[Thunder]

Xane figured he would get a little more peace and quiet now that Negative had followed Akakios back inside. That lady was incredibly energetic, and though he was thankful for her consideration of Manaketes, he wasn't used to how peppy she was. In all his years on the planet, he had never met any grown woman as hyper as her. Not that it was a bad thing. It was actually rather refreshing to see an adult so full of vivacity.

There was a brief moment of quiet, which gave the chameleon a moment to detect that strange aura again. However, it wasn't as strong as Akakios's or Neg's this time. This puzzled Xane greatly; the bizarre force didn't appear to favor humans over Manaketes, or vice versa. Did all five of them- Akakios, Neg, Mark, Milton, and Morgan- share some sort of secret power? Was there something in their blood that gave them this attribute, even though they weren't all related? The only commonality Xane knew of was that they had all been involved in the war, and he thought something might have happened to give them this shared trait. It was certainly mysterious, and he wasn't sure if he wanted to ask about it. Somehow, it gave him a bad feeling in his gut.

The silence was swiftly broken when Mark began happily explaining time travel and alternate universes. Xane's head started to spin with all the words. He had meant to start up some small talk, and instead he was getting a whole lesson on the mechanics of the children's arrival in this world! He breathed a sigh of relief once Milton interrupted the albino boy. "It was all magic" was indeed a sufficient summary for him.

"Sounds complicated," Xane commented, scratching his head. "I...dunno if I really get it. But I guess all that matters is that you're back with your parents now. Oh, and also that the world isn't in ruins." He had to let out a small laugh at his own humor. "I don't think things were this difficult to explain back in Princey- err, Marth's days. We only had one timeline to worry about, after all. And I don't really have any opinions on fate."

Xane paused and frowned slightly. "Hm, I am curious about whether I ever showed up in any of your timelines or not, though. But judgin' by the fact that none of you kids recognize me, I figure I never appeared. What was I even doin' in all those universes? Runnin' around and pullin' pranks during every single instance of the war, ever? It would seem kinda boring if the other versions of me were all the same."

[Jaykobell]

The albino boy just smiled sheepishly a little and scratched the back of his head. "Sorry. It's complicated, but still really fascinating!" He thought so, anyway, especially considering what kind of future some of the kids had experienced. Some of the kids had had parents that were completely different from this timeline's parents, so that alone was interesting as well.

"Whoa, so like Tiki, you met Prince Marth, too?" Mark added as Xane mentioned the Hero-King of legends. "I wish I could've met him. He sounds really great! Obviously... he would have to be, since he is the Hero-King of legends." Not just anyone could be given such a title, and not only that, Prince Marth had defeated one of the dark dragons of time, Medeus. When you thought about it, the two stories were pretty similar, except for the fact that Marth didn't have to worry about multiple timelines, like Xane had mentioned.

While Mark was bring talkative and friendly, the same couldn't be said of the two Manakete kids. Morgan was staring off into space towards the house, seemingly not listening. She wasn't necessarily anti-social, but she was timid towards strangers. She had been away from her parents for a while, and she just wanted to spend time with her father for now, and to rest. She wasn't really the type to really engage in conversations, depending on what they were. Right now, though, she didn't really feel like she had anything to say.

As for Milton, he wasn't staring away into space, but he wasn't being very social either. He was closer to his mom than to his dad, and much like Morgan, he'd been away from home for a while. He wasn't in the mood to meet up with some stranger who was supposedly one of his mother's best friends. If that were the case, where was he during the war? Why wasn't he helping his mother, giving her support? Ah, but maybe he was being picky because he was drained. He wanted to rest, and standing around here didn't really help.

On the topic of different versions of themselves, Tiki did speak up that time. "I'm afraid any version of you not causing trouble would feel nothing short of strange," the oracle spoke, and she really meant it, too. A Xane in another universe that didn't enjoy pulling pranks? That would just be strange.

Mark, however, had a slightly different answer. "Well, from what we understand, we're all the same person at the core, between all the different versions of ourselves. What shapes us differently is the decisions that we make — and that others make for us. I mean, my mom from the future was... pretty wretched, actually. She was nothing like the mom I have here in the present." The same applied to Milton: his father wasn't the same here as he had been in the future. And that was why, for a while, the Manakete had had issues with his present father. "Oh, if you want a really hands on experience, you should totally meet Mr. Alter! He's literally Akakios, but from the future, just like us. He travels a lot, though, so he's hard to find..."

At the mention of that particular character, Milton grimaced and gagged. "Ugh. I thought my dad was awkward, but that guy is even worse," the boy complained as he frowned.

At the mention of their father, Morgan suddenly snapped out of her daydream. "Father's not awkward, he's just timid," the sister said passively, stating things matter-of-factly. "Alter, on the other hand, is just very..." There was a pause as the more expressive sister tried to think of a fitting adjective. "... Expressive."

