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Chapter 50: Approaching Departures
Once Mickey had bid his goodbyes, (Y/N) returned to bed. Of course, one supernatural occurrence wasn't enough for the night as the familiar aura of a dream settled over her. Before the image came into view, (Y/N) ears buzzed with something.
"Is that a baby?"
Opening her eyes, she found herself in an ornately decorated throne room, a crib seated before a pair of thrones, and three fairies hovering over what she assumed was a baby.
"Each one of us will bestow upon you a blessing." The green one stated. "Our dear little princess."
The air suddenly went cold as an ominous black clad fae appeared with a crow perched on her staff, her appearance strikingly familiar.
The pink fairy gasped. "It's Maleficent."
Maleficent stood before the king and queen, her calm expression barely masking I'll intentions.
"I was worried that the invitation lost its way."
"You weren't invited in the first place." The blue fairy snapped.
"What a pity. Let me bestow upon her my blessing. Listen well, all of you. The young princess will grow in grace and beauty. She will be loved by all. But, as the sun sets on her sixteenth birthday, she will prick her finger on a spindle, and–she will die!"
"No!" (Y/N) shouted, rushing forward instinctively, only for the dream to fade out. "Was she really the only one left out?"
The girl opened her eyes, sun beaming in from the windows. She felt Swampert slowly stretch behind her as Grim let out a yawn.
"Mornin', (Y/N)"
"Morning, Grim." She greeted back as she patted Swampert's head.
Suddenly, the trainer flinched as images of the dream flashed in her head, like static on an old TV. That woman, Maleficent...the last of the Seven. She hopped out of bed, her rushed to get her uniform on waking the remainder of her Pokémon.
"Whoa! What's the hurry, (Y/N)?" Grim asked before slyly smirking. "Lemme guess, you didn't do your homework, so you're gonna copy Ace's, aren't ya? Well, count me in!"
(Y/N) ignored him, bolting out the door with Swampert on her tail. The girl ran all the way to Main Street.
"Hey, don't run off without me, (Y/N)!" Grim cried.
The girl came to a screeching halt in front of the statue of the Witch of Thorns. Just as she had expected, the image of the famed fairy was identical to the dark figure in her dream, a supposed hero cursing an infant to death for a slight.
"It doesn't make any sense." (Y/N) said as Swampert trotted to her side. "Why are they all so different in my dreams?"
"Hey, don't run off without me, (Y/N)!" Grim cried as he finally caught up to the two, tilting his head at the statue. "What's with the sudden interest in the Seven's statues? Is there something wrong with the Thorn Witch's statue? Are these inscriptions gonna be included in Trein's quiz?What's it say?
"A great fairy who reigned over a mystical mountain, exhibiting mastery over storms and thorns." A familiar voice read seemingly by heart. "Proud and refined, she preferred solitude even as she commanded her subjects. Is that clear? Our Diasomnia is founded on her spirit of nobility."
(Y/N) turned and smiled as she say her tall, fae friend standing there, flanked by a lime haired male and a silver haired male.
"Morning, Tsunotarou."
"Tsu– Huh– Tsunota...!?" The green haired sputtered before glaring at the girl. "INSOLENCE! HOW DARE YOU ADDRESS THE YOUNG MASTER IN SUCH A WAY! You are in the presence of the Briar Valley's heir, our very own Prefect! He is none other than Lord Malleus Draconia, the greatest ruler of all! YOU WILL APOLOGIZE FOR YOUR BEHAVIOR, HUMAN!"
Grim and Swampert cringed at the volume, shielding their ears.
"Ugh!" Grim yelped. "This is the loudmouth we ran into during the festival!"
"Arceus, man! Lower your voice!" The girl snapped. "No living being should be able to out shout an Exploud!"
He did not listen. "I am the Young Master's loyal retainer, Sebek Zigvolt! Apologize for your insolence this instant!"
Malleus held out his arm. "It's all right, Sebek. I gave them permission to call me by that nickname."
Sebek did a double take. "G-goodness...! If you insist. Your benevolence knows no bounds, my Lord!"
Their companion sighed, eyeing Sebek with an annoyed gaze. "You should apologize for shouting out of turn, Sebek. You have been rude to the Young Master's dear friends."
"Urk, I don't want to hear lectures from someone who just stood by, Silver!"
