"Well. That was exciting. I am wishing that I had brought a change of robes however," he said dryly.
"Wait - that wasn't me? Dammit..."
Casts Cleanse on Master Quo. ^.^
Aananda gets out of the skimmer, leaning on the door as she is still feeling a bit shaky after that little piece of excitement.
"Okay. I'll just go get the box with the healing potions and I'll be right back.....how do I get the box through the wall?"
"Wait - I thought she said it was in a niche. Is it sealed over? Do you need to do the earthglide thing to get them out?"
"Huh? What? No, the box is in a niche, but I have to go through that wall to get inside. There's no door......oh, yeah. I can make a door. Right. Okay. That's alright then. Be right back."
She still looked a bit pale and shaky, but seemed to be pulling herself together now.
Ruji manages to push Ryo back into the seat, having braced himself against the floor to keep the two sleeping occupants from crashing into each other.
He then goes about cleaning his fur. Those imps were bleeders! :)
What kind of game are you running?!
Aananda walks through the stone wall and a couple minutes later part of the wall falls away in a door shape. She walks through with the box.
"Okay, here we go, healing potions."
She opens the box and hands a couple potions to Master Quo, and then helps Ryleh drink several more potions.
:That is much better. I think we should all go inside now.:
She opened the doorway Aananda had made in the wall wider, telekinetically lifted the skimmer through and once they were all inside, shut the wall behind them.
Aananda walks through the stone wall and a couple minutes later part of the wall falls away in a door shape. She walks through with the box.
"Okay, here we go, healing potions."
She opens the box and hands a couple potions to Master Quo, and then helps Ryleh drink several more potions.
Tam takes the opportunity to look around while the healing commences, taking a moment to 'refresh' the illusion magic to keep it looking authentic.
He starts briefly as the skimmer rises up and goes through the opening, and just waits for the proper time to disembark ;)
Ryo sits up the skimmer starts moving again.
"I have the strangest feeling I was forced to miss something..."
Once the skimmer is inside and the wall is shut, Ryleh hops out and walks a good distance away before resuming her proper form.
:I think we have a lot to talk about.:
Once the skimmer is inside and the wall is shut, Ryleh hops out and walks a good distance away before resuming her proper form.
:I think we have a lot to talk about.:
She sighed. "Yeah, we do. So let's get this part over with. I know the truth about what I am. I mean, obviously. You had to have figured that out since I know that you're my mother. Finding a work around for that wish spell was tricky, and explaining how gets into a whole other complicated thing so maybe we can just come back to that."
"You know what, maybe you should start."
** spoiler omitted **
Tam glances back and forth between Ryleh and Aananda, wondering how this conversation is going to play out, given what they have to go over.
:Aananda'reavekki....I am not sure what to tell you. You say you know the truth, but what truth is it that you know?:
"I read your journals and stuff. Future me had them with her. In her timeline she didn't find you in time. The journals were all she had. What? I told you it was complicated," she added testily.
"If I may be so bold as to ask a few questions? 1) How were you found, 2) What is Chan doing with a Silver, and 3) How did a Silver even get into Agartha when no one is supposed to be able to(save bizarre circumstances)?"
** spoiler omitted **
"If I may be so bold as to ask a few questions? 1) How were you found, 2) What is Chan doing with a Silver, and 3) How did a Silver even get into Agartha when no one is supposed to be able to(save bizarre circumstances)?"
Her head turned and she looked at him sharply.
:I was not found. I was watching as I have been watching for some time when I saw the Silver. I do not know how it could have gotten here. I do not like it. The wards may be growing thin in places. I thought I could deal with it on my own. I was regrettably wrong. We were both badly wounded. I fled to the safest place I knew to hide. Chan'trikalliax found the Silver. I shudder to think what will come of that.:
:What in the name of Io is wrong with your shadow?:
"You attacked..." Ryo stops that line of thought, remembering that Gems have no love for the Metals or the Chromatics. Good or not, a Silver still has no right to be here.
The she asks about his shadow. His heart starts beating faster, and he starts breathing deeper. His eyes cloud as he looks for the right answer to deflect attention away from himself.
"Nothing's wrong, it's just... a bit of magic to keep people from sneaking up on me. I can't use my eyes constantly, too much strain."
:Ah. It is very...strange. But I have not studied card magic, so I suppose that is not surprising.:
:I am not unconcerned that Chan'trikalliax has captured the Silver, however, I think it is the least of our problems for now. He would not wish to have any contact with the Empire unless he believed he had the resources to conquer it. Since he is still mustering the resources to conquer Agartha, we have quite a bit of time before that becomes a problem.:
:Ah. It is very...strange. But I have not studied card magic, so I suppose that is not surprising.:
:I am not unconcerned that Chan'trikalliax has captured the Silver, however, I think it is the least of our problems for now. He would not wish to have any contact with the Empire unless he believed he had the resources to conquer it. Since he is still mustering the resources to conquer Agartha, we have quite a bit of time before that becomes a problem.:
[BLINK]
"Wait a sec - Chan knows about the Empire? Was that before or after he captured that silver dragon?"
