And So We Meet
by:  Angelical Proportions
Origin:  Second chapter to "The Sickness"
Part number: 2
Category(s):  AAMRN/ Horror  *Or, that's what I'm trying to score for...*


   'How can somebody not experience sickness?  I mean, she's gone thirteen years without getting sick?  But, how is... is that even possible?'  Ash thought as his eyelids drooped with sleepiness.
'No, I can't sleep!  Not here!'  Ash thought as he looked down at Misty, who was sleeping soundly.

~~~Flashback:~~~
Ash:  But... do I have to?
Misty:  Ash, I feel so sick... don't you want me to feel better?
Ash:  Yeah, but... well, how is this supposed to make you feel better?!
A tear fell from Misty's eye; she felt to helpless, yet so out of control.  A weakness seemed to have nestled into the back of her mind and the usual strong self she used to be had vanished without a trace.
Misty:  Well, fine then.  
Ash could tell her crying wasn't as fake as he'd hoped.  He watched her climb into bed and sighed.
Ash:  Fine...
Misty smiled secretly to herself as he lay down next to her and hugged her.  She soon fell asleep.
~~~End Flashback~~~

Now, this.  Ash just knew he was going to get whatever Misty got.  He didn't know what it was, nor did he like seeing his best friend throwing up uncontrollably with such fear... and for the first time.  His eyes began to droop again as his breathing grew heavier.  
'Well... maybe for just for a little while..."  he thought.
Ash felt his arms drop like heavy lead around Misty, his grip loosened, and his head fell softly against the pillow before slipping off into sleep.

   "What is this place?"  Misty said to herself as she observed the strange place around her.  
Something told her to panic.
"Ash!"  she screamed, but gasped.
The echo... it seemed... flat.
There was no echo.  None at all.  She tried again.
"Ash!!"  
Nothing.
Her heart suddenly jumped into her throat and her stomach sank into a pit.  She felt lost.  And she felt alone.  
"Ash!!"  she screamed once more and ran across the foggy field of nothingness.
Her feet flew behind her, but she felt as if she wasn't going anywhere.  Her panic grew worse.  She could feel her pulse rising, her mind screaming for the sight of another humanly soul.  Where was she going?
Nowhere.
"Ash!  Where are you?!"  she shouted.  Her running slowed to a quick pace.  Then, down to a slow stroll.
She had just realized that her hard breathing wasn't because of the running, it was fear. Her legs weren't the least bit tired, nor her feet.  It was strange.
"Ash?"  her tone a lonely whisper, she heard her voice echo through her mind.
She was lost.  And so was her hope.

   "Misty?"  Ash whispered as he bent over, expecting his lungs to be gasping for air, but they weren't.  
He looked up.  He could see her.
"Misty?!"  Ash shouted.

   Misty's eyes opened.  Her tears hadn't managed to squeeze out; she couldn't even cry now?
"Misty..."  she heard Ash whisper.
Her head jerked upwards from the ground.
"Ash?!"  she yelled.  
She could see him.  Yes!  It was Ash!  Over in the far end of the field, beyond this fog!
"Ash!!!"  she screamed.
"Misty!?!  Is that you?!"  Ash shouted.
She suddenly disappeared from sight.
"Misty?!  Where are you?!"
"Right here."  he heard a whisper behind him.  
He spun around, but nothing was there.  He looked around a few more times, but there was nothing to be found.  He turned back to where he saw Misty before, but barely had a chance to get a good look when she tackled him to the ground in a hug.
"Where am I?!"  she screamed into Ash's shirt.
"Uh... I don't... know..."  Ash looked down at her laying on top of him.
"Are you real?!"  she asked, apparently stressed out.
"I-I think so!"  he said, a bit offended.
Misty smiled.  "Only one way to know for sure..."
Ash looked at her as if she was crazy.  She suddenly tore off his jacket and began to tickle him.  Ash, suprised by all that has happened, laughed as she chanted:
"Tickle, tickle, tickle, tickle, tickle."  in a whispering voice, hinting with laughter.
Their worries and paniked hysteria had suddenly left... for now anyway.
Suddenly, he stopped.  
"Shh!  Listen!"  she silence her, holding her wrists.
"Tickle, tickle, tickle, tickle, tickle."  a strange voice, so completely different from Misty's echoed throughout the field in a haunting tone until they faded and disappeared.  Misty's jaw dropped.
"Ash..."  she swallowed hard. "that voice isn't me."  she whispered.
Ash quickly sat up, knocking Misty over.  Neither of them moving their gaze from straight ahead, to where the echo was once heard.  The fog seemed to grow thicker around them.  A strange presence seemed to swirl around their every move: from the blink of an eye, to the rapid thudding of their hearts.   A shadowy figure formed, enveloped in the fog.  Misty gasped and clutched Ash's hand as if for dear life itself.  The slow sounds of their heartbeats increased, thudding heavier, and heavier, and heavier!  The pace was being reflected towards the grey skies above them, and storming back to their ears as another strange echo:
"Ba-boom, ba-boom, ba-boom! ba-boom!"  their hearts jumped in skips as the figure approached, the once shady outline, now growing darker and more detailed than ever.
A sudden breeze blew, blowing away all the fog... to reveil... nothing.
Nothing.
This whole 'world' seemed to be nothing...
They stared blankly into the empty feild.  Even without the fog, the place seemed scary.
"Did you see that?"  Ash whispered.
"Yeah...  What was it?"  Misty asked softly.
"I don't know."
"I don't want to..."  Misty whispered.

