Chapter 9: Waking up again

I walked into town, it was two weeks later. I was talking with Jordan, "Pretty uneventful two weeks wasn't it?"
"Yeah, we managed to do a bunch of requests, learn about the past of this town, and helped the town finish building…" I said, getting to where the Kecleon, at the entrance of town, could shout and talk to us.

"GET BACK!" Jordan grabbed me and pointed up to the sky… A meteor, was falling, and was falling right above the town. No one else noticed, and Jordan started running.

"GET OUT OF THERE, RUN!" I started running to the town, but the meteor was a lot closer than I thought, just as I was reaching the outskirts it hit, and I was at the edge, I held my spot, as much as possible, but I was thrown back, and landed on my side… My legs screamed from pain, like they were broken, but my sides were burning, entirely, like I was just hit by a Lava Plume… I couldn't breathe, the pain was too much. I felt like I was dying… Then I felt something stomp next to me.

"That was for disobeying me, this is for those who rebel." said a voice, I couldn't tell exactly what said it, but I felt a sharp pain.

"GAH! Ow, that dream gave me a headache." I didn't want another nightmare like that. I must have thrashed about because my bed was strewn about. I shook Jordan awake, "Hey, let's go do a request or something."

"But it's too early." He whined, although I still pulled him up. He rubbed his eyes, and I walked out of the hut. The sky wasn't yet bright, but the sun wasn't rising either. It was a twilight just before dawn, and the stars provided the most stunning view. I knew it was close to four in the morning, but an adventure doesn't stop because of time, it only slows. Jordan had come outside, unknowing of what I was going to do. I took off running to town, "Wait for me! Don't be so impatient! WAIT!" I didn't stop, he was able to keep up and I was laughing, it seemed like a game. I turned and looked at him to see his face, I walked this road enough to know to step high. "Look out!" Jordan had yelled, I slowed down, but didn't stop and fell into a hole.

The hole was mostly dirt, but it seemed excavated, as it was spherical, and slippery along the edges. I was tumbling down the side, when I landed I started rolling. About half way down, I was able to right myself, and slide down on my paws. Jordan was waiting for me at the bottom, I didn't see him go past. When I stopped sliding I was surprised, "When'd this get here? How'd this get here?" I asked, to no one in particular, I didn't expect Jordan to know why and how the hole was here, "Ooooh shiny…" I said, noticing the stone in the center of the pit, it glowed a strange, orangish color, and was warm to the touch. I picked it up and put it in the bag, Jordan glared at me.

"Hey are you okay down there?" I heard a yell from over the edge, when I looked up I saw Jordan… Wait, two Jordans? I looked back, the other Jordan was advancing on me. This one didn't have a bag, imposter Jordan! I used Fury Swipes, and the poser turned tail, and ran, his mistake, I used pursuit, and knocked him cold. "Hey, I'm coming down to get you. Hold on!" I kicked the poser, and it disappeared into a puff of smoke. Could that have been a work of my imagination, or was it something more sinister? "Alright, now I've got to tell you something."

"What?"
"I don't think I can get both of us up… You might have to wait down here for me to get help." We walked up to the wall as far as we could get without sliding, and I heard a sound of metal sliding on metal, "Nevermind, didn't notice I had learned Metal Claw. I'll definitely be able to carry you up. Just get on on my shoulders."

I had gotten on his shoulders as he started climbing up the wall, it felt weird, and I thought I looked like a goat on a mountain, with how my paws were positioned. I told Jordan, "I feel like a goat." He was confused, and asked a question.

"What's that?"
"It's a human world animal… It's, umm, a quadrupled animal with, hmm, wool, that climbs mountains. It's kinda like a small horse, except it isn't a small horse."
"What's a horse?"
"Something that in the human world, roams the plains on it's hoofed legs, it's known for running, and being strong."

"Like a Ponyta?"
"Yeah, I suppose."

"Oh, so you were talking about Gogoats! I suppose I can see that…" We both ended up laughing a little. Jordan made short work of climbing out of the huge hole, luckily, he went up the other side than the one I fell down in. "How long do you think it would have taken us to walk around?" I asked, the hole was colossal.

"Way too long, they're going to build a bridge across it because many people come through here. I can just tell."

