Silver and gold at sunset
"Will you stand and watch as the tides swallow him, or will you – "
Yusei took off his jacket and jumped, right as a wave overturned the boat. Rally fell underwater. Yusei dived. It was only his physical fitness that allowed him to reach the boy in time. Holding him by the rope, he brought him to the surface and swam to the quay. Blitz, Tank and Nervin were there and took the boy, but a bigger wave caught Yusei and forced him underwater. The teen struggled, desperately reaching for the surface, but there was water in his lungs and he was steadily drowning…
Rally struggled in Blitz's arms.
"Let me go! Let me go! Yusei! Yusei!"
They couldn't see it behind the blanket of polluted clouds, but the sun was setting, just as the moon was rising. Except that it was a new moon. A black moon.
A No Moon. Blitz released Rally as an androgynous figure – flat-chested yet with feminine curves, square-jawed yet with full lips, short-haired yet wearing an elegant dress – appeared in a cloud of silver light and held the boy. The cloud extended to Rally and a bright silver disk appeared on his brow.
At that very moment, Yusei sprung from the waves, cloaked in an aura of bright gold and midnight blue as a golden, half-filled circle shone on his brow.
The androgynous entity vanished. Rally's aura took the shape of a silver and soft blue spider. Yusei's aura took the shape of a blue dragon armored in gold. The teen landed on the beach. The next moment, a spider the size of a small dog jumped in his arms. The pair hugged each other until night fell in earnest. Only when Yusei released him did Rally transform back to human.
"Come on, let's go home."
The questions would come once all of them were safe.
Kerry watched the group walk away. He had wondered what had drawn him to this place, this little island of junk in the middle of Domino Bay. Now, he knew.
Exaltation was rare. Even after the Fall of Creation and the establishment of the New World Order by the surviving Exalted and deities, the Spark of Exaltation was incredibly rare, especially the Celestial kind. Back during the First Creation, there had never been more than two hundred Solars, three hundred Lunars, one hundred Sidereals and between one hundred and one-hundred-and-fifty Abyssals and Infernals. The Fall of Creation had changed that. Infernal Sparks had been reclaimed and purified in the Light of the Unconquered Sun and, even though the Exalted forces had managed to retrieve most Abyssal Sparks, a few dozen still remained at the hands of the Deathlords.
So, seeing a Celestial Exalt was rare. Seeing two at the same time? It was exceptional. Seeing a Solar and a Lunar Exalt at the same time, knowing the two brands of Chosen were mates? Hazarding the two were bonded was a sucker's bet.
The survivors of the Fall had mercilessly called out the Five Maidens and their servants for their actions. Then, with the same might that had allowed them to slay the Primordials, they had Banned them from interfering with Fate. The Sidereals were still advisors and guides, but the grand schemes that had made them famous were no longer something they were allowed to do. Nevertheless, as he watched the Twilight Solar walk hand in hand with the Casteless Lunar, something told Kerry someone up there had been toying with the Loom of Fate. The Changing Moon Lunar held a grin and wondered if the culprit was already having a chat with the Pattern Spiders. The little clock-roaches took poorly to anyone messing with the Loom.
Rally never left Yusei's side and the teen wouldn't have it another way. There seemed to be a bond between them, a String of Fate trying their lives together. Safe within their hideout, the pair fell asleep. There would be enough time tomorrow for questions.
They woke up curled against each other. Yusei watched as Rally removed his vest and dress, only to be surprised at the presence of soft, silvery fuzz on his arms, chest and legs.
"It reminds me of the fuzz some spiders have." Nervin noted. "If they weren't so darn creepy, I'd be tempted to pet them."
"Well, Rally did turn into a spider."
They decided to pay Martha a visit. However, there was a man waiting for them at the orphanage. He was middle-aged, dark-eyed and red-haired, clad in robust outdoors clothes. His most distinctive trait, however, was the pair of folded dog-like ears on his head and the long tail behind him, as if the man was partially canine. Finally, he had a silver line on the ridge of the nose and another circling his throat. Martha emerged from the house.
"Yusei! This good man told me how he saw you rescue Rally. Thanks god you two are alright."
"Martha..."
The elder woman invited them inside. Yusei glanced at the man. For some reason, he didn't strike him as hostile.
"That was a heroic rescue back then, young man. I was going to interfere when you didn't emerge but, in the end, I didn't have to."
Rally had also noticed the ears. It disturbed him. Yusei decided to politely ask.
