A Well Earned Celebration

[bravenewmods]

[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!

Comments

[victimlessdetails]

[Isabela, with her usual tact, plops down next to the actress with little fanfare, drink in hand.]

So, how was your battle against an insane god? Fun?

[incousinswithyou]

[Noivern startles, jerking back a bit.]

Ah. Sorry about that. She's shy. [and nope, the giant dragon bat is hiding her face in Michiru's torso again.

And here's a cheery tone. Michiru does look a bit amused.] Oh, it was quite exciting. I'm sure we'll do it again soon.

[victimlessdetails]

Hey, it's alright, if I had anything against giant Noibats I'd have ditched the archipelago entirely. Oh, wait.

[She gives the Noivern an encouraging smile anyway.]

Makes you wonder, though. Supposedly, and from what I saw in our little time trip, all the gods worked together last time they got riled up. This time it was just the one, and everyone else decided to punch him out. I wonder why that is.

[Actually asking the gods that are in this room? Like she trusts them. She'd rather get another human's opinion first.]

[incousinswithyou]

[Michiru just continues slowly petting her Pokemon. Eventually, Noivern might relax enough to at least observe Isabela from the safety of Trainer's lap.]

Five hundred years is a long time. From the sounds of it, some of them may have changed their minds about us.

Others [remember Darkrai?] may still hold a grudge - though it doesn't explain why he would work with a human, in that case.

[she pauses, tapping at her chin] He called that man his "bondmate."

[victimlessdetails]

You really think a human bonded a god? And the god, who already didn't like humans, did something other than obliterate him for trying?

[incousinswithyou]

They are either using each other as a means to separate ends or perhaps one or the other was deceived.

[no, she doesn't think so either.] And as we saw, that one isn't infallible.

[she doesn't think any of the gods are, really, but she'd rather say that somewhere more private]

[victimlessdetails]

That's fair. Definitely fair. Not that I'd be quick to pick a fight with him again...

Who wants to burn the world, though? Where's the benefit in that to anyone?

[incousinswithyou]

[Michiru nods, completely agreeable with that sentiment. At least, not without some serious backup for that fight.]

It may simply be a threat. Destroying one city may cause the others to fall into line and cede control over to him.

[or hey, maybe he just wanted to burn selective areas of the world. Specifically the parts where humans live.]

[victimlessdetails]

I'm really interested in the human, though. He didn't do much besides the standard evil gloating, but his goons were pretty well-equipped, and he, you know, bonded a god. There's got to be more to his deal than just "everybody dies!"

Also, eyepatches are pretty hot.

[incousinswithyou]

The ones we saw did have Mega Evolution as well. And they looked like they cared for their Pokemon.

[it's a bit incomprehensible, but there you go.

And then Michiru is blinking at you.] I...suppose they are.

[somebody totally did not register how hot the man was]

[victimlessdetails]

Right. Sometimes I forget not everyone casts as wide a net as I do.

[She shrugs.]

Anyway, I don't normally get into this kind of serious fight, but when someone says he wants to burn the world, it piques my interest. I'm very interested in a lot of flammable things, after all. What d'you suppose are the odds that we could track these guys down?

[incousinswithyou]

[that's just a quiet chuckle. Michiru gets the feeling that few people can keep up with you when it comes to that.]

It's as good a reason as any to help out. As for tracking them, we might have had a greater chance right after the fight, but I think few of us had that type of energy left over.

Other than that, I think asking the natives for advice would be best. [they know the lay of the land, after all.]

[victimlessdetails]

I might make a project of that, at least if I can find a way to stop it from being so bloody cold. I at least want to know how that man picked up an army and a god up here in the middle of nowhere.

[incousinswithyou]

[Michiru nods, a bit contemplative.] If you need any help with that, you know where to find me.

[that sly smile though, probably says she does agree with your assessment of the climate here, given your usual assortment of clothes. She had certainly noticed that.]

Perhaps they're an organization, like Team Evolution. [being able to find a god in the middle of nowhere...] And maybe the god found them instead.

[light shrug]

[victimlessdetails]

[She noticed her noticing, and is happy to finally be somewhere she can get back to her usual lounging around instead of wrapping up in various layers of tarry coats.]

Hm. Maybe. They'd have to be pretty different from Tevo, though. They do everything but hand out pamphlets trying to recruit people, and these guys just wanted to burn everything. Even Gigas is more of a "we own you now" than a "you die now" army.

Although...god wants to burn the world, humans want to burn the world. Maybe they're some kind of cult?

[incousinswithyou]

That would be a better word for it. [maniacal, crazy, unfeasible, etc.]

More to the point, I think they just don't like other humans. There should be plenty of world left afterwards for them. [her sass can get subtle, but well. There it is. Maybe she's just tired.]