Nice and peaceful, Nabias offers a great place to start your journey or stock up on supplies before heading out to brave the rest of the wilderness out there. They also have Barakka's largest hospital facility to treat all sorts of injuries you could get out there. (+2 Precision)

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[* Reunion After Millennia [P]

Postby Jaykobell » 05/26/2013 7:30 PM

The town of Nabias was famous for its countless little stores and markets, and its cultural history. Every single corner of the town echoed with culture and some sort of historical background, and the environment of the town itself was rich and exciting. Winter time introduced many cultural holidays throughout the snowy months, but the calmer summer months were by far the most exciting. That was the time when Nabias opened its huge open market, filled with various shops that filled the streets from one end to another, seemingly to infinity. From food to antics to magic items, the enormous Nabias market had so many shops that a single day wasn't enough to see the whole thing.

Even to people who'd seen the market countless times for the last three millennia — quite literally — the experience was still entertaining and exciting, since the shops were never the same, nor were they ever located at the same spot from one year to the next.

She wasn't really here for sightseeing or enjoyment today, however.

Image

The young dragon-lady made her way through the market, arms folder behind her back happily as she looked this way and that at the various little shops. Even though she'd visited the place a few times before, it was always different every time she came. While she didn't always come here on her own, she only had some groceries to take care of today, so she'd opted to come alone.

Some faces turned as they recognized the green-haired woman, whose red one-piece dress was adorned with the symbol of her mother, and of her lineage. The one and only daughter to the divine dragon Goddess, some turned to pay silent respects to the woman, whom was often referred to as the Voice of the divine dragon. The gazes sometimes upset her, but she had nothing against some people watching her curiously from the sidelines. It was only a problem when it came to personal interactions, where the young dragon girl had to act according to her rank and status, and not according to her own unique personality. While she had certainly matured a lot, there were times when she honestly didn't feel like playing the whole "Voice" persona.

Her life had taken a calmer turn ever since the end of a bloody and terrible war from a few years back. During the war, she'd grown especially fond of a human man, and the two decided to get married. They now lived happily as a couple, together with two children; although the story behind the kids was fairly hard to believe. Before even proposing, her husband had established that he was sterile and that he couldn't have children, and that was something that the Voice had accepted. However, two children made their way to the couple in the midst of the war, supposedly born to the couple in an alternate timeline. Not only that, but the two children did not come from the same timelines either, and before meeting, the two kids had no idea that they were siblings. Still, their natural ability to transform into dragons, and the larger ears proved that they were the Voice's children, whereas other similarities proved that they were, in fact, from her current husband. While the idea of having children had left her husband to quite nearly have a heart attack — twice — the man had since gotten used to the children.

It was a little hard to explain coherently, but to keep it simple, the parents considered the two grown kids to be their children, regardless of time traveling or alternate timelines. That was but a detail in the grand scheme of things.

The goal today was to shop for some specific ingredients to bring back home for dinner. While the Voice could manage cooking and such things, her husband was exceptionally talented at the skill, and he also enjoyed cooking immensely; so the duty had been given to him. In exchange for him cooking, the wife took on the task of getting and buying the necessary ingredients for whatever dish he was going to prepare. It was a fair trade, after all.

For now, the Voice was simply walking from one stall to the next, looking over the different shops and trying to find all the ingredients she needed to bring back. She was walking around idly, sometimes stopping by a certain stall to check out their stock more carefully, or to see if the produce they were selling was of good quality.
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Re: [* Reunion After Millennia [P]

Postby Thunder » 05/27/2013 9:24 PM

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On that day, there was yet another rather exceptional person walking around town, though his abilities were far less known than those of the Voice's. Xane, as he was called, was a divine dragon just like the Voice. He had lost his ability to turn into a dragon long ago, but this had been replaced by the power to transform into other people, which proved useful- and entertaining- in all sorts of circumstances. There were some stories about a mysterious shape-shifting boy floating around, but Xane used his powers sparingly in public, and his mostly nomadic lifestyle allowed any rumors of him to fade with time. And there was plenty of time for them to die out- he too, was thousands of years old, though his youthful appearance did not suggest such at all.

He knew Tiki from her youth, and it was the news of her appearance in Nabias that had drawn him to the town today. The last he heard of her was that she had gone into a deep sleep inside a sacred tree, and that later she had awakened in order to aid a bunch of humans with a war against a wicked dragon named Grima. He wasn't overly concerned for her initially. After all, she held the immense power of the dragon goddess Naga, and he was sure that the humans (as horrid as they could be) would not let the Voice meet harm easily. As such, he had not tried looking for her. Furthermore, he did not want to get involved in the affairs of men and dragons. He had gotten captured for his powers once and was not about to let that happen again.