"If you'll forgive me that question, what are you? You have… traits that are rather unusual."
"Oh, you mean my ears and tail. Since we are among your family and they are going to know, I see no point in hiding them. They are my Tells, the indication that I am no longer human myself. As for what I am, my name is Kerry and I am a Lunar Exalted, a Chosen of Mother Luna. I was lucky enough to see both of you Exalt as a same time." He pointed at Yusei. "You as a Solar." He pointed at Rally. "And you as a Lunar. As an elder Exalted, I decided to mentor you. Our kind has powers that can be quite formidable. Besides, it's the duty of an elder to guide novices."
"Rally already demonstrated the ability to shapeshift." Yusei noted. "But I have no idea what I can do."
"You will learn soon enough. As it is, your friend will have to take priority. First lesson about Lunar Exalted: as I said, our Exaltation comes from the deity called Luna. I believe you saw her."
"It was… hard to pin whether they were a man or a woman." Nervin noted. "They were really androgynous."
"Fitting. I'd be hard-pressed to tell kiddo here is a boy."
Rally huffed. Kerry kept explaining.
"In any case, Luna is a mercurial, ever-changing entity. And we Lunars are just like her: shifting and unpredictable. Our primary ability is to shapeshift into animals. The first animal we turn into is considered our Totem. Mine is the dog – more exactly the beagle. Yours is the spider. Now, we have the means to learn how to shapeshift into other creatures, but it will be a lesson for another time. Right now, there are two things: first, every Lunar has a Tell, an animalistic trait tied to their totem. Mine are the ears and tail. You?"
Rally rolled his sleeve to reveal his silver fuzz. Kerry grinned.
"The fluffy kind, uh? At least, you can hide it under clothing. Second, being protean by nature has its downsides."
"Protean?"
"Easily able to change shape. What I'm saying is that your body can easily alter itself – too easily. Newly-Exalted Lunars run the risk of losing control of their shapeshifting and end up with all kinds of nasty mutations. Those who lose their mind and shape are called Chimeras. Thanks Luna, they are rare."
Yusei frowned deeply.
"Is there a way to avoid that?"
"There is." Kerry grinned as he tapped his tattoo. "Moonsilver tattoos. Devised by our ancestors in ages long past. Those tattoos stabilize us and make it so only we can alter our shape. No other power, not even from Solar Exalted or deities, can force a tattooed Lunar to change. The problem is that only other Lunar Exalted can apply them, and we are only three hundred for several billion humans. We don't find every Lunar Exalted before they become Chimeras, and it is something that pains us deeply. That's why I consider myself lucky to have watched you Exalt. Not only can I mentor you, I can also take you to the people who can stabilize your form."
The knowledge was relieving. Yusei, Rally and everyone else breathed. Kerry kept explaining.
"Second lesson about being a Lunar Exalt: this one can apply to Exalted in general. Every Exalted brand has five castes, except for us Lunars. There was a particularly nasty disaster in the past that caused three of our castes to meld in a single one. Each caste has their symbol, which appears on an Exalted's forehead when they are Chosen. Solar Exalted like you…" He pointed at Yusei. "Fall in the castes of Dawn, Zenith, Twilight, Night and Eclipse. Your symbol is a half-filled disk. It is the emblem of the Twilight caste, the craftsmen, healers and lore keepers."
Yusei considered. Healer and lore keeper wasn't really his thing, but he was definitely a craftsman, and he had a certain knowledge of informatics. Kerry kept explaining.
"Lunar Exalted have technically four castes: Full Moon, Changing Moon, No Moon and Casteless. The thing is that every newly-Exalted Lunar is functionally Casteless. Our kind needs to earn their caste through a trial, following which they will receive their tattoo. Don't worry, the trial is never lethal. And besides, you're pretty young. Exalted being Chosen so young is about as rare as two Exalting at the same time. Our elders will take it into account when setting yours."
"Can I be there to watch?" Yusei asked.
"I doubt the elders will refuse, given you Exalted at the same time. I won't explain what caste has which role so you won't be influenced when taking your trial. The others, though, will have to stay back."
Neither Blitz nor Tank, Nervin or Martha argued. Yusei held Rally.
"When can we do it and where will it happen?"
"I warned the elders the moment I saw you two Exalt. They should be there by midday but, as the Chosen of Luna, it will only happen at night. You have the day to rest and prepare."
Rally breathed. Yusei frowned.
