Chapter 1: First Encounter
Summary:
The beginning of a new start.
Notes:
This is my first fanfiction. Please be nice and give helpful constructive criticism. I don’t have a beta, so if anyone could point out typing errors, that’d be appreciated. With that out of the way, enjoy this fever dream I made in the shower.
(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)
Chapter Text
V
Technoblade
Requiem
Dielle
Malachi
Guildmaster
Rune
Technoblade was falling, faster and faster. He saw a whirlwind of colors, and could barely hear anything above the roaring wind. With a loud SNAP, he shot towards the ground, and there was a loud CRRAAAAAASSHH as he landed in a giant explosion of dust and dirt. He slowly got up, one hand coming up to rub his head. As he was bringing his hand up to rub his head, he paused, seeing pink where there should be brown. His hand started shaking, and it spread to the rest of his body as he realized he was no longer human. He grabbed his head with his hand, panic levels going into extreme highs, when he saw something out of the corner of his eye. He paused and then realized he should check himself first. Techno looked himself over, seeing that he was about 5’6 based on the surroundings, wearing a red jacket and a white shirt under it. He raised a hand to his head and checked if his iconic crown was there. It was. He then looked himself over more carefully, seeing that he had a brown scabbard that matched his pants. The scabbard was holding an iron sword, and the sword, while looking slightly worn, seemed to be well loved. He carefully put the sword back. As he was doing so, he noticed that he had what appeared to be a mini-inventory on his jacket arm. It had all the slots, it was just shrunk down to fit on his jacket. He noticed that he had his Axe Of Peace -an enchanted Netherite axe-, Orphan Obliterator -an enchanted diamond sword-, and a stack of 64 Enchanted Golden Apples -aka Notch Apples-. He then looked up from his clothing to see something in the distance. His eyes widened when he saw it, having recognized it from both a movie binge and a book binge. It was Hogwarts, no doubts about it, but what was it doing here? More importantly, what was he doing here?! If Hogwarts was there, then that meant-! His mind screeched to a mental halt when he saw something that should have been impossible. Well, two things really, but who’s counting? The first thing was a groaning android girl, about 5 feet in height, with black and yellow legs that ended in pegs. Her silver hair was surrounding her head, with a small bun at the bottom. On top of her head Techno could see 5 bright yellow bulbs, and the top half of her face was a black screen (visor?) with two yellow eyes that looked around in confusion. Techno, while certainly surprised by the android, wasn’t too concerned with her at the moment, as he could see something far more surprising, and concerning. There, looking directly at them, was a Meowth. Said Meowth was tall and lanky, having a tan fur color, looking more akin to a bipedal Persian. She was about… 4 feet in height. She (how did Techno know it was a she?) looked very nervous, holding her basket of Oran Berries close to her chest. She spoke up, looking very surprised at the two of them, and also very nervous.
“Oh. Do, uh, the two of you need any help? I can get you both to the guild if you need it… Do you know why there’s suddenly a giant castle close to the town? It appeared at the same time as you two, so do you know anything about it? I’m Dielle by the way.”
Techno, surprised both at the fact that the Meowth could talk, and that Hogwarts appeared at the same time as them, didn’t have an answer. But, he did know that whatever caused Hogwarts to appear also made him and his… ally, to appear. Techno cleared his throat, before looking to his ally and helping her up, as she seemed to be somewhat disoriented. He then spoke to Dielle.
“I have no idea what caused us, or the castle for that matter, to appear. I also don’t know why it, or us for that matter, are here. If I remember correctly, the castle is named Hogwarts, but I don’t know much more than that. Could you help me and my compatriot here to the town you mentioned? I think she’s injured, and I’ve probably gotten a bit scratched up. I’m Technoblade by the way.”
Dielle, looking up at the surprisingly tall Technoblade, nodded before making a gesture to follow her. Technoblade hoisted his ally onto his shoulder, before hissing into where her ear would be if she was human,
“Could you introduce yourself? You’re getting heavy.”
Before talking louder to Dielle, intent on finding out as much as he could,
“You know, I’m kind of new here. Could you tell me where we are, and the world we’re in? I’d like to have at least basic knowledge by the time we get to the town.”
Dielle nodded, and right before she could happily tell Technoblade anything about the world, she was cut off by a loud rebooting sound. With the sound of a Windows computer booting up, V turned on before abruptly pushing Techno off of her. She looked around, a scowl on her face, before, with a dramatic pause, she visibly remembered all the time she had spent in the area before. She sighed heavily, before looking to Dielle and Techno, and speaking.
“V, my name’s V. Now, as Techno suggested, could you tell us everything you know? I don’t like not knowing things. Techno, thanks for the help.”
While Techno was visibly surprised, he nodded his head, and spoke.
“You’re welcome V, it was the least I could do. Now, about that info, Dielle?”
Dielle, who was looking on in confusion, jumped slightly at being abruptly addressed. She nodded her head, and made a motion for them to follow her. As she walked, she explained the world around her, starting with her friends.
“Well, I guess it’s best to start with my friends. There’s my little brother, Inigo, my best friend Malachi, and my lover Rune….”
~~~Timeskip~~~
After some time, they had managed to get to the Guild, get them healed, and then escorted them to Malachi’s house/base. Of course, the rest of Team Maelstrom were introduced to V and Techno (Rune was sympathetic but wary, Inigo was protective, and Malachi was confused but ecstatic), and some beds were made for the two of them. After everything was set and done, they were sleeping, and Malachi had plans for both the base and team to be expanded. As V, Techno, and Rune fell into a deep slumber, they dreamed, together. Techno opened his eyes to a dark and purple place, with distant stars in the sky. The place was wavy, like a dream.
“Oh, hello.”
Techno jumped back, automatically settling into a basic defensive stance. He was surprised, and now startled as he saw a tall, very tall, snake like being. She(?) had a deep purple/black body, with glowing gold tufts of something akin to hair on the head of the being. They seemed roughly 20 feet long, and possibly longer due to blending so well into the background. She had glowing gold fin-like features on the end of her tail/body. She had two long arms, with three black claws on the end of each hand. She had a few pink scars on the top of her nose, and a small pink dot on the end of it. Her pupils were prismatic, and she was giving the impression of grinning in amusement. There was then what seemed to be a… pressure, for lack of a better world, on Techno’s mind, asking for entry. Techno allowed it to enter enough to communicate, no more.
“Welcome to the Dream Realm. You know, I’m quite surprised I’m seeing you three here, as I usually only see one person at a time here. My name’s Requiem, she/they if you please, and I serve as the Dream Guardian. How ironic, that the three recently brung in all share a dream. I’ll talk to you all for a bit, and then you’ll wake up.”
Techno was, for lack of a better word, flabbergasted at this message. Still, he shook off his shock, and looked around. Sure enough, a bit away, he could make out the forms of V and Rune. Techno then looked back at Requiem, before speaking.
“So, is Requiem your species or your name? I suspect it’s your name, and that you don’t know your actual species.”
Requiem giggled, before answering his question.
“Got it in one, Techno! I don’t know what I actually am, and I don’t really care. I know my name and my responsibilities, and that’s enough for me.”
Rune takes a step forward, clearly confused.
“So, what connects us enough to have a connection like this?”
Requiem paused, before giving a mental sigh. They then looked at Rune directly.
“My Champion, what do you think it is? All three of you came from a different dimension than this one or the one it’s connected to. As such, due to you being my Champion, Rune, the other two got dragged into this as well. That said… I believe that this triple dream is merely a coincidence. Truly unfortunate, but oh well.”
Suddenly, a bright light started to shine.
“Ah, that’s my cue. Have a good day!”
