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| Dichotomy; Personal Saga | |
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| Topic Started: Jun 8 2013, 10:54 PM (377 Views) | |
| Fenn | Jun 8 2013, 10:54 PM Post #1 |
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The Gromble
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Whirrrrr. Minosha secured the hatch to his ship upon its closure, and with the press of a button, he heard the tell-tale click-click of the alarm activating. Avalon wasn’t a hostile planet to his knowledge – certainly not as bad as Cactaylisma’s roving bands of thieves – but one could never be too careful when traveling to a new planet. The young Konatsu adjusted his pack, which contained nothing more than a bit of food in case he got hungry. He left his more valuable possessions, including his power pole, inside the Sylph. As far as Minosha understood, there would be no need for it anyway. With confidence in his stride, and eagerness in his mind, he lifted off and floated towards the city. At the boundaries of the capitol, he set down and walked. He admired the impressive architecture, gazing at the buildings that stretched high into the faintly polluted sky. The Avalanians had sacrificed their environment for societal progress, and at the very least, they certainly had something to show for it. Minosha weaved through the streets, noting that some sectors of the city still paid homage to their ancient roots. When he found his way to the merchant’s district, he noted quite a few smith shops offering metal wares, particularly bladed weapons. He admired the beautiful craftsmanship, and it made him miss his kinship with a sword. Still, they had other things, like spears, and axes. Minosha stopped to look at some of the axes. They were vicious, brutal weapons, but effective nonetheless. He wondered what it would be like to use one, since he certainly knew what it felt like to be attacked by one. Along the way, the Konatsu failed to notice the odd stares he got. He was so used to appearing as an oddity to the local folk that he had simply learned to ignore it. But they weren’t just staring at him because of his funny pink hair or his long pointed ears. No, they regarded him with a sense of repressed hostility. Still, Minosha paid them no heed. He harbored them no ill will, so he continued on his journey through the market until he found a street vendor on a corner hawking some kind of cultural delicacy, a tasty-looking dessert. Anxious to try it, the teenager patiently waited his turn in line and reached into his pocket for some money. “May I have one please?” he requested with a smile, proffering his currency. The vendor looked at him with disgust, as if wondering how the boy dared even ask. “Get out of here, you little monster!” he snarled. Minosha tilted his head in confusion. “I beg your pardon? Have I offended you in some way?” The vendor grabbed a knife used for slicing large pieces of fruit and waved it threateningly at the Konatsu. “I said get lost!” Minosha jerked back, putting his hands up in a gesture of peace. “Sir, I don’t want any trouble, I would just like to purchase what you’re selling.” “I don’t sell to your kind!” the vendor growled. “My kind?” Minosha repeated quizzically. “Just leave, before I call the Paladins!” the vendor barked. “Alright, alright, I’m going,” the teenager assured. He turned around and was taken aback by the crowd that had gathered to watch the scene. Minosha took a step forward, and the crowd frightfully took a step back in unison as they shrank away in fear. The boy shook his head sadly, as if trying to insist that he meant no harm. What in the world was going on here? He ducked his head and hurried away, and the Avalanian gawkers parted without hesitation to allow him passage. He walked the streets a little faster, his turquoise eyes darting up, and he finally noticed that everyone had been staring at him all along. Their looks disheartened him, made him feel like an outcast. He made a beeline back towards his ship, and the more people glared at him with their strange yellow eyes, the faster he ran, until he was full on sprinting like a bullied kid racing home after school. As he ran past a corner, he gasped in surprise when a powerful hand lashed out and grabbed him by the shoulder, yanking him bodily to one side. Minosha’s fighting instincts took over and his arms flailed up to defend himself, but a solid set of knuckles clipped the side of his head and he went down hard. His vision swam, the street splintering into several hazy images before him. He expected another attack to come, but it did not. “You know, you’re really starting to test my patience,” a voice spoke. “Of all the planets you could have gone to, you picked the one place you’re not supposed to go.” Minosha looked up, seeing a stocky figure covered in a black, hooded cloak. Something rang familiar about this person; the build, the garb, the voice. The teenager put a hand to his sore head, feeling a tender lump swelling up over the skull. “You... I know you...” he said groggily. “I saw you on Yaidrat. And you know what? I saw you on Maverick too, didn’t I? You are following me.” The lower half of the stranger’s face was the only part visible, and Minosha could make out a smile under the shade of the hood. “Maybe just a little,” the figure teased. “Why?” Minosha wondered. “What do you want from me?” “You’ll understand soon enough,” the stranger assured, though his tone oddly held no comfort. He held out a hand. “In the meantime, I suggest we get off this planet, right now. You’ll find you’re less than welcome here.” “But why? I’ve never been here before,” the teenager said. The figure lunged over to grab the teenager from off of the ground. “I don’t have time for this. I—” Suddenly, he stopped, freezing in place for a second before returning to his full standing position and taking a couple steps backward. “Well, it appears I’m too late.” The stranger touched two fingers to his forehead and waved them out in a reverse semi-circle in a sort of mock salute. “Have fun,” he added warningly. Then he vanished. “Wait!” Minosha cried. He sighed, murmuring quietly and uselessly to himself. “Who are you?” No sooner had he gotten to his feet than did he hear the uniform step of boots marching in unison. A phalanx of armored soldiers rounded the corner and surrounded him. Their captain, a man with a red cloak draped regally over his shiny silver pauldrons, stood at attention in front of Minosha with his hand on the hilt of his large sword. “By order of the Paladins of Avalon, you are hereby under arrest and commanded to appear before the high council for trial and sentencing,” the officer stated. “What’s my crime?” Minosha demanded. The captain ignored him, and simply nodded to two of his subordinates. The pair moved in to grab the Konatsu by the arms. Minosha shoved them off. “I’ve done nothing wrong!” the youth insisted. “Seize him!” the captain yelled. “NO!” Minosha protested. He pushed them away, turned, and took flight. One of the knights brandished a firearm device, crouched to one knee, placed the heavy cannon on his shoulder, aimed the massive barrel, and pulled the trigger. An apparatus shot forth at blazing speeds, and Minosha felt something clamp onto his ankle and weight it down. Suddenly, he could no longer maintain his defiance of gravity, and he lost his power of flight, as if the very ability had been sucked away. He plummeted to the ground, unable to stop himself. His adolescent body slammed into the pavement, cracking the concrete. Minosha coughed and grunted in pain. A wave of fatigue and nausea washed over him, and he wobbled as he tried to balance himself on one hand, unable even to rise. He turned his head to see the phalanx of Paladins already in formation and bearing down on him. He put two fingers to his forehead, ready to Instant Transmission right out of there. He blinked, and... nothing. He tried again. Still nothing. What was going on here? The teenager resolved to simply fight his way out. It wasn’t the most desirable option, but he wasn’t about to let himself be captured without a valid reason. He held up a hand, attempting to charge a beam. It was a weak beam, one that wouldn’t kill, but was strong enough to render them unconscious and give him time to slip away on foot. Ki shot to his palm, then flickered and died. Minosha breathed in surprised, turning his hand towards him and then back towards the soldiers. Nothing. Not the tiniest hint of a useable attack. He whipped his neck around to glance at his legs. Whatever sat latched on his ankle was suppressing his use of energy and blocking his techniques. He turned back towards the end of the street; the squadron was getting closer and closer with each passing second, swords drawn, filling him with alarm. Minosha fumbled through his tunic until his fingers found the tiny communication device allotted to each member of Team Rocket. He hit the button to radio his comrades and send a distress call. “This Minosha! I’m in extremely hostile territory, I need help!” he cried. He released the button to wait for a response. None came. “This is Minosha, can anybody hear me?” They were nearly upon him now. Minosha tried again. “Please! Please, help me! Anybody! Rubic! Chishan!” They were too close now, and the Konatsu jumped to his feet to try and scramble away, but his strength had been sapped away. He managed to hit the button one last time. “PAN!” Then he screamed as they mobbed him, and the communication device was ripped from his shirt and tossed away. They punched and kicked him cruelly and relentlessly, beating him senseless, and he was completely unable to fight back. Mercifully, the captain finally slammed the hilt of his sword onto Minosha’s temple, knocking him out cold. Two knights hoisted him up by the armpits and the squadron of Paladins resumed formation with military precision, and proceeded to march towards the heart of the city as if nothing had happened at all. When they’d gone, the man in the black cloak reappeared, casually leaning against a building with his arms folded over his chest and the sole of a boot pressed on the wall. He gave it a minute before pushing himself forward on both feet and casually strolled over to where the communication device had been carelessly thrown. He bent down, picked it up, and looked towards the path where the Paladins had dragged Minosha away. Then he crushed the little device between his fingertips, rubbing them together and scattering the fragmented pieces of the machine onto the ground. He couldn’t have anyone tracing the signal to Avalon, and since the boy had been so helpful in his panic by not providing any coordinates, no one in his ragtag group of misfits would be able to find him. Besides, he thought to himself, Minosha wouldn’t be needing them anymore. * * * * Minosha came to as soon as they reached the judicial district. He found himself sitting on a bench welded into the back of a hover vehicle. Two Paladins sat at his sides and three Paladins sat across from him. He tried to move his hands to rub the welt at his temple, but found they were bound together and encased inside a hi-tech handcuff apparatus. His ankles were anchored down by energy chains. He groaned, his eyes searching those of his captors for some sign of sympathy, some clue as to what egregious offense he had committed. Surely it could not be because he wanted to buy some dessert from a common street vendor? “Why are you doing this?” he asked. Silence. The knights stared ahead, never once making eye contact with him. It was as if they were statues. “Will you at least tell me? I have a right to know,” Minosha continued, growing frustrated with the situation. Still, they said nothing in return. Minosha frowned and tilted his head back against the side of the vehicle so he could just sit and watch the amazing nothingness of the roof. Every once in a while his gaze would drift down and rove over the intricate build of the Avalanian armor. It reminded him of his own culture, of the medieval styling of Konats. Avalon had a strange yet intriguing mixture of eras in their technology and their fashion. Their architecture and advanced weaponry belonged in a futuristic society, whilst their dress and traditional melee instruments of war were a page ripped right out of a history book. It was as if they embraced their past but kept moving forward, and the thought struck a chord in Minosha that took him off guard. Perhaps he too needed to follow suit. Perhaps it was time to give up his past and become something more than what he held on to. His inner musings were interrupted when the vehicle stopped and set down. The back hatch opened and a ramp lowered, and all the knights stood to attention in unison. The first three filed out and formed a line at the bottom of the ramp to ensure any escape attempts were ill-fated, whilst the two at Minosha’s side unhitched the ankle chains from the floor, and refastened them so that they inhibited his gait. They grabbed him by his biceps and led him down the ramp. The Konatsu saw a crowd gathered outside. Unlike the first, these ones were not afraid, not when he was escorted by their beloved Paladins and trussed up like a ceremonial pig. No, these people looked at him with aversion and a sense of self-righteousness. Was this public display on purpose? What could have warranted such open parading of “criminal” apprehension? The Paladins led him into a building, a rather remarkably advanced prison. He was forced through a processing station, which included the removal of his possessions, being covered with delousing powder and then pressured-hosed clean, and being forced to don a prison outfit. He had to watch as the last of his Konatsu clothing and armor was incinerated, and he could barely contain his fury. His cuffs were intermittently applied and removed as necessary, but so long as the power-draining anklet remained in place, they were hardly necessary; Minosha was in no position to force his way out. As soon as he completed processing, he assumed that he would be taken towards his cell, but no. They instead took him to a medical facility. He passed by a rejuvenation tank, initially thinking that perhaps they would at least be gracious enough to treat the wounds they had inflicted upon him during his arrest and that had then be exacerbated by the water cannons in the showering area. No such luck. A doctor – or a scientist, or some sort of professional in a lab coat – pulled out Minosha’s arm and forcibly took a few blood samples before propping him in front of a special scanner that took a full body image of his skeleton and