After the battle against Grima ended, Xane had, surprisingly, heard little about Tiki. If something bad had befallen her, he surely would have known, so he figured that she might have gone back to sleep inside her tree. He didn't want to disturb her if she was slumbering. But today, out of the blue, she was apparently going around town. Perhaps she was doing some business as the Voice?

It wasn't too hard to pinpoint her location- a downside of being a revered figure. All the townsfolk he asked said that she was in the marketplace, which struck him as a bit of an odd place for the divine dragon to be. He decided to save his questions for later, and Xane quickly found the marketplace, which was filled with people today. It was not hard to distinguish Tiki from the rest of the crowd, with her pointed ears, green hair tied in a ponytail, and elegant headpiece. Those were all aspects of the Tiki he had watched over years ago. But she had grown a lot in thousands of years, and as he watched her from a distance, he had to admit that she was quite beautiful.

Xane suddenly felt a little nervous. It had been ages since they last met, and he didn't know what to expect, though he was certain that she'd remember him. He was once practically a babysitter for her, and obviously that would be different now. How would he approach her or talk to her? Perhaps if he took another guise, he'd be more comfortable. ...yes, that was what he'd do.

Xane transformed into the first thing he could think of. He had only been observing Tiki for a few minutes, but he had already gotten a good idea of her looks. The townspeople would be confused if they saw two Tikis running around, but Tiki herself, he hoped, would immediately know what was going on. With his new appearance, he went to stand behind her and began speaking in her voice. "Oh, hello there."
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[2]

Postby Jaykobell » 05/27/2013 9:51 PM

For the most part, the Voice ignored the curious eyes that were staring at her. It was far from being something unusual, considering her lineage and her fame, as it were. Of course, her life had changed a lot since the war. From trying to let her legend disappear by sealing herself away in a sacred tree, to helping humans save the world once more, just as she once done by the side of a legendary Hero King. So similar the two events had been, yet so very different. However, there were times when she'd completely lost track of what millennia it was. Really, the whole immortality concept wasn't as big as it was blown up to be. After living for three thousand years, she felt older than all the grannies doing their grocery shopping in this very market.

She stopped for a while at small stall that focused on various spices and exotic tastes. She needed a few spices for tonight's dish, but to be honest, she was a bit unfamiliar with them. Her husband was a lot more knowledgeable, and he could recognize one ingredient from another quickly, but even after so many millennia, the Voice wasn't very knowledge in terms of food produce. She bent down slightly, observing the different grains and colors that were for sale at the stall.

She was so focused on the ingredients in front of her that she didn't pick up on the baffled looks of the citizens around her. Initially, she ignored the strange stares and simply remained focus on the task at hand; again, it wasn't rare for people to look in her direction. She'd even spoken in front of big crowds before, so while the feeling was still a little unsettling, she wasn't unfamiliar with it.

However, her concentration was completely broken when she heard her very own voice coming from behind her. At first, she thought maybe she'd just heard her own voice from inside her own head; just thinking to herself and being so focused that she couldn't differentiate between speaking out loud and her subconscious. The more she thought about it, though, the more it all made sense; why was she hearing herself, and why was everyone staring so much more in her direction, all of a sudden?

Without thinking twice about it, the Voice turned around to face whoever had called out to her from behind. "Yes, can I—" she started, but the divine dragon did a double take when she saw herself — quite literally — standing right behind her. She gasped at the sight and frowned, staring hard at the person in front of her. "I... Who are you?" she questioned, her voice, tone and presence being so different from the young child that she used to be back then. Now more grown-up, she was wiser and more confident; her voice had lost its childish, high-pitched tone, but she still sounded young and feminine despite that.

As she continued to stare at the person in front of her, the Voice tried to figure out just who could impersonate her. She was familiar with shapeshifters that changed into animals — she herself being in that category, being able to turn into a dragon — and she, of course, knew about the different kinds of magic in the world. Suddenly, the two pieces got together: a shapeshifter with a very special kind of magic.

A few millennia before this time and age, the Voice had fought alongside the Hero King of legends. The said legend had other allies to help him in his quest, and amongst those people was one particular boy who'd watched over her in her youth. A Manakete — those people capable of changing into dragons — just like her, but whom had lost his power to assume dragon form. Instead, his magic had become something unique, where he could turn into anyone he wanted. He was carefree, and he had a knack for a good joke and a good laugh; he often teased her in her youth... by copying her appearance.

But after the war millennia ago, that said boy had seemingly vanished from existence; disappearing from the pages of history. Afterwards, the Voice had sealed herself away to slumber in a sacred tree, and she had been awake again for only a few years. Still, could it be that her awakening had motivated this particular Manakete to seek her out again? There was really one way to find out. "Are you... Xane, is that you?" she asked, looking confused as she asked, and slowly starting to get frustrated as well. This felt too similar for this clone to be anyone but him. "... And if you are, then stop copying me," she added afterwards, sounding just as upset and irritated as she would back in her childhood; even though she sounded a bit more mature saying it now, the childish side of her was shining through regardless. She was certainly more mature and quieter, but she hadn't lost that side of her in the process of growing up.

