A/N: WOOT! PLOT TWIST TIME!
Banjo: OH JOY!
Kazooie: YAYNESS!
HERE IT IS! …Oops, left the Caps Lock on. XD
Now is when everything is told.
A past I never knew I had.
A person I never knew I was.
Everything was revealed to me…
And somehow it hurt more than the other lies did.
The Amethyst Shamans: Chapter 12: A Forgotten Past
In their large, spiritual village, the people gathered near the center, where a great event was occurring in the Sacred Circle of the Moon.
This spiritual gathering place was a large stone circle embedded in the ground, rising only a few inches off the soil. On top were careful carvings of an ancient language and strange symbols going around in a circle. In the center was a large amethyst stone partly-submerged in the rock, the etching of a crescent moon on it.
Banjo stood atop this pillar alongside his friends, looking around the village slowly and carefully. The people, the huts, the forests all looked so incredibly familiar, and it frustrated Banjo slightly that he couldn't seem to quite remember what it all meant.
The Elder, his daughter, and other young members of the tribe stepped onto the Sacred Circle. The tribe all watched in respectful silence as the old leader looked at each of the newcomers with warm sapphire eyes.
"You, young ones," he began in a god-like voice. "Have done a great deed for us all; fiercely resisting the attack of a spiteful witch and uniting our tribe to revive our sacred home. We are all eternally grateful for your benevolence and courage in our time of need."
From either side of him, the younger Amethystians brought out leather rope necklaces, each with an amethyst crystals hanging at the end.
"Please accept these humble gifts as a token of everlasting gratitude," the Elder explained as they hung the necklaces around the heroes' necks.
"Ooh, pretty…" Tooty looked at it dreamily.
Mumbo was slightly shocked when he looked down at his. "Mumbo's glows!"
"Wumba's too!"
The Elder smiled. "They react to shaman magic."
"Ooh…"
Kyra stood in front of Banjo with a necklace in hand. Both smiled affectionately as Banjo politely bowed his head and Kyra hung the necklace around his scruffy neck. He looked back up at her, but his face fell when he saw the shocked look on her face as she looked downwards. Banjo himself looked down to find his crystal glowing in the same manner as Mumbo's and Wumba's.
A hush fell upon everyone at this. Banjo was left in most shock. Hastily, Kyra brought her father over to him.
"Father! He is no shaman, but his crystal…"
"It glows!" The Elder finished, equally shocked. The old one looked over Banjo carefully, then found himself staring into the young bear's eyes.
"Eyes of aquamarine…" the Elder said in a hushed voice, putting an old arthritic paw on the side of Banjo's face. "Could it be… Little Talmar…?"
There's that name again, Banjo thought fleetingly. What does it mean? Who's Talmar…?
"Listen to me closely, cub," the Elder said to him softly. "Focus and answer me if you can." And with that, he placed his fingertips on Banjo's brow, passing into a trance.
Everyone watched anxiously. The Amethystians knew very well what was happening, whereas the Isle o' Hags residents looked on in confusion, not knowing what would happen next. What did the Elder want out of Banjo?
"… Ak aj juat," he said in an ancient, forgotten language. "Kxut kxo tojkadot edo neict edo tuo uffouh udt julo kxo kharo. Uho oei kxaj tojkadot edo?"
Banjo strained slightly, then answered, "A um. A um kxo tojkadot edo."
A sudden shock swept the Amethystians at this, and Banjo's friends became extremely confused.
"Wait, what'd he say?" Kazooie asked in utter confusion. She looked up at Kyra. "What's he say, Kyra?"
But Kyra was left in utter shock. "He can't be…" she whispered softly to herself.
"What, what can't he be?" Kazooie voice got louder in frustration. "What's everyone fussed about?"
"Shh! Kazooie, listen!" Tooty shushed her quickly.
Banjo opened his eyes, not sure if he had heard himself right. What on earth was the language he was speaking? He looked up to see a joyful look on the Elder's wrinkled face.
"Oh, young cub, I've waited so long to see you again! Why, the last time I looked upon you, you were but a tiny little cub, barely a month into your life! And now…" He looked Banjo up and down. "Look at how much you've grown… Strong arms, a steady mind… Your father would be very proud."
Banjo looked at the Elder un believably. "… I-I-I don't understand…"
The Elder straightened up in slight surprise. "You mean she never told you?"
"Who?"
"Your mother."
Banjo stared pathetically on, becoming extremely bewildered.