"What the heck?" Grim hissed. "They're even louder than usual, yanno?"
"Are you interested in the Witch of Thorns, (Y/N)?" Malleus asked as his dormmates bickered in the background. "If you'd be willing, I will tell you all I know."
The (H/C) haired girl rubbed the back of her head awkwardly. "Well, this might sound strange, Malleus, but did she have a history of being left out of events?"
The dark fae tilted his head. "Left out?"
"You little–!" Sebek bit back an insult. "How dare you show the Great Seven such disrespect!? The Witch of Thorns was as powerful as she was dignified! Her people had nothing but respect for her!"
"I wouldn't be too sure." Malleus interjected. "Her noble status must have made her fearsome and distant to others. 'Respect' becomes 'awe' that gradually turns into 'fear'."
"I suppose that makes sense." (Y/N) said. "It's not exactly the same, but back home, the older generation has superstitions about Absols. Absols are highly attuned to nature, so they can sense on coming disasters, but when they try to warn people, they'd often be mistaken for causing it. So now people are afraid of them because they fear their supposed power. Arceus knows what would've happened to Absol if Swampert and I didn't cross paths with him when we did."
Sebek stuck up his nose, still looking at (Y/N) with a sour look. "Loathing her for such foolish reasons is a lowly man's excuse. They are not worth your time! Do not bother the Young Master with such questions, human!"
Swampert growled, stepping forward to knock the male down a peg, only for his trainer to hold out her hand.
"Not yet, buddy."
Grim hopped onto Swampert's head and crossed his arms. "What's he bein' so cocky about? Sheesh, who went and made you the Witch of Thorns, huh?"
"Enough, Sebek." Silver said, elbowing Sebek's side, seeing Swampert was one quick glance away from pummeling him.
Just then, a commotion came from up the road as Lilia came barreling at them.
"Oh, no, I'm going to be late!"
(Y/N) hopped out of the way as the short male came to a screeching halt, Swampert cushioning his crash before he hit the statue.
"Lilia?" Malleus asked. "What's with the hurry?"
Lilia was panting, holding onto Swampert's shoulder. "... I got too carried away playing online games with a friend last night.I overslept. Why didn't you rouse me, Silver?"
"I tried." The light haired boy insisted. "Thrice, to be exact. Please don't look to me for help in this department. I have enough trouble waking myself up as it is."
The horn fae chuckled. "Your hair is so messy. You can fix yourself and teleport with no trouble though. It seems like sleep has dulled you, my friend."
Lilia perked up, clearing his throat and patting the water type appreciatively. "Now, Malleus. The third years were told to gather for the first period, no? Surely, you must remember."
"Hm? Was that today?" Malleus said.
"Really, you are too young to be so forgetful."
"Is there something special planned for the third years today?" Sebek asked.
Lilia nodded. "Yes. It's mandatory that we go through off-campus training when we enter our fourth year. Today is the orientation. It will start as soon as the next term begins. The buds are already itching to bloom. We must be prepared."
"Oh, yeah." Grim said. "Trey mentioned that before."
(Y/N) nodded. "It's why we never see the fourth years on campus, right?"
Before anyone could answer, the familiar chime of the bell cut the conversation short.
"That's the bell." Silver yawned. "Let's get going, Lord Malleus, Lilia-senpai."
"Of course." Malleus turned to his human friend. "Feel free to drop by Diasomnia if you want to know more about the Witch of Thorns, (Y/N). I will tell you about her in detail."
She smiled. "Sounds great. I'll bring Absol and Hydreigon. I'm sure they'd love to see you."
The fae grinned. "I look forward to it."
"Do not get cocky just because Lord Malleus has taken kindly to you, human!" Sebek snapped as they left. "Keep in mind that he is not someone commoners like you can easily address!"
Silver shoved him forward. "I apologize."
"It's...fine..."
(Y/N)'s word faded as she got a good look at Silver's eyes: an auroral mix of light blue and purple, a strange color.
"Silver hair...strange eyes..."
Silver did not hear her and continued up the path, but the muttering of nearby students did catch (Y/N)'s attention.
"Oh, man. There's the Great Malleus Draconia's party." A Scarabia student stuttered.
"We're already running late, too. You think they'll curse us if we overtake them?" The Ignihyde student joked as the Heartslabyul student shook his head.