musculature to analyze his structural build. Then the guards shoved him into a clear glass-like box rimmed with metal and machinery. The doctor pressed a button and his voice sounded through an intercom. “Power up to your maximum level,” he instructed flatly. A low beep went off, and Minosha felt his strength return. He gladly accessed the ki within him that had been dampened. He thought now might have been his best and only chance to escape, but as long as that anklet remained around his leg, and with their finger still on the button, they could effectively squash any attempt to do so. The teenager simply did as he was told, hitting the height of his power and waiting things out to play them by ear. “I thought I said to power up to your maximum level,” the doctor said. “This is my maximum power level,” Minosha answered, somewhat annoyed. The doctor shrugged, visibly unimpressed, and scribble down a few notes before hovering his hand over a different button. After finishing his writing, he pressed it. A surging current flowed through the floor of the box and Minosha screamed out as an electrical shock surged through his body. The doctor released the button, and the current stopped. The Konatsu dropped to the ground, curling into a ball. “Maximum. Level,” the doctor repeated coldly. He hit the button again. Minosha cried out. He let go of the button. This repeated until finally the Konatsu lost it, and the turquoise of his eyes were swallowed by glowing blue as his beast form raged to the surface. The lion’s expansion of mass split the cuffs and the anklet, effectively breaking them into useless little pieces. The beast clawed at the glass and slammed its considerable weight against it. A dull green gas filtered through the top of the box, and the lion took a few deep breaths and sagged unconsciously to the ground, reverting to Minosha’s normal state. The doctor scoffed and scribbled down a few more notes, jerking his head to one side in disappointment. “It’s not him, but the physiology is identical. They are most definitely of the same species, likely of genetic relation due to aesthetic and physical similarity,” he said. He looked at the guards, as if he had forgotten they were there in the midst of deciphering his findings. “Oh, I don’t need him any longer. You can take him away. Still, it’s a shame I won’t be able to study the specimen further.” * * * * For the second time in one day, Minosha awoke from a bout of unconsciousness. He lay on the floor in an eight-by-eight cell, clothed in a fresh prison uniform. He was battered, beaten, and bruised all over. There was a small cot bolted into the wall on one side, and he crawled over to it and pulled himself up and under the covers. All of this he had endured with compliance, without complaint, and still they had treated him without fairness or compassion. It was like the Avalanians had already made up their mind about him no matter what he did. He curled up on the bed, and stared at the wall. Moonlight filtered in from a large, barred window near the ceiling. How cruel that he could see the sky and not be able to fly freely in it. As he closed his eyes and tried to think of better times, he heard the slow, methodical sound of clapping. Minosha’s eyes snapped back open and his head pivoted towards the source of the noise. His face popped in surprise when he saw the hooded figure sitting in the windowsill with one leg draped casually down the wall. “Brilliant. Absolutely brilliant. Not only did you allow yourself to be captured,” the stranger began with a smirk, “but you also took all of their treatment like a little bitch.” Minosha threw off the covers and bolted to his feet. “Mind your words,” he growled. “Or you’ll what? Slap me? Throw a lacy little handkerchief at me?” the figure chuckled. “How did you even get in here?” Minosha demanded. “Suffice it to say I have my ways,” the cloaked man shrugged. “Did you come here just to torment me? You can do no worse than the Avalanians already have,” the Konatsu said. “Oh I really doubt that,” the stranger replied with a sly smile. “No, I came here to provide a little insight on the situation. I know the suspense is absolutely killing me, so imagine what it must be doing to you.” “Yes,” Minosha said slowly. “You did seem to have foreknowledge of my impending capture.” “Correct. And if you had simply done what I told you to do, you wouldn’t be here right now. But really, I suppose, it’s for the best.” “So why am I here?” the teenager demanded. “I’ve never set foot on this planet in my entire life.” “You’re right... you haven’t...” the stranger hinted. Minosha closed his eyes and clenched his jaw in realization. “But Tapion has.” “Not as dumb as I thought,” the figure scoffed. He sighed theatrically. “Tapion... Tapion... Tapion. It’s always about Tapion, isn’t it? I bet you’re getting pretty sick of that right about now.” The Konatsu shook his head. “My brother is a prominent figure in this era. I can’t help that.” “Yes but it must be difficult for you. Trying to live up to the legacy and live down the reputation. Every move you make, every person you’ve ever encountered, it’s always been because of Tapion, hasn’t it? You’re just a speck of dirt compared to him,” the stranger continued. “Always stretching up to grasp onto a level that you just... can’t... quite... reach.” The figure tilted his head to the side. “Am I wrong?” “You presume quite a bit,” Minosha countered. “You were respected once, weren’t you? No one doubted your skill, nobody called you a kid or treated you like one. You were a hero, a legend, and everyone knew your name. You had power. You were strong. And now that’s all gone away, isn’t it? You’re a weak, pathetic, nobody.” The Konatsu’s mouth opened and closed a couple of times. “How do you know all this?” The figure smiled from beneath his hood. “Tell you what, we’ll get back to that one later. The point is, you’re going nowhere. You’re treading water. I mean look at you, you let yourself get captured and completely humiliated. Aren’t you tired of not having the respect you deserve? Of not being powerful? If you were strong, truly strong, no one would ever compare you to Tapion again. No one would dare cross you.” Minosha took a step back. “You sound like Akkio.” The mysterious man considered him for a moment. “Very well. You’ve obviously had a very difficult day. You can go ahead and think about what I’ve said while you’re rotting in a cell for something your brother did.” Then he vanished, leaving the teenager alone to contemplate his words. * * * * Slamming metal awoke Minosha from his fitful slumber. A squad of Paladins yanked the covers off and pulled him forcefully to his feet. The Konatsu grimaced and kept pace with them as best he could as they slapped the handcuff encasement on him and clipped on the ankle cuffs. He shuffled out of the prison and into a hover transport, where they took him to a courthouse. Another crowd waited, this one with cameras and news crews. Was their fascination really so great that he warranted media coverage? They led him inside and he stood on a raised platform ringed with metal railing. In front of him sat a panel of judges. The trial began without ceremony or formal procession. The head judge looked over a stack of papers, and upon completion of document browsing, looked up at Minosha and simply observed him. “It’s not polite to stare,” the teenager finally said. “You bear a remarkable resemblance to him, but you are not, in fact, the one called Tapion,” the judge stated. “No. He’s my older brother. My name is Minosha,” the youth replied. “By the Interplanetary Treaty of Egidius, it is full well within my right to know my crime and be prosecuted based on fair, presentable evidence.” “My dear boy, the Treaty of Egidius has not been observed for hundreds of years. Had you read your history a bit more carefully you would recall the Gasparus Act which limited the power of interplanetary legislation between galaxies. We operate under the laws of the Avalon Protectorate and the moment you set foot on this planet, you fell under our jurisdiction. As you are an extreme threat to the populace of those on Avalon and the planets that are under the protection of our military, you have no rights,” the judge explained matter-of-factually. “Threat?” Minosha repeated incredulously. “What sort of threat am I?” “Certainly you are aware of your brother’s crimes?” the judge inquired. “Mass genocide can hardly be overlooked.” “I understand that the fall of the Earthen city was a tragic loss. I don’t condone what he did and I tried to stop it,” the Konatsu explained. “I’m afraid the scope of his destruction is of greater breadth than a single city on a single planet. He is a mortal threat to every living thing in this entire galaxy,” the judge stated. Minosha swallowed. He could neither refute or agree with it, because he simply did not know what Tapion was capable of anymore. Instead, he had to focus on the relevance to himself. “What does any of this have to do with me? I’ve committed no such acts, taken no lives, broken no laws.” “You are of the same species, one of which we do not know the origin. We are unfamiliar with your biology, physiology, evolutionary traits... we know far too little of these things. As for yourself, for all intents and purposes, you simply appeared from thin air. We have no birth record, no home planet on database. We can only extrapolate the behavior of your species from our only known sample, which is your brother. It is entirely probable, and very likely, that your species was bred for a very specific purpose. For instance, the saiyans hold an intrinsic predisposition for fighting and destruction and changelings similarly have their cultural indoctrinations of conquering. We have concluded that your race, whatever it may be, is of an identical malignant nature. Thus, we classify you in the same category as your brother,” the judge concluded. “Have you anything to say for yourself?” “You’re wrong,” Minosha insisted. “Our race is peaceful. We are raised to follow a righteous path and to defend others. I know not why Tapion has deviated from this path, but I’m not my brother. I would never do anything like what he’s done.” “You understand that your word alone provides little, if any, assurance of virtue and goodness. I’m afraid we have no choice. We find you guilty as charged and sentence you to lifelong imprisonment where you cannot harm another living soul.” “That’s not fair! What justice is this?” Minosha roared. “Our Paladins patrol many different planets and in our investigations we have discovered the site of your first know appearance in our galaxy. We recovered an artifact and have painstakingly reverse-engineered a suitable form of containment. The sentence is to be carried out immediately in the presence of this body of justices.” “You can’t do this!” Minosha yelled. “I’ve done nothing wrong. I’VE DONE NOTHING WRONG.” A pair of Paladins grabbed him by the arms and turned him around. A third Paladin marched in holding something covered in a black cloth. He stopped, stood at attention, and removed the cloth. Minosha recognized the object instantly, and his body jerked to bolt from the room, but the Avalanian knights held him fast. “No,” he uttered, fear filling his voice as he stared at his fate. It was a music box. His chest heaved frantically and he began to hyperventilate. “You don’t have to do this,” he gasped. “You don’t have to do this. Please. Please! Don’t put me back in there!” The Paladin holding the music box took one methodical step after another towards Minosha. The closer it got, the more the Konatsu panicked. “No, no, stop! Don’t! Don’t do this to me, please. I can’t go back! I can’t... no! PLEASE!” The Paladin ignored him, and turned the crank on the music box, and it slowly began to play an all-too-familiar tune. Minosha struggled mightily against the guards that refused to release him, but with the strange device suppressing his powers, he couldn’t must the strength to break free. As the music reached his ears, his body relaxed against his will, and he entered a trance-like state. The world around him became as nothing, and his eyes glazed over and lost their vibrancy. The Paladins loosened their grip and stepped away, but the Konatsu didn’t notice. He stared, transfixed on the open container, all thoughts of escape forgotten and faded. Rubic, Chishan, Pan... he would never see any of them again. And when he would dream, when the nightmares would come, this time, it would be of them, and how they were forever beyond his reach. His mind fogged over completely. His eyes closed. As the last note played, his body was sucked into the music box, and the lid slammed shut. -------------- WC: 4,849 TWC: 4,849 |
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| Fenn | Jun 9 2013, 01:21 PM Post #2 |
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The Gromble
