The stars shone brightly throughout the galaxy. The Gamma Quadrant might not have had many planets to its name, so far as one could tell, but it sure had very beautiful clusters of stars. Wander smiled to himself, as he tweaked the strings on his banjo, as he continued to take in the hues. He leaned back in the saddle, his orange fur brushing against the neck of his trusted companion, as the nomad sighed contently.
"Sure is beautiful, dontcha think, Syl?"
Sylvia, who had been busy steering their orbble as they trotted along, merely rolled her eyes. The zbornak smiled.
"You say that about every dang system out there, Wander."
"Oh! But I ESPECIALLY mean it this time! They're just so colorful! Jus' a lil' something nice to look at, is all I'm sayin'."
"Yeah. It is... pretty, I suppose." replied Sylvia, softly, her smile never waning. It certainly was a nice change of scenery from Garbonia Five, with its rolling hills of sludge and fields of trash. How they'd ended up on a barge planet was still a mystery to Sylvia.
It was also a mystery as to why or how she could be hungry after thinking about it. But her gut gurgled loudly in insistence that she was. It came as no surprise that her travelling partner took notice.
"Whoopsie! Sounds like the tank's runnin' a little low." he piped up from her back, grinning as he did so. She didn't have to see him to know he was grinning. She sighed.
"Looks like it, pal. Hey, what do you say to stoppin' off over there on that planet, maybe see if they have anything that resembles food." suggested the zbornak, pointing to a small planet, still a bit far off in the distance.
"I'd say it sounds like a SPLENDID idea! I'm sure they'll have a lil' somethin' nice. And if not, well, I'm sure the ol' hat won't mind obliging."
Sylvia wasn't so sure about that, but food and maybe some rest did sound nice. Not that she was complaining, exactly. But, she had been walking for a while now and she swore her calluses were starting to get calluses. Sylvia found the frown melting from her face, as her buddy began to play a little ditty on his instrument. It was calming, and enough of a distraction to help the zbornak get her mind off the hunger.
She never could figure out how Wander always knew just what she needed.
It didn't take the two travelers too long to get to their destination. They had come along to a field of purple grass, landing and popping their orbble upon contact. Wander had put away his banjo, as he jumped off of Sylvia's back-insisting he needed to stretch his legs out for a bit and give his ol' dogs some exercise. After a moment or so of fiddling with his hat, the nomad pulled out a map with it reading: Rahisitaka. Figuring out their location, he beamed as he pointed forward.
"Looks like a lil' town's that-a-way. I'm sure there's some grub there!"
"We can hope, anyway."
Hope, however, brought them something far more interesting. The two barely made it over the nearest hill before they could hear music and clatter fill the night. A little more walking showed them just where the sound was coming from, as they happened upon bright lights, lots of tents, and large groups of people running and walking about.
Wander squealed in delight.
"Eeee, Sylvia! It's a carnival!"
Sylvia's own face lit up, albeit at a much lesser intensity. Wander's childlike enthusiasm for these types of things (and just about everything else, come to think of it) was enough to put a smile on her face, but she was also relieved, because...
"Yup! And where there's a carnival, there's carnival food!"
The nomad leaped atop his trusty steed, and at the signal, Sylvia took off, quickly crossing the final stretch to their bustling destination. They screeched to a halt in the middle of a crowded town, a barrage of colors, smells, music, and laughter assaulting their senses from every direction.
Wander had dismounted the second they'd stopped, and the excitable little fuzz ball was already overwhelmed by all of the excitement. It was alarming, but not surprising, when Sylvia glanced down to see him gone. Sylvia's eyes darted around the crowd frantically, and at last she spotted a flash of orange and bolted after it, shoving a few irritated bystanders out of her way in the process.
"Comin' through, MOVE it, buddy!"
Suddenly, the zbornak froze in her chase, as the aroma of something fried and most likely delicious wafted through the air from a nearby stand. She glanced back to see Wander zip around the side of a tent... and then back at the food stand. Her stomach won out in the end.
"Ah, he'll be fine on his own for a few minutes. He's got that stupid hat with him, after all."
"WELL now," Wander exclaimed, as he finally stopped himself in his tracks- the strand of bright tents and colors finally leading him to a road block. He raised a brow, his curiosity getting the best of him. "What have we HERE!"
While the other tents were certainly colorful, the one before him was certainly a contender for being the most elaborate. The nomad took in the colors and patterns, his smile widening at the different shades of pinks against lavenders and reds. His gaze zigged and zagged, as he oohed and aww-ed, before landing on a simple handwritten sign hanging off the side.