"No way, man. But yeah, they're intimidating as heck."
"Draconia's like, up there with the most powerful mages, right? What's he even doing in a magic school? There's nothing left for him to learn."
The Scarabia student shrugged. "Beats me. He's really scary and hard to read, y'know..."
"We shared some classes last year, and the first years were scared shitless." The Ignihyde student mentioned. "I didn't want to stand out, so I worked extra hard to fade into the background."
The Heartslabyul student laughed. "Dude, don't worry. No one's noticing you either way!"
All three began to laugh but stopped as they noticed (Y/N) glaring at them. She flicked her, getting them to move along. Once they were out of sight, she sighed.
"Seriously, why are they so afraid of Malleus? If they took five minutes to get to know him, they'd see he's a really nice guy."
Grim rolled his eyes. "You're used to standing up to scary monsters, (Y/N). He doesn't do himself any favors by acting all gloomy and ominous."
"That's hardly his fault, Grim." (Y/N) argued. "Sometimes, you have to be willing to look past what's in front of you."
"You know, only you can get away with saying such corny stuff. Let's just get to class."
(Timeskip)
Lunchtime came soon enough as the first years, now with Ortho in the party, and Swampert gathered at their usual table, (Y/N) finally telling the others about her mysterious visitor from beyond the mirror.
"Mickey?" Jack repeated. "Who's that?"
"It's the guy that pops up in our mirror late at night." Grim explained. "But only (Y/N) and the Pokémon can see him. I didn't see anything when I went to check!.
Deuce nodded. "Oh, yeah. The recent incidents made me forget completely."
"We talked about taking his picture, right?" Ace asked. "Didja get it?"
"Right here." The trainer answered, pulling out the photo.
Ace took the film and studied it. "So this is Mickey? Is he a beastman? No, could be a bit more like Grim."
"He does have a kindly and lovable sort of face." Deuce noted.
Epel nodded. "True. I wouldn't be scared if I saw him in the mirror... Maybe..."
"He's got bigger ears than I do!" Grim shouted.
Jack pursed his lips. "He must have really good hearing."
"I tried looking him up on Twisted Wonderland's database on living things." Ortho reported. "But I can't quite pinpoint his exact species from his silhouette alone. My database doesn't cover certain fairy and magical beast species, but... Hm... This is interesting."
"We've got a picture, so we can scratch '(Y/N)'s hallucination' off our list." Ace joked before the girl threw a fry at him.
"Very funny."
"Grim can't see him, but he shows up on the ghost camera..." Deuce mulled over. "Mickey, huh?"
"(Y/N), do you have any other leads?" Jack asked.
The girl shook her head and sighed. "Nothing besides there are living cards and dancing gloves in Mickey's room."
"I see." Ortho said while nodding. "Okay, to summarize: No. 1: Mickey doesn't live in Twisted Wonderland. No. 2: Time works normally in Mickey's world. No. 3: (Y/N) can only talk with him when Mickey's sleeping. This is just my guess, but maybe the mirror in your room is like an 'inlay'?"
"Inlay?" The first years repeated.
"Oh, sorry. Let me provide some context. You're familiar with crystal radios, right?"
"I remember making one back in elementary school." Jack said. "You use coils and a diode to catch radio signals, right? I remember being so confused about how it could work without electricity."
Ortho nodded. "Yeah, that! They require specific conditions that must be intentionally set to receive signals, but in rare cases, dental inlays used to treat cavities meet those specific conditions. As such, they can sometimes pick up radio signals."
"What!?" Epel yelped. "That can actually happen?"
"Oh yeah, that used to happen in my world too." (Y/N) said. "The inlay's size, the amount of saliva secreted, and even the layout of buildings and radio towers would line up in such a way that people would accidentally pick up radio signals. Heck, I've heard steel types sometimes would go on rampages because they'd pick up signals while they were sleeping."
"Exactly." Ortho affirmed. "Crystal radios are deliberately made to fulfill specific conditions, while inlays coincidentally pick up on them. Of course, most weren't aware of these conditions back in the day, so they attributed the strange sounds to ghosts instead! At least, that's how the story goes. My main point is Twisted Wonderland has many available means of magical transportation and wireless communication. I don't think I need to expand on that. Have you heard of Looking Glasses?"
Epel nodded. "I think we covered it in class the other day."
