A/N: DING DING DING! WE HAVE A WINNER!

Banjo: YAY! (throws confetti everywhere)

Kazooie: What's the celebration?

Fairy Red guessed it right! B.R.Y.A.N. stands for… (drumroll)… "Blaster Reaping Youth and Nimbleness!"

Banjo and Kazooie: WOOHOO!

Didya guys like the plot twist? Didya? Do ya want another chapter? Do ya? DO YA?

Readers: YES!

YIKES! (dodges pointy objects) Okay, alright! Here's the chappie! Oh, and Fairy Red, you get… uh… ummmmmm… crap… Well, I'll figure out something… Oh, just read the damn chapter.


I was overwhelmed, to say the least.

How would you feel if you learned a past

You never wanted to know?

Still, I had to accept it,

And with the help of my closest friends,

It was that much easier to cope.


The Amethyst Shamans: Chapter 13: Accepting the Truth Within

Slowly, Banjo awakened. Immediate things he noticed were the soft bed he laid in and the bamboo walls around him. Groaning groggily, he blinked the fuzziness from his sight to look upon his closest friends, and suddenly he didn't seem so reluctant in waking up.

"Banjo! You're awake!" Tooty cheered happily, embracing her brother tightly as he sat up. But then she stopped briefly to correct herself. "Um, I mean Talmar…"

"What do you want to be called now?" Bottles asked. "Banjo or Tal…"

"I don't care!" Banjo answered bitterly, becoming frustrated and bewildered once again. Kazooie noticed this immediately, sitting down next to him on the bed.

"Hey, come on, guys," she defeated. "He's going through a lot right now. We all know him as Banjo, and that's what we're gonna stick with."

Silence was their answer, and Banjo faintly smiled at the breegul. "Thanks, Kazooie."

"No prob," Kazooie answered casually. When he lowered his head once more, depressed, she asked, "Hey, you alright?"

Tears of frustration silently rolled down his cheeks as he shook his head. "No, no, I'm not alright. I just found out that I've been lied to my whole life about these powers I never wanted, how could I be alright after knowing that?"

Kazooie frowned in pity as Banjo burst into tears, sobbing and holding Tooty close for comfort. The last comment the Elder made before echoed in her mind: The lie which is the truth brings more pain than the truth which is a lie.

"Why?" he sobbed miserably. "Why did they to me all this time…?"

Mumbo shifted nervously in his chair, then spoke up, "Banjo be dead now if not lied to. Demon kill you 'cause you Protector."

Hearing this, Banjo looked up, staring pathetically on.

"Mumbo right," Wumba agreed. "Elder said mother only protect you from the evil demon. Isle o' Hags big heap safer than Amethystar!"

"Right. She was protecting you because she cared about you," Bottles added. "You're practically the only thing she had left. Think of it that way."

"Yeah, and even telling you about all this would be dangerous," Kazooie also added. "So she was actually doing you a favor if you really think about it."

Banjo thought this over as Tooty gave him a handkerchief to blow his nose. "… I… guess you're right about that…" He took the cloth and cleaned his cheeks before continuing. "But… I never wanted any of this… I never wanted to know…"

"Aw, heck, Banjo, you were gonna find out eventually!" Kazooie exclaimed, getting sounds of agreement from the others.

"Well, yeah, but…" Banjo sighed deeply. "Now that I have these powers, I know things are gonna change back at home, and I don't want them to get in the way of our relationships…"

"Aw, Banjo, your magic won't get in the way…" Tooty tried to comfort him with a hug, and it looked absolutely adorable. "I'll still love you…"

"Yes!" Mumbo sat up cheerfully. "Mumbo happy now! Banjo now shaman like Mumbo!"

"Wumba too!" the shamaness added. "And we can teach you how to use now powers! We shamans too, after all!"

"Yeah, you don't need to worry about that at all, Banjo," Bottles said comfortingly. "We'll accept you no matter what you seem to be."

Banjo looked to each one of his friends, a warm smile spreading across his snout. "Y'know what, you guys are right. I should just accept the past and not let it affect the present and future."

"That's a good idea!" Tooty piped up cheerfully, and the others nodded in agreement.

Once again, Banjo looked to each and every one of his friends. "Thanks, you guys."

"Hey, it's no big deal," Kazooie answered coolly.

"No, I mean for everything," Banjo smiled up at them as they gathered into a closer circle. "You all have always been there for me through thick and thin, even after I betrayed you…"

"Betrayed?"

"Back at Cauldron Keep…"

"Oh, Banjo, let that go!" Bottles waved a careless paw. "It's in the past, and we forgive you. Everyone makes mistakes!"

"Besides…" Kazooie smirked at her partner. "People do crazy things when they're in love."

They giggled as one could clearly see Banjo's face turn pink. Slightly annoyed at first, he soon relaxed and chuckled along with them.

"Alright, but anyways, like I was saying before, I'm really, truly glad you all are always there for me. It means a lot to me, honestly. I don't know where I'd be without you guys…"

"Well, of course we're there for you, Banjo," Bottles grinned. "You're always there for us whenever Grunty rears her ugly head, so it's only fair, right?"

The warm smile on Banjo's face only grew.

"Alright, you know what this calls for? This calls for a group hug!" Kazooie said cheerfully, extending her wings. Everyone laughed in amusement as they all huddled together in a friendly group hug. Banjo felt so much better, having received the support he needed from his friends once again. Even with these new powers, his friends were all he needed.

