The Wrong Side of the Mirror

This chapter has symbolism coming out of the wazoo. All of the dream and unconscious sequences do. I hope it doesn't go over your head.

I don't own Pokémon or Pokémon Ranger, savvy? On with the story!

By the time we got back to the Ranger Base it's night.

Mom and Dad hadn't come to see me before I left; probably because of the hanging tension left between us. I'm sure they'll come to apologise at some point. Barlow split off from the group on the way back and headed off for the Union.

"We're having a meeting to discuss the 'Gigarocky' problem," he said, pretending like he knew what was going on at all. "Gigaremo? Close enough. Keep yourselves out of trouble until I get back, Rangers! Crawford – you're in charge."

Understanding that I didn't want to be able to touch my parents with a ten-foot-long pole, I was allocated a spot at the Ranger Base. Pachirisu and I are the only one's there, everyone else needing their own beds after being run off their feet looking after me.

But I can't sleep.

How come?

Some of the things Dad said struck a nerve.

Well, there's a surprise.

No! I mean... He said 'Do you want to die?' It made me think.

We've ran into danger enough already. I hardly think a bit more is going to have a lasting effect on us.

Think about it, Light. We've almost died several times already, and we're only Ranger Rank 3. What happens when we get promoted more? We'll have to take on bigger challenges with more danger and more chances of being badly hurt without even hesitating in our duties.

Things could go badly wrong.

I suppose.

And then Mom said: 'What will I do if you never come back?" And she's right. We could be all alone out there and-

Stop it, Sun. You're getting yourself worked up. If anything does happen to us, then at least we'll have gone knowing we did something more with our lives than Mom and Dad ever did.

Well...

There's no point fretting. Whatever will be will be, and all that. I stroke Pachirisu on the head, feeling small electric currents shoot up my arm.

I've been thinking.

Did it hurt?

A little. We haven't looked at Keith's letter yet.

Where did you put it?

Under the bed.

I reach down, careful not to crush Pachirisu, and pull out a small parcel with a letter attached. If this what he was talking about?

Yeah. The letter said not to read it out to anyone, or let anyone see it.

I dread to think why.

It probably mentions us, you know...

That could seriously be taken the wrong way.

Light!

The letter now, Sun.

Do not, under any circumstances, let anyone else see this letter!

I'm surprised you haven't written to me yet!

Told you we should've sent the first letter.

I'm stationed in this town called 'Ringtown' or something like that. I'm sure you know where I am, as you came from Fiore yourself. Rhythmi is here too, but she's in Fall City. I haven't heard from her either, actually.

I'm surprised you ever left this region! It's really beautiful, and the air is so clean, not like in Pueltown. I've already become a Rank 4 Ranger! How about you? I bet you two are a Rank 1,000,000 Ranger by now!

He was only off by 999,997 ranks.

Anyway, I'll get down to the reason I wrote this letter. I was wandering around Fall City myself the other day, and I spotted this. I thought it might come in handy, with your sight problems. If you don't want it, then that's fine, but I got your names carved into it. Just see for yourself!

I've got my own Partner Pokémon now. He a Buizel and I met him at the port near Fall City. You know where I'm talking about, right?

I'm sure Light isn't interested in hearing about what I've been doing, so I'll cut this short.

He knows me well.

Keep yourselves out of trouble, OK? And write back!

From, Keith.

Well, that was... extensive.

I'm surprised we didn't see this Buizel of his when he was at the hospital.

I don't care. Let's just see what he's sent us. I pick up the parcel up and give it a good shake. It chimes.

...?

I open it up. Inside is a silver bell attached to a red ribbon. True to his word, he's had the words 'Light' and 'Sun' carved into each side. Where do people keep finding these things? And what can we do with it?

Pachirisu!

Pachirisu is sniffing the bell. The length of ribbon is long enough to fit around its neck.

Nice present from Keith, there.

Well, at least his was practical, if nothing else. I wrap the bell around Pachirisu's neck. It plays with it for a while, pawing at it and licking it. The chimes fill the room. Know I know exactly where it is, even without seeing it.

What a good idea!

We'd better get some sleep.

We've been unconscious for two weeks. I hardly think we need any more sleep.

Sleeping and being unconscious are two different things. I shuffle down into the covers of the bed, Pachirisu curling up in its usual spot, still intrigued by Keith's gift. I hope it doesn't keep us awake all night.

Hey, Electric-types have to sleep too you know!

Shush. I can't sleep if you won't shut up.

...

…

I open my eyes. I know I'm asleep – I must be having a lucid dream. I'm wearing my old Fiore Ranger School uniform; it's the same as the one official Fiore Rangers wear, but without the tag to attach the Rank Symbol to. It feels weird on me. I prefer the Almia Rangers uniform by far.

I'm in a long corridor, and by long, I mean it stretches on for miles. The floor is rusted grating. I can't see the bottom; unhealthy looking vines create netting beneath me. If this unstable walkway decides that I'm too heavy hold, I don't think the plants will provide much support either.

And then there's the mirror. A huge mirror completely covers the left hand wall, reaching out into the distance. The view in the mirror is different from what I'm seeing: instead of a rusty catwalk there's a mine shaft, complete with carts and tracks. Every so often a cart charges past, and my reflection has to jump out of the way to avoid being crushed.

My reflection is Sun. I'm pretty sure.

He spots me and gives me a wave. He says something, but I can't hear it. It's a bit hard to hear something from the other side of the mirror. I shrug. He does the same, at the same time. Creepy.

We start walking. I have no idea where I'm going, or where I'll end up. Knowing my luck it'll probably be painful. A few pieces of the catwalk crumble beneath me. I'm not liking this dream much. The amount of carts flying around on Sun's side of the mirror increases. I wonder what this all means.

Something pops up near the end of the hallway. It looks like three shadow figures. My vision is perfect at the moment, as it is ever time I dream, but I still can't make out what the figures are. They look human. I exchange glances with Sun, but he seems transfixed by whatever's on his end. I lean closer to the mirror, hoping to get a better view of what he is seeing. I catch a glimpse of yellow, red and blue before falling straight through the mirror into darkness.

I wake in a cold sweat. Which is weird, because the dream wasn't that scary. It's still dark outside, and I can hardly see anything. Somehow I don't think I'll be getting back to sleep anytime soon.

Curse you, four in the morning!

Four in the morning is too late to go back to sleep, but too early to get up and do something worth the effort.

Four in the morning is the true witching hour.

Did you have the same dream as I did?

Yeah, but I was in a mine shaft...

I wonder what it all meant.

Does it have to mean anything?

A dream like that must mean something.

Nothing good, I bet.

Of course not. Nothing good ever happens to us. I sit up quietly, trying to stop the bed from creaking under my weight. Pachirisu is still asleep, and the other beds are empty. I'd forgotten they'd all gone home to sleep.

I wish we could do that.

What?

Go home to sleep.

Considering who's in the home, I think I'd rather stay here.

That's why I wish we could go home to sleep. I wish we could all get along.

We'd need a miracle for that to happen.

I think we are miracles. We survived.

I suppose. Well, we're not going it get any more sleep. What now.

Don't look at me. This is more your sort of thing.

I don't know if that's a compliment or an insult.

Depends on whether you're in a good mood or a bad mood.

I'm never in a good mood.

There you go then.

That didn't answer my question.

I'm good at avoiding answering things I don't want to.

You sound a lot like Mom sometimes.

Hey!