   They walked, still holding onto eachother, gripping one another's hands tightly as they shook repeatedly.
"Where are we?  One minute, I'm in bed sick and the next..."  Misty's voice trailed off.
"Wait!  You were in bed, right?!  This is a dream!"  Ash said excitedly.
"That's right!  A dream!"  Misty gasped happily.
"Thank God... this place is really starting to freak me out."  she continued, placing her free hand on her heart.
"No kidding.."  Ash sighed happily. "All we have to do is wait to wake up."
"Just... wait."  Misty repeated.
A weeping willow tree came into veiw.
"Ash?  Do you wanna..."
"Sit beneath the willow?  No.  I saw that in a movie once."
"Really?  What kind of movie?"  Misty asked.
"A horror movie."  Ash replied stiffly.
Silence.
"Well, I wish that tree was a beautiful fruit tree, filled with ripening cherries and blossom petals fluttering down into a beautiful crystal clear lake nearby and..."  Misty stopped as Ash tapped her shoulder, taking away her trip to fantasy land.
"What?"
She saw his face, a blank expression, as he pointed in front of them.  There it all was.  The blossoming cherry tree, the lake... everything.  Misty gasped.
"Just as I imagined it..."  she said.
"Okay, now, I'll sit under that tree."  Ash smiled and pointed as Misty jumped in place excitedly.  She could see Ash was just as excited as she was as his grin spred.
"Do you know what this means?!"  she shouted, grabbing his arm.
"Yeah... what does it mean?"
"We can do whatever we want!"  Misty said happily.
"Whatever we want..."  Ash said the words as if he had been longing to say them since the day he was born.
"This dream..."  she said.
"Is amazing!"  Ash finished.
They laughed like a couple of five-year-olds at a candy store.
"Wow."  Ash sighed as he look up to the blank sky, his smile disappeared.
"Sure wish there was a sun out."  Ash said.
Instantly, a sun appeared.  They shielded their eyes, not expecting for it to brighten so.
"Sunset!"  Misty screamed at the sky.
The light dimmed.  Their hands fell from their faces.
"Now, I wish their was a trail of grass and flowers following my every footstep."  Misty said.
"What is that for?"  Ash asked.
Misty giggled.  "Just for fun."
"Fun?"
"Fun."  she said as she walked towards the cherry tree, a trail of buttercups, violets, and fresh spring grass following her every step.

   "Guys, I'm back!"  announced Brock as he stepped in the door.
"Guys?  Where are you two?"  he asked, looking around the room.
He saw them on the bed.  Misty's bed.  Misty sleeping rather soundly and Ash, well, had his arms wrapped around her.  Brock laughed and shook his head.
"Hey, hey Ash."  Brock said, shaking Ash's shoulder to wake him up.


   "I wonder how long this will last."  Misty thought out loud.
"I don't know, but I really don't care."  Ash said happily.
They sat by the quiet stream holding hands.  Misty blinked as a cherry blossom landed on Ash's hand, sweeping their skin as it fluttered away towards the stream, then carried away in it's tiny currents.
"This seems so real..."  Misty started.
"...but it isn't"  Ash finished for her.
They looked at eachother and smiled.  Suddenly, Misty's smile broke, Ash too.  
"What is this?"  Misty whispered as Ash moved closer.
"What is this, what is this, what is this, what is this..."  the whisper echoed.
"A dream."  Ash whispered back.
"A dream, a dream, a dream, a dream..."  more echoes.
"I like it."
"Me too."
As their faces were inches apart, Ash gasped.
"What?"  Misty asked, a strong wind blew suddenly, blowing all of the cherry blossoms to the ground.
"Your-your disinigrating!"  Ash yelled, watching Misty disappear bit by bit.
"Huh?!  You are too!"  Misty shouted.
"What's going on?!"  Ash yelled again, standing up and letting go of Misty's hand.
That was when the disappearing was completed.

   Misty gasped as cold water trickled down her back.  Her eyes burst open and she saw Brock with a paper cup in his hands, laughing.  
"I'm gonna kill you!"  she shouted, dodging for the paper cup.
"Huh?  What's going on?"  Ash asked, sitting up in bed and rubbing his eyes.  
Misty stopped to look at him.
"Were you sleeping just now?"  she asked, apparently unaware that he'd been sleeping the entire time.
"Uh, yeah."  he said.  "And I had the most weirdest dream about... us."
"A dream?"  she swallowed.  "About us?"
"Mm-hmm."  he nodded.
"What was yours about?"  she asked, forgetting all about Brock sprinkling water on her back a few moments ago.
"Uh..."  Ash looked around.  "I'd rather tell you in private."  he whispered.
Brock snickered.  Misty blushed also.
"Is it...  Brock, do you mind?"  she asked, pointing towards the door with a nod.
"Oh, sure."
Brock left in a quick pace.  Misty watched him closely to make sure he'd closed the door completely and walk away.  Satisfied of hearing his footsteps leave down the hall, she turned back to Ash.
"Well, I was in this really weird place and..."  he began.
Misty's stomach suddenly churned.  The sickness was approaching her again.  She mentally screamed at herself for getting sick now.
"Wait!  Hold on."  Misty said quickly and ran to the bathroom.
Relieved, Ash sighed.  He really didn't want to tell her anyway.  All he knew was that he had to, no matter what.  He cringed at the sound of Misty's sickness.

~~~~~End~~~~~
I know this was a sucky ending, but since the chapters are kinda short so far, I'll try to make them longer and with better endings.  Next chapter!  Ash spills his secret dream to Misty!  Yay!  ^_^