The town was quieter when we got in, although the sun was up, and it was about 8 or 9 in the morning. I heard a faint melody drift through the air. It was like someone was playing a guitar… Jordan took me to the apartments, and I knocked on door 110. "Ah good, you're here." I heard a familiar voice say, it seemed as if Abra was waiting, "I've been anxious to start talking with you again."
"That's nice, I've wanted to learn more about you. It's strange as one who was trying to just live on their own suddenly forsakes that life and lives in town…"

"Yeah, but there's a reason to that, although for now I want to tell you of my hobby."
"And what's that?" Jordan asked, it seems like he's willing to partake in this experience this time.

"It's fortune telling, using Tarot cards. I've gotten 'good' at it, and through no fault of my own. I enjoy it, but I am scared of what it'll turn out…"

"Let's do it!" I was excited, I wanted to see this with my own hands. I've never seen a fortune teller before, and usually they're hoaxes in my world!

"Alright, let me just get out my deck, and cover the windows."

His setup time was short, he used his psychic powers to do those. He never touched the cards with his hands, only his mind. "Please sit opposite me at the table, and then I shall begin." We did so, Jordan was reluctant, but he wanted to see it,

He started talking.

"Ancients of spirit, ancients of time,

Listen to this rhetoric, and rhyme.

Deliver unto me, the prophecy,

Let me know the fate of those,

as I bring this rhyme, to a close."

The entire time he was saying that he was shuffling the deck, though never touching it, he started dealing. "The Fool, and Strength." He said, dealing the first two cards. "Have mastered themselves," he continued, drawing the two of cups, "have met each other," he was prompted saying this by drawing the three of cups, "and agreed upon using their power." He said, drawing the ace of swords. "The fool determines the path, pleasing himself, but changing the world." He said drawing the Emperor, "But Strength is finding himself," Abra drew the Hermit, "the hardships ahead are going to the two, but the strength shared between them is enough to overcome even Death." He drew three cards in quick succession, King of Wands, King of Swords, and Death, "but only if their will is true." He finished by drawing the world.

"... What happened?" He asked, seeing the order of the cards he drew, "That was my most intense relapse since I've started this…"

"N-nothing. I-I swear…" I said, stunned by this telling, I changed my mind about knowing the future.

"Ye-yeah, n-nothing…" Jordan was just as stunned.

"Alright then, well, I've been practicing on people who want to do this, I might even start a shop for this!"

"Ok then, just make them pay before hand." I said, scared, that rattled me to the bones, we had to fight Death.

"Well, I've been in this town before, and it seemed like it might have needed a fortune teller. I'm going to Resonant Bluffs, to evolve tomorrow, if you want to I suggest you come along."

"Oh, we will…" I said, waving, "Bye now!" I walked out of the room, Jordan was walking out behind me.

"That was… Unique." He said, confused.
"Yeah, I don't want another. Ever." I said, knowing that we might be forced into a fortune.

We walked pretty stunned into Team Mirror's HQ. They weren't yet awake, I wanted to talk, but I didn't want to wake them up. I was still stunned by the fortune, and wanted to tell Team Mirror. "Hey, WAKE UP!" Jordan didn't want them to sleep though, he wanted to talk.

"It's too early. Five more minutes." All eight of them said it at the same time. It was a reaction they must have acquired before coming here.

"Come on, it's time to wake up!" He yelled again, and I heard stirring.

"Sheesh, someone's a Loudred…" The voice sounded icy, must be Glaceon.

"Hey, at least they had the decency to wake us up that way, and not come into our room… I hated that guy." Flareon, evidently remembering someone they used to know.

"Back in the guild, yeah, I'll just keep working back here."

"Ah shuttit. I'm trying to go back to sleep, it's still possible." Sylveon, being optimistic about the wrong thing, he's not going back to sleep.

"Whelp, time to wake up, and sniff the smell of power!" Jolteon, obviously, I have never heard anything stranger.

"You better not forget to take me out adventuring, you still owe me!" Leafeon, definitely upset with Jolteon.

"I wonder if it's Jordan, hey Espeon, what's the chances of him being with Derrek?" Vaporeon, staying true to the description Sylveon gave.
"A ninety-nine percent chance, unless today is rainy, at which it drops to fifty." Espeon said in a dead tone.

"Hey Espeon, speaking of which, what's the chances that my contraption will work?" Umbreon asked, wanting an answer that was pleasing.

