bravenewworld | A Well Earned Celebration

A Well Earned Celebration

[The battle was over and the god Reshiram defeated, driven away by the aid of Union and its allies. The city was safe, by and large, and as the news spread throughout the peoples of the tundra, they began streaming back into the settlement in droves. Dirty, ash-coated faces were filled with relief and gratitude when they saw that it wasn't just a rumor and that their home had indeed been spared. Not everyone was so lucky, but they'd weathered worse, of course. The people of Glacier endured, as they would always endure, and they were also a people that repaid their debts. And they most certainly all agreed that they owed their rescuers a debt.

So, as night fell after the battle, a great celebration was prepared in the center of Glacier. A wide square was cleared away in a matter of hours, and the people gathered what they could in a show of thanks. Tables of food, bonfires towering into the night sky to keep out the autumn chill, and throngs of cheering wellwishers lined the area. Warriors of glacier, men carrying swords and women all bearing axes offered enthusiastic handshakes and claps on the back. Music of all kinds was played, though tribal tunes full of horn and percussion, chanting and yodeling, and even some brass groups dominated the soundscape.

A platform for various elders was set up, and they offered speeches, of course...but those were somehow dwarfed by the presence of the divine beings that were waiting silently for the proceedings to end. Some of the gods that had come to the aid of the war parties had apparently decided to stay, though their reasons were as mysterious as they themselves. The humans would have their time, and the Servants would mingle freely throughout the evening.

Food, of course, is set out in piles. Meat, fish, arctic berries, and various pastries and the like line table after table. A smorgasbord of Glacier specialties, each with a new and unique flavor all their own, and some (such as the stew) possessing a smell that only a native could probably endure. Akutaq in particular seems to stand out among the worst offenders, but the Glacier natives seem rather fond of it, and offer it to their rescuers with great gusto.

And the rewards do not stop at simple meals. either. As the speeches begin to wind down, a woman some might find familiar walks up onto the stage carrying a singularly massive trunk and dropping it down onto the wood with a heavy thud.]

Southerners! You have done a great deed this day! We, the people of Glacier, would like to thank you and honor your sacrifice! Few would do as you have done, coming to the aide of strangers against the might of that dragon...and you have accomplished something we did not think possible. To that end, we would like to present you with the first of many gifts, a token of our gratitude and a promise that should you need it, we will come to your defense in a time of need!

[And then with a sharp kick, she cracks open the trunk and reveals a veritable treasure trove of three different stones to be distributed by her subordinates.]

Rest well, and enjoy the festivities! You are welcome here, for as long as you like! Eat, drink, and be merry within our halls!

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[Dear Mom,

I don't know how to put this, exactly, but I'm surrounded by gods right now.

Left to her own devices at the camp (and politely turning down any offers of meat but taking fish) Maka drafts out a letter to her mother as she eats. She doesn't know where her mother is, disappeared into the wilderness a long time ago, but still Maka writes her a letter with the intent to someday send them off.

There's so many things I want to ask them, to talk to them about, but at the same time I'm at a total loss for words. I see them and I just lock up, I can't believe that I ended up in a place like this.

Ahem. She'd better put it away before someone takes notice that she's not participating in revelry. All right, Maka will pick it up later. Now she stands and proceeds to investigate the akutaq, which Stella is eating with surprising gusto. Is it really that good?]

[It's a little late for going unnoticed, Maka. A certain sensei just happens to have seen you sitting off to one side scribbling in a book, and has crept up behind you with her psychic concealment necklace on. No sense in giving away the game before it's even played.

As Maka gets up, a gloved hand drops onto her shoulder from behind and the now much taller Yuuna stoops, head on Maka's other side.]

That doesn't look like much celebrating, kiddo. Am I going to have to mandate fun now, too?

WAH!

[A jolt, her hands fumble with the journal a few times before it drops to the ground.]

Wh-wha--? [Caught between immediately wanting to retrieve her journal and actually address the speaking person, Maka evidently decides on addressing Yuuna first since it'd be rude to ignore her.] Oh, I'm--no, I was just writing a letter, I'm sorry, I don't mean to be quiet--it's not that I'm not happy or anything!

[In the absence of any explanation, Maka has decided to overcompensate. She really really doesn't need to do that.]

[Yuuna grins at the little girl, giving her shoulder an affable squeeze before standing back up.]