And from what she could gather, neither had Xane, apparently.
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Re: [* Reunion After Millennia [P]

Postby Thunder » 05/27/2013 10:26 PM

Just as Xane predicted, the passersby around them grew extremely perplexed at the sight of two Voices. The whispers were starting to grow louder, and he even heard one apparently very paranoid man hiss something about a possible assassination attempt. The ruckus, combined with his talking in Tiki's voice, managed to grab her attention. The look on her face when she turned around was absolutely priceless  and put a grin on his Tiki-formed lips.

It took her a moment to figure out who he was, but she guessed it fast enough. "Who are you?" Xane repeated, matching her word for word just like he did so many years ago. "Xane, is that you? And if you are, then stop copying me! Oh, of course it's me, Tiki! Who else would ever do this to ya? Or could, for that matter!" It was so good to see her irritated at him again. Teasing her was always one of his favorite past times. It had been far, far too long.

In a flash of magic, he was back to his usual form: red hair, equally red eyes, and a crimson tunic embroidered with blue and gold. Two pure white feathers were stuck in his hair, a reminder of the feathery wings he used to have as a dragon. The people who saw him morph gasped, and some even ran away in fear, but he didn't particularly care for their reactions. He was completely focused on the Manakete woman in front of him. In fact, if people fled the area, then good! He would be glad for some time alone for a reunion.

"How many years has it even been?" Xane chuckled. "I don't really count those anymore. At any rate, it's so nice to see you, Tiki! I've heard lots of things about you. You were off adventuring with some guy descended from Princey, right? How'd ya go from that to shopping in this here market? Maybe we should catch up with each other for a moment."

What would be an appropriate greeting gesture? Surely a hug wouldn't do, even if they had been fairly close before. She was the Voice now and couldn't go around hugging every random person who popped up. So instead, Xane opted to hold his hand out for a good ol' handshake.
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[3]

Postby Jaykobell » 05/27/2013 10:59 PM

The presence of the clone in front of her was hard to ignore. Even though she was looking at a perfect reflection of herself, one couldn't quite hide their own unique presence behind the mask. It felt of so many millennia ago, when she would stare at herself in confusion, wondering how in her mother's name was it possible for there to be two of her.

When the clone answered by repeating the exact same words as she'd spoken, Tiki got frustrated and frowned at the copy in front of her. "Ugh," she voiced up in annoyance, remembering but too clearly how much she hated Xane doing this to her. And of course, as the boy morphed back to his original form, that was the indisputable evidence that it was the one and the same Xane from her childhood. She, too, ignored the fleeing and screaming citizens around them, being entirely focused on the playful Manakete in front of her. She gave Xane a long sigh for a greeting, but at least by then, she'd stopped frowning at him. "Indeed, who else would do that to me..." she mused quietly, but still loud enough for him to hear. In some way, it was nice to see that the friend she'd known so many ages past hadn't quite changed so much.

Immediately after transforming, Xane got to talking right away. Although the two of them had grown since their last meeting so many seasons past, they both still looked young, and Xane seemingly hadn't changed much. Despite their lack of communication for the past several millennia, however, it sounded like Xane was pretty up to date on Tiki's life so far, including her having fought in a war just a few years ago. "The last time I remember being with you is after our quest with him... It has to have been at least two millennia since then," she managed to recall, trying to do the math quickly in her head. She was but a young child back then, and since she was more grown-up at this time and age, it had to have been quite a handful of centuries since their very last meeting.

"Despite that, you sound like you have an idea about what I did a few years ago. I can't say the same for me. It is rather surprising to see you again after so long, Xane. After our quest with the Hero King, it seems like you simply... disappeared from the pages of history," Tiki pointed out, the thought of her trying to do the exact same thing crossing her mind quickly in passing. Why had she gone to sleep in the sacred tree, away from humans and all others? She'd wanted to let her legend disappear, judging herself too old and helpless to interfere with humans ever again. Obviously, things hadn't quite gone as intended.

