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

[comparative_insanity]

It was just a picture describing an old story in the family records. The artist... had taken some liberties - or maybe the story had been told so many times, some things had gotten lost.

[Fai's eyes light up with some cautious excitement, because he is at heart a huge nerd before anything else - albeit also a rather religious nerd, which is why he's managing to keep his enthusiasm somewhat in check. Enough so that he's still polite, at least.]

But many of us still revere every memory and tale of the Gods as something precious, and try to keep them alive.

[bnw_wighty_npcs]

I scarcely remember all the years of my past. Whether or not the story has become lost is of no importance to me... but it is flattering to think that you find it so.

You may continue to believe your tales if it provides you comfort.

[Its tone is distant as it seems to muse on Fai's words.]

And yet... surely the story you know best is one of destruction?

[comparative_insanity]

Well, that is why our memories and tales are so important.

[His voice is soft and hesitant now, awed and uncertain all at once. It feels surreal to talk about this with one of the gods who was actually there.]

We remember the destruction so that we will not forget our mistakes, and repeat them. And we remember our stories and myths so that we'll know that you - all of you - were more than what we tried to make of you. So that we never get so arrogant that we think it was somehow justified. It's really for the sake of our own future.

[bnw_wighty_npcs]

How very humble.

[Articuno, perhaps, does not seem as impressed with this answer as Fai might hope, though it speaks kindly.]

For the sake of the future of this world, we, too, remember mistakes that we must not repeat... Ah, what a tragedy that it is happening again.

[comparative_insanity]

[Honestly, Fai had been expecting to be cut down a lot harder than that, seeing as how he was just a young human, ignorant of what had actually been happening back than. All he knows is what he's always believed, but to a being like this... surely that must seem pretty naive?

He looks up at the breathtaking creature, an instinctive reaction to not being quite able to gauge its tone of voice, though of course there is no expression that he can read either.]

I'm not sure I understand what's happening in the world - but a year ago it was still somewhat peaceful, and now... [He shakes his head mutely.] If someone is being tested, I'm not quite certain who it is, yet.

[bnw_wighty_npcs]

Yes. The situation has developed more quickly than ever we could have anticipated. You have been thrust very quickly into a wholly different world...

[Naive, indeed. But there is no more time to be naive now.]

That is our mistake.