AN: Some of this is a little farfetched I know but the idea came to my mind and I just had to write it. It's probably not the best ever written, but it's out of my head. I am no psychic though, and I only took the basic idea of tarot cards and put them in the meaning of the story. I've only had my fortune told via tarot cards twice – once by a friend and once at a midnight release for Harry Potter (the second one was freakily accurate). So I have no true knowledge in the field. So if you do, and you spot inaccuracies, I apologize ahead of time.
A Psychic's Prediction
It was just a few hours before he took off for Pandora. It was only just a few hours before he got on that shuttle and left behind the only world he ever had known…
Jake Sully wheeled his way through the port, expertly weaving his way through the crowd. Some people just didn't get the idea that when a person needed space to get a chair through, they should move. That, or when they did finally move, they just stared at him as if he were an inconvenience. As if he was useless, worthless. As if he was dead. And in reality, that was how Jake felt at times: dead. He was on a dying planet with a dying spirit in a dying body. The war in Venezuela, his now unfeeling legs, and Tom's death were proof of that. And he had to get away from it all. Sure, he was leaving all he knew, but what was life without a little risk? There was no such thing as an ex-marine. He would pass any test that a man can pass. If that meant leaving behind his former world and seeking out what his deceased brother had come to love, so be it. He would face it – as always – head on. But that didn't mean that he wasn't nervous, uncertain. He was, after all, leaving all he had ever known.
Jake arrived at a place to eat and pulled up to a table where he could comfortably fit his chair under the table and eat without difficulty. Almost as soon as he had arrived, a young waitress glided up to him, pad and pen ready in hand. She clearly enjoyed the sun; her skin was brown with the constant light and her dark brown hair sported random red highlights dyed by its rays. When she looked at him to speak, Jake saw dark brown eyes, almost black, sparkle with a friendly light that instantly made her comfortable to be around.
"Hi, I'm Dawn, your waitress. Would you like to start with a drink sir?"
"Um yes, Coke please… and could you start an order of the country style breakfast?"
Nodding, Dawn left to get his drink and place his order. As Jake waited he grabbed his dog tags and started to swing them around to keep his mind busy. Dawn though quickly returned. This time with a Coke and a deck of cards.
"Forgive me for intruding, it's really none of my business… but you seem nervous," the woman sat down in the chair across from him. "Would you like to talk about it? I find talking to strangers calm me down a lot… they're less likely to intervene if they disagree with anything or try to lend an unnecessary helping hand." She handed Jake his Coke.
Jake gave Dawn a clear who the hell do you think you are? look. "You're right," he said aloud. "It really isn't any of your business."
"I'll take that as a no then," Dawn said. There was a long awkward pause.
"Would you like your fortune told?" Dawn finally asked, holding up her cards. "See if those nerves will calm down?"
"They can also only make my nerves worse if they tell me something I don't like," retorted Jake.
Dawn gave a wide, sheepish grin. "True."
"Do you offer this to all your costumers? Or should I feel honored?" Jake asked, raising an eyebrow.
"No, I haven't offered to read any fortunes for any other costumer. None of them have looked like they needed it before."
Jake could only stare at the girl. So much for strangers not trying to lend an unnecessary helping hand…
"Look," Dawn finally said. "Consider this my thank you for serving my country and your price you have paid for it." She motioned quickly to the chair and looked right back at the man in front of her.
Startled, Jake was now looking at the girl with surprise. "How the hell did you know I served in the military? Your inner eye tell you?"
Dawn laughed warm heartedly. "Well you do carry yourself like a soldier but no, actually I looked at your dog tags that you've been swinging around you wrist."
Jake quickly stopped swinging his chain and blushed at the obvious explanation. "Oh."
"So should I place down the cards for you before your meal?"
"Hell, sure. Knock yourself out."
Taking the cards, Dawn separated the deck in half and said, "Pick which half, any half." And with that, she started to lay down his future. Not of course, Jake really believed in all that stuff. It would just be interesting... if not entertaining… to see what this woman came up with. She ended it when she finally had two groups of three cards on either side of a group of four cards. Spreading them out she flipped over the first three.
Pointing to the card that had a figure in a vehicle with two sphinxes, Dawn recited, "The chariot. You are headed on a journey, far from home."
And she rested her hand on the card with a young man with a white dog jumping at his side, holding a sack tied to long pole and she chanted, "The fool. This journey will be an adventure, yet you are unprepared. You are unaware of what is coming for you. This innocence can be your undoing."