"Oh, that would be… fifty percent?" Espeon wasn't comfortable, he was lying.

"For a simple doorbell?" Umbreon obviously didn't believe the poor sap, it might end badly.
"Uh, twenty?" Espeon said, getting less comfortable.

"It's not going to work is it… I'll get back to work then."

"Is your morning procedures done? I wanna talk…" Jordan was kinda trailing off, he wasn't very sure of himself.
"Oh! It's Jordan! I'll definitely be awake then! I'm coming!" Sylveon, although he was wanting to go to sleep just a little while ago. He rushed out, and sat down right in front of us, "So what'cha wanna know?"
"First, we wanted to let you know that there's going to be a fortune teller opening up shop in the area soon."
"Oh, good, always wanted my fortune told."

"It'll be confusing trust me, and second, how do you get more than four people into a dungeon at a time?"
"We don't, as you know, four people is the absolute limit."

"Why?"
"Well, whenever a fifth attempts to enter it immediately sends the dungeon into a sort of 'reset' and the entire thing that kicks you out if you spent too much time on a floor happens and sends you back to square one. If a person is trapped in a dungeon, then the rules are different, but if more than 4 people want to explore the dungeon, then it resets upon the fifth entering."

"Really? How do you…"
"We don't! We usually send groups of two or four through the dungeons, and use a psychic link between Espeon and Vaporeon as a transmission device."

"Okay then."

It was a lot of idle chit-chat. The time the conversation died was when Jordan and I said our leave, to go on a request. It was short, and it required us going to Sandstorm Caverns, something about a lost soothe bell. When we got back I saw something strange. "Mom, I know you want to hold on to me, but I need to find my own way to go through this world, remember what you told me? I'm growing up, and when I do, I'll have to fend for myself. I can handle myself, and anyways, I'll have people who'll support me. Don't worry!"

"Fine honey, it's just I feel so sorry for troubling you, and those fine gentlemen, and I want to pay you back."
"You being my parent is enough of a reward of it's own. Thanks, now go home, I know that you want to be there. It's possible for you now. Bye!"

"Be strong, and remember, use that Ice-type Hidden Power when you get in trouble with the Fae."

"Mom! I know! But one of the ones I wanna be with is a Drilbur! He'll know steel-type moves and I'll be fine!" His words made me take interest so I walked closer.

"You're talking about us, right?" I asked, blatantly talking to what I inwardly identified as Vibrava. Still had no clue how I did that.
"Yeah! My name is Urist, you're Derrek, and I never caught your name." He said, looking to Jordan.

"My name's Jordan, I'm the friendly drilbur that you mentioned to the nice Flygon over there."

"Hey, we're just on our way to the HQ, wanna join us?"
"Yeah, what happened to the Torchic?"
"Haven't seen him since, I assume he'll come around eventually…"

"Let's go! I think that it's grand to have a third member again!" I said, hoping to get home. When we finally got there it was sundown, and the trip around the hole took us the most time. Drat, I forgot to tell anyone about it! Ah well, there's always tomorrow.

"So where am I sleeping?" Urist asked, not seeing a third bed.

"I'll make another bed, it'll be real quick." Jordan said, rushing outside. I heard a familiar scraping of metal on metal. "What's great is now I don't have to buy dry grass!"
"Really? Sweet!" I said, noticing him just cutting down the grass with Metal Claw.

"So what do you do before bed? My mom used to talk about her day, teach me things, but I suppose that since we're all equals, there's not much for you to teach me." Urist said, unable to fall asleep.

"Usually we just go to bed, it's a tiring day, and we're all kinds of beat up. Luckily you haven't been exhausted due to exploring."
"Yeah, just try to go to sleep, otherwise just stare out the window until you do." I commented, recognizing he didn't have to go what we went through every day.

"Alright." Urist said, kinda disheartened, but I know that he really was just disappointed. I drifted off to sleep, and slept well.

Author's Note

Well, school has been kind of a hassle, I am glad I get to post this on time. Today I was thinking about the customs of an OC, and a different character's name... Hoboy I'm gonna have a problem trying to keep all those S's straight. Good luck to all of those suffering the same system I am.

Post-Author's Note

I also forgot to mention that I was trying sooo hard not to name the Vibrava Nick, so I named it Urist like the DF common name. Heh, yeah. More on the fortune telling later. Maybe next chapter?