"'Fortune teller'," Wander read, liking the sound of that. "Now THAT sounds interestin'! Ya know, I don't think I've ever done that before. Not unless you count the one time a feller told me I WASN'T throwin' coins in a wishin' well, and was instead on the verge of givin' their whole town water poisoning. Yeesh!"
The orange fuzzball's frown over the memory didn't last long, however, as he was quick to cheer up again- making his way towards the tent's entrance.
"But enough about THAT. I'm sure this won't be nothin' like THAT time!"
Long, thin, time-worn fingers grazed over a tarot deck, which was placed carefully and purposely on the cloth-covered table in the center of the dimly lit tent. The top card was lifted from the deck, and the old fortune teller gazed at the Fools card she had drawn. When the card was lowered, a wise, knowing smile was worn on her face, and she was not surprised at all to see the small nomad standing in her midst, his wide grin distorted but unmistakable as he peered curiously through her crystal ball.
"Ahh, hello, welcome, young man! I've been expecting you!" she crooned.
Wander gasped, bouncing in place from excitement. "No kiddin'! Did yer magical crystal ball say I was comin'?"
The old woman nodded once. She decided not to mention the fact she'd seen him wandering about through the open tent entrance for quite awhile, as well. "Sit, won't you?"
The nomad did as he was told, gingerly climbing and sitting on the wooden stool in front of the table. Momentarily he frowned as he realized it did not spin, but occupied his energetic self by kicking his legs back and forth. This was enough for him.
"Soooo, " Wander began, his eyes looking around and taking in all the neat stuff little trinkets, " you were expecting me? What else do you know? Oh! Do you know how many times I can sing the alphabet before my tongue gets tired? Do you know why pancakes taste the best at breakfast, and are jus' weird at lunch? What about-"
"Those aren't exactly the sort of questions I answer, my dear," the fortune teller interrupted, though her voice was traced with amusement. "I'm a little more...prophetic in nature."
"Oh. Well, I suppose that's fine an' dandy too. Though, if ya ask me, I think part o' the fun is not knowin' what's gonna happen. Don't wanna ruin the surprise, after all!"
"Oh, ho ho!" The woman laughed good-naturedly with a smile. "Don't you worry about that, little one. The purpose of my craft is not to tell you where you are going. Simply a vague map to help you get there." Her nimble fingers returned to rest lightly on the deck of cards again. "Whether you wish to use the map in the end, is entirely up to you, dear. Do you know which questions you will ask of the cards tonight?"
"Hmmm…"
Wander found himself crossing his eyes, and he stroke the orange fuzz above his lips. Well, that was something to think about, wasn't it? He was still hesitant to ask anything without it being a huge spoiler alert-but it also seemed rather rude to walk away from a woman and her craft. And...and there WAS the curiosity factor. And BOY did the nomad know he wasn't very good at turning down temptations like that! So, with that all in mind, he opened his mouth and let it decide for him.
"Well, I suppose it won't hurt t'ask somethin' simple n' vague. Ya think I can ask those cards of yours what's gonna happen next? That way if they tell me somethin' like meeting a new friend, I won't feel disappointed in findin' out a lil' early!"
"I think we can manage that, yes."
The nomad watched in amazement as the old woman shuffled the cards. Now, normally this in and of itself wouldn't be much of a surprise- Wander was the type of person to find enjoyment in watching paint drip off a paintbrush. HOWEVER, in this case, his excitement was valid as the teller did elaborate tricks. The cards practically danced from one hand to the next, and Wander couldn't get enough of it. Once the woman was finished, she spread the cards out in front of her guest and the traveler couldn't hold back his excitement.
"WOW! That was neat! How'd ya do that? Can ya do it again? Ooh oooh, can I give it a go?"
"Maybe afterwards, child. First, will you be so kind and pick out six cards?"
"Sure!"
It didn't take too long for Wander to pick, all the cards looking the same with their cresent moon backs facing him. Yet, he still found amusement in the act, pointing to random cards with a 'boik'. Finally, after picking out his last card, the teller collected the rest and put them back to her side-leaving two rows with three cards behind.
"Now," she began as she flipped over the first tarot, "this is you."
What stared up at the nomad was a bit of a surprise. It was a simple design, but the character on it was still distinguishable.
"Hey," Wander exclaimed, pointing at the card, "that looks like me! Well, sorta. I don't think I'm quite as scruffy, an' I sure as heck don't carry a fancy lookin' stick around."