Abruptly, all of three of them woke in unison. Techno bolted up, while V unfurled her metal cocoon with a hiss. Rune just startled awake, shaking her head to get rid of the dizziness. After a bit, everyone’s ready to go. The three lag behind a bit to discuss the dream. Before they can do that however, everyone’s progress is stopped by the Guildmaster himself blocking their way with a happy go-lucky smile, Keaton perched on his shoulder, who’s giving Team Maelstrom a fierce glare. V is the first to walk forward, a glare on her visor.
“What do you want? We were going to go buy some things from Kecleon Market. Nothing Guild related, unless you want us for a mission.”
The Guildmaster chuckles, before saying something that makes chills run down V, Techno, and Rune’s spines…
“Why, I want a spar with all of you of course. Me and Keaton versus the entire Team Maelstrom, no holds barred.”
This statement, for it could not be called a request, made everyone except Keaton and the Guildmaster freeze. A no holds barred battle against the strongest members in the guild? Both a dream and a nightmare for Inigo, a panic attack for Malachi (who was quickly calmed down by Rune), a worry for Rune and Dielle both, and a chance to prove themselves for the two newest members. So, with fear in every step, Malachi walked forward, and said what he needed to say.
“We accept.”
Notes:
And with that, Chapter 1 is over, and with a cliffhanger to boot! For those who don’t know, this story takes place in the PMD:EOS Universe On Borrowed Time (which is an illustrated novelization of a PMD:EOS Nuzlocke) . I do not own any of these characters. If you’re wondering when we’ll get to Hogwarts, we’ll do that after the battle, you needn’t worry. The colored text for specific characters I got from The Bridge, which is a Godzilla-MLP crossover. Go find it and give it a read, it’s pretty good. (I tried to do colored text on AO3, but I can't wrap my head around it. Sorry.)
BTW, click https://onborrowedtime.thecomicseries.com/comics/ to read OBT, and https://onborrowedtime.thecomicseries.com/cast/ to find OBT’s Cast page. This part will be repeated everytime the characters show up. (so you don't have to go back to this page every time) (I have no idea what I'm doing)
Chapter 2: Boss Battle
Summary:
This is my first time writing an actual fight scene, so I apologize in advance for any errors or confusion. Also, for some reason, there's a weird glitch that I can't get rid of. Sorry.
Notes:
The Fight Begins.
As a side note, please be nice and give helpful constructive criticism.
(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)
Chapter Text
Chapter 2: Boss Battle: Keaton and Guildmaster
The Guildmaster looked at Malachi, before chuckling and smiling. He then raised both of his hands as dark energy swirled around them, before slamming them down on the floor, making a large dark circle around both groups and transporting them… to a large, empty field. Grass covered the whole area, with trees making a makeshift circle around the Rescue Teams. Team Maelstrom readied themselves, while the Guildmaster simply dusted himself off and Keaton landed on the floor, before readying himself. There was a moments pause, as everyone gave their opponents a moment to prepare, before Rune, Inigo, and Dielle launched themselves at the Guildmaster, with Techno, V, and Malachi doing the same to Keaton. Keaton, who was prepared for this, simply took off into the air, before making a slashing motion with his wings, causing several sharp… currents? Slashes? Whatever the proper term, he was using both Air Cutter and Air Slash, and aiming it at them. Techno and Malachi actively dodged the slashes, while V simply side-stepped them. V then launched herself up to Keaton’s level, startling him enough for V to grab him and throw him towards her teammates with a shout.
“Hey, catch!”
Taken by surprise, Keaton was barely able to move out of the way in time, and then used the currents in the air to create a Whirlwind, which threw both Technoblade and Malachi into the trees. Wait, where was V-!
“Gotcha!” V proclaimed loudly, before Keaton inhaled loudly, and then ROARED in her face, causing her to get sent flying backwards. Fortunately, V was able to flare her wings in time, but her sense of direction (aka her gyroscopes) was all messed up, and she could barely see since Keaton’s shout cracked her visor. Keaton, seeing how his shout had been the most effective thing so far, inhaled again, before promptly wheezing as he got Sucker Punched in the gut by V. Then the crackle of lighting was heard, and that was the only warning before a Thunder threw him downwards, courtesy of Malachi. Techno then picked up the coughing and twitching Keaton (who is now at Very Low HP), and then chucked him at the Guildmaster with a shout.
Meanwhile, the Guildmaster was having a pretty good fight. While yes, the three he was fighting were significantly less powerful than him, Dielle and Rune had Battle Bonded, while Inigo had thrown as many poison type attacks as he could. That, along with their good coordination and awareness of their surroundings, made him feel like he was having a great time! That was, of course, before he promptly got smacked on the back of his head by a thrown Battle Buddy. Alphonse looked down at Keaton, about to ask if he was alright, before Keaton promptly triggered the Battle Bond, healing both and giving new types to each.
…
There was a long moment of silence, before V promptly screeched in rage.
“ARE YOU FUCKING KIDDING ME?!”
It seemed both Techno and Malachi agreed with her sentiment, if not QUITE as… angry? Fustrated? Pissed beyond belief? Anyway, it seemed like this Boss Battle just entered Phase 2.
…okay, that sounded a lot cooler in his head.
PHASE 2: Battle-Bonded Guildmaster and Keaton
Inigo, surprisingly, was the first to attack. He lunged forward and punched Keaton in the face. This, to everyone’s surprise, did absolutely nothing, and Inigo was blasted away by a wave of air. Technoblade then drew his sword, and ran forward, intent on finishing the fight. His sword, however, was blocked by a dark energy blade from the Guildmaster. The two struggled for a few seconds before V promptly suplexed the Guildmaster into the ground. There was a loud CRAAASSHH with a large amount of dust, causing everyone to cough and step back from the hole in the ground that certainly wasn’t there before. There was a small rumbling before, with a BANG, the Guildmaster burst out of the green ground, slicing at Techno with his dark matter sword, which Techno blocked with his diamond sword. The two struggled, each trying to physically overpower the other. Due to the Guildmaster being roughly half Techno’s size, the sight was rather amusing and comical, but also impressive. Then, with a war cry, Techno took out his Axe Of Peace, a glowing, enchanted, Netherite axe. The black blade, shining with purple enchantments, slashed and shattered against the dark matter sword. This resulted in an explosion of energy, with a shockwave throwing most everyone a good few feet back, and slamming Keaton into a nearby tree, which proved to finally be too much for his frail body, and he cried out in pain before fainting. The Guildmaster, having also been sent back a bit, looked at all the destruction that was caused, and took a deep breath. He looked at everyone as his Battle Bond faded, and said something that surprised everyone.
“Since you have bested me and my best friend in battle, I shall tell you my true name… Alphonse.”
Alphonse looked at Team Maelstrom with some amount of guilt and shame. He looked like he was about to apologize, but Rune cut him off.
“Don’t. All that you needed to say was that you trust us enough to give us your true name. As such, we will not tell anyone of it. So, we will all go back to the infirmary, get healed up, and address you as Guildmaster in public, and Alphonse in private. Now, after this whole ordeal, I think it’s best to check out that giant castle, yeah?”
Rune looked slightly worried by the end of her speech, but Alphonse simply chuckled and replied to her speech.
“I think that’s a great idea. We’ll go to Twinleaf Town, get healed up, and investigate the castle tomorrow. Tomorrow, Team Maelstrom, you will have an expedition into foreign grounds, and ones that are hopefully aren’t a dungeon. You have no reason to be worried.”
After that, they picked up Keaton from the semi-broken tree, and it creaked slightly as he was extracted. Alphonse transported all of them to Malachi’s Base, and then they all headed down to Twinleaf Town to get some healing.
