{Once again, I will rarely ever do chapter notices, but this chapter will be shorter, mainly because you all probably know what happens... and the fact that I'm having a little writer's block right now. Anyway, this chapter won't be Dawn's POV, it will also consist of Ash's so we can see what's going on in his head, as well. So, I hope you all enjoy this chapter, no matter how short it is. Now, back to the story!}
Chapter 9: Comfort
DAWN'S POV (DREAM VERSION)
"W-where am I?"
The area was thick with fog, but I could tell I was in a field. But was there a lake around? Trees? Bushes? Pokémon? People?
"Look who's come to play," a mysterious voice said.
"W-who's there," I ask.
"If it isn't Ms. Pathetic," another voice replied. It was as if more and more kept on coming.
"You know Ash is only dating you because he pities you, right?"
"Yeah, he treats every girl but Misty as if they're his charity case, and you're one of them."
"Y-you're lying," I replied, "Ash loves me!"
"He will until those scars, bite marks, and bruises fade away. After that, you can just kiss him goodbye."
"Just like what we're going to do with you."
As more degrading things were being said, I started falling. And what do I see at the top of the hole? Ash and Misty making out, and he's actually enjoying it...and May, Gary, Dia, Black, and Brendan were cheering for them!
"I never loved you, Dawn," Ash smirks, "my heart has always belonged to Misty."
"Such a shame you even went out with the likes of her," Misty replied.
"I can't believe I was even friends with her," May added.
"We can't believe we cared to even help her," Brendan, Dia, and Black said in unison.
"What a waste of time," Gary spat.
This made me start to scream. All this time, they were lying to me? I should've known. They've broken my heart, and now I'm where I was in the beginning. Suddenly, I feel like I'm burning. I look next to me to see that Gabite is using Flamethrower... on me!
"AAAHHH," I scream in pain.
~ ~ ~ ~
"NO," I scream, quickly sitting up in my bed.
"WAAH," Ash shouts, falling out of his cot and onto the floor.
Suddenly, reality hits me.
"I-it was only a dream..."
"Dawn," Ash asks, turning on a lamp and coming up to my bed, "what happened?"
I can feel the heat take over my face and the tears forming in my eyes. So, out of instinct, I lunge toward Ash, wrapping my arms around him, holding on to the back of his shirt for dear life, and burying my face into his chest.
ASH'S POV
"Dawn, are you alright," I ask, turning on a lamp and going toward Dawn's bed.
What I see next hits me harder than a rock. The heat that's taking over her face lets me realize she's really scared about her nightmare. And the tears stinging her eyes don't make it any better, and just looking at them cuts me to the core. Suddenly, she lunges toward me, wrapping her arms around me, holding on to me for dear life, and burying her face into my chest. So, out of instinct, I gently wrap my arms around her, resting my chin on her head, rubbing her back, and running my fingers through her hair. Man, her hair is really soft and feathery. I haven't felt anything as soft or feathery as Dawn's hair, a single Pokémon can't even beat how soft and feathery it is. As she's still sobbing into my chest, my shirt starts getting wet, but since it's Dawn crying into my chest like this, I can always change later.
"Everything's alright, Dawn," I whisper, "there's no need to worry."
"I-I-I...D-"
"Shhh, it's alright, Dawn."
"D-Don't leave me!"
"W-what're you talking about, Dawn?"
"Y-You're gonna leave me for M-Misty! I-I'm just your char-charity case, aren't I!?!"
"Where did that come from!?!"
"Y-You never loved me, y-your heart belonged to M-Misty this whole time!"
"Dawn, I dumped Misty for a reason, what makes you think I'm gonna crawl back to her?"
"Y-You, G-Gary, M-May, D-Dia, B-Black, and B-Brendan said I was a w-waste of time!"
"Dawn, that was only a dream. That's not at all true in reality."
"P-Promise!?!"
"On my life."
After promising her it was all a dream, I let her cry herself to sleep. I couldn't bear to do it, but she just kept crying harder when I tried to calm her down. Once she's finally asleep, I lay her down on the bed, getting up to make sure the 'Do Not Disturb' sign was still up, the door was officially locked, and the blinds were shut. Then, I walked back over to Dawn, taking her in my lap. I then tilt her face to where she's looking at me so I can wipe the tears from her cheeks. And after trying as hard as I could to wipe them all, they just kept on coming. Then, she started fidgeting again, and I had to wake her up this time.
"Dawn? Dawn, wake up!"
Suddenly, she springs to life, panting as if she went a lifetime without water. But I guess she was too tired to notice that she was sitting on my lap because she didn't freak.
"You alright," I ask.
"I-I think so," she sniffed, "I'm not dead, so that means something."
"Well, go to sleep, I'll be right here if you need me."
"Okay."
Eventually, her breathing becomes steady and I realize she's finally asleep. And, as I figured, she's still crying. So, I wipe the tears and kiss her on the forehead. I guess that did the trick because she smiled and stopped crying, and I'd do anything to see that smile. So, I turn off the lamp, lay her down, and lay down on the side that her backside is not hanging out of. Trust me, we're not that kind of couple. Misty would probably force it on me, but other than that, I'm a clean guy, so don't be thinking otherwise. Anyway, the whole time, I'm looking at her beautiful face until the feeling of sleep takes over me, holding her close all the while.