She then motioned to a figure reaching down petting a lion and said, "Strength. Despite being a fool, you are brave, strong in mind and spirit. This may enough to pay for your blindness. This may be enough to save yourself and perhaps a People."
She paused before reaching for the four in the middle, waiting for Jake's reaction. "Well, I'm certainly going on a journey." Jake finally said.
"Oh!" Dawn exclaimed. "Where?"
"Pandora, my shuttle leaves in the next few hours."
Dawn's eyes sparkled with light envy. "That is indeed an adventure; just remember the cards, be brave and strong."
"Er… sure thing, I'll remember."
Shaking her head in satisfaction, Dawn went on to flip over the next four cards. The first of the four had two dogs baying at a crescent moon."The moon," Dawn explained, "means illusions and dreams." Turning over the next, she revealed a figure leaning over a pond pouring water into both the ground and the pond as a bright star shone up above them. "The star means healing," Dawn said. "You will be living as if in a dream and be healed through your illusions."
"Isn't that a bad thing though?" Jake interrupted. "I mean shit; illusions and dreams aren't real, so how will I be able to stay healed?"
"And who said that these dreams and illusions won't be real?" Dawn argued back. "No one, so let me finish." Relaxing from her interruption, she turned over the third card in the group.
"The lovers," she pointed to the card that showed a male and a female figure with an angel above them, arms spread as if in a blessing. "There's a romance in your future. However it will not be without hardship; it will cause you to make a choice between two paths. It will be your choice that will determine if this love ends in happiness or tragedy. No pressure." She revealed the fourth, which held a woman wearing a crowd, sitting upon a throne. "The empress… she describes your love. She is one with nature and she will teach you, she will guide you. I suggest you use your love as a guide when you have to make your choice…you look skeptical."
Indeed Jake was looking at the waitress as if she had grown a second head. "Have you looked at me?"
Dawn's expression turned to almost pity. "Not all judge on appearance alone. And yet, you've given up on love… I suggest you rethink your view of life. One who is not able to look past obstacles to look for the soul is dead indeed." She looked back at the four cards in front of her. "Perhaps that is why these dreams and illusions must heal you first… you must see yourself before your love…"
Jake clearly looked uncomfortable about the subject. "Could we just move on to the next three?"
The woman jumped out of her thoughts and nodded. She flipped over the card to reveal a blindfolded woman upon a throne, holding a scale… unlike the other cards however, this one was upside down. Dawn looked saddened. "Justice. You will see plenty of injustice on this journey. You will suffer through inequality and bias. There will be great confusion." Dawn looked straight into his sky blue eyes and pointed back to the strength card. "And you will need your bravery and strength more than ever."
Sighing, she turned over a card and her eyes lost even more sparkle, yet some still remained. Dawn was in conflict with this card that revealed a tall white tower which flames shot out of, with two figure jumping out to escape the inferno. "The tower. Disruption, conflict, a major change. There will be sudden death of one you will call family. And there will be a widespread repercussion. However, in the end, there is hope for enlightenment and freedom. I sincerely hope that you find this hope."
Jake suddenly thought of Tom. Well, at least part of it already had happened. So it couldn't mean more deaths of those he cared for… right? And why was he even worried? He didn't believe in all this!
Dawn proceeded on to the very last card and her eyes widen. She took yet another deep breath. "You will not return to Earth." Setting the card down, she revealed the white stallion with the knight in black armor holding a black flag. Underneath in the regular capital letters was the card's name: DEATH.
Jake's eyes widened in held back fear. "Bull-!"
"I didn't mean it as it sounded," Dawn quickly said. "This does necessarily mean you or anyone else is going to die. It does mean a transformation, a change and a rebirth. An old life will end, and another will begin."
"What the hell does that mean?" demanded Jake, trying to hold back any uncertainty and fear in his voice. You will not return to Earth.
"I'm just telling you what the cards mean… but I can't read your future to you as if it were a novel with all the details."
"DAWN! You're order is ready!" A voice called from the kitchen. Gathering up her cards, Dawn got up and started to walk away. "I'll get your food sir… is there anything else I can get you while I'm up?"
The sudden change of subject unnerved Jake greatly. He had completely forgotten that he had gone there for food in the first place. "Um, yeah ketchup please." Dawn nodded, left, and came back with his food and left him alone to eat. When she returned with his bill, she had a few more words to say.
"Thank you sir for your service… and good luck."