"Ah, but of course she didn't. I see…" the Elder mused. "In that case, I shall be the one to tell you. Listen well, young cub…"
Banjo, though frightened to know what this truth was, nodded, and the Elder cleared his throat and began.
"Our tribe has always been one of peace, and most of us do not fight. So in dark times, we had a group of strong, brave warriors called the Nine Protectors who defended our tribe in the darkest of times. Your father was the strongest, the boldest, the purest of them all. And alongside that, he was the most benevolent young bear, always willing to aid all in need.
"One day, a fatal storm destroyed a foreign vessel, and a young bear-your mother- washed up on the shore. Your father then took her in, and they soon fell deeply in love. For years he kept her by his side as the tribe slowly accepted her, and they gave birth to a blissful cub. His tribe name was Talmar, and he was reared to be a Protector in his father's footsteps.
"But then, a tragedy occurred. A vengeful demon had entered our land, out for the blood of the ones who had destroyed his fellow demon spirits. Before we Elders could seal the fiend below the island, he had slain the Nine Protectors, including your father. Though the demon was sealed, his threat was still at large, for he had the power to exert his evil magic outside the barrier. He demanded the blood of all Protectors, including the soon-to-be ones. Terrified, your mother had no choice but to flee the island and protect her cub as long as she could. She started a new life, on a new island, and went to all lengths to protect her cub, including…"
"…changing my name…" Banjo finished softly, not knowing what to think of all this. His thoughts swarmed in a pool of confusion, but he still strived to understand. "S-so that means…"
"You are an Amethystian, and your real tribe name is Talmar. But you are unique, since most Amethystians are born with sapphire eyes, and you inherited your mother's beautiful eyes of aquamarine."
So that's how he knew it was me… Banjo thought fleetingly, still looking pathetically on.
"But your shaman skills you adopted from your father, and the Nine Protectors had strong magic. To protect you, your mother requested we Elders to seal your powers and prevent you from using or discovering them until they were needed. I suppose she never told you?"
Weakly and hopelessly, he shook his head. As the info slowly sank in, his heart sank and his skin became pale. His life as he knew it was all a lie. His true past and origin were kept a secret from him his entire life. Just thinking of this made him sick to his stomach.
Still in shock, he brought a paw to his temple, trying to keep calm. "… I-I don't believe this…"
"It's true, Talmar. You are only Protector left now." He placed a comforting paw on his shoulder. "Welcome home, Talmar."
Slowly, Banjo looked around at the humble people below him and the sacred forests around him. No, this wasn't home! It couldn't be! His mind screamed at him these thoughts, but a deep part of himself was drawn to these people, drawn to the teachings of the Ancient Spirits of Amethystar, when mentally he resisted these attractions fiercely.
He then looked to his friends, his true friends from Isle o' Hags. The people he knew best, the beings he considered his family. He never needed anything else besides them, but now with these new urges to learn these skills of his, he didn't know what he needed anymore.
All of this was way too overwhelming for poor Banjo, and his body and mind couldn't take anymore of it. He swayed a bit, then gently shut his eyes and fell back into Kyra's arms, welcoming the simplicity of unconsciousness.
"Banjo!" his friends cried, rushing to his side.
"Oh, no, is he okay?" Bottles said worriedly.
"He's fainted from shock," Kyra said ruefully, heaving him into her arms. "He needs to rest."
Kyra carried the unconscious Banjo out of the Sacred Circle of the Moon, his friends following. Before following, Kazooie, quite overwhelmed herself by her friend's mysterious past, glanced up silently at the Elder, who shook his head ruefully, whispering under his breath, "The lie which is the truth brings, more pain than the truth which is a lie…"
Kazooie inclined her head, curious as to what the old bear meant. Pondering this over, she followed her friends.
A/N: Quite a plot twist, huh? I surprised you all, didn't I? DIDN'T I?
Kazooie: (sarcastically) You sure surprised me.
Banjo: Talmar?
Yes, deal. And as for the language, no, it's not original, and yes, you Nintendo freaks out there should be able to decipher it if you know the language.
Kazooie: Couldn't make up your own, huh?
Shut up.
Banjo: Talmar?
Yes, Banjo. And here's another B.R.Y.A.N. hint: the R. stands for "Reaping."
Kazooie: So it's "Blaster Reaping Youth something something?"
Yep.
Banjo: …TALMAR?
YES, BANJO, DEAL WITH IT! Ahem… Review people!
