Chapter 18

Secret Society

When they started getting closer, the Raichu-man stepped forward, his spear held ready. His eyes especially lingered over Ella, who still remained in her human form. But eventually they moved to Aura. "Greetings. Welcome to Asceir (osh air'). Please, follow me." He turned and started into the more brightly lit corridor.

Ella and Aura took a moment to look at each other. They were being let in? Just like that? Ella had expected that at least some kind of persuasion would be needed. But they started forward and the other guard made no move, so they simply followed.

There was only a quick turn and the rock ended. The bright light nearly blinded Ella and she had to wait for her eyes to adjust. As they did, the sight slowly took her breath away.

They had left the cave on top of a low hill. Ahead of them, about a hundred yards away, sat a small village of wooden huts. A forest gently started and grew thick a bit further. Everywhere else, green fields moved as far as the eye could see except for off to the right edge of the forest, where a lake spread inward and out of sight. Ella looked over it all and remembered what Oak's recording had said: this was all holograms.

"I'd known Oak had made holograms, but I didn't think they could make something like this." She stepped forward and kneeled down, running her hand through the grass. "It feels so real." A gentle breeze suddenly blew, running along her face. "This…this is incredible."

Aura didn't seem to be enjoying the scenery, and Ella quickly understood why. Mingling through the village and traveling amongst the trees were more of the strange Pokemorphs. At a quick glance, Ella counted nearly fifty, with more probably in the woods.

But the guard didn't wait for them long. After pausing for a few seconds, he continued down the hill towards the village. Ella and Aura followed obediently. Ella took a quick glance back at the cave. From out here, it looked like it looked like a hole in space.

After a very quick walk, they entered the fringes of the village. Every Pokemon and human stopped their jobs, from cooking to playing with children to sowing, to stop and look at the newcomers.

And Ella gazed back. She spotted hybrids of Ampharose, Gligar, Skarmory, Teddiursa, Furret…way too many.

"Why are they all staring?" Aura asked to no one in particular.

The guard answered without turning, "It is because of your friend. We have not had a human enter our midst since Oak and Shaiya."

Ella started. Her mother had known about this place? And she'd been here? Why hadn't Ella been told?

She had to force herself to not go down that path. Whatever the reason, it had happened. Nothing she could do about it now.

The group walked through the village, drawing the eyes of seemingly everyone, and entered the forest. Just as she'd guessed, the village extended into the wood. They continued walking, continued drawing eyes, for almost ten minutes when they finally stopped before one large, brightly colored hut. Decorative wings protruded from its sides outward.

The guard stopped and turned slightly. "Wait here." Then he leaned and entered through hanging cloth.

Ella glanced over at Aura. The girl was still looking back at the others. They had created a small ring around them.

The cloth parted and the guard stepped out, followed by another man. This one looked like an old Xatu. His face was much more human, however, and his beak seemed much shorter than it should have been. His wings extended off of arms ending with three-fingered hands. All over, patches of feathers were turning slightly silver. But even with the apparent age, he walked with strength and a slight wobble.

The crowd seemed to become even more still and silent at his appearance. He looked over both Ella and Aura with piercing eyes before giving a slight bow. "Welcome to Asceir, my friends. Please, won't you come into my home?" he said with a gesture toward the door.

The girls shared another quick glance before entering.

The inside of the hut was coated in thick leaves and dried amber. Ella guessed it was for insulation. The ground was hard dirt. Several pieces of wooden furniture were spread throughout the single room, with a bed at the far end. Despite it being so simple, she found it surprisingly cozy.

The Xatu came in behind them and walked towards the bed. "Please, have a seat." Both of them took a chair. They creaked loudly under the weight.

A woman, this one mostly human with a short Milotic tail and very long eyelashes, came in and took a seat beside the Xatu, who had seated himself cross-legged on the bed.

"Again, I welcome you to Asceir," he began. "I am Ba, elder of the village. And this is my assistant, Mora."

Mora bowed her head.

"My name is Ella. And this is my friend, Aura." Aura gave a sheepish smile. "This is an incredible place you have here."

Ba smiled. "Thank you. Everything here we have done with our own hands and paws. We are all very happy to live in such a place."

"But doesn't it ever concern you that this place isn't real? Yeah, it looks real and tastes real, but it's all just lights. I've seen how these things are made. Why are you keeping everyone in this illusion when the real world is just outside?"

Ella's sudden and rather rude question only made Ba smile more. "What is real and what is not is actually quite relative. We see the trees, can touch them, we use them, so they are real. The apples and vegetables we eat taste and give us nourishment, so they are real." Then his face got incredibly serious. "What you know as the 'real world' has long since rejected us. We cannot find a place for ourselves. It is by our own choice that we come here, for it is safer. For us, this is the real world."

His eyes moved over to Aura. "But it is you who we should be talking of." He moved forward on the bed, letting his feet hang over, and held his hand out to Aura. "May I?"

Aura seemed apprehensive at first, but reached out her hand and placed it in Ba's.

As soon as their skin touched, Ella felt a mental jolt charge the air. Aura's body stiffened and Ba's seemed to relax. The entire space became deathly still. Even the very light seemed to freeze in place. "What's going on?"

"Ba likes to do this with newcomers," Mora answered. "He is reading her past and future."

There was a moment of silence before Ba removed his hand and the room seemed to come back to life. Aura was suddenly out of breath.

"You are shy because of this," Ba said to her. "But you should not be so secluded. What has come over you is beautiful and should be relished. Once you learn to do this, your heart will be happy."

Aura's face glowed gently with the words. "Thank you."

Ba nodded and turned to Ella. "Your turn." He held his hand out.

Ella looked at, but shook her head. "I don't think I should. Even if she stays, I'll be going."

"That doesn't matter," Ba said. "I am offering this as a gift, as I do to all that come. I even did this for your mother."

She was suddenly shocked. "How…?"

He laughed lightly. "I see many things, young Shaiya." He held his hand out a little further.

She didn't really see any harm. She could do it. Her hand slipped out and clutched his.

A shock ran through her body, causing her muscles to lock in place. Her senses swam and she instantly lost all sense of time and space. She could feel another being within her, becoming one with her and expanding to her memories, both old and those yet to come. It enveloped her.

And then it was gone. Her body relaxed back into the chair as she gazed into the old bird's eyes. Now her own breath was as short as Aura's had been as her heart worked to stop pounding.

Ba leaned back, his face somber. "You have a heavy past, Ella. Part of you is saddened by the things you have done. But they are not what make you you. It is the choices that you have yet to make that will show your true spirit."

A/N: I'm not sure how many people know, but I am running a poll right now on my profile about which story is my best. If you could please stop by and give me your thoughts, I would greatly appreciate it. Thank you.