~~~Timeskip~~~
Later on, during the night time, V was peacefully sleeping upside down with her metallic wings surrounding her. At the same time, Techno had made a perfect replica of a Minecraft bed, and was sleeping in it. Somehow.
~~~POV CHANGE~~~
Harry groaned, blearily blinking his eyes. It was so bright… why was it so bright? After a few more moments, Harry’s vision returned to normal. He then blinked in surprise several times at the sight of the headmaster sitting on a bench nearby… at least, he thought it was the headmaster.
“Er…are you Headmaster Dumbledore?” Harry called nervously, not paying attention to how weird his voice sounded. The… creature, as it were, startled, before getting up and nodding. He then slowly approached Harry, as if he were approaching a wild animal.
“Harry, are you feeling alright?” A mental voice asked him. Harry startled, before slowly nodding, eyes narrowing in suspicion and confusion.
“Harry. I need to pay attention to me, okay? Can you tell me everything that happened?” The voice -Dumbledore- asked him. Harry blinked a few times, before nodding. He summoned up the memories of facing Quirrelmort, and sort of… sent them? At the headmaster. He also added a feeling of confusion and the question of ‘why are you acting like this?’ to the thought. Harry could tell when Dumbledore received both the memories and the message, as he suddenly stiffened. Dumbledore hesitated, before responding to his message with a telepathic message.
“Harry, everyone in the school has changed. We don’t know into what, but there seems to be a… message board(?) on the grounds of the school. We’ve sent a message for help and for information and identification. It should be answered by tomorrow. You know when I mentioned everyone changed? Well, that includes you, and well, all the professors.” Dumbledore then sent an image of apparently what he saw, which was a weird techno dragon looking thing, with small dials on its ears, a dragon-like face, and a purple-ish exterior color, with a light blue color on the inside. There were seemingly no opposable thumbs, just three small claws on each hand. There were four legs, each purple on the outside, with the chest to tail having an odd light blue-white gradient on the inside of the body. There was also a small yellow color deep within the gradient, and green-yellow eyes.
Harry blinked a couple times, before moving one of his hands within his sight, and his eyes widening at the arm being the exact same as in Dumbledore’s memory. He started shaking in fear and shock, before Dumbledore gently put one of his hands on his shoulder to calm him down. Harry then realized why this happened. He was getting choked by Quirrelmort, and he smashed the Philosopher’s Stone into his head to make him stop. Then there was a bright flash of light, and… then he was here. Harry didn’t know what to think, but one thing he did know is that he was… a Miraidon? How did he know that? Regardless, the other thing he knew was that he needed to if Ron and Hermione were all right.
“Don’t worry, Mr. Potter. They are both alive and well. Madam Pomfrey’s been busy just keeping them out. I believe they said they were a… Zeraora for Mr. Weasley, and a Celebi for Ms. Granger. I’m not sure if there is any way for us to reestablish contact with the Ministry, or return to our human forms. Don’t worry, Mr. Potter, none of this is your fault. All the blame lies on me being foolish, and several traps being late. Did you know that it was meant to be a far more vicious and deadly plant, or that the keys were meant to attack the person riding the broom? There were initially significantly more deadly traps, but they were removed so we could have easier access. That was very good luck on your part, Mr. Potter, that you didn’t stumble upon the deadlier traps.” With that ominous and yet oddly comforting note, Dumbledore walked away, and opened the door. A few seconds later, an odd green fairy pixie thing zoomed around Harry, saying things too fast for Harry to process, before hugging him tightly.
This was clearly Hermione, and Harry gently put an arm over her. Then a yellow bipedal cat thing that had lightning marks over his body walked over to Harry and gave him a tight hug, not saying a thing.
Harry smiled, before hugging Ron tightly.
Harry didn’t know a lot, but he knew that no matter what, he and his friends would be able to see it through.
Notes:
That was a rollercoaster at the end, eh?
BTW, click https://onborrowedtime.thecomicseries.com/comics/ to read OBT, and https://onborrowedtime.thecomicseries.com/cast/ to find OBT’s Cast page.
Chapter 3
Notes:
Sorry about the delay. Here, have a double chapter upload.
(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)
Chapter Text
POV: Technoblade
Everyone had slept well the previous night, thanks in no small part to their complete and utter exhaustion from fighting both Alphonse and Keaton. They had barely come out on top, and that was only because Alphonse had given up when Keaton went down. No one was sure they would’ve survived an enraged Alphonse. Still, Team Maelstrom had a mission, and that was to investigate the giant castle. So, off they went, seeing the green fields, ending up in a large patch of berry bushes, somehow getting lost in Rune’s potato farm (which she set up somehow) and eventually pushing through a large swath of forest (which did not seem happy with them) and getting to the grounds… and then realizing that they could’ve skipped the entire thing by just going across a river/lake/ocean path to end up at the docks. Yes, they would’ve been soaking wet, but soaking wet is preferable to being incredibly itchy and soaking wet (and covered in berry juice). Anyway, they go to the castle, with V being the only clean one. Since V is the only one without dirt, grime, muk, juice, or water on/over her, she goes first to act as a representative. The one to meet them is an Alakazam with a beard.
“Hello there. I am Headmaster Dumbledore. As my title suggests, I am the Headmaster of this prestigious school, which is called Hogwarts. We recently came here due to an ancient artifact being used as a blunt instrument in a last ditch attempt to survive. I’m happy to say that it worked, even if it had… unintended consequences. Come in, I will tell you more.”
The Alakazam telepathed to the group. He then waved what appeared to be a wand, and everyone was suddenly clean. Even V had gotten a new coat of paint. The Rescue Team(s) followed him inside, wowing at the immensity and magic of Hogwarts. Dumbledore then kept walking forward, occasionally taking turns, or going through shortcuts that certainly weren’t there before, and eventually they ended up at the miniature clinic that was labeled HOSPITAL WING in English. Of course, most of their group could only read Common, so they spent a good few minutes asking for translation, and Malachi in particular wanted to have a English to Common Dictionary (or Translation Guide) made. Oddly enough, Rune seemed to perfectly understand the sign, even if it took a few seconds of squinting. Alphonse, V, and Technoblade all inherently understood the sign, seeing as it was their respective primary languages. Eventually, they actually entered the Hospital Wing, and tried to see who was there. V, being the only one up to date on Pokémon (after Gen 9, Worker Drones were created, making Pokémon suddenly obsolete), was the only one who recognized this particular ‘mon. There, in a bed to the left, was a slightly injured (male) Miraidon, with a Zeraora sitting on a chair to his right, and a Celebi floating on his left. V walked forward, before quietly speaking.
“My name’s V. What are yours?”
The Zeraora was the first to speak.
“My name’s Ron Weasley. I don’t think I’ve heard your name before…”
The Celebi was next.
“My name’s Hermione Granger. Are you part of the Guild we asked for help?”
Finally, before V could answer her question, the Miraidon spoke up. Quietly, of course.
“My name’s Harry Potter. I’m the idiot who got us all stuck here. You’re part of the Rescue Team.”
Harry sentence was not a question, but V nodded anyway, to answer both. She then spoke up.
“I’m part of both the Guild and the Rescue Team that was sent to help you guys. Although, from the looks of it, you’re going to need several Teams to not only teach everyone Common, but help everyone work on their moves, abilities, and, well, figuring out what you are. That said, I can tell you what types you all are. Harry, you’re Electric-Dragon, Hermione is Grass-Fairy, and Ron is pure Electric. I personally think Ron should be Electric-Fighting, but that’s not up to me.”
