"Misty,"  Clay sighed, "Maybe you're just tired.. I'm tired, too.  Let's- go to 
sleep—and um, maybe tomorrow we can find a way out of here."

 

"You don't know how important he was to me!  How important he is to me!  You 
don't know how it feels to lose the one you love for so long!"

 

"I do, too!"

 

And there was silence.  All that was left were the soft sounds of the ocean, the 
breeze through the chattering banana leaves from a distance, and Misty's 
confused and sorrowful sniffles.  "I loved him… so… much…"  she said quietly, 
"Maybe I should just… -die along with him."

 

"No, Misty!  You don't know what you're talking about."

 

For once, she looked to him interested, "How so?"

 

"Your life isn't just about Ash.  Yes, so maybe you loved him, but just because 
he disappeared, it doesn't mean that you should, too.  In fact, it would be a 
really foolish thing to do- to kill yourself just because you miss him.  I lost 
someone before, but I've learned to-"

 

The rest of his words were drowned out from Misty and she looked away from him.  
Her life was all about Ash.  Anything else wasn't worth living for at all, 
really.  She had no more purpose in this world anymore- now that Ash is gone.  
How could have fate dealt her such a cruel and unfair hand in life?  How could 
Clay say that?  Ash meant everything to her, even in death; she can't let him 
go.  

 

"You just don't understand,"  Misty said, looking up at him, "I have no life 
without him."

 

"Of course you do, you are living life without him right now-"

 

"-I still feel dead inside…"  Maybe she did die.  Maybe the Misty that the world 
misses to this day has died a year ago.  Ever since his empty funeral, her life 
had been different- she's been dead.  "I am dead."

 

"What are you talking about?"  Clay asked, still only a few feet away, "You're 
not dead."

 

"You wouldn't know, Clay.  I used to be so happy, but now… I'm dead inside; I've 
totally died along with Ash, don't you get it?  I'm nothing without him."

 

Something in the moonlight changed.  A cloud passed over it, blocking most of 
their light source.  The sea raged mercilessly in the cool, salty air- wave 
after mighty wave crashing onto the shore behind Misty.  It suddenly turned 
darker and louder.  The moonlight broke through the silver-lined cloud and shone 
brightly upon the glittering beach sand, witnessing the strange silence between 
the  two humans on the shore.  The breeze picked up.  Misty looked to the 
almost-full moon who's beauty had dimmed due to the small pool of light red.  
Blood on the moon.  Whispering words of other voices rang through her head.

 

'I know what you mean, Misty.  I've lost someone before.'

 

'So, you've decided now, have you?  Then, it is settled.'

 

'Do you remember that guy I was writing that spell for?  Ash was that guy.'

 

'Then, do what you must, Misty.  Just don't get hurt.'

 

'I can't believe you let go!'

 

'Misty, I have no idea who this guy is!'

 

'He just won't return to his body!'

 

'I can't believe you're almost as dense as Ash is.'

 

'Oh my god, are you alive?'

 

'You weren't planning to camp out were you?'

 

'-trying to get to Guatemalio…'

 

'Maybe it was your own blood…'

 

Suddenly, the wind stopped.  The waves slept.  Misty couldn't breathe because 
the truth was revealing-

 

"Jahzara did save me."  Clay said softly with the oh, so familiar grin that made 
her heart jump.

 

Misty couldn't speak- she didn't know what to say.  She was in the right place.  
Despite that the right place was somewhere stranded somewhere with some of the 
ocean.  "She opened her mouth to say something when he finished quickly- "And 
I'm glad you remembered my star- fifth… from the uh.. North Star."

 

Her eyes reddened and watered and tears showered her cheeks.  "I can't believe 
it," she whispered with a small smile on her lips.  "You're…"

 

He nodded and smiled a somewhat egotistical smirk.  "It's about time."

 

The soft tone in his voice led her to believe that what he spoke was of the 
truth.  That she had found him.

 

Finally, her spirit lifted tremendously.  She felt alive again, and it was 
something she hadn't felt… in such a long time.  Her life had finally found 
meaning and it- or he- was standing but a little ways away (count inches, only).  
She felt the natural drive to embrace it, to savor the feeling of life and 
light, to live again like life was before the dark sadness of her past.  It all 
came down to this, and she was overjoyed that it finally found the chance expose 
itself.  "Finally…"  She whispered happily and embraced her new life.

 

"I have something for you."  He said, and placed the gift into her hand.

 

Curiously, she peered at the fluffy grey feather in her palm.  "Grey?"

 

"Black represents discontentment, invisibility.  Grey is transformation and 
unity.  It even represents protection.  Jahzara said the giving of this gift to 
you would seal the spell."  He closed her fingers around the present.

 

"So, she knew about the black feathers."  Misty glared into space.  "She knew 
everything!"

 

"Can I kiss you now?"

 

 

 

 

 

Dear Journal,

I don't know why Jahzara never told me about Clay.  She knew it all along.  She 
was the one to raise his spirit from it's resting peace to disturb me.  She 
brought me to her, using him,  just for my permission for her to bring him back 
to life.  But who is she?  And why did she go through all that trouble for me?

He doesn't know her.  I've never met her before.  Maybe she wasn't really a 
witch at all…  maybe she was an angel- my guardian angel.  Maybe that could 
explain why she went through so much trouble to make me happy again; to make me 
feel alive once more.  I wasn't kidding when I said that I would kill myself.  I 
would have.  Ash means everything to me, including my whole being.  If he ever 
left me, well, I won't say that I wouldn't know what to do.

 

All I really know, now, is that Ash is here, and that he is with me.  And that's 
all that really matters.  

 

 

 

 

"Hey, Misty."

 

Misty turned in her seat to face behind her- the tanned, brown-haired version of 
Ash whom was sitting on her bed holding and staring at a certain picture frame 
that was supposed to be settled nicely on the table beside her bed.  He peered 
at the young boy in the photo, "This picture is awfully dusty… except for this, 
"  He grinned, "incredibly hot-looking young man's face."  

 

Misty glared at him questionably. "What are you talking about?"

 

He flipped the picture around and showed her the inch-worth of dust that coated 
the frame's glass, everywhere but on Ash's face.  He smudged away the dust, 
clearing the glass enough so it showed her own image, as well as his.  "You 
know, you really should look in a mirror more often if you think that you're 
that ugly to put yourself out of the picture."

 

 

 

And, I have no idea why Jahzara thought that the original Ash looked like this… 
I guess he kind of resembles his former self, but he looks more like a brother 
to Ash than that of the real deal.  I know that she tried her best to preserve 
his image, but, to be honest, she really didn't pull the best job.  

 

Misty smiled,

 

But he doesn't seem to care.  I guess it will take a bit of time to adjust to 
his new looks, but as long as Ash is Ash, I'm sure that loving him any more than 
I used to won't be a problem.  

 

 

"Alright, put that picture down, before you break it."

 

Ash, recently known as Clay, smirked and set it down.  "I'm surprised that the 
glass didn't wear off after how many times you've kissed it." Misty blushed and 
dropped her pen in the center of her open journal on her desk.  "Let's see, 
you've kissed the glass frame at least five or six times a week, so that would 
make nearly four hundred…  Jeez, and not a smudge or any—"

 

Muffled, he stopped talking when she had jumped on the bed and kissed him square 
on the lips.  Pulling away, she said, "Let's see if we can get your lips to wear 
off.  Maybe then, you won't have such a big mouth."

 

 

 

 

The End.

 


"Reality is merely an illusion, albeit a very persistent one."

- Albert Einstein