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Bright light. Blinding. Minosha gasped, his lungs filling with air. Air? Why was he aware that he was breathing? His hands touched pavement. How could he feel? The haze over his brain cleared, and he saw he was in a small office with a lamp pointed towards his face. Was this a dream? Was he hallucinating? “Welcome back to the world of the awake.” Minosha looked up, confused. It was the stranger again, the man cloaked in black. “Oh I promise you, you’re not dreaming,” the figure assured. He nodded his head towards the ground, and the teenager followed the gesture to see the remains of the smashed music box strewn about the floor. “Just when I give you a little bit of credit, you prove how utterly incompetent you are. How stupid do you have to be to leave that thing lying around for anybody to pick up and use it against you?” The Konatsu put a hand to his forehead, still trying to clear the cobwebs. It didn’t help that none of his injuries had healed. “I... didn’t know where it was... after I woke up... I don’t remember much of what happened...” “Well you’re going to have to rub the little sleepies out of your eyes, because we’re not done here yet. There’s still a mission to be completed,” the stranger announced. “Mission?” Minosha wondered. “Yes, thanks to you, they have data on Konatsu physiology as well as blueprints and a prototype of an artificial music box device. I don’t know if you’ve put two and two together yet but that’s not a good thing,” the figure explained. “Why should you care?” the teenager demanded. “Because you should,” the cloaked man responded. “Now get up and follow me.” He stuck out a finger from beneath his cloak and systematically disintegrated the music box pieces with a precision ki laser. Then he threw his cloak to one side and pulled a concealed sword from a hidden sheath on his back. Its blade was black, serrated, like some kind of demonic, rectangular saw. The stranger gave the blade a twirl and grinned. “Let’s go... play.” Minosha gathered his wits in time to see the cloaked man kick the door in from the office and follow hurriedly after him. Guards and Paladins swarmed the hallways, and Minosha realized that the man had taken the box back to the prison where the medical data was kept. The stranger encountered them all in perfect stride, slicing his sword through them like they were pats of soft butter. Sprays of blood decorated the walls like an evil red paint, and the Konatsu was absolutely horrified. “Stop it! You don’t have to kill these people!” the boy protested. “They beat you, locked you up, and sentenced you to an eternity inside that damned box! Why would you defend them?” the stranger demanded. An alarm blared over an intercom. The stranger ignored it and proceeded to the medical laboratory, where a familiar-looking doctor sat oblivious at his desk. Then he looked up, saw them, and shrank back in fear. “Hello,” the stranger greeted. He walked right up to the doctor and ran him through. “Goodbye.” The cloaked man pulled the blade free and pushed the dead body of the Avalanian away before thrusting his sword into the floor and sitting down in front of the computer. His fingers flew furiously over the screen as he analyzed the data of the system. “What are you doing?” Minosha asked as he stared aghast at the murdered doctor as thick puddle of blood pooled around the body. “Deleting the files from the server. Unfortunately they’re not contained to this one system so I have to make sure it’s completely gone from the entire network,” the stranger explained, not once distracted from the task at hand. “I took care of the music box blueprint and prototype problems while you were taking a nap.” His middle finger slammed onto a single key. “And, done.” The mysterious man stood up, grabbed his sword, and simultaneously launched a couple of blasts at the refrigerators where Minosha’s blood samples were housed. Then he strode up to the teenager and grabbed him by the shoulder. “Be sure to smile for the camera,” the stranger smirked. Minosha looked up in the corner of the room where a recording device was mounted and locked on to his face. In a blink, the two vanished from the building. And then they reappeared several hundred feet above it. The stranger extended an arm, his wrist bent at a ninety degree angle, and he pointed his palm towards the building. Minosha realized what he was doing immediately. “No, don’t!” the boy protested. The stranger simply gathered a large orb of energy in his hand and fired it at the Avalanian prison. In seconds, the entire structure went up in an explosion of smoke and flames. Before the shockwave could reach them, the stranger teleported them again, this time in an empty street at the far edge of the city. The man released Minosha and the Konatsu took a few steps back. “Why did you do that? Why did you kill all those people?” The cloaked figured sighed. “Not this again. Listen, I’m helping you, since you’re obviously incapable of doing anything right.” “Wha—? What are you talking about?” “I’ve practically had to hold your hand this entire time! You had no idea about the power that lay within you, and you probably never would have. So I go to Yaidrat, tell you about Cactalysmia. But you wouldn’t have even gone if it weren’t for that aggravating female saiyan, would you? And when you finally get there, you have no idea where to look, so I had to interfere again and pay get those urchins to point you in the right direction. Then you finally unlocked it, your beast form, and it’s the wrong one. What’s worse, you don’t even know how to use it properly. The first thing you do is go to that planet of pathetic green idiots, to learn what? How to heal others? You should be worried about yourself. And then, to cap it all off, you waltz right into a squadron of armed Paladins on Avalon. Do you see the pattern yet? How completely hopeless you are? If you didn’t play by your worthless code of ethics, none of this would have happened,” the stranger said. “What does this matter to you anyway?” Minosha growled. “How do you know all these things? Who are you?” He lunged forward and ripped off the man’s hood. His face filled with shock and he took a few stunned steps back. The man was pale, his face pocked with battle scars. But those weren’t his most interesting features. He had ears, pointed like an elf, and a pink mohawk jutting from the top of his head... “You’re... you’re another Konatsu,” Minosha realized. The mysterious stranger chuckled with sinister amusement. “Kid, I’m the Konatsu.” “But... how?” Minosha wondered in disbelief. “Haven’t you figured it out yet?” the stranger grinned. “Why don’t you take a closer look?” Minosha squinted his eyes, staring at the fine features of the stranger’s face. After a moment, the picture slowly started to sharpen and enhance. “You’re... you’re me.” The stranger gave a slow clap, his tone mocking. “Give the boy a prize.” His stomach was sick. He wanted to throw up. This man, this man who had manipulated his life and killed so many innocents in cold blood... how could they be the same person? “This is impossible...” “It’s very possible. As a matter of fact, it’s possible in the same way it’s possible that the female saiyan is here. I’m you... several years from now,” the older version stated. “But I... I would never do those things. I would never kill those people,” Minosha insisted. “You just did,” the man smiled wickedly. “You might as well embrace it. You’re now an accessory to mass murder. Your face is plastered all over those security cameras, which are broadcast to a central security network, and by now it’s all over the galaxy.” “I didn’t lay a hand on them,” Minosha snarled. “You did all that, and your face was covered.” “I did?” his older self questioned, feigning a confused tone. He pulled a small electronic pad from his belt, tuned it into a specific frequency, and held it out for Minosha to see. A news network was broadcasting his escape as a breaking news update, and a reporter narrated along with it, cautioning the viewers about the disturbing and graphic imagery. It showed Minosha, alone, with no one else, moving from hallway to hallway. Everyone in his path was seemingly mowed down by an invisible force. The reported flashed a picture of Minosha, stated that he was an interplanetary wanted criminal, and attributed the entire death toll and the destruction of the prison to the teenager’s doing. “This isn’t what happened!” Minosha cried. The future version tapped a thumb on his belt. “Future technology. Black market stuff, very cutting edge. It blocks all sensors, energy detectors, infrared scanners, and virtually any other means of tracking me down. Oh, and it has this nifty ability to render the user invisible to all image capture devices. Pretty handy, don’t you think? It’s how I was able to spy on you on your ship and none of you were the wiser.” “You set me up,” the youth realized in horror. The older incarnation leaned forward and spoke, softly and cruelly. “Why. Don’t. You. Go. Cry about it?” Minosha balled up his fists, suppressing the urge to lash out in anger. “I’m just giving you a head start,” the other said. He pressed a few times on the pad and showed the teenager a new image. It was a criminal profile of Minosha as his older self, replete with a long list of capital offenses and calls for a capture or kill order. “You make quite the name for yourself.” “Kaiser,” the youth said, reading his future version’s alias. It listed his real name as unknown. “Is that what you call yourself?” “What can I say? The name just fits me better,” Kaiser smirked. “Nobody calls me Minosha anymore. Nobody even knows that name ever existed.” “What about your friends?” Minosha asked. “We don’t have friends. We never did. We don’t need them,” Kaiser answered simply. “I’m a lion. A lion is only strong as long as it stays in its pride,” the youth countered. “But I’m not a lion...” Kaiser’s face curled into a snarl and he transformed into a gargantuan and formidable beast, but not a lion. No, he was a tiger, brawny and striped. Minosha remembered what the elderly shaman had told him atop Mount Calcite, how a tiger was stronger than a lion, but it was often lonelier. An animal spirit housed within a person matched their strongest traits. Somewhere along the way, he had diverged from his lion spirit. Was it possible to change your totem once it was awakened? Smoothly, Kaiser reverted back to his normal state, as if it were no trouble at all. Minosha shook his head. “If you’re so happy with your life in the future, why did you come back to the past?” “Because I’m searching for something. I accidentally destroyed it in my time before I found out what it was. The gala after the MAGMA tournament was the perfect opportunity to slip in and steal it. I thought that fool Maverick would have it but even the galaxy’s greatest treasure hunter has yet to find it. I guess I jumped back a little too early. Oh well. More fun for me,” Kaiser shrugged. “But lo and behold, look what I did find. And not where you were supposed to be.” He tilted his head to the side. “I’m sure you must have a dozen questions for me, but I think I know the one you want to ask the most. So go ahead. Ask me.” The young Konatsu set his jaw. When he spoke, it was quiet, because now, faced with the possibility of learning the answer, he wasn’t sure he wanted to know. “What happens to Tapion?” Kaiser spread his arms as wide as his smile. “And there it is. Always about Tapion. Well, Tapion doesn’t exist in the future. He doesn’t exist because I killed him. I never did get as strong as he did, and neither will you. But he was begging for it in the end, so I happily obliged. Of course, it was easy once he got rid of that symbiote attached to him. No more of that pesky immortality.” “You’re lying!” Minosha spat immediately, momentarily glossing over the mention of a symbiote. “Maybe I am. Maybe I’m not. Hard to tell. I have no idea why you’re defending him, though. It’s like you’ve completely ignored the fact that he—” Then Kaiser stopped, and gasped in mock surprise. “Oh that’s right. He hasn’t told you yet.” “Told me what?” “I don’t want to spoil the surprise,” Kaiser smirked. “I’m sure you’ll find out sooner rather than later. But now with that out of the way, please, keep ’em coming.” “How did you even come back into the past?” “Same way the female saiyan did, except I used a more... updated model. Hand-held version, to be more specific. The black market got a hold of the same technology they created to send soldiers back to the past, and they performed a few... modifications to it. Top secret doesn’t stay secret for long,” the future version snickered. “I bet you’re dying to know about her illustrious military career...” “I’ll ask her myself,” Minosha snapped. “And she has a name. It’s Pan.” “I know. Insert joke here,” the older Konatsu dead-panned. “You’re still missing a pretty big one.” The teenager nodded. “What are you looking for?” “Correct!” Kaiser said, his eyes lighting up. “And that’s my little secret. I will, however, tell you that it is of Konatsu origin. It’s an ancient artifact that was smuggled off the planet and shipped away from the Southern Galaxy short before... well... a very large, very important event happened. But guess what? You’re going to help me find it.” Minosha shook his head vehemently, his nose wrinkling in disgust. “I would never help you.” Kaiser’s smile simmered into a small one of superiority, and his eyes narrowed in the most subtle hint of danger. “You act like that was a request,” he said quietly. “You can’t force me to,” Minosha declared. “Wanna bet?” Kaiser retorted, in that same vaguely threatening tone. “Anything you do to me will affect you. That’s why you broke me out of that music box, because if I was still in there, you would never have been free to go down your wicked path. So if something bad happens to me, something bad happens to you,” the teenager reasoned. “Has anyone ever told you that you assume too much?” Kaiser replied. “It doesn’t work that way little man.” Without hesitating, Kaiser closed the space between them and grabbed Minosha violently by the shoulder and pressed his thumb into the joint. The tip of his finger heated with ki, and the younger version cried out in pain as a neat circle was burned into his flesh. Kaiser shoved Minosha to his knees, pressing deeper and deeper with his thumb, and then just as quickly released. “That’s going to leave a scar, right? A wound like that?” the older version pointed out. He threw his cloak back and pulled down one side of his shirt to show the same shoulder, which was free of any such blemish that matched the ki burn, even a faded remnant. “But look at me. No scar. I can do whatever I want to you and it wouldn’t do a damn thing to me. So don’t think of getting some ridiculous heroic notion in your head like offing yourself to prevent me from existing, because it wouldn’t work. I exist, and I’m not going anywhere.” Then he straightened himself up and turned his back to do a casual stroll in a circle and come back around, his expression light, mocking, and jovial, just like before. “Minosha,” he chided. “It doesn’t have to be this way. I followed you because I wanted to help you. Help you become strong, like me.” Minosha spat to one side. “I’m not a man like you.” “Why resist, when you know it’s going to end up this way? I can help you become what you’ve always wanted. You can’t tell me, that deep down, in your heart of hearts, you want power. You need power. It’s the thing that drives you, what haunts every corner of your mind, the very reason you wake up every morning. I’m offering you something that I had to do the hard way, but with me, you’ll become stronger than you ever imagined in no time at all. Come with me. Leave this life behind.” From his knees, Minosha looked up, glaring at his future visage from beneath furrowed eyebrows. “I don’t care what you do to me. I won’t let myself turn into you. I’ll never go with you. I refuse.” “You refuse? And why is that? You don’t want to leave your precious friends?” Kaiser asked. He looked at the boy as though it should have been obvious he’d been duped. “Minosha, those people, they’re not really your friends. They feel sorry for you.” “That’s not true! I know it’s not!” “Oh but it is. You see, they took you in because you were like a puppy, a dumb, lost little puppy. Sure, puppies