Ryo calms down, glad he was successful in avoiding that particular incident.
"Tamrin, is it possible your arrival in Agartha allowed the Silver a way to get in?"
Ryo calms down, glad he was successful in avoiding that particular incident.
"Tamrin, is it possible your arrival in Agartha allowed the Silver a way to get in?"
He turns to look at Ryo.
"Like I said before, I unleashed enough magic when I jumped through that portal to bring down the caverns I was in. Since the portal was already malfunctioning when I found it, I'm pretty sure that thing was toasted."
"Assuming the Imperial contingent stationed planetside followed up on what happened, they might have some piecemeal information about pursuing a fugitive, but I doubt they'd know about the portal itself unless somebody survived the collapse and got out..."
"And even then, I don't see how one of the Qesemet could've found out about it, unless they had some kind of intelligence op going on that planet."
:The demon that has a hold on Chan'trikalliax knows a great deal, including the full history of Agartha and how it was founded.:
:I do not know how the Silver arrived here. I do not know if it has anything to do with Tamrin's arrival here. I suspect not. It is more likely an unfortunate coincidence. But if more of them get through...this must not be allowed to happen.:
"Duly noted. But before we get sidetracked any more, I believe Aananda was filling you in on what she knows about herself...maybe we should finish that conversation first?" ^.^
:Very well.:
She waited expectantly for Aananda to continue.
She experienced one of those awkward moments when her mind suddenly went totally blank.
"Ummmmmm................"
"So, er, after the whole er, thing with Ryo's brother we er, were deciding what to do next, and, er.....how do I explain James?" she asked uncomfortably. "Gah! I hate time travel! Oh, now I sound just like....dammit, this whole thing ends up totally circular!"
She experienced one of those awkward moments when her mind suddenly went totally blank.
"Ummmmmm................"
"So, er, after the whole er, thing with Ryo's brother we er, were deciding what to do next, and, er.....how do I explain James?" she asked uncomfortably. "Gah! I hate time travel! Oh, now I sound just like....dammit, this whole thing ends up totally circular!"
Tam quietly comes up and puts a hand on her shoulder reassuringly.
"I can give it a try, if you want me to..."
She experienced one of those awkward moments when her mind suddenly went totally blank.
"Ummmmmm................"
"So, er, after the whole er, thing with Ryo's brother we er, were deciding what to do next, and, er.....how do I explain James?" she asked uncomfortably. "Gah! I hate time travel! Oh, now I sound just like....dammit, this whole thing ends up totally circular!"
Tam quietly comes up and puts a hand on her shoulder reassuringly.
"I can give it a try, if you want me to..."
She bit her lip and nodded.
Ryleh raised an eyeridge expressively and waited.
Ryleh raised an eyeridge expressively and waited.
Tam looks thoughtful for a moment, then says:
"Alright. After we....dealt with Ryo's brother, things settled down for a few days. Then we ran into a really strange talking baby named James who decided to 'adopt' us as his surrogate family. Not the best attitude in the world, and evidently a boatload of psionic power."
"We leave the city a week or so later to look for more mechanic work for Aananda, but unfortunately the next city we stopped in wasn't very hospitable - somebody tried to frame me for killing two children, and we had to get out of there before the entire city watch came down on our heads."
"We thought we had gotten out of there when these fiendish hound-things jumped us. We lost Kannic and James in the fights that ensued - they were taken away by the creatures."
"I almost died, except for the rather timely intervention of a young priestess of Chronos named Ephebe. We happened to be nearby Ryo's family home, so we fell back there to heal and rest and figure out what the heck was going on. While we were there, whatever was after us managed to work some kind of major chronomancy, and shunted Ryo's cottage and us several years into the future (we think it's been about eight years, according to what Master Quo told us)."
"Now things start to get weird..." ;D
:Because up until now they've been the very picture of normal. I hope you're winding up to whatever it is you've been leaving out of your story thus far.:
:Because up until now they've been the very picture of normal. I hope you're winding up to whatever it is you've been leaving out of your story thus far.:
"I haven't left anything out - I'm just putting all the information in the right place so it makes sense," Tam replies, looking for all the world like a teacher whose lecture got interrupted by an overeager student. ;)
"Anyway, we find out from Ephebe that whatever is messing with us is some kind of time demon that has been wreaking havoc with various iterations of this timeline, and us in particular. We believe it has possessed somebody in order to work without drawing undue attention to itself."
He takes a breath before continuing.
"Ephebe's been trying to stop this demon for a while. Evidently through multiple timelines, as she is from the future...and James is her brother."
"When she found out about what happened in our timeline, coupled with what's going on with Chan, she decided to call in some help. She called her parents. She called older versions of Aananda and myself."
He stops to give Ryleh a moment to process that. :)
"That's right," Ryo(hopefully) thinks to himself, "She doesn't know she's a grandmother. Hm, if I'm an Uncle, and she's a Grandmother, does that make me her son-in-law? Why does everything have to so confusing?"
Ryo begins to think on this newest word problem...