V finished her quiet speech by looking each person in the face as she addressed them. Then a quiet cough behind her grabbed her attention. She looked through the eyes on top of her head, or her ‘true eyes’ as she called them, and saw that the nurse -Madam Pomfrey- was looking at them expectantly. She was also holding several potions.
“Dear, could you please move out of the way? I’ve got to treat my patients, you know.”
Pomfrey said, a hint of irritation in her voice. V got up and moved out of the way, before telling Madam Pomfrey something.
“While Ron is organic, Hermione is something more akin to a plant, and Harry is cybernetic in nature. Give Ron the same treatments you would normally give someone, give Hermione treatments as if you were treating a Fae, and treat Harry like you would a sentient/sapient object that’s mechanical in nature. Nothing related to biology or organs, as that could hurt him. General boosters and repair spells/potions are what I’d suggest.”
Pomfrey looked at her with something akin to surprise, before nodding her head and following her advice. V was proud her medical and engineering skills came in handy. She was also very glad that Nori Doorman passed her knowledge onto her when they were in the Void.
…
That was a weird thing to think. Eh, oh well. V’s fairly sure her life couldn’t get any stranger (probably). Anyway, V walked over to Dumbledore, and asked him something.
“This…” magic”, as you call it, could you show me? I want to see the difference between it and Pokémon moves or Abilities. If for nothing else, I have an academic curiosity to see just what you can do.”
Dumbledore chuckled before nodding. He paused, stroking his mustache as he thought of what he could do that couldn’t be explained away as a Move or Ability. He smiled, having thought of an option. He then spoke quietly to V.
“I have a spell in mind. I suppose you wouldn’t mind if I stunned one of your teammates? I’ll wake him up right after.”
V thought about it for a moment, before pointing at Malachi, who had joined in the conversation. Malachi, startled, was about to protest, before he recalled that with the exception of him, Dielle, Inigo, and Keaton, none of them were regular Pokémon. He nodded firmly, allowing Dumbledore to stun him and prove his magic.
“Stupefy!” The Headmaster intoned (which everyone present could understand. During the walk to the Wing, both parties had discovered that they could understand each other without the need for telepathy). Malachi wobbled for a second, before promptly falling over. Meanwhile, V was rapidly taking notes, with Technoblade (who knew the most about the franchise) correcting her whenever she got something wrong. After about a minute, V bent down and checked Malachi, partly to note more things down, and partly because she was concerned about him. The reason V was taking so many notes was because she wanted to know as much as she could, so she could defend herself as much as possible. That, and the notetaking reminded her of Uzi whenever she got too invested in a project and V had to physically haul her away to make her eat and sleep. This happened a concerning number of times. Anyway, V turned to Dumbledore, and flashed a message on her screen.
“He’s safe and unharmed. Vitals looking good. Wake him up.”
Dumbledore nodded, before gesturing to V to move away. He then took out his wand with a flourish (he had done the Stunner wandless, as it was easier to do that way), and then incanted the spell while pointing the wand at Malachi’s chest.
“Rennervate!”
Malachi woke up with a start, seeming confused and disoriented. V lightly cleared her throat, and Malachi jumped at the sound, before calming down. After a few minutes (*cough* hours *cough*) of notetaking, questions, answers, Magical theory, and a few other things, everyone seemed satisfied with the result. Dumbledore now knew significantly more about Pokémon, Pokémon biology, Types, Abilities, Moves, and had a Beginner’s Guide To Common with him (He was going to copy the text later on, and have all the students fluent enough to write and read in it). In exchange, Team Maelstrom got wands, Magic Knowledge, and several Beginner’s Guides to various Magical Subjects. Also, the Guildmaster promised to send several High-Ranking members of the Guild to help with teaching. And to make sure everyone wasn’t as overworked.
Eventually, everyone decided it would be best if Dumbledore lead them all to the Great Hall, and then he (Dumbledore) would teleport into his normal spot, while Team Maelstrom stayed behind the door until Dumbledore gave them a mental cue.
~~~This Timeskip was brought to you by Marvel Industries~~~\
So, they had followed Dumbledore. And now, Team Maelstrom (along with Alphonse and Keaton) waited behind the Great Hall. It should be noted that it was lunch time at this point, so all of the students, sans the ones in the Hospital Wing, along with all the teachers, except the DADA professor and Madam Pomfrey, were in the Great Hall, about to eat. Dumbledore tapped his fork on his glass once, and immediately all noise quieted down. Dumbledore rose up from his chair (V had detached one of her eyes, attached it to a metal wire/string, and poked it through a crack in the door to see what was happening. It was very painful), and began speaking.
“Now, while I’m sure you all want to eat your lunch, I have a few announcements to make. First, as you may have known, Professor Quirrell died the day before. It turned out that he had been possessed by a dark wizard, and tried to kill Harry Potter. Somehow, Mr. Potter managed to hit Professor Quirrell in the head with the Philosopher’s Stone. We’re not quite sure how this transpired, but the end result is evident amongst us. Worry not, though. We are trying our best to find a way back to Earth. However, we have also contacted the locals, and met with their Guildmaster. He, and his assistant, Keaton, have come with one of what they refer to as “Rescue Teams” to make sure there was nothing to worry about, and to make sure everyone was safe. As it is, no one needs to worry. As for Mr. Potter, he and his friends are currently in the Hospital Wing, so you may go over there and give them well wishes if you want to. The Guildmaster has also decided to send several high-ranking Guild members to assist us and teach us the ‘ways of the land’, as it would be.”
“Now, burst through the doors!” Dumbledore mentally told them.
With a loud BANG, the doors to the Great Hall opened, allowing all the students to see The Guildmaster, Keaton, and Team Maelstrom walking through the Hall. (V was listening to the speech, and put her eye back in in time. She had a slight grimace on, as she had twisted it slightly too far.) Alphonse was at the head of the group, with Keaton on his shoulder. Behind them, Malachi calmly walked on the wooden floor. Behind Malachi, the group walked while V mostly hovered over their heads. After about a minute, everyone had gotten up to Dumbledore, and had turned around to look at the students. V talked to Techno about the teachers, putting names to faces. Snape was a three-headed blue and black floating hydra: a Hydreigon. McGonagall was a more ground bound dragon, standing on two legs with a darker shade of blue hide on the outside and a hammerhead like head: a Garchomp. Flitwick on the other hand, or paw as it were, was a large and bulky yellow dragon-like creature, with small yellow wings that were blue on the inside, and a kind face: a Dragonite. Hooch was a tall, avian Pokémon that resembled an owl with a leafy hood that covered her head and shoulders, and that partially covers her face: a Decidueye. (A note about hooch: her head and neck coverings are red, with orange and white accents, and together they resemble an ayaigasa. In other words, she’s a Hisuian Decidueye.) There were a few other teachers, but none of them were that noteworthy. Techno then began to look over the students, and paused as he saw a multitude of different types of Pokémon. He noticed that only the 7th years were either fully evolved or unable to evolve. The 1st years were mostly first stage Pokémon and relatively weak. RELATIVELY. They could still hurt him, but they’d at best be a nuisance. The same goes for the 2nd and 3rd years as well. In 4th year were a few middle stage ‘mons, with some looking in between, much like Malachi. In 5th year, it was half and half, and in 6th year, it was mostly middle stage with a few final stages. Techno shook himself slightly. What was that? Why did he suddenly analyze all of these students like they could be threats? They’re just children. Still, he couldn’t shake the feeling something was off. Techno wasn’t the only one recovering from something, as the rest of Team Maelstrom (except Alphonse and Keaton, oddly enough) were shaking themselves and looking generally confused. When Techno turned to Alphonse, he was looking at Team Maelstrom with this odd look in his eyes, one that promised pain and violence. Techno, not wanting any of the kids to get hurt, slapped both Alphonse and Keaton with a hard SMACK. It knocked them out of… whatever that was, and they shared a concerned look. Alphonse looked towards Dumbledore, silently asking if they could leave, and Dumbledore nodded, a concerned expression upon his face. Team Maelstrom left Hogwarts and its grounds, heading towards Twinleaf Town.