are cute, adorable, and amusing... for a little while. Maybe they even start to like the puppy a tiny bit. But what happens when that dumb little puppy grows up? It turns into a big ugly dog. Not so cute anymore, is it?” He gestured over his scarred face for emphasis. “Then they don’t want you, and they’ll either abandon you, or better yet, they’ll put you down themselves. And guess what, junior? Your days as a puppy have run out.” “No! I don’t believe you! My friends would never do that to me!” Minosha remembered what Pan had said, and the promise that he had made to her. He wouldn’t let himself be led to doubt them again. She had said she was his friend, and it was real. He knew it was real. “Think about it. Did any of them come to rescue you when you called for their help? Did any of them even answer your distress signal in the first place? No. None of them did. Complete... utter... silence. And who came charging in to save you? That’s right. I did. Me. Because your so-called friends don’t really care about you at all,” Kaiser taunted. “They care about me. They would have come for me. I know they would have,” Minosha insisted. “Don’t be so naïve, Minosha. You’re a loser. How could anyone ever care about a loser like you?” “I’m not! I’m not a loser!” the teenager insisted, shutting his eyes against the word. “Minosha, of course you are. But you don’t have to be, if you’ll simply come with me.” “I won’t.” “So your friends really are the anchor that keeps you tied? Well then those are the bonds I’ll simply have to break. Tell me: which one matters the most to you? That gorgeous reptilian? The tin can? That psychopathic excuse for a saiyan? Or how about the female saiyan?” Minosha’s jaw clenched, more tellingly than he intended. “I think we have a winner. Do you honestly mean to tell me that you actually care about the female saiyan?” Minosha glared. Kaiser smiled wickedly, his eyes alight with maliciously gleeful realization. “You care a lot about the female saiyan,” he amended. “Well, well, well, how interesting. Isn’t that sweet... needed a replacement for Tapion did we? Thought she could fit the bill? But surely, you must understand that saiyans are not capable of true friendship, nor really any sort of caring or affection at all.” “You’re wrong. I’ve met plenty—” “Oh spare me. That male saiyan? He doesn’t count. Have you never heard him talking to himself? Because I have. He has a serious alter ego problem. He suppresses his true instincts. Any other saiyan you’ve met that hasn’t tried to kill you is probably only a halfling. They run pretty rampantly around the galaxies you know. Those filthy savages reproduce like rabbits. Seems like every other fighter these days is some saiyan or other. But, we’re getting off the point, aren’t we? The only thing that saiyans – true saiyans, mind you – respect is power, and only then if you’re stronger than they are and can defeat them in combat. Sadly, for you, that’s not happening any time soon, and you cannot deny that that is a cold, hard, fact.” Minosha had nothing to say. That part rang with a certain degree of fact; he had never seen Pan or Chishan light up as much as when they faced a stronger opponent. They treated people with superior power differently than they treated him. They treated them with more reverence. Pan herself had explained that it was a huge part of their culture when they first met. But she said she had respected him too, so that had to mean— “I know it’s difficult to accept, but it’s the truth, and you can’t hide from the truth. So would you like to come with me, and amend that, or would you like to continue being a little lapdog begging for treats?” The teenager caught himself. No! He wouldn’t doubt them. He wouldn’t let this man get in his head. He was firm in his resolution. “I won’t go with you.” Kaiser’s face went serious, cold and unfeeling, and his tone dropped to match. “Then let me put this in terms you’ll better understand. Either you come with me, or I will kill... all of them.” Minosha’s head snapped up, his face lit up with panic. “No, you can’t!” “Rest assured I can. You may be a pathetic weakling but I’m not. I’m more than capable of disposing of every last person you ever held dear, and don’t think for a second that I won’t.” He continued, his apathy jarring against the gravity of his words. “I think I’ll start by gutting your pretty green girlfriend.” “She’s not my girlfriend! She has nothing to do with this!” Minosha insisted. “Does anyone know about your little rendezvous with her by the way? That was just a touch on the inappropriate side, don’t you think? I’m sure they wouldn’t approve,” Kaiser said without emotion. “But that shouldn’t be a problem when I mount her head on my wall.” “Leave her out of this!” Minosha yelled. “And then I’ll dismantle the robot. Use him for spare parts to maintain my tools. And after that, I’ll behead the male saiyan, get rid of that little disorder of his. And finally...” “NO!” He leaped up and charged the older version of himself, but Kaiser just raised his arm and slapped Minosha away with the back of his hand. The young Konatsu flew off to the side and ricocheted violently off the side of a building. Kaiser looked at him with icy malignancy. “...I’ll save the female saiyan for last. I’ll kill her nice and slow. And I’ll make you watch.” The young Konatsu put a hand to his temple. It was gushing fresh blood from a slice on his forehead. Still, he refused to give in. “STOP IT! You don’t go near any of them!” “Then give me what I want!” Kaiser snarled, his voice rising suddenly before dropping low again. “Or their blood will be on your hands, and we both know you can’t live with the guilt. It’s them... or you. It’s that simple.” Minosha squirmed on the ground. He still didn’t have access to any of his powers, but Kaiser had exerted barely any effort at all to slap him away. And yet, it was controlled, enough to cause him extreme pain but not enough to inflict a state of unconsciousness. He stood to his feet, ignoring the spell of dizziness that threatened to overtake him. “If you...” he began hesitantly. “If you promise not to hurt them, then I... I’ll do as you say.” Kaiser’s face warmed instantly, wreathed in a jolly smile, as if nothing bad had happened at all. “Minosha, of course. I would have no reason to do anything bad to them so long as you cooperated.” “Then I’ll go with you,” Minosha acquiesced reluctantly. “Smart choice,” Kaiser concluded. The smile faded, replaced by the serious expression once more. “I want you to get one thing through your head. I am your future.” The expression switched back again. He changed temperament so fast it almost gave the teenager whiplash. “As a matter of fact, why don’t I show you? I think the more you see what you’ll be able to do, the more you’ll be inclined to listen to my good advice.” Minosha looked down. “Fine. I can’t stop you.” -------------- WC: 4,289 TWC: 9,138 |
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| Fenn | Jun 9 2013, 02:10 PM Post #3 |
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The Gromble
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Grinning smugly, Kaiser whipped out a different gadget, which Minosha could only assume was his time travel device, and began to enter time and space coordinates. The young Konatsu sighed, and, defeated, walked over with his shoulders slumped. Kaiser grabbed hold of Minosha and they disappeared in a flash, through the slipstream of the universe and reappeared in a very different place several years into the future. It was a destroyed city, the skies black with the smog of burning buildings. It was a total wasteland. Somehow, in Avalon’s future, the capitol city had fallen in the midst of a great war. “Welcome home,” Kaiser said. Minosha pounced. He grabbed for the device in an attempt to destroy it. He had acted the perfect victim, but as soon as the suggestion of traveling to the future passed the lips of his evil counterpart, the youth had resolved to destroy the machine. He couldn’t let Kaiser go back to the past and kill his friends. “What are you doing you little fool?!” Kaiser cried. In the struggle, random buttons were pressed, entering a random sequence of coordinates to the time path settings. A flash of light erupted, and a vortex ripped open in the fabric of space and time. Minosha felt his feet leave the ground, and he was unable to fight against it, as his powers were still locked away by the Avalanian anklet. Kaiser gripped onto Minosha’s arm with his one free hand, the other wrenching the device from the younger one’s grasp. After a few seconds of struggle, Kaiser realized that he would get sucked into the vortex as well, and howled in rage before releasing his younger self. Minosha screamed, arms flailing uselessly as he was drawn into the dimensional rip. Kaiser hit a few quick buttons on the device, and a light flashed from the machine to stabilize and eliminate the vortex. Kaiser growled, baring his teeth and curling his lips, unable to believe that he had underestimated the little fucker and had thus been taken by surprise by his little feint. But this wasn’t the last Minosha would see of him. He would make sure of that. * * * * “Hey! Hey boy, wake up!” Minosha groaned and stirred, groggily opened his eyes. How many times was this now, that he had woken up after being knocked out? “What are you doing here in the middle of the road? Did you get mugged by some highwaymen or something?” The teenager put a hand to his forehead. The cut had started to clot, reducing the blood flow. Minosha felt dirt beneath him, dirt and... cobblestone. Weird. He lifted himself up, looking at the man who was talking to him. Minosha blinked once. Shook his head. Blinked twice. He reached out with his hand to touch the man’s face, and, understandably, the man shrank back. “What’s the matter with you boy? Get your hands out of my face!” the man grumbled as he slapped Minosha’s arm away. “But you’re...” the boy breathed. “Extremely confused,” the man supplied with a quirk of his eyebrow. Minosha turned his head and looked at the landscape. “This is...” “You should run along home, boy. I think you’ve taken one too many bumps to the head,” the man suggested before walking away. His farm was not far from the road, and he went back to tend to his chickens. The breath caught in his throat, and he had never been so overcome with the desire to weep tears of joy. Minosha dropped to his knees, grabbing fistfuls of earth in his hands. He was here. He was finally here. “I’m home,” he smiled, choking back a sob. He was home, home at last. Because somehow, some way... he was on Konats. * * * * Minosha walked the road, familiar with the particular highway upon which he had fallen. It hadn’t changed a bit. It was a little more weathered than he remembered, but with every passing minute, more and more of his faint past returned to him. It was as if he never left. He traveled at a brisk pace, heading towards the castle where he and Tapion had lived during their training. They were destined to serve as royal bodyguards, or become soldiers or sentries or some other such position protecting the castle and its incumbent monarchs. When he reached the castle town, he realized that in his Avalanian prison uniform, he no longer blended in with the locals. The irony of the thought struck him with an amused smile. He also realized that he had no money to pay for a new set of clothes, but even if he did, Konatsus didn’t know what zeni was; they only bartered or accepted gold as acceptable currency. The courtyard market was bustling with activity; it was the middle of prime business hour. Minosha garnered a few stares, but for once, it wasn’t because he was the funny-looking elven alien. He was among his own people, his own kind. He thought he must have confused them, bearing the traditional hairstyle of a warrior but possessed no weapon or armor. He looked for faces that he recognized, and saw a couple of shopkeepers he had frequented once upon a time. They were older than he recalled. Everything was just slightly different, not exactly as before, and he couldn’t quite put his finger on the reason why. Then the crowd parted for a group of soldiers on horseback bearing the armor of the royal guard. Minosha paid them little mind, until he saw their captain, and was taken aback: once more, he was looking at an older version of himself. At first, he panicked. Had Kaiser followed him into the past? It was entirely possible; he hadn’t managed to destroy the device before being sucked into the vortex. The teenager slipped through the crowd to get a closer look. No, it was definitely an older Minosha, but there were distinct differences between this one and Kaiser. This one was still chiseled, but slimmer, not as bulky with over-sized muscles. He had no scars on his face, and his countenance was one of calm civility. This one was also younger, probably in his early twenties. It dawned on the youth that if he had entered a reality in which there was two of him, it would cause problems if anyone who knew him were to discover a younger version running around. Minosha fled to the cover of an alley and watched from a distance as the captain dismounted his horse to mingle with the common folk. A pair of Konatsu children giggled and ran by, one of them waving a slingshot and the other waving a boomerang. Minosha stopped them. “Hey, can I borrow that slingshot for a second? I promise I’ll give it right back,” he asked as nicely as possible. “You can’t have it, it’s mine,” the child insisted. “I don’t want to keep it. Just borrow it,” Minosha assured. “Okay,” the child said. That was easy. Minosha took the slingshot and grabbed a loose pebble. He had played with these in his early childhood, and he was a crack shot. He loaded up the sling, stretched the band back, and fired it right at the royal guard captain. It bounced off his armor, and he looked around in annoyance. Minosha ducked behind the wall, leaving only the children visible. “Oh no!” the child moaned. “He’s coming! He’s coming! You got us in trouble!” Minosha handed him back the slingshot and motioned for them to flee. “Go! Run! I’ll stop him for you!” “Okay!” The children fled down the alley, afraid of getting into trouble and being punished. Minosha sucked in a breath. This wasn’t going to be easy, and he had no idea how this was going to turn out, but for the moment, he was stuck here and had no way out, and so his best chance was to seek an alliance with... himself, to save him... from himself. This time travel thing was going to get confusing quickly, especially if alternate versions of himself were just going to keep piling