As the citizens around them got even more nervous and edgy, Tiki paused briefly before speaking again. "Maybe... we ought to catch up for a moment, yes," the divine dragon agreed, shaking Xane's hand gently with a gloved hand. The idea of catching up with such an old friend — not to mention such a mysterious one, at that — was certainly exciting. She had plenty of time before she had to go back home, so surely a small conversation with a friend of old wouldn't cause so too much trouble. Maybe being in the presence of an old friend would make her relax and loosen up a little bit. "We should go somewhere quieter..." But as she said that, the Voice sighed again. "You made quite a mess here," she pointed out, and while she was a little bothered by the amount of attention the Manakete had drawn to them, she couldn't say that she was surprised.
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Re: [* Reunion After Millennia [P]

Postby Thunder » 05/27/2013 11:43 PM

Ahh yes. Although it had been such a long time ago, Xane remembered well his adventures with Prince Marth, whom he affectionately referred to as "Princey". Marth was the only human that Xane had ever respected. He had rescued Xane from enemy clutches during the war, and in turn Xane gave him his loyalty. The Manakete could vividly recall fighting by that noble man's side, copying the forms of some of Marth's strongest soldiers to defeat (and startle) their foes. And once the first conflict ended and a second one arose, he had helped guide Marth, giving the prince knowledge of Manakete history. Of course, he had also played some pranks on the prince in his free time; royalty wasn't immunity from mischief, after all.

Although he played an important part in Marth's mission, what Tiki said was true; Xane had seemingly vanished after everything was said and done. He used to serve under another divine dragon, Gotoh, who tried to bring peace to the world, and once that goal was achieved, Xane was released from his servitude to do whatever he liked. He decided to spend his many years traveling the world, committing himself to no particular group or kingdom. He didn't care for politics and avoided it as much as possible. He was somewhat detached from the world due to that, but everyone knew about Tiki, and so it was easy to keep up with her whereabouts. Most of the time, though, she seemed to be in a deep sleep.

"Yeah, I won't deny that I tried to poof from the face of the earth," Xane sighed. "After getting involved in so many things, it just gets tiring, ya know? Especially if those things regard dragons and humans. Really, I don't want much to do with either of 'em. A Manakete that can't transform into a dragon anymore is in a bit of a weird position, after all. But I never forgot about ya. I wouldn't mind lending hand with anything ya want, Tiki." He flashed another smile.

"But I agree. We should probably ditch this place. You look a little uncomfortable around all these people. Honestly, I don't know how you deal with so many humans practically worshiping you every day. I passed by a nice, secluded spot on the way here, and it's right near the edge of the jungle, so I doubt there will be many folks there. How about we head there to talk? If you're done here, that is."

Once again, it struck Xane as odd that Tiki was out shopping for foodstuffs on her own. She held such a high position that he thought someone else should be fetching groceries for her. He knew she liked to mingle with people once in while, but something still didn't seem quite right.
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[4]

Postby Jaykobell » 05/28/2013 9:25 PM

While they rang true to a certain extent, Xane's words were harsh and a little misguided. Although the Manakete couldn't transform into a dragon anymore, the boy had developed an ability that, to Tiki's knowledge, was unique to Xane. She wasn't surprised to hear him say that he had no interest in meddling with humans; unlike Tiki, Xane had a fairly obvious dislike for the race, and he preferred to avoid humans as much as he could. At least, that was her understanding; and she found it difficult to understand, since she didn't feel the same way about humanity. However, to hear him speak like that about his own kind was a little disheartening. Despite the lost of his dragon abilities, that wasn't any reason to be distant towards his own family and kin.

Still, his words explained why she had seen absolutely no traces of the chameleon during the war against Grima. It was a matter that did concern humans and dragons, so it now made sense that Xane had kept his distance from the whole conflict. Perhaps it was because the war was over and done with that the boy had been encouraged to approach her again after so many years. "In all honesty, I, too, thought similar just a few ages past," the Voice commented, giving a soft sigh as she spoke. "I felt I had no position in dealing with the affairs of humans and dragons; I had my own attempt at erasing my legend from history. It turned out that humanity doesn't mind having an old lady like me stay with them a little longer." Where would she be now, had Chrom's army not awakened her? Would she still be asleep, or would fate have played some cards to awaken her regardless? "So pray, Xane, do not feel so distant from humanity or your own family. You may not have the power of your Dragonstone any longer, but you shall always be a Manakete to me. The name bears more but a dragon form."

"I don't mind people looking at me. I have held speeches in front of larger crowds before. However, it is slightly different when they're staring because someone caused so much confusion in public," Tiki pointed out, just subtly reminding Xane that the only reason why this area had gotten edgy and tense was because of his little prank. "Retreating to someplace quieter sounds like the better plan. I do have some groceries to buy, but I still have plenty of time for that. I wouldn't mind spending time with such an old and precious friend as you. It has been far too long since I've had the joy of being reunited with an old friend."

However, speaking of Xane, Tiki was reminded of the reason why she was here in this market: to buy groceries... for her family. Talking to him reminded the Voice just how much Xane despised humans, and the idea of the two talking and catching up had Tiki wondering how she was supposed to word this right: how she was supposed to tell Xane that she'd grown fond of a human to the point of getting married. Surely that would rub the chameleon Manakete the wrong way, but perhaps the situation could be salvaged. If Xane could grow fond of Prince Marth, perhaps he would be able to get over Tiki's situation as well.