~~~Timeskip~~~
Eventually, everyone was settled, and after they had gone to the local healing center to check if everyone was alright (they were), they had gone back to their respective homes/bases. Some time later, it became night, and they were now in this current situation.
“Where’d the extra rooms come from?!” Malachi cried in confusion, sure he had only bought a one-room house with a single basement room.
Evidently, his house either had an expansion charm on it (unlikely, the wizards arrived the day before) or Alphonse (which was weird to think of the Guildmaster as, but what could he do?) making it into a base had made it so the house always expanded for new residents (possible). It would explain both Inigo and Dielle getting rooms, while Rune had to make her own bed and sleep near Malachi (before they became Team Maelstrom). It would also explain why the two rooms they had for V and Techno were so different. V’s room was full of machinery, star gazing equipment (telescopes, star maps, etc.), a miniature petting zoo (full of animals, not Pokémon), and several terrariums (mini homes for reptiles, bugs, or sea life) of all sorts. There was a bed, but it didn’t look all that used. There was, however, a large pipe-like thing that no one had any idea how to use (there was a small slot in it that would fit V’s nanite acid container perfectly…), or why it was there (except V, who chuckled upon seeing it). There was also an entire wall of shelves, all of which had glasses and/or glasses containers, cleaner, and other things related to glasses. It was very confusing and seemed like what would happen if you meshed a group of people into one person. When asked about this, V simply chuckled and said that it was to remember some friends. Techno’s room was also quite odd. There was a desk with an odd device on it, several racks on the wall with various things hanging on them, a few weapon racks, and several chests/barrels/storage items to store things in. There were also quite a few bookshelves, and shelves with books in/on them. While V’s room was a whirlwind of color with a mainly gray-silver color as an undertone, Techno’s room was mainly wood, and in color at least, looked like a regular room, akin to Inigo’s or Dielle’s. Techno refused to tell anyone why his room looked like that, simply stating that it was from before he came here. His bed was a large rectangle, with red wool taking up 2/3 of the top (excepting the wood), and white wool taking up the rest. The bed was about half as tall as Techno himself, but it was surprisingly easy to get in and rest. The group found this out by taking turns getting in and attempting to sleep in it as a challenge. The point was to fall asleep, and everyone won in that regard. Yes, even V. Irregardless of confusing houses and confounding rooms, by the time day rolled around, everyone was awake and alert. It was around this point Maelstrom had the ability to talk to Malachi again, or, in other words, Malachi was ready to talk to Maelstrom again. Malachi had told V and Techno about Maelstrom, but even that wasn’t enough to prepare them to hear a glowing artifact, especially a female one.
“Ah! My Champion, I’m sorry for what happened when we last spoke. I’ve grown to forgive you for silencing me, as I wasn’t quite in my right mind at the time. Please, under no circumstances, can you bring me to that area again. I have been seeing everything so far, and I must say that you have risen terrifically up to the role of leader!” Maelstrom said happily to Malachi, who had looked uncertain and worried before this. Hearing that Maelstrom, one of his closest friends, had not only forgiven him but thought of him as a great leader, was very relieving for Malachi. Hearing that Maelstrom was sorry for what happened and that she didn’t want to be near the Time Gear anymore was just the cherry on top.
Meanwhile, V and Techno were blue-screening, quite literally in the case of the former. But regardless, one more set of eyes and ears couldn’t hurt, even in the form of a sentient rock. Anyway, Team Maelstrom headed down to Twinleaf Town, wanting to train, and see just how skilled V and Techno are.
Notes:
If anything is wrong (comments not working, glitches, or chapter dates being off), please let me know. With that said, hoooooolly SHIT this is by far my longest chapter. The thing with V and Nori having shared skills in the Void (where drones go when they die), is something truly amazing. Regardless, this is my magnum opus so far. Thanks for everything. Oh, and please comment, it makes my day better. If there is anyone who wants to do a lore deep dive into this AU, go ahead. If you want to make spin-offs, you have my permission. As for when we’re getting a proper Harry chapter, that’ll come when he’s recovered. Which is probably in a chapter or two. As for V and Techno’s rooms being based off their friends and past, I used the ROR from Harry Potter, added personal flair to it, and modified it to the both of them. Next chapter’s sparring… but something might go wrong. That’s all I’ll say. Have a good day!
BTW, click https://onborrowedtime.thecomicseries.com/comics/ to read OBT, and https://onborrowedtime.thecomicseries.com/cast/ to find OBT’s Cast page.
Chapter 4: Sparring and Scares
Notes:
V vs. Techno. Oh, and something else significantly less important. Sorry about promising a Double Upload and failing to deliver. Here, have another Upload to satiate your thirst. Have a good day, dear viewers.
(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)
Chapter Text
After making their way to the Kanghaskan Dojo, V and Techno stood at opposite ends. The Dojo, specifically the practice area they were in, was a birch like color, with a red-orange floor. There was also an entercard at the doorway. After a few seconds of silence, both fighters bowed to each other, and after a moment, they both burst into action. With a loud CLLLAANNGGG, their swords clashed, both vying for victory in this short duel. With a shout, V (who was the shorter of the two) pushed off Techno (who was only slightly taller than V), and then went on the attack, slashing rapidly with both of her hands turned into swords and her tail rapidly attempting to skewer Techno. Techno, on the other hand, was deflecting all of her attacks with only a sword and an axe, while also making sure to back up enough so he could dodge. After a brief scuffle (and roughly 30 seconds of this cycle), V tried a new strategy. Specifically, she shot a rocket at her feet, causing a momentary smokescreen so that she could strike Techno from behind and above. Techno, sensing that V was most likely to sneak attack him, switched his axe to a proper shield, and looked around him (but not above nor below). V waited for Techno to be in the right position… then pounced onto him, claws gleaming in the light as she landed on his back and made him stumble. V’s tail then wrapped around Techno’s torso and then throat, a silent warning that there was nothing he could do. Since the goal was simply to knock the foe to the floor, V flared her wings and jumped off Techno with as much force as she could, propelling herself faster and higher with her wings. V watched in excitement as Techno, overwhelmed by the force and V’s weight suddenly leaving him, fell to the floor. A moment passed by, then both combatants broke into chuckles as Techno picked himself up while V floated down. They shook hands, no words needing to be said. Then, both of them promptly exited the battle area, with the rest of Team Maelstrom watching them in undisguised awe (and the member the team was named after being very impressed and congratulating them from Malachi’s clothes (Maelstrom is a small, pocket sized rock that happens to be sentient/sapient)). After a few moments, Rune quite literally shook herself as she said the first words that had been uttered since the battle began and ended.
“How are the two of you so good?! I could barely follow what was happening!”
V chuckled, but said nothing of it. Techno, on the other hand…
“Practice kid, practice and a lot of skill”
She nodded, and then remembered something else. She spoke to Techno in a whisper, her voice barely audible.
“Do you think that we should tell Keaton and the Guildmaster about your plans?”
Techno paused, before finally nodding, having decided that it was best to tell their boss something potentially concerning for the team.