"Heh, really? I think the relationship he has with your father is really hilarious," Mark chipped in after the two siblings. While Morgan just gave the albino a baffled look, Milton stared and narrowed his eyes curiously at the boy. Still, the two said nothing: that was just Mark being Mark.

"In all honesty," Tiki spoke up shortly after the kids, turning to Xane, "the man they are speaking of may be of interest to you. He is... truly one of a kind." However, the one known as Alter would be quite a thing for Xane to understand. With his dislike for humans already strong, how would the Manakete react to meeting a human who could use the power of a Dragonstone, even if incompletely? Alter was a case that would most likely never happen again amongst human kind, but his existence alone was mind-blowing.

[Thunder]

Xane had to smile warmly at Mark's excitement over Marth. That prince sure was something if people loved and remembered his name after so many years past his death, and the chameleon was glad he had seen that Marth was different from other humans. He wondered, for a moment, about what things would have been like if he had treated the Hero-King no differently than he treated other humans, and he also thought about what Marth would say about the fact that he still acted wary towards humans. Xane could imagine that Marth would, perhaps, be disappointed, but the king's heart had been so empathetic that he felt Marth would not blame him for his feelings.

At Tiki's comment, Xane shrugged and grinned mischievously. "I suppose that's fair," he chuckled. "But still, I hope troublemakin' wasn't the only thing I did every time." At Mark's words, however, he grew thoughtful. "The choice we make, eh?" he murmured to himself. It made sense; there was no telling how destinies could change based on a difference in one decision, no matter how small that decision was. And based on the fact that the other timeline's Negative was apparently nasty, the path of fate could be modified quite drastically. Xane could hardly imagine such a lively and gregarious woman having a foul, alternate version of herself.

The subject of the man called Alter seemed to draw sudden interest from the half-Manakete kids. It was understandable; Xane couldn't imagine how weird the idea of parents being totally different in other universes was. When Tiki started talking about Alter, though, Xane grew concerned again. "One of a kind?" he questioned. "In what way?"

Surely Alter wasn't like the half-Manakete children that were standing before him now?

[Jaykobell]

When the discussion topic changed from Prince Marth to Alter, the two Manakete kids looked at each other in silence before turning back to Xane. Mark who thought the man was hilarious, and then this stranger who wanted to learn more about the one who was, basically, another version of their father. Milton sighed briefly before crossing his arms, and Morgan simply looked at her brother quietly. Going into the discussion of the one known as Alter would end up creating some more confusion and drama, more than likely.

At the question of how different he was, Tiki realized that she wouldn't be able to explain Alter's power without explaining a very particular detail about both Negative and Akakios. A detail that would probably send the chameleon in a rage, or perhaps something more akin to extreme bafflement and confusion. Still, to the oracle, it was only a detail, and not something that defined the two human tacticians in any way. Not only that, but it wasn't something that had been chosen: Negative and Akakios had simply been born as such. "It's a bit... difficult to understand," the Voice started with, and she figured that she could start by explaining exactly what kind of ability Alter had. "He possesses a power unlike anything any human has ever had. It's difficult to imagine when you haven't witnessed it for yourself... But due to certain decisions that he made, his body ended up being modified in unpredictable ways. He is unlike any humans because of his unique ability to use Dragonstones — even if not to their full extent." A human who could temper and use the divine power of a Manakete's Dragonstone: that was Alter's power. While he stuck to usual human weapons most of the time, he did use the Dragonstones when necessary. "His appearance changes slightly, giving him a form similar to an incomplete transformation. He also cannot use the power for very long: it eventually starts to hurt him." The how and the why that was even possible for a human to do...

"You see, it's probably something that no human can ever do," Mark chipped in, his excitement to explain a mysterious phenomenon showing again. "What happened is that Alter used to be with Plegia and Grima, and he got a portion of the dark God's powers for a long time. He's somewhat of a human vessel for the God, you see: he was born with something they call the Heart of Grima. Although he's only an incomplete vessel, so he can't actually host Grima itself for a very long time. My mom, though, is the real vessel for the God, so Plegia was after her for that throughout the war."

When he said that last part, the albino got a sharp smack upside the head by the male Manakete child. "Ow!" he cried out as he held his head with one hand and turned to face Milton. "What? What did I say?"

"You might as well say your mom is Grima, at this point!" Milton complained, giving the small albino child a look. "You're explaining it like it's a good thing!"

"Well, my mom is a good person, right? So it doesn't matter what she is," Mark replied with confidence as he started to smile again.

Tiki gave a sigh in the background as the two boys argued over the topic. "As Mark explained, both Negative and Akakios are... necessary if someone wishes to revive the dark God. Their bodies were born in such a way that they can host Grima's soul within their own, allowing him to roam the plane of the living." Indirectly, this meant that the Voice of Naga had married a human who could, even if partially, host the soul of the dark dragon God Grima. Perhaps it was this detail that Akakios had tried to explain before the abrupt and unexpected arrival of the albinos and Manakete children.

