THIS IS THE SQUEL TO THE LOVE WITHIN. BEFORE READING THIS, I SUGGEST YOU READ THE FIRST BOOK. THANK YOU, ENJOY!
I look to the left, to see that Theresa was already struggling with her bag and we weren't even to the bottom of the mountain. You'd think that since she'd been traveling ever since the age of 10, she would travel lightly. I shook my head smiling, then turned to my head to the right. Chance an Jack were talking about going somewhere called Qurxoon Falls.
"Where's that?," I ask them, butting into the conversation.
"It's very far away, dear little Violet. Farther than your imagination has ever dared to take you," Jack responded, leaning down to me with a devilish grin, "Are you ready to go that far?"
I smile cockily," I was born ready!"
He laughed and straightened up, "Good, it'll be a long trip."
I linked tails with Chance and smiled, "I'm glad." He winked at me as we reached the base of the mountain. I started to turn right when Chance pulled me back.
"Where are you going?," he asked chuckling.
"Oh.. Well, I thought we weren't going in this way," I say trying to defend my actions," This is the way we came in last time."
"Exactly," he replied.
I looked at him puzzled," Why would we come in this way? Won't the hunters be in this area still?"
"Nope," Jack jumped in," They will assume we will do what you had previously thought, to go in a different way. They will be expecting us to go somewhere different, so we will go in the same way. One step ahead," he said confidently.
"Wow, that's a good idea," Theresa spoke up, "who thought of that?"
"Me," said Jack trotting forward into the brush, Chance went with him, to scout out the trail.
"Woah," Theresa whispered to me," he is smart, too. God, he's hot!"
"Tone it down there, cowgirl. We aren't even into the Forrest yet," I whisper back.
"Okay, fine! I just can't help it," she giggled into her paw. I rolled my eyes, hiked my bag up higher and continued into the woods.
"Wait!," Theresa called, running up to me," How should I play this, Vi? Should I be the quiet, shy girl? Or the-"
I scoff," As if, you couldn't be quiet or shy if your life depended on it and I think Jack knows it."
"Urg, you're right. I guess I'll be the cute, innocent girl, who laughs at everything he says. Or I could be the hot, tamale that is so sexy, he begins to want me, then..."
"Theresa!," I stop and turn so were face to face," If you have to pretend to be somebody else, maybe it's not meant to be, you know? You should be yourself and if he isn't into that, then he isn't for you."
"She looked shocked and embarrassed," I use these routines all the time, Violet." She brushes past me, so I jog to catch up to her, and she continues," and they have all been 100% effective," she huffed at me.
I rolled my eyes again," Yeah, but for how long, Theresa? Maybe of you were just yourself, you could have a real meaningful relationship," I try to convince her.
She turned to me," Just you wait, he'll fall head over heals in love with me. ALL OF ME!," with that she ran ahead, past Chance, to walk by Jack. She started to chatter away at him and I knew he was not liking any bit of it. Chance peered back at me, once Theresa had ran past, and looked at me questionably, I shrugged in response. He stopped to wait for me and we walked together.
"What was that about?"
"Uhm, you know. Girl stuff," I tell him. He just give me a look, telling me is totally unconvinced. I in hale a deep breath," Well... you know. She like Jack, and I tried to tell her to be herself... but she doesn't think it'll help her."
"I don't think anything would help her," he mumbled and I nudged him in the ribs. He grabbed them dramatically," Ow! You're so abusive."
"Shut up," I laugh, leaning into him as we walk," Do you remember taking this trail?"
"How could I forget?," HE rests his head on mine as we walk," That night was perfect." I take me head away from his chest and look at him likes he's crazy. "Well, It was perfect up to a point," he smiles.
"Yeah, it was. I wouldn't change it though," I tell him.
"Me either," he licks my cheek, I just smile and enjoy his company. The early morning is dark and beautiful, not too hot and slight breeze that blows through the trees. The moon is hidden behind the tree tops and shinning through certain spots on the trail. I hope everyday can be like this. No stress. No hunters. No problems. Just us.
I hear a rustle in the bush nest to us and my ears perk up instantly. I feel Chance stiffen next to me and we slow our pace to a halt. The rustle comes again and Chance moves me behind him and I hear him growl in the back of his throat, daring something to jump from the bush. Nothing does. He stands there a moment longer before he relaxes his muscles, and turns back to me.
We start to walk on when a voice booms from the trees," I see that you have returned."
Chance jumps and guards me again, snarling and barking at the treeline viciously. Jack hears Chance's attack mode has been activated from down the trail, and comes galloping towards us with Theresa sprinting next to him.
"Silence your dog, girl. He annoys me," the old milky voice says in sharp abrupt tone.
"Chance, Stop," I tell him. That voice? Where did I know it? Chance whimpers and turns back to me, waiting for me to explain, so do Jack and Theresa.
"Thank you. Mhmmm. I see that my advice was quite helpful, was it not?," the voice is quieter and less threatening. THAT VOICE?! It was the voice that had spoken to me while I was running from the Hunters. I remembered her terrible temper. Better be nice, I thought.
"Y-Y-Yes... Yes it was ma'am. I can't thank you enough," I saw bowing slightly. I can't help but feel ridiculous. There isn't even anything to bow to? Your are being nice to a voice, Violet? You look insane. Why are you bowing?! It's not like she's royalty.
"Ahhhh, I see your manners have very much improve since our previous encounter," she says pleased. "Oh... I see you have brought some new friends with you as well. One of them is the boy who was caught, which one is he?"
"Thank you, ma'am," I stand up and go sit by Chance," This is Chance, the boy who was captured."
"Very good," she cackled giddily," I'm happy that you could save him... for now."
"Wait! What do you mean for now?," I beg her to tell me.
"It's too clouded...," she mumbled to herself.
"Excuse me," Theresa interrupted," Just exactly, Who are you?," she said in a rude, obnoxious tone.
"Who am I?," the old voice responds," Who am I? I am wondering the same of you, small Victini! Who are you to question me, Theresa?!," she bellows, making the trees shake.
Theresa cowered, shaking violently, she swallowed the lump in her throat," How do you know my name?," she squeaked terrified.
"Theresa the Victini, why do you care to know who I am? I know you because unlike you, I'm not blind to the furute," the voice continues in her angry tone, talking to me," You keep extremely rude company, Vulpix."
"I'm sorry, ma'am. Sometimes my friend can speak before thinking," I explain.
"No-," Theresa tried to defend herself, but Jack covered her mouth, muffling her words. She struggled against him, thrashing wildly, but he remained calm and in control. She stopped flailing and relaxed against him, looking up at him with big dreamy eyes.
"How rude to just interrupt," the voice grumbled to herself.
"I'm sorry, ma'am. But what did you mean, I'd saved Chance for now?," I asked desperately.
"I can't see it, girl. My vision is gone, because of your friend distracting me," she said," The only way to know for sure now, would be to take a reading."
"Can we take a reading, please ma'am," I ask taking a step towards the trees.
"Readings can be tricky, young Vulpix. Once I tell you your future, you will always know. It will not change. There is no going back. Can you handle that kind of knowledge," she asks. I looked to Chance then Jack and Theresa. Jack gave me a sharp nod, he wanted to do it.
I turn to Chance again," Chance..."
"Yes, I want to know," he says to me. "Please, miss, will you read my future?," he said loudly to the trees, his voice shaking slightly.
"If you so desire, young Growlithe. I will do so," and the bushes rustled again. A figure stood up in the shadow's of the trees and approached us, gliding over the bushes gracefully.