~~~This Timeskip was brought to you by Technoblade’s Chat somehow talking to V~~~
After they had gone to the Guildmaster and alerted him to their plans, he decided to contact Dumbledore, and ask him if this was alright. The Alakazam had agreed, but was concerned that there would be no time for either member to work, and that neither would have any way of getting to Hogwarts quickly (they were having this discussion in Dumbledore’s office). The Guildmaster had asked about the ‘Floo Network’ that Dumbledore introduced them to, but the Headmaster shook his head, saying that he didn’t know how to set up a Floo Connection. The four of them had brainstormed for a good few minutes, before V suggested using house-elfs, which at said point a house-elf apparated in. The resulting scene promptly happened.
V, grabbing onto a chair with all her limbs (except one, which was holding a sword) like a cat.
Techno, who had drawn his own sword, and was lowering his guard because it was a house-elf, not anything malevolent.
Dumbledore, who had gotten up, and aimed his wand at The Guildmaster, with a slight frown on his face.
And finally The Guildmaster, who had been startled and accidently let out a burst of power, which damaged or destroyed Dumbledore’s instruments (except the Pensieve, but shhh).
The house-elf in question looked more surprised at the reaction than anyone else. She lowered her ears, but then perked up as an idea hit her. She then spoke, with an excitement that contrasted her small stature.
“Oh! Topsy has an idea! How’s bout the Come-and-Go Room? Topsy’s sure it could’s make a door or tunnel to wherever you want to go!”
At this, Dumbledore looked at Topsy with confusion, having never heard of this.
“The Come-and-Go Room? What, and where in the castle, is it Topsy?” He asked politely.
Topsy smiled, and replied, “You’s would call it the ‘Room Of Requirement’. It’s a room that makes anything you want… within reason. Topsy’s sure it can make portals or doors or whatever you need.” She was smiling the whole time, but it became more and more sinister the longer she talked.
Sensing the need to get Topsy the fuck out of here, Dumbledore asked her one last question.
“And where is this ‘Room Of Requirement’, Topsy?”
Topsy, still smiling, replied, “Just walk three times on the seventh floor in the left corridor, opposite a tapestry of Barnabas the Barmy trying to teach trolls ballet. You’ll get whatever you want then. If you’ll excuse me, I must go.” Topsy then bowed, before vanishing with a puff of smoke.
Everyone paused at that. No one had expected that there would be… whatever Topsy was (she was NOT a house elf), or that there would be such a convenient way. The Guildmaster then looked at the two non-mons, and asked a simple question.
“Weren’t you two thinking of teaching at the Dojo? How will you balance that?”
Techno froze, he didn’t think of that. V, however, smirked, and got up from her position on the floor. She had been sitting on the floor for too long anyway. She stretched, before speaking, addressing everyone there.
“Well, my idea is that Techno and I have alternating shifts. One week is Techno’s week, the other mine. On weekends we go through Dungeons, Quests, and Magic classes. If we get any days off, we’ll use them for either more Magic classes, or whatever activity one or both of us feel like doing. Whoever isn’t working at the dojo will work at Hogwarts that week, and vice versa. Actually, I’ve got a bunch of classes planned, and I know Techno does too. At least one of the shared classes has to be mandatory, so take your pick Headmaster.”
By the time she finished, she had gone to his desk and placed down a planner. In it were a bunch of possible classes, what they would be named, basic summaries, what you would usually expect. None of them involved magic, they were all based off physical or mental capability. One of the classes she had shown was labelled “Martial Arts”. Curious, Dumbledore opened it, and saw the scheduling (for both V and Techno), basic plans for each day, possible workarounds for special body shapes, and a ton of information on biology, martial arts, and special techniques. He closed the folder, before looking to the two possible teachers in front of him, one significantly more nervous than the other. He mustered up the words, before taking a deep breath, and ensuring their fate.
“Both of you… welcome to Hogwarts.”
~~~Like 5 minutes later~~~
Both naturally had to be sorted, and V went into Ravenclaw, oddly enough (these two were full of surprises), while Techno went into Gryffindor. Since only one of them would be at Hogwarts at a time, they shared a class, but both expressed their desire to both teach, and to make sure no one got themselves killed. Techno thought it would be a good idea if they could mix in what they learned from the Dojo into their classes, which Dumbledore allowed. When Dumbledore had asked where they would host the classes, V had given an exasperated expression, before replying ‘the Room of Requirement’. Dumbledore had also arranged a joint office for them, partially out of necessity, and partially to keep up appearances. There was some paperwork to be done, but eventually, everything was figured out. Hopefully, the Kanghaskan Dojo would make things go just as smoothly.
~~~This Timeskip was brought to you by V defeating Metal Sonic by chucking him at a Sentinel~~~
Things, somehow, went smoothly. The surprise was that the universe let them get their jobs quickly and easily, without so much as a bump. Granted, there were a few hitches, but nothing major. It was a bit of a shocker, but V took it in stride. There was barely anything that could ruin her day-
Oh wait. She doesn’t know Common. Nor does Techno. Hell, she doubted even the students at Hogwarts know Common. She needs a tutor, fast!
Driven by this newfound (not really) urge to learn, she bolted towards Malachi’s house and kicked down the door. Maybe not her best move, as she got hit by a surprised Thundershock from Malachi… which damaged her systems slightly, but way less than they should’ve. Odd. Deciding to figure that out later, she ran up to Malachi and grabbed his shoulders, a desperate look on her face. She then started speaking.
“HeyMalachiIreallyneedtolearnCommonandTechnoneedstolearntoocanyoupleasehelp?” She pleaded in an honestly pathetic voice, hoping to prey on Malachi’s ‘help everyone out’ sense. She might’ve been a bit too fast, as he was looking confused and slightly dizzy.
Someone cleared their throat behind them, and V noticed that Rune was behind her, standing on a stepstool and glaring at V. Chuckling, V turned around and her voice was lost in her throat as she realized it was Inigo who cleared his throat, not Rune (though she looked two seconds away from strangling V). Inigo then made a motion to follow him, and V complied, still slightly scared despite knowing that she had practically every advantage against him. The reason that she was so scared was because Inigo somehow mastered The Stare, which has any being it is aimed at scared at best, and paralyzed from fear at worst. V did not want that Look aimed at her again, and so she followed Inigo into… a library? Inigo paused, before grabbing a book and going to a nearby table, with V following like a lost puppy (the irony of this situation was not lost on her, and she wished she had N to rant to, as he had become, at some point, V’s therapist). Inigo sat down, with V sitting as well, and then Inigo passed her the book. Inigo cleared his throat, which removed any remnants of The Stare, and V startled, as she hadn’t realized that it leftover subtle mind control elements as well. Inigo then spoke.
“Normally, I don’t like doing that kind of thing. Not my style. But… I knew I needed to after seeing how desperate you were. So, I’ll become your Common tutor, and Malachi will probably tutor Technoblade. Techno will probably learn faster than you, but that’s because of who he is, not his tutor. So, let’s start with a book, shall we?”
Inigo then passed her the book, and V realized it must be a beginner’s guide to Common. She felt vaguely insulted, but kept herself calm with the thought that she was starting from scratch. She looked at Inigo, determination blazing in her eyes, as she resolved to learn at least a beginner’s level. Inigo, who was looking at her studiously, nodded to himself, and then began to teach her the basics of Common.
~~~Later that day~~~
Techno was taking lessons in Common from Malachi. He knew that he needed it, but he was still annoyed at the thought. Not for any particular reason, mind you, he was just frustrated he would have to start all over. Despite his own feelings, Techno admitted Malachi was a great teacher, even if he sometimes went a bit too fast for Techno’s pace. So, Mentor and pupil, teacher and student, the two of them talked, and Techno started learning Common.
