The Loyal Growlithe and the Wandering Vulpix
Chapter 3
Twist
Wren was not a morning person. Alexis was not either, quite frankly, but Wren could put her to shame. While her two other sisters, Kari and Olive, were indeed morning people and fell asleep practically as their heads hit their pillows, Wren had made an occupation out of staying up late to eavesdrop and sneak around. The tavern patrons were no doubt her favorite victims as they were often quite the chatty bunch, but they certainly were not the only ones. She would sneak around the entire village honestly, and Alexis could attest to that considering the one time she woke up to find the girl in her room at some obscene hour in the night. Of course, Alexis preferred not to recall this memory as she had gotten quite violent alongside her growlithe, but this event has never repeated itself probably because of that very reason. Along with just sneaking around the village, Wren tended to use this time to play tricks on the villagers. Switching the salt and the sugar, mixing up pokéballs, and setting traps all the like. Naturally, neither her parents nor her siblings were immune, but like the rest of the villagers, no one could prove it. The girl to this date had yet to be caught red handed. Now, there were some close calls, but each one could be explained away quite easily on her part. More often than not she also had some sort of witness, normally her own parents, which sent her on an errand. Wren was sly to say the least, but pretty much everyone knew it had to be her doing. Of course, being probably her closest friend, Alexis had knowledge of these tricks that far surpassed any other villager. She had partially earned this through friendship and partially through the night incident which forever took her off Wren's trick list. Wren would now brag to her about her exploits, and some of which were truly funny. Alexis's laughter, though, only sealed her as some sort of accomplice, though Alexis never dirtied her own hands unless she had a score to settle, typically with Don. She was still more or less Wren's partner in crime in her nightly antics if in no other role than her appreciating audience, and that is how she knew that not every trick was actually Wren's doing. Wren had not been so forth coming on the identity of the "tasteless copycat," she clearly knew nevertheless, but Alexis had noticed a difference in the tricks Wren claimed and the ones she did not all on her own. Her tricks tended to either be simply complex or complexly simple. Basically, either it was the most multidimensional trap ever in design or outcome. Her tricks were the ones that were the front page gossip, but the other person's tricks were merely tacked on mentions. Even though Wren was given credit all the way around, she was most certainly in another league compared to this lagging trickster. Just thinking about Wren's tricks made Alexis curious as to the copycat's identity.
It was this copycat that was on Alexis's mind as she approached Wren in her leftmost bed. Whenever she saw this girl the first thing that popped into her mind was her tricks, thus the copycat's identity was not far behind. Alexis had considered the possibility that the copycat was one of Wren's sisters, but had quickly dismissed the thought. Kari, Wren's older half-sister, was one of the clumsiest people Alexis knew. Not only would she not have been able to pull it off, but she would have no possible motive. If anything, she was a common, easy victim. As for Olive, she had quite a bit of her oldest half-sister's awkwardness, but was the most feasible candidate of the two. Though she would no doubt be caught and would botch more tricks than she could pull off, she did have the motive that her oldest sister was so desperately lacking. Olive admired Wren. In fact, she admired Wren more than what was probably healthy for the little girl. Wren naturally was not the best role model to begin with, but this admiration only meant that Wren's rebellion took that much more of a toll on Olive. Wren was more than happy taking on the world, or this village, by herself, but that often started with her own family and that is what really hit Olive. Kari, as sweet and caring as she was, simply could not hold her own against an incarnation of pure angst to shield Olive, or herself for that matter. It was in Kari's nature to soothe and be patient, and if it had just been she and Wren, this would have been fine, but Kari had three other siblings. She had to devote her time to them as well, not that she could have ever restrained Wren's restlessness. It was simply a dysfunctional mix and no one could do anything about it at this point. Alexis was quite sympathetic to all three of their plights, as a friend to them all, and could not assign blame to a single one, not that she wanted to. Even Wren did not assign blame to a single person, much less Olive, but surprisingly enough, in one odd moment of seriousness, Kari confessed that she did indeed blame one person for it all. She had not said it judgingly or with an ounce of bitterness, more as a matter of fact, in Alexis's presence alone. Kari blamed her complacent father, for taking up woman after woman and not considering the children he already had. Before he had ever married his second wife, Wren's personality had been known, but he still did. He still had three more children. And Kari was still left to make sure they all would not kill each other. She had to divide her time further, neglecting Wren in the process. To Kari, this was her sin to bear, but it would not have been required if her father had considered the two whenever he made future plans. Now it was a secret that she and Alexis shared that Kari felt this way.