"Perhaps you could fill me in on what you've been doing this whole time while we walk to someplace more private? You seem to know where I've been, but I can't begin to imagine where you have been all this time."
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Re: [* Reunion After Millennia [P]

Postby Thunder » 05/29/2013 12:22 AM

Tiki certainly had a way of speaking, and Xane supposed that befitted her title of the "Voice". While what she said was not enough to lessen his dislike of humans any, he felt more like a Manakete than he had in quite a while. A flicker of affection warmed his heart. He had comforted her before, and now she was doing the same for him. Granted, Gotoh had commanded him to look after Tiki in her childhood and he had often found her to be a little difficult, but he had felt genuine concern over her well-being. He hoped that he had played some role in making her the kind woman she was today.

Xane's mood dropped, though, when Tiki said that she had also tried to vanish from history. She had always hated getting put to sleep in order to suppress her powers, which might have otherwise destroyed the world in her youth, and she also hated being alone. Attempting to fade from the books seemed like the exact opposite of what the younger Tiki wanted. He was glad that society welcomed her back with open arms, but he wondered if he could have made her feel better if he had sought her out earlier.

That was the past, though, and this was the present. If she was still feeling bad over anything, he could keep her company now, and he pepped himself back up. "Oh come on," he laughed, "you can't blame me for havin' a little fun with you after so many years! But enough dilly-dally. Let's get goin', shall we?"

Xane exited the marketplace, strolling at a good pace so Tiki could follow him closely. The private spot in question was near the town's eastern entrance, so he headed there directly. "To be honest, I haven't done anything of much importance after I finished with Princey," he told her as he walked. "I didn't have too much spare time while I was under Gotoh's orders, so I thought I might take the chance to see the world once I was let go. I've been wanderin' here and there, sometimes playing a prank or two on people I meet... Everything was pretty relaxin' up until that war with Grima. Once that started, I tried avoiding anywhere that could be involved in a conflict. Gotoh didn't do much about Grima either. Heck, I'm not even sure if Gotoh is still alive. I haven't kept in touch with him much and he's pretty old, though I heard that Bantu is still around, and Bantu isn't exactly the youngest dragon either. At any rate, it's interesting how events played out. If the stories are right, that the prince you were helping was descended from Marth, and Grima was descended from the earth dragons. It's like history repeated itself all over again."

When they arrived at their destination, there were indeed very few people around. There were a few people passing by to enter or leave Nabias, but they probably wouldn't bother Tiki in such a quiet spot. There was a nice, big tropical tree some distance from the town's gates, and Xane went to sit under this tree, inviting Tiki to join him by patting the grass.
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[5]

Postby Jaykobell » 05/29/2013 6:48 PM

All Tiki could do at Xane's rhetorical question was to sigh. If all he had wanted to do was pull a prank on her, there were certainly other things that he could've done. They would've probably been safer and milder, and it would've kept the people from panicking. Then again, there was relieving to know that, despite having been separated for millennia, the other Manakate hadn't changed one bit. While Tiki had grown up, both physically and mentally, Xane had stayed relatively the same all those years. It was nice to know that, ultimately, some things really didn't change.

The Voice followed the chameleon quietly as he explained what he'd been doing all those years. It reminded her of the old times of legends, when Xane had been ordered by Gotoh to watch over her, and to make sure that she wouldn't go feral. It was because of that era that the Voice had grown so spiteful towards her own lineage and power: this fear that the Goddess's daughter would go feral and potentially eradicate all life from losing control over her mind. That was why she kept getting put to sleep over and over again, and why it had been ironic for Tiki to seal herself away ages later. It was the loss of so many precious friends and so many lonely centuries that had lead her to the decision. In the end, though, she was happy to have been awakened by Chrom's army: if it hadn't been for that, she wouldn't be where she was in this day and age.

Hearing Xane speak also made Tiki realize how different their speech patterns were. The chameleon was more relaxed, shortening words and speaking more freely. Tiki was used to speaking more highly, considering her position and title, but it had also become just a habit; she had grown up to be more mature than in her youth, so her speech had evolved along with her. Still, maybe she could do to loosen up a little and speak in a friendlier manner with Xane.

As the two reached the town's entrance, Tiki did notice that there were fewer people here. While people still entered or exited the town from here, they seemed to have their minds elsewhere, and paid little to no attention to her. It was nice to know that she would get to enjoy a peaceful reunion with Xane, what with the two having so many centuries to catch up on. She happily sat down next to him, leaning against the tree trunk and stretching a little. She sighed a little, but in a good way this time; sighing peacefully and in a relaxed way. "Now that you mention it..." she started, looking up at the sky between the leaves of the tropical tree, "I don't I ever thanked you properly for watching over me so many centuries back. I was very close to Prince Marth, but you were an important part of my childhood as well." Even though she could remember sometimes running off in tears from his annoying pranks, Tiki couldn't deny that Xane had played a huge part in her younger years. He'd been both a friend and a caretaker, and she had never forgotten him for that.