"I remember seeing it in the textbook." Deuce dug into his bag and pulled out the large text, flipping pages until he landed on one with a picture of a mirror. "Here we go. The Looking Glass. Shaftlands lore talks of a legendary magical mirror that is capable of reflecting images ranging from loved ones to even beasts dwelling deep in the forest. A magical device modeled after the mirror of legend. Mages can use it to communicate with humans in remote places. Professor Trein says it'll appear on the test, so I highlighted it..."
"Mirrors, crystals, and water basins are often used for transportation and communication here, aren't they? I was thinking that maybe the mirror in their room coincidentally fulfilled specific conditions in order to establish a connection with this Mickey person." Ortho suggested.
Ace nodded. "That checks some boxes, yeah. I mean, the Mirror of Darkness did summon (Y/N) and her Pokémon from another world, so...Ah! Wait, you don't mean-,"
The robot boy nodded. "Exactly. Mickey is from another world. (Y/N) and her Pokémon also came from a different world. If we can establish a more secure way of connecting with Mickey, then. We could potentially find a way to send (Y/N) back home."
(Y/N) eyes widened. After all this time, an actual shot at getting back to the Hoenn region, back to Steven and her family, back to her life!
"An actual way home..."
"It's worth a shot." Ortho said.
(Y/N) flung her arms around the small boy. "Ortho, you brilliant, beautiful child! You are officially my favorite!"
"Geez, tell us how you really feel, (N/N)" Ace joked, only for her to playfully stick her tongue out at him. "Still, it's the best we've got, I guess."
Grim tilted his head. "You guys want to investigate?"
"Magical beasts, people from another world, humanoids, humans, beastman. We're all very different, aren't we?" Ortho stated, happily enjoying hugs from his big sister. "In other words, we have more chances of getting different results while testing the same hypothesis. I think between all of us, we can fulfill the 'special conditions' needed to connect with Mickey!"
Deuce nodded. "Yeah, that sounds reasonable."
"Brother always says that, to reliably reproduce a phenomenon, it is essential that we conduct an orderly testing and elimination of available theories. To maximize our chances of making contact, we'll each take turns staying at Ramshackle Dorm. How's that sound?"
"That sounds totally up my alley!" Ace said as his dormmate joined in.
"I'm in! Let's work hard to help (Y/N) find a way back home!"
"Yeah!" Grim cheered. "A few minutes with Ortho and we've already got a lead! Unlike a certain Headmaster who keeps making excuses to slack off."
"I still say we overthrow him and make Professor Trein the headmaster." (Y/N) suggested.
Epel ignored her open mutiny. "I'll help, too! Oh, but how do I get the Prefect to let me stay out of dorm?"
"Just tell 'im we're doing a study session." Ace suggested. "All right, who's in charge of what day?"
"Hey, I didn't say I was on board." Jack shot back.
"Boo~ Jackie, you meanie." Ace teased. "Are you saying you don't want to help (Y/N) and the Pokémon find a way back home?"
"Th-that's not what I meant..." The wolf stuttered. "I work out every morning, so I hit the hay by 10 PM. I doubt I'd be able to stay up and wait for Mickey."
Grim smirked. "That's not a problem, yanno? Swampert can just dose you in water!"
"Pert..." The starter hummed in agreement.
"That's great! Let's have Jack-san take the weekend shift so he can stay up late." Ortho volunteered, much to the beastman's annoyance.
"Hey, I'm still here! Working out knows no holidays!"
Epel laughed. "Ortho-kun can be a bit pushy, huh?"
Ortho then began pondering something. "Hm...Poyo doesn't need much sleep, and the ghost types are also there, but it'd be nice if we had some fae to help us with our investigation. Do you have any fae friends, (Y/N)?"
Her thoughts immediately turned to Malleus. He was always friendly and willing to help.
"I do know someone..."
"I AM STRONGLY AGAINST IT!" A familiar voice shouted from across the room.
"What's with the ruckus?" Jack said, his ears flat against his head.
They all turned to see Sebek madly shouting about something.
Ace sighed. "Ah, I have Magic Analysis with him. He's from Diasomnia."
"Quiet, Sebek." Malleus ordered. "We are dining."
Lilia nodded. "Yes, indeed. Plus, I've already made up my mind."