Alexis quickly gazed over the middle bed, containing Olive, and the rightmost bed, containing Kari, before she redirected her attention onto Wren. A part of her felt this was perfect payback for the night visit, though she did feel a little pity for Wren's half-sisters. She doubted they would be able to sleep through this. Alexis took a quick moment to look her friend over. Wren was blonde, like she, but was a lighter yellow blonde instead of having Alexis's golden hues and her hair was shoulder length. Her eyes were not open yet, but Wren's were peculiar hazel all her own. Wren was also extremely lean. She had more muscle than her lanky body portrayed, being rather athletic actually, but she relied more on speed than strength. She was also pretty pale. Not nearly as pale as Viola and even not as pale as some of the other villagers, but she was the palest of Alexis's village friends. Alexis in part attributed this to Wren's late night activities. Most of her other friends, Wren's sisters included, were kissed by the sun daily and for long spans at that. Alexis's curious, blue eyes could not help but slip to Kari and Olive once more. These sisters were so different, even for half-sisters, in more than just personality. Kari, for one, despite being the oldest was about the same height as Wren and far less muscular. Though she did not look as thin, she lacked in the athletic area. She did not seem exactly petite, but that was exactly what she was. Naturally, her skin had more color than Wren's, but the one that tanned the best and kept the most color year round was Olive. Kari had long, light brown hair and caramel eyes to accent her features, clearly a world away from Wren. Olive was another world away as well. Her body was particularly youthful and as clumsy as she was, she did not look petite nor was as much as her oldest sister. If anything, she was more or less a standard, youthful shape and slightly shorter than her two sisters. Olive sported the shortest and darkest hair of the three, as well as the darkest eyes, a chocolate brown. Alexis had once believed that Olive's hair was truly black until she had met Viola, who had hair blacker than most objects, but she still believed she could call it black. Just not jet black. These sisters were just so different, and they were still forced to share a room together. It baffled Alexis more than slightly when there was a spare room right across the hall.
"Wren. Wren. Wren!—HEY WREN!" Alexis cried, shaking her friend with increasing ferocity.
Her victim bolted up quick enough to make Alexis jump back, "BACK OFF, BLOODSUCKERS!"
Alexis was not quite sure who these bloodsuckers were, but she at least knew she was not the only one wondering. As predicted, Wren's sisters were not allowed anymore beauty sleep. She had already heard them stirring when she was the one ramping up her voice, but Wren had a shrillness and volume about her speech, or shriek, that most people just could not match. It was honestly a wonder if the whole Harris family was not awake now. Or if the windows were even intact since the noise could have both shattered glass and swallowed up the shattering sound.
"Wren!? Are you alright?"
Apparently at least Mr. Harris was. Before Alexis could even consider how closely this was teetering onto another worst case scenario, she was saved.
"She is just fine, Daddy." Kari insisted, just loud enough for her voice to travel to her parents' bedroom, "It looks like just another nightmare."
Another? This was normal?
"Another one? Jeez, Wren!"
Apparently it was to whichever son had the nerve to yap.
"At least she doesn't still wet the bed, huh, Timmy?" Olive snapped back.
"Olive, don't tease your brother!" chastised what had to be Mrs. Harris.
Finally, the chorus of the Harris's behind the clearly thin walls was over. Strangely enough, pretty much the only ones that had been silent were Alexis and Wren, Wren usually the loudest in the entire village much less her family. It was actually kind of funny, at least to Alexis, because the whole time Wren met her gaze with quite the glare.
Alexis could not hold it in anymore, "So nightmares are normal around here?"
Kari sighed softly at the question, observing tentatively the glare fixed firmly on Alexis. With Wren, this situation could turn into anything. And would.
"Sort of," yawned Olive, trying to stifle the sleepiness in her voice, "What are you doing here anyway, Alexis? Don't you have chores or something?"
"Skipped them. I need to talk to Wren."
If Kari had not been wide awake already, hearing that would have done the trick. It was not every day that something was important enough to interrupt her bedroom at dawn, much less with a person that was as much of a catalyst as Alexis. Kari knew very well about Wren's and Alexis's relationship of mutual interest and regardless of Alexis's nonparticipation they still fed off each others' interactions. She loved Alexis as a friend and person, much like she loved Wren, but when the two got together they both became infinitely more volatile than either were on their own and that scared her. It should have scared Olive as well, if she had ever been able to piece it together. Alas, the young girl normally never put much thought into things, especially of the more complex nature.
"Alright," the youngest sister grumbled, shifting back under the covers even deeper than before with a mutter or two, "Nighty night."
Alexis glanced over Olive before her eyes landed expectantly on Kari. The eldest Harris sister may have been quiet, clumsy, and kind hearted, but she was no fool. She knew this was out of the ordinary and that normally meant unfortunate things were in the future. However, Kari was a pacifist by both nature and design. She had issues even battling with Pokémon. That meant that no matter what she desired, be it to listen in or even intervene, it simply was not possible for her and the only three conscious in the room knew it.
"I need to use the restroom, but while I am up I may check the gogoats and skiddos. Never too early to get things done around here." Kari explained with a chuckle as she rose out of bed and slowly exited the room, a soft click assuring the remaining duo the door was closed.
Alexis could not help feeling grateful for Kari's limitations, and, at some times, strengths, as she knew very well that she would not have gotten away with this with some of her other friends.
"So, why are you here?"
Alexis turned her eyes back on Wren who no longer held a glare, but was looking at her as expectantly as she had at Kari.
"I need advice—And possibly a favor." Alexis stated firmly, studying Wren's face for the slightest change in expression, "I am in a little trouble."
"In trouble for skipping chores?" Wren coaxed.
"Technically, yes, but it is more of a consequence of seeing you today. Sort of anyway. I guess I need you to back me up that I was here this morning."
Confusion began to contort Wren's face, "So I need to tell everyone you were here this morning when you actually were? What kind of favor is that? If I do not have to lie about you being here than what really has to be lied about you are keeping from me."
Alexis gave her a quick nod in confirmation before Wren went on, "So what exactly did you do this morning that you would rather everyone, your parents and older brother especially, hear that you went into a bar before they hear that you did this?"
"It is not so much what I did, but what I am planning to do." Alexis insisted, "But that is where I need your advice."
"Okay, so what are you planning to do?"
"I want to go into the forbidden forest, but there is a slight twist."
