunch or dinner on every trivial matter. Like, when he thought he needed a change of air, or when he thought the food he brought from home was not good enough. Sometimes, he didn't even give her a reason. But, she wasn't complaining either.
She was humming while going over her day's things when a particular line from the song caught her attention.
"Oh my god!" Serena slowly said to herself, keeping her eyes fixed on the road. She couldn't believe it and then replayed the lyrics again. She halted her car in an empty lane and took a deep breath, whispering,"It can't be!"
She was scared, Unprepared.
Lost in the dark.
Falling Apart,
I can survive
With you by my side
We're gonna be alright
This is what happens
When two worlds collide.
Serena gripped the steering wheel tightly, a tear rolling down her face.
"It was the song Dawn was working on when I lied that Ash had proposed me!" Serena quickly wiped away her tears, and giving a startled laugh, whispered again.
"Either you're Dawn, Ms. Zoya Benio or you know where Dawn is. It's time to get her back. To where she belongs."
...~~
"This is Ash, Ash Ketchum," May said while introducing him to the girl she mistook to be Zoya.
Just one glance at his tanned face, handsome figure, professional look and deep, brown eyes, Dawn forgot to breathe. She forgot she was disguised as the famous pop singer, Zoya Benio. She was no longer Dawn Ketchum, she was the girl Cynthia picked up and gave a makeover to.
*Flashback
2 years ago*
A blond girl was walking aimlessly on the street, holding a piece of paper in her hands. She occasionally stopped a people or two to ask for directions.
Putting some strands of hair behind her ear, she sighed heavily.
"Misty Waterflower turned down the offer as she has to take care of the gym," a frustrated look covered her face,"Where is this Ketchum's residence?"
She saw a girl with blue hair, wearing a white top with pink embroidery and black jeans walking aimlessly on the street. She rubbed her eyes and looked again. Grinning widely, she crossed the road and found the girl turning to the right.
Running to catch up to her, she found her staring at a couple feeding each other ice cream. Delighted she caught up to her, she placed a hand on her shoulder making the girl turned around.
She saw the look of confusion on the face of blue haired beauty. Smiling, she offered,"We have an offer for you."
It was the first time Dawn met Cynthia.
"Who're you Miss? I think you mistook me for someone else!" Dawn said, her facial expression showing her confusion. Cynthia, after catching her breath, exhaled deeply. "You might know me, but I know who you're Mrs Dawn Ketchum. We had been looking for you."
"We?"
"Yes. I'm from Golden voice association. Our company wants to sign a deal with you. They want you to become the new face of the era!"
Dawn was utterly confused. She asked again,"But..."
"No buts Mam!" Cynthia said in an sweet tone. Clasping Dawn's hand, she said,"You will take the world by storm."
"But, I don't want to be known as Dawn Ketchum to the world!" Dawn spoke up,"If you can disguise me up as someone else, I can."
"You... What in the world.."
"I'll tell you later. But I won't take the offer as Dawn. I'll take it as Zoya. Zoya Benio."
"Fine," Cynthia sighed,"It doesn't matter with what name you're known to the world. Because beneath that layer of makeup, you'll stay Dawn."
Cynthia literally dragged her into a parlour, telling the assistant to give her a makeover. Dawn opted for brown hairs and decided to cut her waist length hair just an inch shorter. The woman, busy on her hair, said,"Well, according to Cynthia, this colour should look as natural as possible. So, Mam, I'll suggest you to take good care of your hair."
"I'll."
While Dawn was busy getting a makeover, Cynthia went to a nearby shop and got emerald contacts for her. Then she picked up some new clothes for the upcoming popstar.
By the time that Cynthia was finished, no one could recognise Dawn. The once blue haired and blue eyed girl now looked much younger, much experienced, much confident girl. Cynthia was right, Dawn had become Zoya beneath all the layer of make up.
"Now comes the hard part,"Cynthia spoke. Dawn couldn't help but ask,"What is that?"
"Convincing Mr. Volkner."
"Mr. Volkner?"
"The Head of Our department."
"I see."
"You might have to sing to convince him Dawn."
"It's Zoya, Cynthia."
"Right. My bad. Zoya."
Cynthia parked her car outside the skyscraper in Lavender City. Dawn, who was mesmerized by the beauty of the place, stopped to admire the large fountain at the ground floor. Hiding her chuckle, Cynthia pulled her towards the elevator.
They both were quiet. And when Cynthia stopped outside a door, it came as a natural surprise to Dawn when she said,"I hope this works."
Dawn didn't know what was going on inside. She couldn't hear a single thing and that was making her more tensed. After waiting for fifteen minutes, Dawn was called inside and she wiped her sweaty palms on her dress, feeling intimidated by the piercing eyes on her.
"Sing."
"Which song?" She asked shakily.
"Miss. I don't care," a deep, masculine voice said. Dawn gulped. This was really scary. She took a deep breath, trying to ignore all the judging eyes on her.
Here I am, once again
Feeling lost but now and then
I breathe it in to let it go
And you don't know
Where you are now
Or what it would come to
If only somebody could hear
When you figure out how
You're lost in the moment
You disappear
Dawn wasn't sure whether she should look at their expressions. But, continued to sing nonetheless.
You don't have to be afraid to put your dream in action
You're never gonna fade you'll be the main attraction
Not a fantasy
Just remember me
When it turns out right
'Cause you know that if you live in your imagination
Tomorrow you'll be everybody's fascination
In my victory
Just remember me
When I make it shine!
"That's enough I think." The same masculine voice said.
Tears swelled up in her eyes. Wasn't she good enough? Wasn't she giving her all?
"Miss," the man spoke again, making her look up to see him. He continued,"Sign the contract. You're now, the official Golden Voice of our company. In a week, we will strat your recordings." Dawn was about to jump up when Cynthia put a hand on her shoulder to calm her down.
Volkner, the blond man, passed a paper to her and then turned to Cynthia,"You're in charge of her. Show her around and give her all necessary information."
"Yes!" Cynthia complied happily.
"And miss?"
"Benio. Zoya Benio." Dawn introduced herself.
"Yes, Miss Benio. We're expecting great things from you." Volkner said, a small smile on his lips.
*Flashback end*
...
"Hey?!" Panic was clear on May's voice,"Zoya?" She shook her harder, frantically saying,"Hey Zoya?"
Dawn jerked up suddenly only to see the frowned expression of her husband, who didn't even know she was his wife. She quickly said,"I'm fine May. Was feeling a little dizzy. That's all."
"Should I check you up?" Ash asked, politely.
Dawn took a step back, shaking her head. Her hands shaking and voice almost at the verge of cracking, she managed to say,"Nice to see you Mr. Ash Ketchum."
"So? Ash! As I promised, I made you meet your favourite singer. You're not mad right?" May asked, smiling sheepishly.
"I'm glad." Ash gave them a genuine smile. Extending his hand towards Dawn, he smiled, saying,"It is an honour to meet you in real life miss Zoya Benio. I'm your fan, I love all of your songs."
Dawn could feel her heart beat rising. The love of her life was standing before her, with a smile on his face. The harder she tried to control her thumping heart and tickling feeling in her stomach, the harder it was becoming for her to breathe.
...
Songs used:-)
1. So many miles by Elizabeth Gillies
2. Make it Shine by Victoria Justice
As usual, read, review and favourite!
This can be my last update for a while, since I've exams coming up. But I promise, I'll update all my pending works before my birthday. That's all for Author's note.
~ darkestlightofhope