up one after the other. The guard captain approached the alley, and nearly passed right by Minosha who was still pressed against the wall. He turned his head ever so slightly and turned it back, before doing a double take and immediately raising his guard. The captain whipped the rapier from the sheath at his waist and pointed it at Minosha’s throat. “What sort of devilry is this?” the captain demanded. Minosha put his hands up. “I swear to you, I mean you no harm.” “Who are you?” Minosha spoke slowly and calmly. “I’m you. I’m a past version of you... from the future.” It sounded ridiculous, even to him, and it clearly reflected on the captain’s befuddled face. “You have one minute to explain yourself,” the captain instructed. The teenager nodded in agreement. “I will, but not here. It’s too public. If anyone were to discover us, things would get complicated very quickly.” The captain considered that for a moment, and knew it to be true, as Minosha anticipated he would. “Very well. Come with me.” The captain led him discreetly through the back alley. Minosha ducked his head to hide his face when they approached a guardhouse manned by one sentry, whom allowed them to pass without question when he saw his superior approaching. The captain worked his way through the less-used corridors of the castle until they arrived at a private antechamber that led to a locked room. He ushered Minosha inside and closed the door behind him. “Now, talk,” the captain prompted. He folded his armored arms over his armored chest. “How can you be from my past but also my future?” Minosha licked his lips, deciding it best to start from the beginning. He sat down on an overstuffed chair, running his hands through his hair. “I’m not entirely sure how this happened myself. But I can tell you the events leading up to this point.” He hesitated a moment, his lips struggling to form the first few words, as he still found the subject very difficult to speak of, even to himself. “When I was eleven years old, I was trapped inside a music box. I don’t know who did it, and I don’t know why. When someone finally broke the seal on the box, I awoke, and a thousand years had passed. I don’t remember much of when I first came out of the box. They told me – the people who found me, that is – they told me that I wasn’t... normal. That I had gone mad somehow. After a few months, I regained my sanity, and after a few more months, I learned much of the new world that I had awoken into. By the time I was twelve, I traveled to a place called Earth. Much happened to me after that. Essentially, I tried to live as much of a normal life as I possibly could, knowing I would never again see Konats. A day ago – yesterday, for me, for my world – I met a future version of myself who used a device to travel backwards in time. I’m not entirely certain of his goal, but he meant to subjugate me for some sinister purpose. He brought me to his time, the future, and in an attempt to destroy the device, it opened up some kind of mystical portal, which brought me here.” Minosha shook his head and chuckled. “That’s quite the fantastic story,” the captain said finally. “I know. It sounds ludicrous. If I were in your shoes, if I had never left Konats, I wouldn’t believe it either. But there are a lot of things I would never have imagined in my wildest dreams that I have seen and experienced and felt in the past several months. And I don’t know what else to tell you that would convince you that my tale is no piece of fiction, but in fact, the truth,” Minosha admitted. The captain remained quiet for a moment. “Tell me of your childhood.” Minosha scoffed a bit in good nature. “A thousand years has robbed me of much of the memory of my old life. I can tell you of the many days of training, of tutoring and etiquette lessons, of sparring with a blade with Tapion. We were equals back then, he and I. Now... not so much.” “Wait, what do you mean by now?” the captain interrupted, sudden interest crossing his face. “Tapion, is he with you?” “No,” Minosha replied, shaking his head. Then a confused expression crinkled his features. “Why? Where is Tapion now? The Tapion of this world.” The captain looked down sadly. “I do not know. No one has seen him for many years. Not since...” “Hirudegarn,” Minosha interjected. “Was it Hirudegarn? Did the monster kill him?” Regret flooded through him, and captain looked at him with a similar expression. “No. But, the monster did prove too strong for Tapion to restrain, and in the end, he relinquished his half of the demon to me. After that, he disappeared,” the captain answered. “I think he was too ashamed of his failure.” Minosha stared in bewilderment. “What? Tapion... Tapion didn’t give up his half. I’m the one who was too weak. I’m the one who gave up my half to him. It was me who failed. And then I was trapped in the music box, and I never got a chance to make up for my weakness.” “That is very strange...” the captain observed. “In my past it was Tapion. I later managed to vanquish the monster once and for all but it was far too late. Tapion had long since vanished.” The teenager jumped to his feet. “If our roles were reversed in this timeline, then that must mean it was Tapion who was trapped in the music box. Did you look for him?” Minosha strode up to the captain and shook him by the shoulders, suddenly possessed by the shadows that had plagued him ever since learning of his Tapion’s willing refusal to search for him all those years. “Did you search for Tapion? Did you try to find him? Why didn’t you look for him? Why didn’t you try to find him?” His voice rose with each word, as if frantic. The captain placed his gloved hands on the boys shoulders in turn, restraining him. “Peace, boy, peace. Of course I looked for him. I searched everywhere. For years I looked. But I never found him. It’s entirely possible that he was never put in a box somewhere, but that he simply didn’t want to be found. Those in my employ still search for signs of him, and I hope someday that I will see him again, but I’ve done all I can, and I have other duties to people who need me.” Minosha gradually calmed down and moved back to the slump in the chair. The captain appraised him, and finally gave him a sympathetic look. “No one knows better than I the torment of losing Tapion, yet I see in your eyes that your pain is greater than mine. That is proof enough that you are who you say you are,” the captain stated. “I believe you, Minosha.” “Why? Why would you believe me? I appear out of nowhere, and you’ve known me for less than an hour,” Minosha wondered. “Because I choose to believe in the best of people, and I hope over your journey, you have not forgotten that,” the captain replied softly. “I have,” Minosha admitted quietly, despair in his voice. “I’ve strayed so far from who I used to be. I am afraid that this dark version of myself will come to pass, that I will become that which I have fought against so passionately.” The captain stepped over, knelt down, and placed his hands on the boy’s shoulders once more, giving them a reassuring squeeze. “You won’t,” he said simply. “If you have forgotten all the good inside of you, I will help you remember.” Minosha smiled slightly at his older self, and the captain smiled back. “In the meantime, we should acquire more suitable garb for you. I am afraid that your strange clothing is not befitting of a future Captain of the Knights of the Royal Order,” the older version continued. He left briefly to fetch a hooded shirt, slacks, boots, and a belt and returned in short order. Minosha changed out of his prison uniform, and for the first time in a long time, felt truly comfortable in his clothes. “It appears as though you were in quite the scuffle. I’ll fetch the surgeon to stitch you up, but I think a visit to Dr. Toth is in order.” “Yes, Dr. Toth,” Minosha agreed, familiarity ringing in the name. “The professor. Our old tutor!” “He’ll know what to do about this. He’ll help us decide on an appropriate course of action,” the captain assured. “Thank you... erm... Minosha,” the teenager said awkwardly. It felt strange to call another person by his name. His older self must have felt it too, because he looked equally as awkward. “How about... you just call me... Cap,” the older version suggested. “Okay. Cap,” Minosha agreed happily. “It’s settled then. Alright, hood up. I trust you remember the way?” * * * * “Oh my suns and stars!” Dr. Toth exclaimed. They had finished relating their tale to the old professor, who had listened with eager fascination. The professor was short and squat, with bushy hair and thick spectacles that hung over his bulbous nose. “This is certainly a strange series of events indeed.” He waddled over to the bookcase and pulled out dusty tome after dusty tome, leafing through the yellowed pages until he found the one he was looking for. “Yes... hrm... interesting. Our scholars have theorized such occurrences, but the study was considered too radical and there’s very little on the subject except ancient texts that are still yet to be translated from one of the lesser used dialects of the mage’s tongues. You see, they believed that time was like a river that flowed swift and sure in one direction. But, the river can diverge into many smaller paths of water, into different streams, like different strands of time. This would explain how it’s possible to be the same man and yet have two different versions of your past,” Dr. Toth rambled. “But how can I get back?” Minosha asked. Cap looked at him, and Minosha gave him a quick glance before focusing on the professor. “That version of me, that Kaiser, he still has the device to travel back to the past. He can still go back to my original time. He threatened the lives of my friends if I didn’t cooperate with him. They’re still in danger, and I have to be there to protect them.” Dr. Toth adjusted his glasses worriedly. “I’m afraid I don’t know of way to send you back where you belong, young Minosha. Perhaps there is some sort of spell I can find that will summon the portal that brought you here in the first place, but that will take time and much research, and even then, there’s no guarantee that it will be successful. I would prepare myself for the very real probability that you will remain in this time, in this world... for the rest of your life.” Cruel irony. How many nights had he spent, wishing that he could come home, wishing that he were back on Konats? And now that he was here, all he could think about was going back to the future where his friends were. “Just... do whatever you can, please. I would be eternally grateful,” Minosha said with a bow. “Certainly, my boy,” Dr. Toth replied. “Erm, in the meantime, you should probably find a more... permanent solution for your sudden appearance in this timeline. As I said, you’re likely to be here a while.” “Yes, that does present a problem,” Cap agreed. “We can’t very well tell the masses the truth. We cannot be sure they would react positively.” Dr. Toth pushed his glasses up his nose. “Perhaps you could pass the young lad off as a cousin with a very strong resemblance? Your similarities are undoubtedly uncanny, but there are enough slight differences to cast a shadow of doubt on the true identity.” Cap sighed. “I suppose that will have to do. We’ll introduce you at court tomorrow. Let me deal with all the arrangements and the announcements. We did receive the same education but I’m afraid I’ve more years of political experience in the castle than you do. Just try to exemplify proper etiquette. This is your world again, the world of Konatsu society. I’m sure you’ll do well in rejoining it.” Minosha nodded smartly, and Cap grinned. “Good.” * * * * The court procession went smoothly enough. Cap, as Minosha quickly discovered, was revered and well-respected in the castle. Everyone treated him with deference and congeniality. After all, he was their commanding soldier, their captain, and the people’s hero, the destroyer of the dreaded Hirudegarn and the man that had helped win the war against the Kashvars. But it wasn’t just that. It was that he was genuinely a kind and fair person. He treated everyone else with as much or more consideration than was given to him, and spoke to them politely and amiably. He was the perfect gentleman, the embodiment of class and poise. It was hard not to find him likeable, and Minosha caught himself admiring the man. Cap had assured him that everything would be alright, that he would make sure everything got sorted properly, and that Minosha would be well taken care of. The Crown Princess Ilena sat off to the side with her husband, Prince Ansel. The aging king, whose wife had long since passed away, presided over the procession. Minosha’s announcement garnered great interest from the members of court, including the prince, who was a nobleman who had married into royalty. In Minosha’s time, the princess had not yet married, and in fact had not yet found a steady suitor at all. She remained calm and detached from the entire situation, as if she were not surprised by it at all. To prevent confusion, Cap introduced him as Milun, a distant cousin from a far off province. Everyone accepted the explanation readily enough, though he was certain to be a subject of gossip for the foreseeable future, until the next noteworthy person or event rolled along to change the topic of intrigue. When the introduction concluded, Minosha went around for a personal meet and greet with the various nobles and important military officials. He slipped into the role like it was an old shoe, presenting himself with the correct attitude and approach and wordings. It was like a game, and he had played it most of his life despite sitting out a few rounds. Eventually, Minosha even had the prestigious honor to meet the princess and her husband. Cap and the teenager dropped to one knee until given permission to rise. “Pleased to make your acquaintance, Milun,” the prince greeted. “The honor is mine, Highness,” Minosha nodded. The princess said nothing, merely offering her hand, and Minosha took it gently and lightly kissed the back of it before releasing it. “It’s been a rather entertaining afternoon but I’m afraid we have some affairs of state to attend to,” the prince stated. “Are you coming, darling?” “Of course darling,” the princess replied, a slight stilt to her voice. “Milun. Captain,” Ansel spoke in turn. “Highness,” they both replied in unison, dropping to their knees. Minosha kept his head down, as did Cap, but Minosha could not help but notice out of the corner of his eye that Cap’s gaze flicked from the ground to the princess, and lingered on her far longer than it should have. He brushed