As for why this whole thing was happening, it was because V had apparently kicked Malachi’s door down (rude), rapidly talked to him, and eventually figured out the cause. After a bit (read: a LOT) of talking and investigating, it turned out that V had been really eager, too eager actually, to learn Common, and had turned to Malachi. While Malachi was Confused (status condition), Rune had to handle the cooking in the meantime. Dielle, as Rune’s girlfriend, helped her out and made sure to do what she could to make sure nothing too bad happened from this mess. Long story short, V was slightly too eager, Malachi got stunned, Rune and Dielle were helpful, Techno arrived late because he was fishing, and Inigo decided to tutor V to prevent this from happening again. Hopefully.
~~~Nightime~~~
V fell asleep, surrounded by the sounds of her allies, before….
Death
DESTRUCTION
RUN
V was surrounding by burning buildings- a cathedral(?)- Flesh and goo, so much of it human- Sentinels, those damn things- Cyn’s laughter echoing off Elliot Manor, distorting and corrupted- Uzi’s laughter coming off of her as she saw N trying to help her up, echoing corrupted and distorted- Uzi falling into a large fleshy pit with seemingly no end- Explosions from all angles, copies of her and her squad destroying everything in sight- Pain- Gore- Destruction- Why- Is- There- So- MUCH- ?!-
And, as sudden as it started, it stopped abruptly, as she fell through a dark ocean gently, a whirlpool sending her along, before the world faded into black...
… and some color came back. V felt like she was in little pieces, all cut and scattered before being put back together. Why, oh why, did it seem like she was hurting all over but couldn’t feel any pain at all?
Movement.
Whirling around, she bared her teeth, one hand switching to a sword, the other to an MP5 (a submachine gun). She used her 5 extra eyes to scan for threats in all spectrums and she carefully looked around with her ‘regular’ eyes, internally cursing her poor vision. It seemed like there wasn’t anything around, not on any of her sensors, but she knew better. She knew that there was Something here, some Force, that would cause her to See all of that, to Know. … Though in hindsight, that sounded kind of stupid-
!
V rolled to the side, her sword hand switching to rocket as she saw a large… Thing rush into the spot she had just been standing in. Carefully switching both her hands into claws, she climbed a nearby rock face, making sure that she engaged ‘chameleon mode’ on her body, to let her blend in. She looked, and saw… Requiem, sipping tea. Though, one of their eyes seemed focused on her. Deciding that direct engagement with the deity in control of this place, the Dream Realm, she engaged her wings and used the graviton engines in them to boost herself and then slow her fall as she gently stepped forward, the rockface behind her melting into the background. She then stowed her claws and wings, and walked forward towards Requiem, who had been watching the entire time.
“Impressive. Very impressive.” Requiem stated, sipping their tea while not breaking eye contact.
V internally winced, had she known that it was Requiem the entire time… forget it, it’s not worth the time thinking about ‘what ifs’. She then kneeled briefly, before standing up and addressing her.
“Requiem. I trust that there is a good reason I am here?”
Requiem, now fully facing her and mostly on eye level, chuckled before nodding and gesturing to the side flamboyantly. As they gestured, a large amount of text appeared, but disappeared before V could read it. V then couldn’t think of that anymore, as she saw a nebulae and the beauty of the galaxy before her. It was shocking… but this was the Dream Realm. There were no limits to what could happen. Right before V could open her mouth and ask them, Requiem interrupted her.
“V. I’ve brought you here to tell you something. I regret to say that I’ve found the Hands that you and Techno are the Champions of. You can tell Techno when you wake up. Oh, and ask Malachi about the Hands and Champions. Regardless, Techno are connected to the Hand of kingship and combat: Aegeus. You, on the other hand, are connected to the Hand of rejuvenation and reincarnation: Ho-oh. Unfortunately, I have no idea where to find either Hand, so I doubt you will meet them. I don’t know why it was those two the two of you bonded with, and I frankly don’t care. Does that answer all of your questions?”
V nodded dumbly, astounded at all of the information presented to her. From what Rune told her, Requiem reveled in being mysterious and ominous. For them to reveal this much, and to be so snappy, she must have had a really bad day. There was then a POP! And a table appeared in front of V, who promptly sat in one of the chairs. Requiem sat in the other. They both grabbed their respective teas, and Requiem let out a content sigh. There was then a slight glow, and Requiem, seeing it, looked at V.
“Well, I guess our meeting’s cut short. Bye-bye!”
The Goddess waved goodbye at V, who wasn’t even able to do anything other than stare as the light overwhelmed everything…
…and V woke up. Specifically, she startled awake, before calming down and rolling off her bed. She had a slight headache, but she sorted through her files and made sure to put her most recent dream meeting (but not the nightmare…) into a special folder. Shaking off the tiredness, she checked her clock, looked outside, before checking clock again.
‘3 AM. Just greeeat.’
V blinked tiredly a couple times, before starting her morning routine, hoping today would be a normal day, with no complications whatsoever.
Notes:
I’m so sorry for the House-Elf bit, I was just going off Dobby. Anyway, that was quite a bit of lore, wasn’t it? If you’re wondering what just happened, all I’ll say is: The Lore Never Ends. Oh, and Fnaf Too I Guess. Yes, the Dream Sequence was a bit longer than before, but that’s cause I get to actually mess with things this time. Uhhh, I forgot what I was supposed to say here… sorry for no double update? Yeah, this one was a LOT longer than I initially thought it would be. See y’all next chapter!
Chapter 5
Notes:
NEW POV! I felt I wasn’t giving my characters enough of a break, so here’s this chapter. ‘Course, there’s still gonna be SOME drama.
(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)
Chapter Text
The day was supposed to be normal. Get groceries, talk to the townsfolk, do a few missions, and talk to the rest of the team. Heck, right now Malachi wasn’t even focused on the whole ‘raising the rank’ thing, because they all just went through an incredibly extraneous experience (try saying that five times fast), and were just focused on recovery, both physical and mental. Malachi was concerned about something though. One of the newer members of the team, having came a few days ago (oh, how time flies), V. There wasn’t anything particularly wrong with her, Malachi actually quite enjoyed her company, she was just… off. There was something just… weird? Off? Wrong…? Strange! With V. She had a few weird habits, but that wasn’t the issue. The issue was presenting itself right in front of him, as V had a sword duel with Techno. Both were clearly good fighters, with V’s higher agility making up for the skill gap, while Techno was significantly more skilled, but unable to do anything other than block and occasionally retaliate. However, the issue with V is that Malachi didn’t the see the face of a warrior facing an equal, as he did Techno. No, he saw a predator, and an Apex predator at that, hunting and toying with it’s prey. But… that contrasted with the look of joy -genuine joy, not sadistic joy- on her face, a face that flipped between predator and friend as easy as breathing. In short, V disturbed Malachi, but he wasn’t sure what he could do about it. While he could confront V about it, he was unlikely to get sufficient answers, or answers at all.
Malachi’s gaze slid over to the warrior dueling with the beast, and the friend having a spar with an equal. Techno. Something about Techno was weird, but in the same way that had Rune had been before she got her aura back. Initially, that was Malachi’s theory, that Techno somehow lost part of his aura, and that’s what was causing the feeling. That is, until Techno started using moves. Automatically, this disproved, or at least somewhat dismissed his theory. But, he knew that the theory was on the right track… but it wasn’t the full picture. Malachi wasn’t sure how Rune got her Aura back, but he was sure that if could just go get some Aura cloths… he’d find at least a clue, if not the answers he’s been seeking. If he was able to get V and Techno to touch some Aura cloths, then there might be an answer, or a clue, or… something at least! Malachi mentally threw his paws in the air as he pondered. How to do it…? Wait- Aura cloths are sold at Kecleon Market! If he could talk to Matt… yes, that might just work! Hold on, how’s he going to get them out of their fight-?