Though, now the nomad was beginning to think he really should.
"That's the Fool card. The first in the major arcana. It's telling me you're a very optimistic young man, though I don't need the cards to see that. You enjoy life, and see it as an adventure full of endless potential."
"Gosh, ma'am, you're making me blush here!"
"Buuut," the teller said, giving Wander a knowing look, " it also tells me you can get a little too excited. Sometimes forgetting to look where you're going as you charge into the unknown. And that maybe you should listen to your more level-headed traveling companion more. Like when she says not to go wandering off, hmm?"
From across the table, Wander's mouth hung open and he gasped enthusiastically. "Wow, that's amazin'! You even know about-" his wonder struck expression quickly shifted to mild shock. "Sylvia, oh no! I got so wrapped up in this neat little carnival, I forgot all about 'er!"
The nomad had already hopped off the stool, and was on his way out. "Sorry ma'am, don't mean t'be rude and run like this, but I gotta go find-"
"Wander, isn't it?"
He froze in place for a moment, before turning to regard her with that same look of wonder. He hadn't told her his name, had he? "Yes ma'am, that's me! And might I say you are GOOD. But I really should be goin-"
"Your friend is fine. She can wait a few moments longer. The cards have more to tell you. Won't you listen?"
Wander was perched back on the stool in an instant.
"The cards really told you all that?"
The woman blinked once, and then shrugged.
"Yeah, sure, why not."
The fuzzy nomad took her at face value, as he smiled and pointed to the next card. The fortune teller took this as a sign to continue as she turned it over- showing a stick.
"My, you sure have a lot of stick cards in there, don'cha. I wonder if that means I'm gonna run into another puppy- wouldn't that be something! Last lil' fella was cute, if a little too apocalyptic (if ya know what I mean)."
The old woman did not, in fact, know what he meant; however, she chose to take it as face value as she motioned to the card.
"Actually, that's a wand. The ace of wands, to be exact. This is an indicator of a spark of new passion. It seems something new has come into your life and you've taken an interest in it. How about we turn over the next card and see what it is, shall we?"
The next tarot was a simple illustration of a scale.
"Justice. Interesting."
"Interesting?"
"Yes. The position in this layout is about helpful card is an indicator of where your heart of the matter-your new passion-lies. And while Justice is usually telling you that you need to do whatever's necessary to find equilibrium… I believe this is referring to a person. Meet any cold-minded, prejudiced people lately?"
Wander only gave it a moment's thought before sitting back, and crossing his arms over his chest in an indignant manner. "No ma'am, I do not believe a person can be cold-minded. Sure, Sylvia gets a little grumpy now and again, and that Graconian officer the other day DEFINITELY had an attitude problem, but there ain't no such thing as a cold hearted person."
His eyes snapped open. She'd said cold minded. Why had he said cold hearted? He hadn't, right? Right! His optimistic energy returned, as he grinned wide and jutted a finger at the next, and last, card. "What's THAT card sayin'?"
The fortune teller gave Wander another look, one he couldn't quite figure out, as she waved her hand.
"Now now, we'll get to the last card in due time, little one. The fourth card should be of interest to you, though, seeing as this shall indicate the unexpected."
"Gee, but…" Wander paused as he tried to think it over. "Doesn't really make it unexpected if you tell me 'bout it, does it?"
"Oh, trust me, you'll never see this one coming."
"Oh goody then! Then let's take a looksy~"
The old woman allowed the nomad to turn the card over, himself. Now, Wander didn't know a thing about the fortune telling business. Really, he had been intrigued by just finding out the symbolism of all the cards and what the tarot could mean- and how it would affect him. However, when his eyes fell upon the picture of a crumbling tower he couldn't help but feel…well, to be perfectly honest, some dred.
"That's...that's a good card, right?"
The teller had a sympathetic expression on her face, as she went to gently place a wrinkled hand on top of his furry one.
"Yes, and no. The tower...is very harsh. It is about a rude awakening that shall happen to you. It is about false structures- things that we perceive to be true is not as it seems. Something is going to make you see the light, and it will not be pretty, love.
"Buuuut," the old woman paused, this time giving a small smile of comfort, "while it might hurt...It is something that needs to be done. Once the shadows of falsehood crumbles, the truth is what remains. And from there is where a new foundation can be built."
