The Video Diaries

The Final Hours

As Ash's video came to a close, the room around me went silent. I myself will admit that I had not been expecting what Ash had put in his video. It was very unlike him to ever say heartwarming stuff like that or talk about how much his friends meant to him. Don't get me wrong, I always knew Ash appreciated his friends. He just was never one to say it like that. It was different, but a good kind of different.

Since we had finally finished watching all the DVDs, I knew that my friends on the couch next to me would not waste time in expressing how they feel about certain clips or things said. Turning to see them sitting in silence, I started the mental countdown in my head. You know, the one where you can count down to three and you know, the minute you hit zero, all will break loose? That's the one I was counting down to. The one where, when I hit zero, everything Ash and Misty had been holding back would bubble to the surface.

Three. I looked at Misty who started at her lap, looking slightly dejected, as her hands balled into fists on her lap. I couldn't tell if she had balled up her fists because she was angry, or because she was trying to hold back a strong emotion she was feeling. She even had her head slightly tilted away from Ash and I. Two. I flicked my eyes over to Ash who looked at Misty with a face that could only be concern. I watched him raise his arm before letting his hand hover just above Misty's shoulder, hesitating as he debated whether or not he should rest it there to comfort her. In the end, he placed it back at his side and turned away, unsure of how to confront her. One. Pikachu had moved from his spot next to Ash and over to Misty's shoulder where, having more courage than Ash, he nuzzled her cheek in a comforting way. Zero. Nothing. Not a word or shout or accusation.

Normally one wouldn't be so concerned with silence falling upon a group of people, but these weren't just any two people; it was Ash and Misty. Two people who thrived on being surrounded by noise and never let silence fall between them. I had always thought that silence between Ash and Misty would be something I would love, but as I quickly learned now, it was actually uncomfortable.

"Guys?" I asked them, breaking the silence myself. "Is everything okay?"

Ash turned to look at me, shrugging his shoulders, as if to say he didn't know. I guess he was just as confused and unnerved by the silence as I was.

Finally gaining the courage, Ash rested his hand on Misty's shoulder and squeezed it gently. "Mist?" he called, using a name I myself hadn't heard said in over five years. I think Misty was just as surprised to hear that name because she lifted her head a bit and unclenched her fists. She still didn't turn to face him, though. The look on Ash's face was one of pleading as he said, "Please say something."

Silence.

Ash exhaled a breath as he let his hand slide down her arm and back into his lap. "I really liked your video Mist," he started to tell her. "It was very...uh...very eye-opening. I learned a lot of things I never knew before. I guess even to this day, you're still Mysterious Misty. " He paused, waiting to see if she reacted to anything he said. "I'm glad you decided not to stay with Rudy. If you did...well...Who would've saved me later on?"

"I always had to save you, idiot," Misty muttered.

"Yeah. You always did, didn't you? Since day one," Ash replied, but it sounded more as if he was telling himself this. "I guess Rudy was right."

"Huh?" This time Misty turned around, her interest peaked by his statement.

"Rudy was right," he repeated. "I really was a lucky guy after all. You know? To have you around."

"I-" she stuttered over her words. In the end, though, she gave up, smiling instead. "Thanks, Ash. That's sweet."

I waited a few seconds to see if they would keep talking, but hearing nothing for a while, I jumped right into the next thing. "You guys hungry?"