it off, dismissing it as nothing more than a momentary lapse of etiquette. After court dispersed to their own daily activities, Cap led Minosha to the training grounds where they had both spent the majority of their youth. He encouraged the young man to pick up a blade and spar with some of the senior trainees to test his skill, and Minosha quietly took him aside that he had forsaken his honor by giving up his sword. He winced, expecting Cap to dismiss him right then and there. To his great surprise, Cap looked at him with sympathy and understanding, and instead encouraged him to pick a different weapon, one that would not break his oath and still allow him to train as an equal amongst the students of war. Though Minosha could not be considered a warrior by Konatsu code, Cap refused to let the boy think less of himself because of it and insisted that he merely choose an alternate means of accruing strength and skill. The blanket acceptance moved him deeply, and for once, Minosha allowed himself just the tiniest bit of self-esteem in that regard. Minosha picked up a stave, and twirled it in his hands. It was no power pole, but it was sturdy and strong nonetheless. When he squared off against another Konatsu youth, he truly felt whole again. * * * * Days turned into weeks. Weeks turned into months. And months... turned into years. At first, Minosha visited Dr. Toth every day. Each time he would ask if he had made any progress on the portal. He stressed the importance of his friends, of the imperative nature of his return. Gradually, the time between visits spaced out, until finally, Minosha stopped going to Dr. Toth altogether. Somewhere along the line, he accepted that this was his life now, now again as it had been once before. He lived with Cap, who had taken no wife despite his undeniable charm and high status. They never talked about that much, but they talked about almost everything else. Minosha was sixteen now, and in that span of three years, he and Cap had become almost inseparably close. It was odd if one thought about it at first. Cap was like a brother to Minosha, and it was weird to think of oneself as one’s own brother, but in a strange cosmic sort of way, it made sense that not only could they be like brothers, but they shared a kinship that could not be duplicated by anyone else, because no one else shared the same blood down to the last identical strand of DNA. Cap had filled the void of a strong father figure that the youth had so desperately needed, and now Minosha couldn’t imagine life without his constant guidance, advice, support, and friendship. Cap sought to give Minosha a position in the guard, which the teenager politely refused. As the captain’s “cousin,” he was already afforded special privileges of moving about the castle and developed a friendly rapport with all the soldiers and servants. One morning, Cap came in after his early rounds. “Minosha, do you know what time of year it is?” he asked mischievously. “Uh... the beginning of summer?” Minosha guessed. His voice had significantly deepened in pitch, and he was nearly as tall as Cap now. He still didn’t have the same build; he was lean-muscled and far too skinny for his liking. The teenager had yet to fill out to catch up with his massive growth spurt. “Yes, but, more specifically...?” Cap prodded. Minosha sat down and ripped out a huge chunk from an apple with his teeth. Then it dawned on him and his face lit up. “The Summer Solstice Festival at Glendes!” “That’s right,” Cap grinned. “And this year, you and I are going.” “You jest!” Minosha laughed. He had been wanting to go since he’d first heard of it, but Cap’s services as the leader of the Royal Guards always preoccupied him with his duties and prevented Minosha from attending. “What makes this year any different than the last?” “This year you are personally invited by His Royal Highness as a guest of the court,” the older man answered. “Pack your things. We ride tomorrow.” The next day, after security had been arranged for the royal carriages and the guards situated in their proper positions, Minosha sidled his horse next to Cap’s, and the two engaged in some idle traveling banter. “Is it true that Glendes has the most beautiful women for miles?” Minosha asked slyly. Cap laughed. “Do you take stock in such rumors? Every town says that about their women. Besides, I believe you’re a bit young for that yet. I think I still see a bit of a milk mustache on that upper lip of yours.” Minosha shook his head good-naturedly. “You can’t say that forever. Sooner or later it will be time for me to begin courting a beautiful woman of my own.” “Yes but what do you know of women?” Cap teased. “More than you’d think,” Minosha countered slyly. “During my travels I encountered a lovely lady who was kind enough to explain to me the intricate details of physical intimacy. Well, more of a demonstration actually.” Cap’s smile fell and was replaced by a serious expression. “What do you mean?” Minosha quickly dropped his bravado and adopted a look of repentance as he sensed he’d said too much. “She... she showed me... what you’re supposed to do. We... we didn’t do anything serious. I... I’m sorry. I know it was wrong of me. I was improper and I took advantage of that. I know that one should not do that unless they are in a committed union.” He paused, his eyes guilty. “Are you disappointed in me?” he asked quietly. The captain said nothing for a moment, and then offered a small smile, one that seemed strangely sad. “No. I do not fault you for your actions.” “Truly?” Minosha wondered. Cap nodded. “Truly.” He looked to the horizon for a minute, and then looked back. “No one has ever sat you down and had that talk with you as a man, have they? Your friend, the saiyan man, or your brother... they did not do that for you?” Minosha shook his head. “No.” “I see. There are things you should know of a woman from a man’s point of view, and there is more to a relationship than things you can see and touch. There is love, a truly powerful and wonderful thing. Has anyone ever spoken to you of love?” Again, Minosha shook his head. Scorria had only covered base desires, not the emotions that might have come attached to them. “No.” “Then on this journey, you will come to know what these things are.” And Cap spoke candidly of the subject with a mixture of heartfelt belief and an odd sense of being distant about the whole thing. It completed the missing half of Minosha’s formal education on the mysteries of the interactions between men and women, and the rest, as Cap told him, would have to come from personal experience. He was unexpectedly relaxed with what Minosha had done at such a young age, and merely cautioned him that even in that instance he needed to be careful not to make certain mistakes and to above all treat the woman with respect. It ran contrary to the general Konatsu belief, which by now he had a more clear understanding of, being old enough to comprehend such moral doctrines and the reasoning behind them. Or at least, as much as any adult person could anyway. Minosha wondered if he had ever truly loved anyone, in the romantic sense of the word, and concluded that he had simply been too young to feel so strongly. Sure, he’d had a little crush here and there he realized now, but nothing serious. Even in just three short years he felt like he had been a baby at twelve and thirteen, which was amusing, considering how hard he tried to be treated like an adult. They arrived at Glendes within a few days, and the festival was already in full swing. Minosha was free to wander around, so long as he returned to their room at the inn by nightfall. He mingled with the crowd, sifting through a string of street performers and salesmen hawking their wares. A man juggling balls while breathing fire caught his eye, and he wasn’t paying attention to where he was going. He bumped into somebody, and rattled off an apology almost as quickly as they did. “Forgive me, I should have been more careful...” Minosha began. “No, the fault is mine...” the other said. He took a better look at the person, discovering it to be a her. That no longer bothered him the way it used to. He didn’t get nervous or shy right off the bat. In fact, he had developed somewhat of a playful nature over the years, and it helped him cover up any social awkwardness that still clung to him. Plus, he’d seen enough of the guys in their late teens and early twenties try and work their game on the local women, so he had taken their example and applied it once or twice in an attempt to get a girl or two to give him a second look. She was very pretty, in a word, with blue hair and dimpled cheeks. She looked about his age. He smiled at her, and she tried to repress one, but she smiled slightly at him and looked away. “Please, allow me to offer my apologies,” he said, bowing. “Might I have the pleasure of your name, fair maiden?” She rolled her eyes at his obvious attempt at flattery, but her smile widened nonetheless. “Elodie.” “Elodie,” he repeated, liking the way it rolled off his tongue. “That’s a very beautiful name.” She looked at him expectantly, but he just stood there smiling. “Well aren’t you going to give me your name?” she asked with a saucy edge. “Milun,” he replied, offering his fake name. “But you can call me Mino.” “It was very nice meeting you Mino,” Elodie said. And just like that, she side-stepped him and started walking away. Minosha’s head flinched in surprise. That was it? He turned around, not ready to be cast aside so easily. She seemed determined to give him the slip, but he kept pace with her, bobbing and weaving through the crowd like a pro. “You know I’ve never been to Glendes before and I would greatly appreciate if I had someone to help me navigate the city,” he hinted. “There’s a tour guide at the entrance to the festival. He charges a fair price,” she suggested flippantly. “Well I was hoping perhaps you might take pity on me and save me a coin or two by offering to show me the city yourself,” Minosha said, taking a more direct approach. “What if I’m not from Glendes? What if I’m as lost as you?” Elodie replied pointedly. “I don’t think that’s possible because you’re far too beautiful to not be from Glendes, but if in the event that I’m wrong, then we are of great benefit to one another as we can figure out the layout together,” the teenager suggested. Elodie stopped and turned to look at him. “You’re not going to leave me alone, are you?” Minosha grinned, showing his pearly whites. “Not a chance.” “If I show you around, will you promise to stop bothering me?” He placed a hand over his chest and bowed. “On my honor as a gentleman.” She sighed. “Very well. Let us be on our way.” They went off on the tour of the city. Elodie regarded him with an alternating mix of annoyance and amusement. Sometimes his antics or turn of phrase elicited a smile, and other times a shake of her head. He paid for some street vendor food, and offered her a selection of anything she’d like. He kept his hands folded politely behind his back and maintained a comfortable distance from her, but did not shy away in the few instances where she moved closer to him, even if it was only briefly. At one point, he even tried to join in on the act of a circus performer by showing off some of his hybrid dance-fighting moves. He thought she might have been impressed but he couldn’t tell for sure. By the end of the day, he was certain things had gone disastrously. She showed him back to his inn. “Thank you for the tour. I greatly appreciate your hospitality,” Minosha said cordially. “Would you like to sit down in the tavern for a bit to rest your legs before you go? Maybe have a glass of cider?” She shook her head. “No, I must be heading home. I should have been there hours ago.” Minosha nodded. Now he felt guilty. But, a deal was a deal, and he would uphold his end of the bargain and leave her alone. He gave a wry smile. “I understand. Good night.” “Good night,” she acknowledged. She turned to go and he turned to head for the door. She walked several steps away and then stopped. “Mino?” He looked back, and she smiled at him. “I’m free tomorrow though,” she said. He returned the smile. “I look forward to it.” He stepped inside and headed towards his room after setting a time and location. He unlocked the door and flopped on the bed, letting out a satisfied sigh. Cap lay on the bed next to it, reading a book in the paling twilight. The older version tilted the book down for a moment. “You met a girl today,” Cap stated. “What makes you say that?” Minosha asked, his mind still replaying the events of the day. “Because you’re grinning like a fool,” Cap answered. “Yeah, I met a girl,” the teenager chuckled. “Imagine that,” the soldier quipped. “And are the rumors true? Are the women of Glendes the most beautiful women for miles?” Minosha sighed again. He kicked off his boots, closed his eyes, and laced his fingers behind his head. “Better.” “Yes, well, don’t go getting a big head over this just because you managed to catch her attention,” Cap joked. “I’m not getting big-headed,” the youth shrugged. “Good,” Cap said. He set his book down and sat up. “Because if you were, I’d have to put you back in line.” “Tch. As if you could,” Minosha scoffed. “I see a lesson in manners is required.” Cap lunged over and grabbed Minosha in a headlock, and the two wrestled around the room, each one trying to dominate the other and win the playful match until they both devolved into fits of laughter. * * * * The sound of rustling awoke him, and he realized he must have drifted off to sleep. In the shadow of the night, he thought he saw Cap slip away. Groggily, he readjusted the covers and positioned himself for more comfortable sleep. Cap was always doing that. Minosha just assumed it was because of his sentry position, and he was checking the security of things, making sure everyone was safe. That was his job, and he was very good at it. Nothing bad would happen on Cap’s watch. With that half-conscious assurance, Minosha went back to the gentle lulls of sleep. * * * * The next few days, Minosha spent exclusively with Elodie. They roamed the festival together, enjoying the entertainment and sampling all the different foods. They talked quite a bit, sharing tidbits and swapping stories, relating their experiences and opinions to one another. He very much enjoyed her company, and on a particularly hot day, managed to convince her to go to the nearby lake with him. They rode on horseback, despite the fact that he could fly faster, and she held him tight the entire way. When they arrived, he tethered the horse to a tree, kicked off his boots, and sat at the edge of