“ Hey, Ash. You going to the festival in Vermillion today?” His roommate Matt asked as him as he came out of his room.

Ash scrambled, trying to put the photographs back into their envelope. “ Ah, I’m not sure. I was thinking of just staying here, resting. I was working late last night.”

He looked at his friend, noticing the envelope in his hands, and sighed. “ You’re not looking at those pictures again. Come on, Ash. It’s been nearly three years since she left. You haven’t been with a woman since then. You’re young. You should be out there, having fun, not spending most of your free time here. Every woman I know is vying for your attention, and you just keep putting them off. You could have another woman every night if you wanted to.”

“ What if I don’t want to.”

“ Look, forget Misty. She hurt YOU. You did nothing wrong. That gives you every right to go out there and enjoy yourself. Forget about her, and stop punishing yourself. How about we go down to the festival and find ourselves some company?”

“ No. I’ll be okay here.”

“ Oh, come on, Ash.”

Ash was beginning to get pissed off. It seemed that all Matt tried to do was set him up with some woman. He knew he meant well, but Ash didn’t want anyone butting into his personal life, even if they had the best of intentions. “ Have you ever been in love?” he asked, his voice emotionless.

“ No.”

“ Well then, you don’t understand. And you don’t know how hard it is to give up someone you have spent years loving. I’m not ready for another relationship. Someday, perhaps I will be, but not yet. I’m not punishing myself, but I’m still in love with her, and I’m not sure that will ever stop. You may be content with a new woman every week, but I’m not that kind of guy.”

Matt knew he could never win when this topic was discussed. His friend would never give up hope for that girl, no matter how much she had hurt him.

“ Okay, but at least come to the festival. You do need to get out a little more, even if it doesn’t involve the opposite sex.”

“ Alright, I’ll come,” Ash relented. A little fun would help, especially if it kept his mind off her.

The streets were crowded with celebrators of all generations, rejoicing the day, with the sun shining in the cloudless sky. It was beautiful. A smile spread across his face, one of the few genuine ones that he had smiled over the past few years.

Matt was off somewhere. He’d began to chat up another woman only moments before, so Ash knew he’d probably not see his friend until the next morning.

He strolled down the city’s main street, dodging the partyers, wondering what to do, when his attention was distracted by a red spot in the crowd. It wasn’t a pure red, more a deep ginger, the tone of which seemed familiar.

He looked back at the area of the colour, and saw...her.

It can’t be. It can’t possibly be.

He tried to concentrate on the woman, but his view was blocked by the heads of the mass between him, her pale face one moment in his view, the next obsurred. When she was visable, he memorized every feature of her face; the small nose, the delicate chin, the glorious smile, the large blue-green eyes. Every feature, every distinct feature matched those that had been engrained into his memory. It was her. It had to be. The only differences between this woman and the girl he loved was that she looked ever so slightly older, and her once long hair had been cut to gently frame her face. She was more beautiful than he remembered.

She disappeared again, but this time it took several seconds before she reappeared. This time she was talking to someone, her pink lips still keeping the smile. He looked around, trying to find the person she was speaking to, and saw that it was a little girl that Misty held in her arms. She was only a toddler, her black hair no longer than Misty’s. She spoke back to her, giggling. Misty put her forehead against hers, whispering to her, before holding her closer, the child closing her blue eyes and resting her chin upon her shoulder.

Ash came closer to the pair, walking behind Misty, caustiously making sure she would not see him. As he approached, the child opened her eyes and gazed straight into his. She just looked at him, a mischevious smile on her small face. She then raised her little hand and waved at him. Confused as to what to do, he waved back.

Misty relaxed the hug, placing the child upon the ground infront of her. The little girl ran off into a crowd of nearby children.

He didn’t know what to do. Here it was, the moment he had dreamt of for the past three years. He now had the chance to do the one thing he wished to - ask her why she left him. But terror rose within him. What would the truth be? What if he had driven her away, done something to frighten her? How would he live with the guilt that their break-up was his fault?

But there was just as much possibility that she had done something wrong. Perhaps she had had an affair and couldn't continue to lie to him?

No, he thought. She’d never do something like that. I know she loved me just as much as I loved her. I know she’d never intentionally do something to hurt me. No. It must be something much more. Something more important. But she knew that I’d always be there for her no matter what. I told her so. Why couldn't she trust me?

He walked closer to her until there was only two metres between them, nothing in their way. She still stood with her back to him, staring into the distance. What should he do? Ask for the truth or just walk away?

“ M-Misty?”

It took him several seconds before he realised he’d spoken. It had been unconscious. His mouth had seemed to have a life of it’s own.

The words, although unintended, caught the attention they had seeked. She slowly turned, still smiling, with a cheerful “yes”, but her cheerfulness dissipated when she looked at the speaker.

“ A-Ash!” Her delicate face showed utter terror. Her mouth remained opened, her eyes wide with shock.

It seemed that they stared at each other for an eternity, their eyes in constant contact, never moving.

He was confused. Why would she be so scared of him? Why would she act this way? What had he done wrong? He began to turn, ready to walk away, knowing that this was a mistake, but she repeated his name.

“Ash.” Her voice sounded just as it had on the night she had left - unstable and fearful. “ P-please...don’t go.”

His turned back to her, confusion turning to anger. “ You did, so why should stay?”

“ I’m..I’m so sorry, but...but I was afraid.” Tears began to form in her deep eyes.

“ What did I do wrong? What happened?”

“ I...I.” She looked down, unable to finish. “ Can we go somewhere? Away from everyone?”

He didn’t know whether he wanted to be alone with her. This was the woman who had destroyed his life, abandoned him. Did she deserve his attention? But if she told him the truth, at least there would be no more years of wondering.

“ Okay,” he hesitantly agreed.

“ I’ll be back in one moment.”

He watched her as she went to the side of another woman, of about the same age. They stood talking for a minute, before Misty made her way back to him