The rest of the day past as how it usually would.
Fae would read a book, paint a picture—usually of cute Castform, and just do chores around the house when she was bored.
Today, though, she also help set up party decorations for her own birthday with her parents.
Fae and Izar stood back, admiring their hard work while wiping away sweat on their foreheads.
The two exchanged smiling glances, different than it was during the argument.
The two high fived and that's when all Fae's brothers and sisters came walloping in the door.
Chatter was heard among them as they came in.
"I had a grand time at school!" One squealed. "ABCs are so fun!"
"Yeah! Sc'ool was fun. Learning about 'onchkrow was very cool!" A different one remarked.
The crowd of Eevee and Eeveelutions dispersed and Ezekiel approached Fae with an excited expression on his face.
"Fae! I have excellent news! I contacted Neri and her boyfriend, Fergus, and they both agreed to come to your party. They told me they're bringing Fergus' sister, Mauve, and someone else. They said it was a surprise."
Ezekiel bounced a bit on his Flareon paws.
It was great news!
She hasn't seen Mauve in forever either.
She didn't know who this mystery Pokemon was, but she knew they would get along. She just knew it.
She bounced besides her father, in unison with his bouncing.
Izar giggles and smiles.
"That's great to hear, dear. I'm so glad she decided to put family before anything else like she usually does." Izar remarked, but Fae could see slight scorn in her eyes as she spoke about Neri.
Neri leaving the family was something Izar didn't like nor support.
Of course, Izar loved Neri, but she and Neri had an argument about the younger Umbreon leaving them behind to live with her friend, Fergus.
Fergus was an Espeon with great powers.
Of course, they were limited by his inability to walk without a wheelchair.
Izar never liked Fergus.
She thought he was an annoyance, and expressed this in secret to both to her Flareon husband and Fae many times.
Fae was always terrified by these conversations since her mother seemed unstable when talking about it.
She would always get in this sort of paranoia when talking about it.
It scared Fae.
Her mother would always go far away before asking Fae if she would leave her like her sister was, asking if she was willing to betray her own family for adventures.
Fae always denied the fabrication, though.
Though, to be honest, Fae always wanted to go outside and explore.
Her parents wouldn't let her go farther than the closest Kecleon mart; it wasn't that far from their house. It was the only mart around here. They basically lived in the middle of nowhere.
Even then, the only reason Izar trusted the Kecleon was because she aided them in finding this spot.
It was a long story.
"It's a good thing she's coming over. I hope she doesn't have too far to travel." Fae remarked with slight worry in her expression before shaking it off.
Go away negative thoughts. I need to trust Neri. She's strong. She's able. She can do things I can't do.
Ezekiel glanced at her with worry.
"I'm sure she's fine. She'll be here before you know it. I'm so glad she's coming." Ezekiel barked with a slight wag of his tail.
Eventually, a few hours later it was almost time for the beginning of the party.
Fae peeked outside the window, curiously moving her head about to see if she could see her sister and her friends.
She was disappointed when the only creature she saw within a viewing distance was the Kecleon.
The Kecleon waved a black paw at her with a smile on her face.
Obliged to wave back since she didn't want to be rude, Fae waved back at the Kecleon who was waiting for any more sales.
It was rare for her to get a sale outside the Eevee family, since she resided deep within a forest.
This forest wasn't even the forest next to the big town called Poketown. In fact, Fae remember the long journey away from any humans and Pokémon.
It was brutal. She remember her paws hurting and her chest going in and out at an impossible rate.
It took at least two hours for the Eevee siblings who went to school to walk there as well. That school was the closest school to where they lived.
Izar told her they didn't want to take any chances with the man and his Luxio.
Fae was certain this Luxio might be a Luxray by now.
She didn't understand why the man even wanted shinies in the first place. Nor did she understand why the Luxio decided to aid him.
Well, he might be his Pokémon and might be forced to help, but still she remember the gaze on the Luxio's face. It was horrifyingly evil for a trainer's Pokémon.
Fae didn't meet that many trainers and their Pokémon, but she knew that most Pokémon were forced into battle by their trainers. Or at the very least they were obedient at all costs.
Any Pokémon who rebelled against their trainers were either abandoned, or trained to obey.
Fae continued to look out the window, looking as the sun started setting.
Eventually, it was too dark for her to look.
Did Neri lie?
Could she not make it after all?
Fae didn't know why she wasn't here yet, but she wanted her to be there.
She said she would come and bring a few cool Pokémon friends, and Fae wanted to meet them.
Fae continued to gaze out the window fondly with a forlorn expression on her face as she tried to see if anyone was out there.
She eventually felt a paw on her shoulder.
"Come on, Fae, the cake won't eat itself. Neri probably won't come." Izar remarked with a paw on her daughter's shoulders.
Fae could feel tears begin to form within her eyes.
Why couldn't her sister visit her on the one occasion she wanted her to?
The negative thoughts started pouring into her mind.
She didn't come because she hates us.
Why would she come? She's abandoned you for many years already for some male espeon. Why would she care?
She had years to come, and she comes now? She must want something.
Fae closed her eyes harshly, willing the bad thoughts to get out of her head.
It wouldn't work.
Of course her sister wouldn't show up. She only showed up when she needed something. This was no different.
Fae stood there, oblivious to all the noises around her. They all disappeared.
The worry and the concern, the exclaiming, ect. It all went away.
Why was she so focused on her sister coming anyways?
It was because her sister was the only sibling she had who understood her dreams.
Of course, her sister was always allowed to go outside.
Fae didn't know why she couldn't.
She's so lucky!
And she wasn't coming.
She knew she wanted to get out. She promised Fae she would break her out of the house once she moved out as well.
She lied.
She's a dirty, nasty liar!
"Fae! Are you alright?! You've spaced out. We're worried about you." Izar commented, placing a paw on her shoulder.
She had been shaking her shoulder.
Fae nodded.
She smiled, putting up a believable facade.
Despite her being upset at her own sister for not coming, she could at least act like it didn't hurt her.
"Yeah! Let's go get that cake!" She cheered, hating how her voice cracked from wanting to cry.
Her mother chuckled as the two approached the huge table.
There wasn't enough room for every Eevee, and the cake was so huge it needed another table just to hold even a bit more of it.
Somehow, it still managed to stay on the table.
Fae sat down, and her mother was about to cut the cake with a knife that looked as if it could be mistaken for a scythe.
Fae tried to look on the bright side. At least she would get to eat a cake.
Speaking of the cake, it was a huge gigantimax Eevee cake. It was so fluffy. It was a brown Eevee, and it had the same glow and shape as the actual gigantimax Eevee.
Fae never actually saw one because they lived in the Galar region, but it was an amazing feat for Pokémon to even become that huge.
The Jolteon cut the first piece coming from the face, placing it in front of Fae.
She did the same thing, giving each of her children a slice of cake.
Well, all of them except the golden Eevee. He didn't want a piece of cake because he was allergic to what was in cake, flour.
Fae solemnly stuck her fork into the cake, about to take a bite before there was a knock on the door.
Immediately, Fae forgot all about her sadness and wrongful anger at her sister, and made a mad Quick Attack dash at the door.
She swung it wide open, and was shocked to see double of her sister Neri.
Though, the other Umbreon was more lithe and had lighter yellow rings and lighter colored amber eyes.
"Neri!" She cheerfully exclaimed as she ushered them in.
"It's nice to see you."
"It's nice to see you too, but I have something to tell you. Something big."