"I know Bantu is still alive, somewhere. I met a young Manakete in the army whom had met him as well; I can only hope that he is living a happy life, now that the war with Grima has ended. However, I am also unsure about Gotoh's whereabouts... I did not keep in touch with him after my awakening at the Ice Temple." Over the years, and especially considering how she'd sealed herself away to slumber, saying this made Tiki realize how many people she hadn't seen in such a long time: Xane really wasn't the only one. "Perhaps we ought to find them and catch up with them as well, in due course," she proposed, nostalgia sweeping over her at the thought of seeing those two old Manaketes again: how different it would be, now that the little Manakete Princess had grown so much.

"Ah, yes. Prince Chrom is a descendent of Prince Marth, both from the exalted bloodline. The war felt very nostalgic at times, even if for the wrong reasons, but I would be lying if I said it didn't bring me some sort of happiness." And then she paused, looking down in front of her, as she tried to think of a good way to word this next part. "I grew fond of... a lot of people during my time in Prince Chrom's army: I made many new friends within the ranks, both Manaketes and humans. One of the tacticians... reminded me of Prince Marth immensely." There was a certain emotion in her voice that was hard to pinpoint when she said that last part. Regardless of what it was exactly, it was a happy feeling, and it had a peaceful ring to it. "It was a horrible war, but the friendships I earned from it keep me from thinking of it only as a tragic event of history."
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Re: [* Reunion After Millennia [P]

Postby Thunder » 05/29/2013 11:12 PM

Talking to Tiki only continued to make Xane happier and happier. He flushed slightly at her gratitude and let out an embarrassed laugh. "Aw shucks, Tiki. It was nothing, really. But I'm glad that you valued me as much as you did Princey." And that level of value was very high, or so it seemed; he had always suspected that Tiki had a crush on the legendary lord while they were traveling with him.

Xane was surprised to hear that Tiki had met another Manakete in the army, and that this Manakete also knew Bantu. "Huh, well that's somethin'," he commented. "Maybe you should introduce me to this other Manakete. And yeah, maybe we should go and find those two. I bet they'd love to see how much you've grown."

What Tiki said next, though, gave the chameleon a strange sense of dread. He was glad that she had made friends, but how she spoke of this tactician bothered him. The tactician was a lot like Marth? What did that mean? And the way her voice softened when she spoke seemed suspicious. Xane recalled again the notion that Tiki might have fallen in love with Marth back in the day. Did she mean to tell him that...she had fallen in love with this tactician? And maybe she had been grocery shopping today because...?

He really did not want to think the thought. Strangely, he suddenly felt jealous, one emotion that the cheery prankster rarely experienced, save for some occasions when he saw a fellow Manakete transform into a dragon. He started to sweat a little, and it wasn't because of the jungle's humidity. No, no, he tried to tell himself. I can't jump to conclusions. Calm down, Xane, calm down...

"O-oh?" he said, failing to hide the slight stammer in his voice. "What's this tactician like? It would be, uh, hard to believe that anyone could be just like Princey. Marth was a one of a kind sort of guy, y'know? I mean, I'm not saying your tactician is exactly like him, but..."

The normally chatty ex-dragon was starting to have a loss for words.
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[6]

Postby Jaykobell » 05/29/2013 11:40 PM

While the conversation had started just fine, Tiki's doubts were quickly growing as she noticed Xane's obvious change in behavior. After three thousand years, those little details just jumped out at you; her words hadn't fallen on deaf ears, and she could tell it was making the boy uneasy.

His interest in the topic proved that he was taken aback by the topic, and it seemed like there was no escaping it now. While she brought it upon herself, she figured the words would be vague enough for Xane to not jump to conclusions immediately. "Ah... Of course, he's not exactly like Prince Marth," Tiki explained, trying to rectify the situation and to try to calm Xane down. Surely the chameleon was now imagining a whole array of different possibilities from what she'd just said. "As you say, Prince Marth was unique. Ah, only... It's difficult to explain," she went on to say, trying to find a way to explain things clearly to keep Xane from interrupting her or getting even more nervous. "If... you met him yourself, you would probably understand what I mean. The resemblance, it's... It's rather uncanny." It was a bit weak, but that was the only thing Tiki could fall back on. There wasn't much else she could tell Xane without embarrassing herself. Should the chameleon learn that she'd once mistaken the said tactician for Prince Marth to the point of calling him "Mar-Mar", the Voice would never hear the end of it. Even now, the said tactician sometimes didn't let it go, and it had been years since that embarrassing slip of the tongue.