"Oh." Everything about the space traveller suddenly wilted, even his hat seemed to deflate and droop. His somber visage was gone as soon as it had appeared, making room for the cheery optimism that Wander was known for. The grin was back on his face, his eyes shone brightly.
"See, I knew it was a good card! Shouldn't be no big thing, I've helped repair buildings before!" he then leaned in over the table and cupped a hand to his face, as he continued in a hushed tone. "An' if ya ask me, this tower could USE some rebuildin'" he said, tapping the card with his pointer finger.
"You know...I think you are very much right, child." The old woman removed her hand from on top of his, as she went to turn over the fifth card. This one made the teller laugh. "Oh, I am not surprised at all."
Wander looked it over, and noted it was a circle with a silhouette of a tree.
"I think I'm not in on the joke, ma'am. But I'd sure like t'be! What does this one mean, if ya don' mind me askin'."
"Of course I don't, and I suppose it's not a joke, exactly." She picked up the card and held it out in front of the nomad. "This card tells me what you want-what makes you happy. It tells me you want the world-or in your specific case, the universe. It is about fulfilment, about seeing all life has to offer and being a part of it. You don't desire much, but to live off of what life has to give as you spread your teachings."
"I'm not really a teacher, though. I just like helpin' folks when they need a lil' hand."
"No," the fortune teller shook her head in disagreement, "you do more than that- I don't need a card to know about the good you do for people. You don't JUST do anything. You can easily help someone and move on, but you are teaching people how to fight hate and oppression with kindness. You are teaching the people you meet how to love, so that they may continue to spread this kindness and make the universe a brighter place. Whether you are conscious about this, however...even I have my doubts. "
Before Wander could open his mouth to say anything to this, the old woman held up the last card.
"Whatever the mindset behind your ways...I do not worry. Your outcome tells me good is in store for you. No matter what you might face, harmony will exist. And your teachings will affect even the most unexpecting individuals."
Wander's optimism bubbled over into glee, a toothy grin spreading across his whole face as he squealed. He didn't need knowledge of the tarot to know that this was definitely a good card. The two embracing looked far too happy for it to be otherwise. The heart silhouette also gave it away.
The fuzzy little nomad reached across the table, and plucked it from the woman's grasp, holding it up beside his face. "Is this a loooove card?" he lilted, eyelids lowered, grin remaining, brows raised.
"Aha, " the fortune teller couldn't help but laugh at Wander's flirtatious expression. "No, not exactly, anyway. It is a card of intimacy-closeness. Of strong life changing bonds. The meanings change from teller to teller, you see...BUT, yes. I see it as good to come, if you choose to hold out for it."
And to this the old woman gave a wink, making the fuzzy nomad's grin grow wider, if it was at all possible.
"Well if there is one thing I am all about, it's bein' all close and bonded to a whole BUNCH of folks! That is the best fortune EVER!"
In a flash, the small traveller had hopped up and was now standing atop the table, one of the woman's hands in both of his, pumping enthusiastically. "Thank you SO much, ma'am, this sure has been fun!"
This creature seemed to have boundless energy, as he was already strutting toward the exit- when he stopped and spun around again, slapping his head with his palm.
"I can't believe I almost forgot that map you were tellin me about earlier! Wooo, it's a good thing I remembered; I never woulda' found that tower that needs fixin' without it!"
The elder raised a brow in mild confusion, though it was more than evident she found hilarity in the situation.
"No dear, it was all a metaphor, remember? Symbolism, and all that jazz."
"So...No map?"
"No map."
Wander frowned as he let this sink in. Huh, metaphors. Well, he suppose he could work with that. Besides, his hat could just always take care of them if they ran into any tower trouble anyway. He was sure there were hammer and nails SOMEwhere in there!
"Okey dokey, ma'am. Don't worry, I'll get it all sorted on my own then. Ta ta, tootles, and thank ya again!"
The fortune teller shook her head, as she watched the orange nomad bounce out of her tent. There was no doubt that he would soon bump back into his zbornak friend, and maybe after a while of exploring the fair, they'd be off again- going wherever their traveling bubble took them next.
"Cute kid, if maybe a little too airy in the head."
Then again, even that she still wasn't so sure of. What she did know, however, was that the stars spoke highly of him, and that good was sure to come no matter where he went. She had no doubt he'd be fine.
The teller began to clean up the cards on the table, placing them onto the bottom of the deck. After straightening them up, her old worn fingers rested back on top of the tarot- picking up the next card. She sighed as she took in the dark skeletal visage of Death.
"Now if only I could be so sure about everyone else involved…"