"So, what do you know about Solar Exalted like me?"
"Enough to give you the bases." Kerry grinned. "Solar Exalted are the Chosen of Sol Invictus, the Unconquered Sun himself. In ages past, Lunar Exalted were the Stewards of Creation, its guardians. Solar Exalted were its rulers, the Lawgiver. The philosopher-kings and warrior-queens of yore. Solar Exalted, as a rule, excel at what they do. Simply put, they are the best. Just like the Unconquered Sun is fated to never be defeated in any way."
Yusei shuddered. Kerry grinned.
"A modest soul, uh? Good. Use that temperance to moderate your actions. Solars have gone on ego-trips before, and it never ends well for anyone. So, as I was saying, given enough time, you're going to be really skilled at what you do, even more so than anyone else. Be cautious, and remember that power is a responsibility. Don't be selfish. It won't be easy, not with that much power at your fingertips. But let me tell you about a downside of Exaltation that's pretty much universal: the Great Curse."
"The Great Curse?" Everybody else asked.
"Yep. At the very dawn of time, the Exalted fought alongside the gods to slay the Primordials, the entities who created the gods and were pretty much incomprehensibly eldritch. The Exalted won but, in their dying breath, the Primordials placed a Curse upon us. That Curse would be that we'd experience the same kind of hate, immoderation and treachery we'd shown against them. In the facts, it made us prone to hubris, mood swings and generally tyrannical behavior. It doesn't happen at once. Instead, the longer we live, the more it shows up. Fortunately, there are ways around it. The best is to keep people we trust and care for to stay as our moral compass."
Yusei and Rally breathed.
"Given how powerful we can become, it's good to know."
"Yeah. So, you know about the Great Curse. Next are the castes. In general, Dawn Castes are warriors and strategists, the champions of the Sun. Zenith Caste are the priests and judges, the Lawgivers proper. Twilight Caste, as I mentioned, are the craftsmen and scholars. Night Caste are the assassins and spies, the shadows in the night. Eclipse Caste are the diplomats and mediators, the Envoys. You, my boy, are a Twilight. While Lunar Exalted figure their Caste during their trial, Solars are straight out given theirs and figure over time what they're good at. There is always a relation. An office drone may receive any Caste because it's a fairly blank job if you ask me, but a merchant will hardly ever Exalt as one of the Dawn. May I ask what you *specialize in*, so to say?"
"I craft things." Yusei answered. "I built a Duel Runner from the parts I managed to scavenge, but my… my former friend… stole it with my most-precious card. He could do it because he had left Rally on that boat."
"Ouch… I see. That's what was going on. So, you make things. Yeah, the Twilights of eld were known for the wonders they built. Your Caste is logical. And building a Duel Runner from junk? Sol Invictus chose well. The talent is already there. You are going to make for one formidable artisan once you properly develop your skills."
The words were flattering but Yusei firmly kept them from going to his head. He wasn't going to forget Kerry's lesson on the Great Curse anytime soon.
"I have a question." Tank finally said. "That strange aura around them, what was it?"
"Their Anima banner. One thing about us Exalted: we have powers beyond the ken of mortals. Those powers are used through the manipulation of an energy called Essence, but that you might call Mana, Magick or just magical energy. As a rule, only Exalted can do it. However, that manipulation isn't always conscious." Kerry frowned. "An anima is an aura that surrounds all living things. Normally, it's invisible. Unless, that is, you pour Essence in it. The more Essence an Exalted pours in their Anima, the brighter it becomes. Most of times, it's unconscious. An Exalted is using their power and some of the Essence spills in their Anima. Other times, it's voluntary. An Anima Banner is a display of the Exalted's might, generally used as a show of force. When a guy suddenly starts to glow bright gold or silver and the light takes the shape of a multi-armed giant or an angry wolf, you book it."
"Yeah. Sure thing… and back then?"
"Uncontrolled power surge, simple as that. It always happens when an Exalted first comes to be. Their Anima Banner is unique to each Exalted and represents who they are."
"So Yusei is a giant armored dragon?" Blitz grinned. "Pretty cool."
Hello again. The BNHA Bug is well and truly gone and I'm back to an old yet still dear fandom: Yu-Gi-Oh... albeit with a little bit of Exalted. I started doing some worldbuilding. So far, the two mesh surprisingly well. So, here is what happens if Yusei Exalted as a Chosen fo the Unconquered Sun... and we are just getting started.