Tel'aran'rhiod

Funny how the day always seems to catch up with you at the most inopportune times. I had been going since I got up, and I had also expended a bunch of energy evolving.

Now, crawling across the bed, my body started to feel weak and tired. It was like all the stress and exertion from the day had decided to hit me at this very moment, making my eyelids heavy.

"You look like you are tired? You haven't even taken your pack off yet! When was the last time that you slept?" Bella asked me with concern, helping me get my pack off, and I grinned at her as I came over to sit down in front of her.

When I first turned to crawl onto the bed, the excitement had started to fade away, but not completely. I reached one of my hands forward to place it on the purple skin of Bella's cheek.

The Pokémon blushed, and her antenna drooped slightly as I moved forward to kiss her tiny mouth, but Bella put a hand up to stop me. I did stop and pulled back as she smiled at me shyly.

"You look tired, and I am not feeling as brave as I was before. I think that we can, umm, talk more about this in the morning," Bella said to me, and I smiled, wishing that I could thank her for her shyness.

"That actually sounds like an excellent idea. I have had a really long day, but I would like to 'talk' more about things when I get up. I want to help keep you and any other Pokémon that needs my help safe if I can," I said with a smile, and that made Bella smile brightly.

I was not a miracle worker, and I couldn't be everywhere at once, but I could help in the places I was. There were more than just humans abusing other Pokémon.

"Thank you," Bella said to me as my eyes started to get heavier, but then she got off the bed.

"Where are you going?" I asked as I watched her back off the bed.

"I want to go talk to my mother, and I need to go check on my children to make sure that the place is safe. My chamber is the safest place, so you should be able to rest in peace. I will come to join you later," Bella said and then turned, walking out of the room without another word.

"Did you come on too strong? Maybe you scared her away with that massive bulge in your pants! Poor girl is probably terrified that you are going to hit her over the head with that Fish Bat!" Dirty Harry laughed from my pocket, so I grabbed him out and threw him at the nearest silk wall.

I turned to flop down face-first into the bed, but as soon as I did, I could feel the Breedé-Dex back in my pocket. There really was no way to get rid of him.

"I told you. You are stuck with me, for now, but you need to get to bed; someone is waiting for you in your dreams," Harry told me from my chest pocket that was pressed into the surprisingly soft silk thread bed.

I was always surprised how his voice came out so clearly when he wanted to say something, no matter where he was. Yet, there were times when it seemed that I could partially muffle him.

"That's because I let you do it sometimes, Bozo. I can't control how I react, but I can decide what needs to be heard and muffled. At some point, I will get better with my expressions, but you are just going to have to deal with me for now. Plus, this isn't really that far from my normal personality; I just have more of a filter normally," Harry explained, and I rolled my eyes as I crossed my arms in front of me to rest my head on.

I closed my eyes, and even with all the thoughts that ran through my head, I slipped into a deep sleep.

Or that was what I had thought I was doing, but I opened my eyes, and I was no longer on the bed. I was standing in front of a mountain I had seen before, but not in this life.

Something about this place felt familiar because I remember being here before… or at least I thought I remembered. My past life was a blur, all I was left with was the experience, but none of the memories gained.

"Dragon Mount. The place where you broke the world once, and the place when you healed your own mind," growled a gruff voice from beside me.

I looked down beside me, and there was a wolf with golden eyes and patchy white and black fur. I knew this wolf, and he looked real to me, but when I looked down to examine my own hand, I stepped back in shock despite myself.

"This place, the Unseen World of Dreams, Tel'aran'rhiod, isn't safe for you, but I pulled you here because we need to talk. Things are different this time, and The Gambler and I won't be able to physically help you this time, only guide you," The wolf explained to me, but I was still lost to who this was.

"Alright, while I can say that I don't disbelieve you, I don't know who you or this Gambler even are!" I explained as I tried to touch my other hand, but both hands passed through each other.

"I was once known as Perrin' Golden Eyes' Aybara, but the Wolves call me Young Bull, so I have stuck to that one. The one annoying you every chance that he gets is Mat 'The Gambler' Cauthon, and just be thankful he is stuck in that box, or he would be asking for a game of dice right now," the wolf said with a barking laugh, but I was still beyond confused at that was going on.