"But if you want me to describe him..." she started again, but paused shortly after as she frowned. How was she supposed to describe him now, with Xane assuming the worst? She would probably sound ridiculous no matter how she worded the next few sentences, but perhaps it was for the best that she broke the ice now. "He is a kind figure with a certain sense of leadership. He is very... self-sacrificing, to the point where he would give his life for others." Did that send Tiki back when she mentioned that, to a particular event that had left the Voice so frustrated with the tactician, she couldn't remember the last time she'd been that angry at anything or anyone. "He tends to trust too easily at times, but he is an exceptional tactical genius: his strategies saved our troops more than once." There was a short pause again, as she continued to try to gather her thoughts into words. "He saved me more than once as well. Despite being a divine dragon, I am defenseless in this form. He was my shield more than once, and he would never hesitate to take a blow in my stead," she added, although she was certain this last bit, too, would send Xane flying into an internal panic.

"It's... difficult to really describe someone well to someone who has not met the person in question. Pray, forgive me, Xane, I am trying my best," Tiki added, giving him a look that almost begged him to stay calm and to listen to her words carefully, rather than simply jumping to conclusions or assuming the worst. "But does this give you a better idea?" It crossed her mind to simply be out with it: say something along the lines of, "I married him" or "He proposed to me". But would that be too sudden for Xane? Too blunt? She had to ease the Manakete into such a concept before she could blatantly say it, but it was hard to beat around the bush.
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Re: [* Reunion After Millennia [P]

Postby Thunder » 05/30/2013 11:46 PM

As Tiki explained, it seemed like she was having a loss for words as well. Xane could practically feel the tension in the air rising. With the way Tiki was talking about the tactician, would he really want to meet the guy? He was sure the man was nice and all, but if that happened, he wasn't sure if he could be courteous, especially if this tactician happened to be a human. The thought of Tiki being interested in a human like that made him shudder. It was not just because he disliked humans; hadn't she once been concerned about the vast difference between a Manakete and human's lifespans, and what that meant for a relationship?

"W-well, I, uh, I'm sure he's brilliant!" Xane said as cheerily as possible. His tone was incredibly artificial. "I'm, er, glad he saved you. I mean, I hope that he didn't get too hurt protecting you, but I'm glad he kept you safe. That's all."

It was difficult for him to meet her gaze, but out of respect for his longtime friend, he managed to look into her eyes. He saw the concern in them, and they were somehow beautiful to gaze into even when they were filled with anxiety. He found that he could not refuse; he did not want to hurt Tiki like that, and perhaps it wouldn't be as bad as he thought.

"...all right," he answered reluctantly. "I'll meet your tactician. I figure I should get to know who you've been, uh, hanging out with during the war, after all. Maybe I can learn more about what exactly happened, too."

Would they go meet the man right now? It didn't really matter to him, now that the happy atmosphere of their reunion had become fairly tarnished.
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[7]

Postby Jaykobell » 05/31/2013 11:08 PM

In some way, Tiki felt bad. It had been at least two millennia since she had last seen Xane, one of her most cherished and important friends back in the age of legends. An unexpected meeting to be sure, but a pleasant one nonetheless. However, she had completely turned that upside-down, even though their meeting had lead to the two catching up after so many lost years. Still, what else could she tell Xane? Lie to him, and say that she had participated in the war, but that nothing had happened? In some way, she was grateful that he'd met her when she was alone. Had it been a day out with the family... Ah, that probably would've been absolutely disastrous. At least, she had the opportunity today to warm Xane to the idea of her not being quite the same young and innocent little Tiki he had known.

Tiki gave a sigh at Xane's first words, noticing his forced tone. Still, he was trying to be decent about the topic, and for that, too, she was grateful. It could have been worse: he could've simply walked away from her, or he could have pulled a tantrum over the situation. Ah, but he still didn't quite know the whole story, or where she was at in this day and age. "No, he did get hurt rather terribly... And more than once," Tiki answered at Xane's comment, answering despite his seemingly fake interest. "He... tried to sacrifice himself at some point, in order to save us from a major threat." And just thinking about it still sent the Voice in a terrible rage. Good thing he'd strengthened up, or else the oracle could have foreseen herself not being with that tactician today.

"... Ah, but you have it wrong, Xane, my friend," Tiki went on again, taking a deep breath as she paused. They hadn't just been... "hanging out" all this time. It was a lot more than that: it was beyond just being friends and seeing each other now and again. "Xane, I'm unsure how to word this, but pray, listen to me," the Voice begged, looking as if she had to take the scariest jump of her life. But this is was it truly felt like: it felt like she was taking a huge leap of faith, and it was hard to keep her thoughts straight. "I am delighted that you are willing to meet him. I would certainly love to introduce him to you," she started with, trying to relax a little as she spoke, but the hardest part was yet to come. "However, you need to know this first... I have not only been 'hanging out' with the tactician I speak of. Our... relationship goes beyond just that." She took a deep breath, taking a very short pause. Out with it; it was the easiest way. "I grew... very fond of him, despite him being... human. We're not just friends, Xane: we're married."