"I'll remind you that it was my idea to call on older versions of us, and that my older self came through the Gate too, first in fact."
:So. In the future of that timeline the two of you had children...oh, stop looking like I'm going to bite you. Honestly. I knew that Chan'trikalliax was going to try and force Aananda'reavekki to bond with him, and any idiot could see that there was a certain amount of attraction between the two of you. It seemed a perfectly acceptable option considering the alternative,: she added with a grimace. :so I chose not to interfere.:
:So. In the future of that timeline the two of you had children...oh, stop looking like I'm going to bite you. Honestly. I knew that Chan'trikalliax was going to try and force Aananda'reavekki to bond with him, and any idiot could see that there was a certain amount of attraction between the two of you. It seemed a perfectly acceptable option considering the alternative,: she added with a grimace. :so I chose not to interfere.:
"Well.....that's about the weirdest way I've ever heard any parent give their 'blessing' on being in a relationship with their daughter," Tam says, an odd smile on his face. "But we do live in weird times, so I'll just roll with it." ^.^
"So the future 'us' filled us in on what happened in the timelines they've already been through, and let us know what happened to you in all of those timelines," he says, more somber than he was a moment ago.
"This demon is trying to do something with your family's bloodline. Specifically Aananda's, since that wishcraft evidently changed a lot of things."
"They are off trying to find out more about this demon, and see if they can stop it for good in this timeline. We decided that we needed to avoid all of the 'mistakes' that had been made in the other timelines, to see if that could help correct things as well. Which is why we puzzled out a way to get Aananda to realize who and what she really was, and then set out to make sure you....don't die this time."
"This family needs to be united and fully aware of what's going on, not divided and blind. Hopefully we've taken the first steps to making that happen..."
:I did not mean to offend you.: She sighed. :I have no objection to you on a personal level. But you are human. The human lifespan is like the blink of an eye. Our kind can only choose a mate once, and the loss of a mate is not something I would wish on anyone, let alone my beloved daughter,: she said sadly. :You cannot expect me to be entirely happy with this turn of events.:
:In what way has the wish altered Aananda? I know it did not seal away their powers as it did for the other children. I was in such a hurry. The pursuit was much too close and I hadn't time to be careful. I had to use two wishes at once, worded the same for both Chan'trikalliax and Aananda'reavekki. I had never intended to leave them both at the temple or transform them both into human babies. I had intended to leave each child in a different place. But things did not happen as I had intended.:
:And thank you. All of you. For rescuing me.:
"It changed both Chan and I to be both human and dragon, not just an extended polymorph. We can shift back and forth between both shapes at will. And instead of binding our powers, it just bound our knowledge of them. Obviously Chan found a work around on that before I did. Future me taught me how to use my abilities, but I'm still not really the best at flying," she added sheepishly. "Errr...also.....certain other things ummmmm.....happen sooner.....as best I can tell sort of splitting the difference between the two forms........and errrr....you're gonna be a grandmother....in about sixteen months. Well a little less than that obviously, but ummmmmmmm.......the babies are uhhhh...just like me in that they're.....both human and dragon at the same time, not half-dragon like you'd expect."
She continued on without pausing, not sure if she could explain things clearly if she stopped to think about what she was saying. "In the other timelines the time demon stole James from me before he was born, which is why Ephebe made this amulet for me. It's a temporal anchor that keeps the demon from stealing our children...at least until they're born. So we're kinda on a deadline here. I don't know if you'll ever get to meet James. You probably won't like him very much if you do, but he's not like Chan. He didn't choose to be bad. He never had a choice at all. So we have to make sure he gets one," she added her fists balling tightly as she tried to reign in her anger.
[blink, blink]
:That is a great deal to take in at once,: she said, weakly.
:I did not mean to offend you.:
"Oh, you'll have to do worse than that to offend me. Another perk of travelling a lot - patience," Tam replies with a good-natured chuckle.
She sighed. :I have no objection to you on a personal level. But you are human. The human lifespan is like the blink of an eye. Our kind can only choose a mate once, and the loss of a mate is not something I would wish on anyone, let alone my beloved daughter,: she said sadly. :You cannot expect me to be entirely happy with this turn of events.:
Tam just blinks. The simple, almost unconscious arrogance of most dragons just never ceased to amaze him. ;P
He sighs and says, "My future self found a way to extend his lifespan, because he's maybe ten or fifteen years older than I am now - and he should be dead since Ephebe is in her late teens or early twenties. So I'm pretty confidant you'll have to put up with me for a long time. Besides, I don't want to put her through that either," as he turns to look at Aananda with a loving smile.
:In what way has the wish altered Aananda? I know it did not seal away their powers as it did for the other children. I was in such a hurry. The pursuit was much too close and I hadn't time to be careful. I had to use two wishes at once, worded the same for both Chan'trikalliax and Aananda'reavekki. I had never intended to leave them both at the temple or transform them both into human babies. I had intended to leave each child in a different place. But things did not happen as I had intended.:
:And thank you. All of you. For rescuing me.:
"I couldn't let Aananda lose the chance to finallly meet her mother. She needs her family. And so do you."