"B-but... How......?" Sebek said, his face that of a kicked Lilipup. "To think that Lord Lilia would...Your powers are diminishing, so you will have to leave school!?"
The short fae just smiled. "Do not make a fuss. My powers grow weaker with every passing year. It began long before you two were even born. My time has come, that is all."
Malleus looked less than pleased as Silver glanced at Lilia.
"Is that why you were running to the lecture hall this morning?"
Lilia nodded. "Indeed. I am ashamed, but I cannot use magic to teleport anymore..
Silver shook his head. "It can't be..."
"I, too, thought that my powers would last until graduation. It just happened quicker than I anticipated."
"... What will you do now?" Malleus asked.
"I was thinking of migrating to the Land of the Red Dragon in the east."
"What!?" Silver and Sebek shouted.
"But, that's on the other side of the world!" Silver added.
"What are you so worried about, child? Back in the olden days, it was only accessible via broom or ship, yes. But nowadays, you book a flight and you're there before you know it. Besides, I always knew I wouldn't be coming back home even after graduation."
Malleus blinked. "...What?"
"Why?" Silver asked. "Is Briar Valley not your homeland, Father?"
Sebek jumped in. "Moreover, the Valley cannot be without you, Lord Lilia!"
"That's precisely why. I planned on living a humble farm life in my old age, but I have far too many obligations. If I stay in the Valley, many people will find ways for me to work. Queen Maleficia is especially fond of increasing my workload, you see!"
"I will tell Grandmother not to rely on you too much, so please..." Malleus pleaded.
"I jest, so please don't. I was on an important mission the last time I visited the Land of the Red Dragon. I hardly had enough time to enjoy the area, and I've regretted it ever since. That is all there is to it. 'Tis your old man's selfish wish, so put those frowns away now."
Sebek and Silver glanced sadly at each other before Silver spoke up again.
"Visiting you there would pose no problem for Sebek and me. But what about Lord Malleus–!"
"No, Silver." Malleus interrupted. "If this is what Lilia wants, then we shan't stop him."
Lilia nodded. "Thank you, Malleus."
"When do you depart?"
"I already handed the Headmaster my withdrawal. I still need to pack up my things, so... I leave in a week."
"SO SOON!?" Sebek shouted.
"Old men are impatient, child. Our time is very limited!"
Malleus's fist clenched. "Not enough time...?"
"Excuse me, Father, what will become of your house in the Valley?" Silver asked.
"I fixed that shabby old cabin in the forest all on a whim. I have all I need here with me, so if you're not going to use it, then let nature take its course."
The bright eyed boy nodded. "I understand. Please give me until graduation to think."
"Now, now. I must pack and get ready for my journey. I must declutter and aim to be a minimalist! Silver, Sebek, may I ask you to help me pack up?" The two nodded in agreement. "Thank you. Let us take advantage of the break while we can."
"...Lilia." Malleus said, getting the shorter male's attention. "Let me ask you once again. Is there absolutely no changing your mind?"
He nodded. "I am resolute. No, I absolutely must. Even if I change my mind, I cannot go against fate. Is it not better to laugh and live life happily?"
The thought seemed to horrify the horned fae. "You can't... go against fate...?"
"Indeed. There are things in life that cannot be disputed. For example, your next class is Magical Defenses with Classes D and E in the Coliseum. 'Fate' has many faces, you see? Am I clear? Don't be late now, you hear."
"Yes, I know..."
As the other three left, Malleus was left alone, stirring in bitter emotions. Outside, a crash of thunder echoed as a storm surge from nowhere.
"Whoa!" Deuce shouted in surprise. "It's raining. Where'd the sun run off to?"
"Ugh." Ace moaned. "Next period is all the way in the lab, too!"
"I have PE next, so I'll have to go back and change gears first." Ortho said, standing up. "Let's talk about Mickey after school."
The first years all got up and began to go their separate ways before (Y/N) paused. Glancing over her shoulder, she saw her fae friend muttering to himself with a somber look on his face. She hadn't heard what the Diasomnia students had been discussing outside of Sebek's shouting, but it must have been bad.
"What're you waitin' for, (Y/N)!?" Grim yelled as Swampert nudged her. "Crewel's gonna box our ears if we're late!"
"Coming!" She answered back before the sound of dripping ink sounded in her ears. "Oh no..."