By Naga's name, she hoped Xane was still listening to her.
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Re: [* Reunion After Millennia [P]

Postby Thunder » 06/01/2013 12:32 AM

Oh, Xane was listening all right. And with each passing word, his heart felt more and more like a dead weight. Somehow, he both knew and didn't know the kind of emotion he was having right now. He knew that he had affection for Tiki. That had been the case ever since she was little. But back then it was more like a brotherly affection, for she had been a child and he had been a young man. He obviously still cared for her now, but after seeing her all grown up, his feelings towards her had been...transformed. Very, very quickly.

Love hurt, it seemed.

The chameleon could tell that Tiki felt terrible for dropping such news on him. He was upset, but it wasn't her fault. What else would she have said? She wasn't one to lie, and marriage was a significant part of anyone's life. One couldn't simply leave marriage out of the record. And although it was true that he didn't like the fact that this tactician was a human, he realized that he probably would have been angry even if the man was a Manakete. In other words, Xane's turmoil came from the simple fact that Tiki had gotten married. The human part just made it worse.

He did not know if he would ever stop being prejudiced against humans. Men had done terrible things to Manaketes back in the day, and even in these modern times, he had heard of people forcing Manaketes to transform for entertainment. Still, he had come to like Prince Marth, and if he was to be kind and fair to Tiki, he would have to meet her husband.

Xane shut his eyes and took a deep breath, trying to suppress his confused feelings as best as he could. Such sensations would do no good during the meeting. When he was done calming down, he looked back at Tiki, not smiling, but not frowning either. "I understand," he said. "I'm glad you found someone to love and be with for...for what ever time you have together. If he was willing to sacrifice his life for you, then he must...care for you deeply. As long as he keeps you safe, then..."

...then what? Then Xane would be happy? No. It was not as simple as that.
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[8]

Postby Jaykobell » 06/01/2013 1:03 AM

If anything, everything was going well. Xane hadn't fled the scene quite yet, and it seemed like he had listened to every single word Tiki had to say. Even she couldn't predict how Xane would react. It had been so long since their last talk, perhaps the Manakete had changed his ways. No other human after Prince Marth had seemingly swayed Xane's heart, and that was why telling her friend exactly what had happened in her life ever since then was so difficult. Still, there was the off-chance that the boy would understand, and that his views on the world had changed. Tiki's certainly had after so many millennia of living amongst humans, and she truly believed that she'd become more open-minded in the end.

But how would Xane react? Would he be upset? Angry? Disappointed? Would he feel like he had failed her, let her down by letting her make the choice of marrying a human? Would he feel betrayed that she hadn't sought a Manakete, just like the two of them? She wasn't expecting anything too positive out of him, after his tone and reactions just a few moments prior. Had he wanted to cut all ties with her after hearing the truth, Tiki would have understood his feelings, even if that sort of decision would definitely hurt her own.

He closed his eyes and sighed in silence, and the anticipation had left the oracle uneasy. What was he thinking? Was he steeling himself for the two to part ways again, so soon? Or was he trying to calm himself down to try and be rational? Tiki shut her own eyes as she tried to foresee what kind of reaction she could expect from the chameleon, but it proved to be difficult.

A huge weight was lifted from her shoulders when the Manakete finally answered her. "I understand" was all she needed to hear to know that, despite Xane hating humans, the boy was willing to give this a chance. After he was done giving her his answer, the only thing the oracle could do was to throw herself into Xane's arms, latching onto him tightly. "Xane... Thank you," she answered, her voice more peaceful now that her friend knew about her situation, and now that he seemingly willing to understand. "I'm sorry. I'm sure this isn't what you expected to hear from me. Please believe me when I tell you that this is a decision that I do not regret in the slightest. He cares passionately for me... as do I. And I will continue to do so for as long as I can be together with him."

Long ago, she strongly believed that humans and Manaketes did not mix in such a way. The different species was a problem, but Manaketes were blessed with immortality, while human lives were short and lasted but a few minutes in the eyes of a dragon. That was what she believed in, back in her youth, and for the majority of her life. However, after being awakened from the Mila Tree and after joining Prince Chrom's army, her ideology changed. Other Manaketes, just like her, who had bonded with human men. Not only that, but children had resulted from their love, and to Tiki's knowledge, those children were the very first half-Manakete children to be born. It was the war that taught her that perhaps now was a time when the two species could put aside their differences, if they tried.
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