the water where she joined him and sat next to him. “Beautiful lake,” he observed, staring out over the crystal blue water. “You think everything is beautiful,” she teased. “Not everything,” he replied, then he nudged her with his shoulder. “And some things more than others.” She nudged him back. “It would be fun to go for a swim,” he suggested. “I don’t think so,” Elodie shook her head. “You don’t think so?” he repeated. “I bet it would be a lot cooler than sitting in this hot sun.” “It would be,” she admitted slowly. “So let’s go,” Minosha encouraged. “I don’t want to,” she laughed. “Well I want to,” Minosha countered. “Come on, we’re going.” He stood up and picked her up. “Mino, no!” she giggled. “NO!” “Too late!” he said. He carried her into the water and she shrieked as he tossed her in and dunked himself right after. She emerged from beneath the surface, gasping for air and slicking her blue hair back. He popped up a second later. “I can’t believe you did that!” she cried. He ruffled his own hair to make it a funky style. “But you feel much cooler, right?” Elodie grinned at him and splashed him with water. He adopted a look of mock offense and thus began a splash war. After a while though, her teeth started chattering. “Now I’m too c-c-c-cold.” “Alright. Let’s go dry off,” Minosha agreed. They swam to the shallow end, and he took her by the hand, and as they walked to dry land, she slipped on something. “Oops! Are you alright?” “Ouch!” she yelped. “I think I cut my shin on a rock.” He looked at her leg with concern. “Here, let me take a look at it.” Minosha had Elodie sit down in full sunlight and she hiked up her skirt just below the knee. She’d sliced open the skin and it was bleeding freely. “It stings,” the girl reported. “Here, I know a trick,” he assured her. He knelt at her side and hovered his hands over her shin. A white light radiated from his palms, and she watched silently as she observed his power in action. He distracted her from the pain by telling her the story of his ability’s origin. “I learned this on a planet called Namek. It’s very far away from here. Now, the elder of this planet, Guru, is very selective about his students. Only teaches people with good hearts and good intentions. So I go there, and I’m not really sure if I’m worthy enough to be his student, but he looks at me, and he smiles, and he says there’s plenty of good in me, and that he would teach me how to heal people. He said if you truly wanted to mend wounds, that was the best way to carry on a positive spirit, by helping others. And I took comfort in those words.” By then, the wound had disappeared, as if it had never happened. “There. Good as new.” Elodie looked up at him. “I think there’s plenty of good in you too.” He smiled. He didn’t know why, but a compulsion overcame him. It felt like a moment, one of those times where you just automatically had a feeling and had to go with it. He leaned in, slowly, carefully observing her reaction, and gently kissed her on the lips. He pulled away about an inch, waiting for a response, and when she leaned in and kissed him back, he closed his eyes and placed his hand on her cheek. * * * * All good things had to come to an end. The festival only lasted a couple of weeks, and when it was over, it was time for Cap and Minosha to return home. Minosha begged Cap to let him stay just a little bit longer, insisting that he was old enough to be on his own for the duration. He explained that he had traveled alone before, before he had met his future friends and when they had all gone off in different directions. Cap agreed on the condition that he represented himself as an honorable member of the court. The soldier gave him until the end of the summer and said he would be back to collect him by then. Oh what a summer that was. He spent every day with Elodie, as much time as he could when she was not occupied by chores or other duties. Even then, he would try and sneak in to help her get them done faster. He wondered if this was what Cap had been talking about, if this was love. He had never felt this way about anybody before, and all he could think about was her. They would spend time laughing and talking, horsing around, or simply sitting together and watching the sunset. He enjoyed that time the most, when she would sit on his lap and he would hold her close. Sometimes she would get upset at him for silly things – or at least, he thought they were silly – and then he would have to come up with some sweet gesture of apology, and she would forgive him, and everything would go back to the way it was. Her parents liked him well enough, but they didn’t particularly like that they spent so much time together. He knew it was because he should have been formally courting for their behavior to be acceptable, but they didn’t care. They were two teenagers enjoying a summer romance. When summer’s end rolled around, it was all too soon. Cap returned, and Minosha had to say farewell. Elodie cried, and she hugged him tightly, and he kissed her goodbye, and then they parted ways. Cap assured Minosha that he could see her again, if he wanted, when the next Solstice festival came. He told the youth that it would hurt for a while, being apart from Elodie, but time would ease the pain and eventually they would both be okay. They would likely move on and find others that they felt strongly about, because a summer romance was often just that: a summer romance. Cap said, and Minosha truly believed him, that no matter how long or brief the relationship, first loves would never completely be forgotten. When they returned to the castle, Minosha felt glum, and he missed Elodie terribly. But, Cap’s advice held true, and the more time went by, the less hurt he held in his heart. * * * * During winter, with snow blanketing the ground, fewer training sessions were held, and so Minosha had to find ways to relieve his boredom. One night in particular, he wanted to discuss battle strategy with Cap, but the soldier was nowhere to be found. The youth wandered the castle this way and that, looking for his older self. Gradually, he made his way to one of the western spirals, one that was hardly ever visited, when he heard noises farther up the staircase. He ascended quietly, knowing there was a brief landing between flights where there was a window in the wall. When he reached the landing, he leaned around the corner ever so slightly, and was utterly shocked by what he saw. He saw Princess Ilena, backed against a wall, with Cap pressed against her and kissing her neck, one hand caressing her thigh. Before he could slip away, she saw him and snapped out of their moment of passion. “Minosha,” she said. “Hmm?” Cap murmured, still focused on her supple skin beneath his lips. “No, Minosha,” the princess repeated, more emphatically. Cap lifted his head and looked at her in confusion before twisting his body around. He saw Minosha staring from the landing. He closed his eyes in shame. “Oh no...” he sighed. Minosha looked at him with mixed emotions, and turned and raced down the steps as fast as he could. “Mino, wait!” Cap called after him. The older one dashed after the younger one. He caught him midway down the stairs and grabbed him by the shoulder. Minosha roughly jerked away. “Mino, I can explain.” “Explain? Explain how you’re having an affair with a married woman, with the princess no less?” Minosha said incredulously. “Keep your voice down,” Cap cautioned. He lowered his own voice. “Yes, we are having an affair, but you cannot tell anyone. I care not for my own reputation, but this would ruin hers, and you know what that would do to the political balance of this kingdom.” Minosha glared at him. “You should have thought of that before you stuck your tongue down her throat.” Cap pointed a finger at him in warning. “Do not speak that way about her.” The youth had never seen Cap react that way. Still, he kept on pressing, just like he used to do when he was younger. “Is that why you were so understanding of my own indiscretion? Because you carried on an even bigger one without telling me?” “I understand how you must feel right now,” Cap said slowly. “How do I feel right now? The man I love like a brother has been lying to me this whole time,” Minosha replied. “As much as I tried to be, I’m not perfect. I never belonged on a pedestal. It was impossible for me not to let you down sooner or later. I’m fallible. I admit it. And I ask that you don’t hold that against me,” the soldier said calmly. Minosha swallowed. It was true. He had idolized Cap, held him up to an impossible standard. He had seen him as perfect, as amazing in every way. He had always been so understanding and forgiving and supportive, not just to the teenager but to everyone. He was fair and just and good and kind and everything Minosha had always wanted to be but never felt like he was. And to see him like that, to see him so flagrantly disregard the rules and laws of the Konatsu people, it had shattered that spotless image of Cap. And he didn’t know how to feel about that. The young Konatsu sighed. “I will not speak of this to anyone. But this is wrong. You know it as well as I. You should not be doing this.” And this time, when he went down the stairs, Cap didn’t follow. * * * * Later that night, Cap visited him in his quarters. “May I come in?” the soldier asked politely. Minosha simply nodded, and Cap sat down in a chair. He hunched over his knees, folding one hand into a fist and resting the other hand against the knuckles. “You’ve always been very forthcoming with me, Mino. You deserve the same in kind. What would you like to know?” Minosha thought about it, and decided it best to start at the beginning. “How did it happen?” Cap nodded. It was a reasonable enough question. “It was never my intention to have an affair. You were ten years old when you took the demon Hirudegarn into your body. So was I. You said when you were eleven when you finally gave up the lower half. I was thirteen when Tapion broke down and begged me to take the upper half. So I did. He disappeared, and I was left to deal with it on my own. When I was sixteen, I began to spend more time with Ilena. Not on purpose, mind you. It was merely something that just happened. We spoke one time, and spoke another, and it grew from there. In the end she helped me get through it. She gave me the comfort and support I needed when nobody else could offer it. When I was eighteen I was finally strong enough to slay the demon once and for all. And that was it, the war was over. Hirudegarn was dead. I was proclaimed a hero. The king was so overjoyed that he said I could have anything I wanted, without question. Well by then, Ilena and I had fallen in love, so I was going to ask for her hand in marriage. It was the only way we could be together, because I was merely a warrior, and she of royal blood. We were besides ourselves with excitement. We were going to spend the rest of our lives with each other. On the day I was to declare my decision, at the beginning of the ceremony, the king announced her betrothal to Ansel. I looked to Ilena, and she was as surprised as I was. Her father had secretly entered into negotiations with him and finalized the deal. Looking back now, that should have been expected. She was long past the time when it was acceptable for her to remain unmarried. So there I was, put on the spot, asked my heart’s desire, and I could have anything... except the one thing I truly wanted.” “So what did you ask?” Minosha wondered. “I asked for my position as Captain of the Royal Guard. I could never have advanced there on my own, and it would allow me to be her vassal, so if I could not have her, I could at least remain close to her. Out of mourning, I suppose, I’ve never taken a bride, though I would have endless options from which to choose,” Cap admitted. “But the story doesn’t end there,” Minosha pointed out. Cap swallowed. “She resigned herself to her duty. She was ready to be a committed wife to Ansel for the good of the kingdom.” Cap closed his eyes painfully in shame. “But I couldn’t let her go. She was hesitant at first, but I persisted, and she capitulated in the end. I... we... were not contented by our prior... physical restraint. We knew that had I been the one to take her virtue, her infidelity would have been discovered on her wedding night. So, to my great envy, we waited until after, and not a second more. And we’ve carried on this way ever since. She’s still my everything. There’s not a secret I haven’t kept from her, including who you really are, and she didn’t care.” He looked up at his younger self and smiled sadly. “In the end I suppose I’m no more honorable than a common man.” “You’ve made far less mistakes than I,” Minosha conceded. “It still makes me lesser in your eyes,” Cap said. “I confess, I was proud that you looked up to me. It gave me a sense of greater purpose, that I could do something for you that you never found in your past life.” “I still look up to you, Cap. It’s hard for me to accept the truth, but you’re right. You’re not perfect, and I can’t expect you to be. But damn it if you’re still not the closest thing to it,” the youth replied. Cap chuckled softly. “What are you going to do now?” Minosha wondered. The soldier didn’t answer. * * * * Cap approached the western spire of the castle. He slowly took each step, his leather boots making little noise against the stone. He knew what he must do, but took no pleasure in getting there in a hurry. He delayed it as long as he could, each footfall weighting him down with the burden he had placed upon them. As he climbed higher, it almost felt as if he had always been trying to ascend to a place he was never meant to go. As soon as he completed this gut-wrenching task, he would have to descend once more, down to the place where he belonged. Ilena waited for him at the top, the sunlight from the fading sun bathing her beautiful figure in its golden-red hues. How fitting that their meeting should occur at twilight. She smiled at him, so warm and inviting, and his nerve nearly fled him right then and there. Cap slipped his arms around her waist and Ilena softly planted a kiss on his lips. When he didn’t kiss her back, she pulled away slightly to look at his face, her own expression wrinkling with concern. “What’s wrong, my love?” she asked quietly. Cap studied her features carefully, drinking them all in, for he didn’t know if he’d ever be this close to them again. He lifted up a hand and brushed away a stray strand of hair before running his bare fingertips along her profile. Ilena reached out and placed her hand over his. “The boy is right. We shouldn’t be doing this,” he said. Her