And I'm sorry to spook you, kiddo. But honestly is this the appropriate time for writing letters? Isn't that best done in your bed, after the day's done? From where I'm sitting, goof, it's not done yet. And you might find something that changes your whole outlook.

Well...

[No, probably not, she thinks as she scoops up her journal, shutting it tightly and tucking it away.]

I always write a letter to Mom as soon as something happens, I didn't want to forget anything.

[...Ahem.]

As for the "finding something" part, I can already see the gods, they're not hard to miss.

Do you now?

[Yuuna can't really recall hearing anything about Maka's mother, really, but then she's only known the kid for a couple of months.]

What will she think about all this, y'think?

[And then looking at the gods.]

Heh, and I guess so. Heck, what do YOU think about all this?

I think...I hope she'd be amazed. She's a great Enlightened, one of the first that left the city before exploration actually began, to see that we've met with the gods again and are all together like this...she'd be happy.

[All of Maka's values came from her mother, in some way she's sought to mimic her and hopefully live up to that image.]

I'm...happy, too, but at the same time I'm not sure what this means for the future. I know the gods are with us, yeah, but that person who bonded with the white dragon and all his followers...the one we fought was ready to die for the cause. And she was bonded so deeply to her Pokemon, I don't feel like she truly had a bad heart, so...I don't know, it's a little daunting.

[Yuuna can't help but reach down and ruffle Maka's hair a bit. That's really cute, and she's glad to hear the pride in the kids voice.

But...she nods and lets out a little breath before rocking back on her heels.]

It was kinda the same for us, too. The people we fought were definitely bonded like Reshiram and that man were. It was...weird. Like, I have fought humans before. Gigans, people in Sanctuary, and even the Enhanced. But there's just something upsetting about fighting people with similar values to our own.

Still? Maka? It was necessary. You did the right thing. Because the values we don't share? Change everything.

...Yeah, you're right. I still get sick thinking about that woman saying she was going to kill herself, but our duty is to protect this new world we're creating.

[She squeezes the journal to her chest as though something inside of there might come bursting out, eyes wandering around the celebration as she does.]

Maybe, in time, we can make Reshiram understand too.

Hey, zealots do things that don't make sense sometimes.

[Yuuna takes a seat on a nearby log, patting it. Sit, Maka!]

Seriously, I don't know what else to say. But you know? They're wrong. They were trying to burn the city down and kill people. That's not our way. And that means they're wrong, in our eyes. That's what you need to keep in mind. I don't like seeing people die either, but sometimes? Those people just need to be shown a better way.

Yeah...

[All right, all right, Maka will sit. There's things to look at, at least, the congregation of celebrants and the Pokemon all having fun.

It's nice. This wouldn't be happening if they didn't come to help.]

I know we're going to meet them again. Them and...maybe more people like them. Maybe someone else that bonded with a god. We need to show them that humans aren't the enemy anymore, we're all supposed to be friends.

[It does make her incredibly curious, though, who was the one that had the anti-human thoughts first. Was it Reshiram? The man that bonded with it? Was it both of them? This is a curious state of events.]

Well. Yes. But we also aren't going to roll over and let them have us either

[She will fight. She will absolutely fight. To keep her friends safe. To keep her home safe.]

Because gods or not, and friends or not? I'm not going to let them destroy everything we've worked for. I don't want to fight. But if they make us? I will. Hopefully we can make that work out. But you know? If we can't? Then sweetie? You're going to have to make a choice, and I don't think they'll let anyone stand clear.

I'm not very strong.

[She says that first, plainly, holding out her hands and staring down at them.]

I hate hurting people. And I know the Savior sacrificed so people wouldn't have to fight. But I can't lie to myself and pretend that the world's gonna just let me continue being weak and passive because I'm a kid--I have to be stronger to protect everyone. I'll protect my idiot womanizing father, I'll protect the people that tell me my mother's dead, I'll protect every living thing that feels weak or scared.

[Yuuna nods sharply, smiling weakly at her young friend.]

Good. I'm glad to hear it. When we get back, we're continuing your lessons. I think...I have a handle on my strength now, so we can work again.

[Bending over, she plants a sisterly kiss on the top of Maka's head.]

Don't worry, Maka. We'll do everything we can to stop more fighting. I promise. But in the chance that fails? We'll be ready.

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A Well Earned Celebration

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