Malachi’s thoughts were interrupted by a crash, causing him to whip around from where he’d been pacing and muttering, to see Techno pinning V against the floor with his sword, both clearly exhausted. Malachi ran over to them, worry clear on his face. No matter what his thoughts were, they were still his friends!
“Hey, you guys alright? I heard a crash!” Malachi said, looking concerned for both of them. Chuckling, Techno sheathed his sword and stepped off of V, who then began to pick herself up. V then looked at Malachi, predator expression gone, it was just his friend. Wait… had she said something?
“Sorry, could you repeat that? I got a little lost in my thoughts.” Malachi said, chuckling slightly.
V rolled her eyes, before speaking again, “Don’t worry, we’re fine. Also, the crash was from me getting thrown into the floor. Was a mix of my own weight and Techno’s strength.”
Malachi chuckled slightly, and asked, “Hey, do you want to go to Kecleon Market with me today? I’ve got some errands to run.”
V made a weird chirping sound, before coughing and saying -behing a yellow blush, how odd-, “Yeah, I’ve got nothing better to do. Techno, you want to come with?”
Techno, who was cleaning himself off, looked up at being addressed. He then nodded and responded, “Sure. Just give me a moment to clean myself up.”
~~~This timeskip was brought to you by Rune shouting at Inigo during a game of Uno~~~
Eventually, all three were ready to go, and went down the short path to the town, and then to the Market. The three chatted the entire time, Malachi giving helpful insights into the local culture, money, and other useful things. Things seemed to have prices and such, but it was confusing as to where the money was, where it came from, or how to earn it. V was clearly puzzling it over, while Techno just chuffed and didn’t question it. Regardless, they got to Kecleon Market, and then they had to buy stuff. Hoo boy.
“Heya Malachi! How’re ya doing? Hey, I’ve noticed Maelstrom isn’t with you today, did something happen? Oh, and who are the two of you?” Matt, the local shop owner, -who happened to be a Raichu- asked.
“I’m doing good, Maelstrom and I had an argument, and these are Techno and V.” As Malachi said their names, he gestured to each one.
“Say, do you have any aura cloth on stock? I just want to check something.” Malachi asked.
“Yep! Got some right here.” Matt answered, and Malachi could hear Techno and V bickering nearby, but he ignored it.
“Hey guys! Would you mind touching this, one at a time? It’s called Aura Cloth. It’s said to show your aura.” Malachi asked his friends.
Techno walked forward, and obligingly put his hand-paw on it, looking surprised at the whte-pinkish color it turned into. V, after waiting for Techno to let go of it -and for Techno to stop asking Malachi about Aura Cloth, and aura in general-, walked forward and put her hand on it. The Cloth promptly turned silver-black-yellow, and V was not very surprised, though she was confused as to why hers was multiple colors while Techno’s was only one. V turned a questioning gaze onto Malachi, who looked equally confused. Techno was also confused, but hid it better than Malachi.
“Usually, the amount of colors and… deepness, for lack of a better term, in an Aura Cloth relates to how strong your Aura is. Lightly colored Auras are, as a whole, weaker than darkly colored Auras. White Aura Cloth means that you have almost no Aura, meaning you’re frail and unable to use moves.” Malachi rattled, seeing the twin puzzled looks on the robot and pig’s faces.
… There was a brief silence, as they both digested that. V, now knowing this, felt more confident; after all, she had a powerful Aura. She paused, then looked at Techno, thinking that if Techno had a weakened Aura, then why? They were both connected to Hands, and should have their full abilities at their disposal. But Techno didn’t, for some reason. V, thought it over, before her eyes widened in realization: Techno was connected to a human turned God (Hand), while V was connected to an actual Pokémon: Ho-Oh. Since Techno was connected to a former human, his Aura was damaged, or at least different than normal. Which means that either Techno’s Hand will need to repair his Aura (at some cost, most likely), or Techno needs to get a new Hand, preferably one that can stay close by without drawing too much attention.
While V was pondering about all of this and the implications of what to do with it, Techno just shrugged and decided to go along with it. V was better at playing the long game, he preferred to jump into the action. That’s not to say Techno was dumb, nor that he couldn’t play the long game -he had done both, after all-, just that he preferred to leave it to the people who specialized in it. Anyway, Techno cleared his throat, just loudly enough to get the attention of his friends.
“So, is there anything else you wanted to show us, Malachi?” Techno asked.
Malachi, who had been muttering to himself, shook his head. He cleared his throat, thinking of what to say.
“No, there’s nothing I can think of. Anyway, do you guys know where Rune and Dielle went? I know Inigo is at the Dojo training, but I don’t remember if either of them said anything about where they were going.” Malachi said to V and Techno.
Techno shook his head, not having heard either of them say where they were going.
“I… think one of them said something about a ‘beach-side view’?” V questioned.
Malachi hummed, but decided to think about that later. He then realized that they probably should go on a dungeon mission, preferably to get V and Techno adjusted to Dungeoning.
~~~Some time later~~~
“-So that’s why I think you guys should go to a Dungeon, preferably with me and maybe Rune or Inigo.” Malachi explained to V and Techno on the way home (they had bought quite a lot of food and other things), hoping they would understand.
“Why not Dielle?” Techno questioned, raising an eyebrow.
“A-Ah, well, someone needs to hold down the fort, while there isn’t anything worrying or bad about Dielle, Inigo and Rune are just better combatants.” Malachi explained quickly, feeling uncomfortable.
V nodded, following that logic. Techno, while still slightly suspicious, nodded as well. After a bit of time, they had gotten home. Techno kicked the door open, shouting/singing loudly.
“WE’RE HOOOOOOOOME!” Techno hollered.
There was a lot of noise following that, and Rune ran up to them, looking worried.
“So, we might be done for. Dielle and I spotted Julius on our way back from our date. Any ideas, oh so wise leader?” Rune snarked, although she was clearly worried.
“…I don’t know. If he isn’t harming anybody, then we can just leave him be.” Malachi said, unsure of himself.
V narrowed her eyes, but Malachi thought she agreed with him… hopefully. Anyway, while Julius could be a threat… it didn’t seem likely, especially if he hadn’t attacked either Rune or Dielle. It would be unfair to attack someone who wasn’t doing anything, after all… regardless of any bad blood.
Malachi hummed in thought, thinking of what he could do… and decided that asking Rune if she was alright with taking V and Techno (and Malachi himself) on another Dungeon.
“Hey Rune, do you think it would be a good idea if you took V and Techno on their first Dungeon? I’ll join to make sure things don’t go too crazy, hehe.” Malachi asked, chuckling a little.
Rune seemed to think it over, before finally nodding and giving her assent.
“Sure. It’s been a bit since we’ve gone on a training Dungeon anyway.” Rune commented.
And so, with the plans in place, the friends went off to a Dungeon.
Notes:
: Sorry for the shorter chapter, I’m running on a bit of a shorter schedule. I also could barely focus while writing, since I was constantly distracted by Minecraft vids playing in the background. The next chapter(s) will have much larger gaps in between… mostly cause I won’t have AO3 access. Of course, if there are any issues, complaints, criticism, etc. you guys have, please share it with me. Have a good day/evening/night!
BTW, click https://onborrowedtime.thecomicseries.com/comics/ to read OBT, and https://onborrowedtime.thecomicseries.com/cast/ to find OBT’s Cast page. This part will be repeated everytime the characters show up. (so you don't have to go back to this page every time) (I have no idea what I'm doing)
AFansAltAcc on Chapter 1 Wed 17 Jul 2024 12:02AM UTC
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AFansAltAcc on Chapter 1 Wed 17 Jul 2024 12:04AM UTC
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