[Thunder]

As Tiki explained Alter's powers, Xane visibly became stunned. His prediction, it seemed, hadn't been too far off. "A...a human who can use Dragonstones?!" he gasped. "That...that's ridiculous! How on earth..."

Though it was oddly comforting to know that Alter couldn't use the Dragonstone without significant limitations, Xane still felt a deep jealously for this man. Why should a human gain the power to transform- even if only partially- to a dragon, when he, a divine dragon, lost it? Granted, the power to assume the appearances of other people did have its uses outside of mischief, but there was absolutely nothing like the feeling of strength and freedom that came from having a dragon's body and wings. It was a sensation that Xane missed dearly, and for him to have less of that power than a human was a cruel, cruel thought.

When Mark began talking, though, the Manakete grew even more disturbed. "A vessel...to Grima? He and your mother?" So that was the strange power he had felt from almost everyone around here. It was absolutely baffling to think that a human body could host such a might dragon god, especially when that human was a person like Negative, the complete opposite of wicked and willing to destroy the world. Completely overwhelmed by this information, Xane sunk back against the wall of the house and stared off into the distance, digesting.

He figured that he shouldn't judge either human too much based on these facts. They couldn't help the fact that they had the Heart of Grima, just as he couldn't help the fact that he was a Manakete who couldn't transform. And furthermore, he hadn't really cared much for the Grima situation in the first place. His shock didn't come so much from the fact that Negative, Akakios, and Alter were related to something evil. Rather, he was bewildered that such ties between humans and dragons existed. A human who could use Dragonstones. People who could hold the power of a dragon god. Such was unheard of back in his days with Marth. Time had apparently closed the gap between the two races.

Xane shook his head and looked back at Tiki. His expression was not angry, only confused and lost. "So...you married Akakios even though you knew this?" he asked. How loving she would have to be, for a daughter of Naga like her to marry a vessel of Grima. He felt that she was a much better person in that aspect than he was.

[Jaykobell]

While the kids were a little surprised at Xane's reaction, Tiki didn't seem surprised to see the Manakete talk and react the way he had. She had refused to believe it, too, when first meeting Alter after their initial conflict. To see a human using the power of a Dragonstone... to a Manakete, it was like a terrible, sinful blasphemy. It had to be especially hard for Xane, whom was a Manakete by blood and birth, but who had lost the ability to use the Dragonstones.

While Morgan and Milton just looked at each other in awkward silence, Mark seemed to be more concerned about Xane's reaction. "Er, sorry. Was that too much all at once?" the albino asked, feeling bad for seemingly threading into touchy territory for the chameleon. "I... thought you knew about that, since Akakios told you about the war." While it wasn't really a good thing for Akakios and Negative to be the human vessels of a dragon God who could destroy the world, Grima had been put back to sleep. Unless someone was crazy enough to try to revive the God again so soon, this fact changed absolutely nothing about the two tacticians. That was the only thing the Heart of Grima did, and it didn't alter the personalities or mentalities of those who had it. Not only that, but it was still a big detail of the war.

"Well, Xane got the big picture, but we were about to discuss this when you arrived home," Tiki explained as she approached Xane and put a hand on his shoulder. It was interesting to see their roles being reversed, now that they were older. While Xane had been the one to help Tiki get around the world when she was young and ignorant, it was now her turn to help Xane accommodate to a world that had clearly passed him by all those years.

At the mention of Tiki getting together with Akakios despite his relation to Grima, she could see just how confused and baffled the whole topic was for Xane. "Yes, I knew about it. He told me everything before we got together. I knew he had the Heart of Grima, if only partially, and I knew that he couldn't..." But she stopped herself there. While Morgan and Milton knew that their father was sterile in this timeline, it was always a painful reminder that they weren't truly his children.

Giving a sigh, the oracle instead changed the subject. "Maybe we ought to talk about something else. Would you like to come inside and lie down for a bit? I think you've heard... enough about this history lesson for one day."

[Thunder]

Xane was glad for Tiki's comforting touch. It certainly was a lot to take in at once, and today had been full of new, startling information. He rubbed his forehead and looked at Mark, smiling at the young boy's concern. "N-nah, it's all right," he replied. "I just...learned a lotta new things today without much time to process everythin'." Well, it was more than that, but he wasn't about to rant about humans or reveal his lack of a dragon form in front of these kids.

He supposed that if Akakios had warned Tiki about his situation beforehand and the Voice was fine with it, then it was fair, even if their married status upset him in general. He couldn't picture what might have happened if she only learned about those things afterwards; she'd be crushed for sure. It was good that the tactician was honest, and Xane figured that was one thing his old friend liked about the man.

"Yeah, maybe we should stop with the war chat for today," Xane sighed. He felt exhausted simply from hearing so much about what had happened while he was absent. "It's hard to imagine all the stuff you guys have been through. You all gotta be pretty dang tough to handle everythin' that happened."

He stepped back inside the house quite readily. The smell of the food seemed a hundred times more tantalizing now that he was so mentally tired. What would Negative and Akakaios be up to, he wondered?