hand slipped away. “How many more times must we have this conversation?” He hesitated a moment. “Only once more.” She considered him, and his meaning sunk in. “You mean to end this? Is that what you want?” “It’s not about what I want,” Cap continued in a hushed tone. “We are lucky we haven’t been discovered until now. We are more than fortunate that you have not bore any children, when they could have just as easily been mine.” Ilena stared at his chest, her voice tentatively hopeful. “...would that be so terrible?” “Do not say that,” he chided immediately. “You know that it must not happen. It cannot happen.” Her expression became pained. “This isn’t fair.” “These were the roles we were born to play. Service requires sacrifice.” He hated seeing her this way; he hated that he had to do this. His already thin resolve wore thinner, but for the sake of the kingdom, he could not yield. All Cap could do was try to reassure Ilena that it was for the best, even though that provided no consolation for their predicament. Her eyes bore into his, tender, pleading. “I do not love Ansel.” He said nothing. She tried again. “For once in your life, don’t do the honorable thing.” Cap smiled sadly, and allowed his fingers to trail down from her face, across her collarbone, and down the length of her arm. “I have not done the honorable thing since I’ve known you,” he pointed out, his words carrying a double meaning. “Then give me one more night,” she begged. How he longed to grant that request, but he was afraid that if he did, he would never be able to stop. He didn’t trust himself. “No. It will only make things more difficult,” he insisted. He couldn’t read the look in the gaze she gave him now. “I will spend the rest of my days in his bed. The only way I’ve been able to bear his touch is to pretend that it’s you. If you ever loved me, you’ll let me have you, one last time.” He pressed against her, his hand returning to her face. “I will always love you. Always. In this life and the next. I promise you that, with every last bit of my soul. ...But I cannot do that.” Ilena pulled back from him, resentment filling her face. “So you mean to break my heart, but give me nothing to ease the pain?” He shook his head and grasped for her hand. “Don’t be like this.” She wrenched her hand from his grip, taking a further few steps away. Her gaze was a glare now. She held herself upright, shoulders back, chin lifted, a true princess... something she had never before done to him when they were alone. “You will make a fine husband someday,” she said quietly. The muted level of her voice did little to hide the bitterness and jealousy laced in her words. She took her leave of him, and evaded his touch when he tried to reach out to her in protest. He turned his head away, closing his eyes and squeezing his jaw in frustration. Did she think this was easy for him? Did she think he didn’t feel the same, that he didn’t find it almost impossible to stomach the thought of her in another man’s arms... in another man’s bed? He looked out the window, the last of the sun fading beneath the horizon, leaving only the lonely darkness of night. * * * * Minosha found Cap on a bench near the fountain in the courtyard, his head buried in his hands. The youth sat next to his older self, and didn’t say anything. They remained in silence, and although no words were spoken, Minosha could feel the pain radiating thickly from his counterpart. “I’m sorry,” the teenager said. Cap shifted, looking up, his eyes rimmed with red. “Me too,” he said quietly. “Did you do that because of me? Because I found out?” “No,” Cap said dully. “I did it because it was something I should have done a long time ago. I never should have let it get this far, go on this long. I was just being selfish. I kept putting it off but that just made it more difficult in the end.” “I don’t know what it’s like to be that in love with somebody, but I do know what it’s like to want to hang on to something and never let it go. So how were you finally able to do it?” Cap turned to Minosha, and placed a hand on his head. He smiled that sad smile. “Because sometimes, in order to do what’s right, you have to give up the thing you want the most.” -------------- WC: 10,414 TWC: 19,732 |
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| Fenn | Jun 9 2013, 02:12 PM Post #4 |
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The Gromble
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* * * * Another year passed. The Summer Solstice Festival came around again, and Cap’s words were prophetic. Elodie had moved on to someone else, and Minosha didn’t really feel too badly about it. He was sad at first, but it wasn’t enough to keep him down for long before he figured he too could move on. Another year passed after that. Minosha was eighteen now, a fully fledged adult in the Konatsu world. Ilena bore Ansel a son, and Cap went away for a while after that. She understood. When he came back, he was himself again, but Minosha knew that it still hurt him deeply even though he would never admit it. Cap thought that since the teenager had finally become a man, it was time for him to get his own estate and to seriously consider courting for a wife. Minosha agreed, thinking he needed to start planning for a future on Konats. After all, it had been five years since he first came here. He had grown a lot since then, not just physically, but as a person. Here, he could live the life that he had started to a millennium ago, before being trapped in the music box. He could be the hero, the respected person, the strong one. Everyone would understand him. And he had to face reality that he was never going back. The day he resolved to cement his life on Konats was the day that Dr. Toth summoned him. Minosha went to the observatory to hear the news. “I’ve found it! After five long years I’ve finally found it! Heehee!” the professor cackled with glee. “Found what?” Minosha asked with a patronizing grin. “I found a way to send you home,” Dr. Toth announced. Minosha’s smile faded. Home? This was home... “You know, back to your own time. Back to where you came from,” Dr. Toth elaborated. “That’s what you wanted, isn’t it?” “Yes, thank you,” Minosha replied, his tone carrying the hint of uncertainty. He forced a smile. “How soon can you be ready?” “Oh, right away. As soon as you’re ready, lad!” “I’ll... go tell Cap...” Minosha left the laboratory, partly dazed. He had long since given up hope that the good professor would find a way to reopen the portal. But now the promise of it was staring him in the face, and he had no idea how to feel about it. He found his older counterpart doing drills in the courtyard and approached him. “Cap...” “I know,” the captain interrupted. “Dr. Toth has been giving me continuous on his updates for quite some time now. He felt he shouldn’t tell you until he was absolutely sure he could do it. He didn’t want to get your hopes up. Now it’s your turn to make a difficult decision.” “So it is,” Minosha acknowledged. He floated to the top of the castle, in a slant of the roof where he could sit and observe the whole kingdom and be by himself. He thought long and hard about his decision. He sat there for hours, deliberating, weighing his options, and considering all the factors. It wasn’t a simple yes or no. Finally, when he felt he could contemplate the matter all he could, he floated down. It was night, and Cap was settling down in his quarters for the evening. Minosha knocked, entered, and sat down, as their chats often began. Cap sat down opposite his younger self, and he simply stared for a minute before breaking the silence. “You don’t have to go. You can stay,” Cap offered quietly. “You’ve spent more time here than you did in the other timeline. You’d be with your own people. We care about you very much Minosha. You gave me a second chance at a family, and losing you would be like losing a brother all over again.” Minosha nodded slowly. “This is... everything I ever wanted in a life. You are everything I ever wanted to be when I grew up. This may be Konats, this may be the planet where I was born, but this isn’t my world. It never has been. This is your life, your world, and you are the Minosha of this timeline, not me.” He swallowed before continuing. “I never thought I would get to come home again. I never thought I would have to choose between the two. This is the hardest thing I’ve ever had to do. Rubic... Chishan... Pan... I may not have known them for five years, but in the future, they were my friends. They were my family. They took me in when no one else would, and I am indebted to them for that. It seems so long ago now, but I made a promise to my very best friend. And if I didn’t go back, I know I would be breaking that promise. I don’t know if they need me there, but I can’t leave them. I can’t risk their lives knowing that an evil version of myself has threatened their well-being. And Tapion... Tapion too. I abandoned him once. I won’t do it again.” Cap didn’t say anything in return. “I have to go back where I belong. Back to my own timeline.” “Why?” Cap questioned softly. Minosha smiled, bittersweet, as he echoed his counterpart’s own words. “Because sometimes, in order to do what’s right, you have to give up the thing you want the most.” The older version chuckled. “Fair enough. I will miss you, Minosha.” “I’ll miss you too Cap.” Cap coughed and stood, scratching his nose. “You should, uh, you should say good-bye to Ilena. She thought well of you. I’ll prepare some supplies for you in the meantime. She usually takes a walk around the gardens this time of night.” Minosha nodded and took his leave. When he found her, she was sitting on a bench, twirling a flower between her fingers. She looked different he supposed. More... motherly. But she didn’t seem any happier than she had been a couple years ago. The princess noticed him, and waved off her guards, signaling he was allowed to approach. He knelt down and bowed his head respectfully, and she gave him permission to rise. “I’m leaving. I’m sure you know what that means,” Minosha announced. “I do,” she nodded. “I’m sorry that you will no longer be with us.” “Me too,” Minosha said, smiling wryly. “Cap asked me to say goodbye to you. I don’t know if that meant... that you had something to tell me.” “Sit down,” Ilena instructed. Compliantly, he sat next to her on the bench. She took his face in her hand and stared at it in the moonlight before letting go and turning back to watch the gardens sway in the gentle night breeze. “Have you ever loved something, little Minosha? Someone?” she asked. “Once. Briefly. I don’t know if you could entirely call it love. I’ve never... felt something for someone the way that...” He trailed off, not wanting to speak of it. “You will. Someday, you will. You’ll find that person, that something that moves you the way the sun moves the planets. And when that happens...” The princess turned to face him again, her face gravely serious. “Don’t ever let them go. Ever. No matter what. Do whatever it takes to hang onto them. Don’t make the same mistake we made. Don’t stand aside and do nothing for the sake of propriety, for the sake of some other person’s rules or expectations. Do you understand me?” “Yes, Your Highness,” Minosha bowed. She turned away again, lost in the sea of flowers. “Farewell, little Minosha.” That was undeniably his cue to exit. “Farewell, Princess.” * * * * That night, he didn’t sleep. He found himself roaming over to the forges, which never went out. He saw a row of swords, and for once, he didn’t wish he had one. He nodded to the smith, who nodded back, and simply went about his business. This was a time for renewal. This was a time for resolve. He had told Cap, for he didn’t want to burden him unnecessarily with this knowledge, but he didn’t plan on taking this life with him. He didn’t even plan on trying to resume his old one. The more he thought about it, the more he realized: why should he? Too often had he been battered by the laws of men. In that world, in that time, he was bound by a code of honor that few observed any longer. It was archaic, useless, detracting. Kaiser was right about one thing; he had been held back by his own shortcomings, and that was his inability to adapt and change based on his environment. Minosha refused to turn into Kaiser, but he also knew he couldn’t be Cap. Cap was already the best part of him, and it gave him comfort to know that in some time, in some world, he had made the right choice and became the ideal version of himself. Since, in a way, he had already done that, it wouldn’t make sense to try and duplicate it. So he would have to cast aside the old, and become something that could survive in the future, something that could grow strong... no matter the consequences. It meant sacrificing his ideology, his way of life. It meant becoming the thing that Roshi and Kami and Tapion had feared he would be, the thing he had told them he would never be. He grabbed the tools necessary, and began to forge himself a new weapon. It was no sword. No. It was bigger, more powerful... more brutal. It was unyielding, a symbol of strength. When he finished, when he raised it up for inspection, he knew that his transformation had begun. It would take time, and he would stumble, but he could no longer hold himself back if he wanted to protect the people he cared about. Dawn was rising, and in the light of the morning sun, the silhouette of his new axe stood mightily. * * * * No one but Dr. Toth and Cap came to watch him leave. Dr. Toth busied himself with last minute calculations. The professor had created a very specific version of the spell so that Minosha would reappear seconds after his thirteen-year-old-self and Kaiser and vanished into the future, reasoning that it would be disastrous if Minosha were to be teleported in the dark future with Kaiser instead. Minosha and Cap hugged briefly, patting each other on the back and saying little to one another. Dr. Toth gave him an amulet, a crimson jewel, something that was important for the ritual, and the teenager slipped it around his neck. Minosha stood in the middle of a circle whilst Dr. Toth chanted the words. Really, the entire thing was a blur. The quicker he left, the easier it would be to say goodbye. When the ritual was complete, an eighteen-year-old Minosha stood exactly where his thirteen-year-old self had stood before. No more than a minute had passed in this world, but to Minosha, it had been five long years. And the first thing he had to do was find his friends and make sure they were safe. -------------- WC: 9,104 TWC: 21,460 |
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