"…Am I interrupting anything?"

They all turned to the draped doorway of their hut to find Kyra entering slowly, almost hesitantly, as if disturbing a sacred bondage. They all exchanged glances, then shook their heads. Kyra then approached less hesitantly, and they all scooted aside to let her into the group. She sat down next to Banjo and the two found themselves staring into each other's eyes. An unseen force pulled Banjo's paw slowly towards her, grasping her paw tenderly and comfortingly without knowing it.

"…………"

"…Mumbo think we should leave now."

"Right, let's… leave these two alone…"

Quickly and silently, they all left the hut, leaving Banjo and Kyra alone. For once, they had a moment to themselves, and before, Kyra would've greatly treasured this moment. But now that she knew who he really was, she felt as though she was sitting with a legend. Technically, he was to their tribe, as his story and name were common stories passed down to children, but she knew better. She knew him by personal matters, and knew he didn't want to be referred to as an almighty Protector. No, to her, he was a friend, a comrade… and secretly, a lover.

Gently, she cleared her throat and began, "Well… this explains a lot of things…"

"Such as…?"

"Your immunity to negative magic effects… Your ability to harness the power of the amethyst dagger… Your spirit-call ability…"

"I thought you gave me that power."

"I was meaning to tell you before, but never got the chance… When I was inside, I found the ability already inside you, among others. All of them were sealed away, and I was a bit… shocked to find you had all these powers hidden away…"

Banjo inclined his head. "Why didn't you ever tell me…?"

"Oh, Banjo, I never intended on keeping it from you, it's just…" She let out a sigh of perplexity. "Everything that happened afterwards- Kazooie nearly dying, Gruntilda exposing all the lies, saving the island…"

Her frustration stopped when she looked back into those warm eyes of aquamarine, ever forgiving and understanding. He sighed, glancing away. "Yeah, I know how that feels… Everything happening all at once… So much it's overwhelming… And you forget everything else…" he ended with a tinge of sadness.

Noticing this, guilt began to pile on Kyra once again as she was aware of the pain he was going through. Softly, she said, "…Banjo, I'm sorry…"

Banjo pulled his view back up at her puzzlingly. "For what?"

Kyra sighed heavily. "If I hadn't come into your life, none of this would've ever happened to you…"

To Kyra's initial surprise, Banjo softly chuckled in response to this. "And just what ever is so funny?"

"Kyra, you don't need to blame yourself for everything!" he chuckled, giving her a good-natured grin. Realizing how silly she felt, Kyra herself gave out a small chuckle herself. Banjo then grew slightly more serious as he continued.

"This isn't in anyway your fault, Kyra. Nobody expected all this was gonna happen. Besides," A hint of nostalgia entered his eyes again as more memories came back. "In my younger years, when my mother had a new mate and Tooty was born, I always wondered where I really came from. I knew her mate wasn't my real father, even though he treated me like one… When they died, I sort of pushed those questions aside for a while since so much was happening at once…" He looked back up at Kyra, the sadness replacing by an assuring smile. "But now that I had time to think this over, I finally have the answer to those questions. I now understand why I was never told, and now I must learn to accept it and make the best of things."

Kyra smiled warmly. "Quite the optimist, aren't you?"

"I try," he explained in two simple words. Once again, the two found themselves locking eyes. As Kyra's smile turned into a loving one, Banjo felt himself becoming lost in those beautiful sapphire eyes. He barely noticed when she gently placed her arms around his shoulders.

-Oh, Talmar…- she whispered his tribal name in a spirit-call. -You are the most enchanting being I've ever had the honor of meeting.-

Banjo smiled affectionately. -You, too.-

-Even after all the lies and deceit…-

-I don't care about all that. It doesn't matter. You are, and always will be, my friend.-

Kyra's heart fluttered at that remark, for that was all she wanted: a friend. Her tribe held her in high regard, but never treated her in the way Banjo did. Banjo was the first ever Amethystian to willingly open up to Kyra and treat her like she was- a normal being. Needless to say, she was spellbound.

Soon, they found their faces getting closer and closer as the attraction grew between them. The bears shut their eyes, awaiting a loving kiss…

"ACK! HELP!"

Startled, the two turned to the doorway to find a figure wrapped up in the drapes and wildly struggling, only to get more wrapped up. Muffled cries and curses came from the highly irritated being.

-Who is it…- Kyra asked.

-I can guess.- Banjo grinned in amusement, standing and approaching the doorway. A light tug, and out fell Kazooie, who landed on the ground with a light thud.

"Got a little tangled up, didn't you?" Banjo chuckled, getting a dark glare in return.

"Ha, ha, very funny," Kazooie muttered, getting up. "Listen, something really bad is going on."

"What is it?" Banjo asked, Kyra moving to his side.

"It's got something to do with the demon."

The bears looked at each other.

"Yeah, and the Elders all wanna see you." She turned and beckoned with her beak. "Come on, I'll lead you guys there."

Suddenly serious, Banjo nodded and took Kyra by the paw, and they both followed Kazooie out into the village. Both bears shared the same concern: what was it about the demon that was so urgent? Had it… escaped…?

A/N: You guys like the chappie? Good! Okay, tell Fairy Red what she won, Kazooie!

Kazooie: What am I, Vanna White?

YES! (snaps her fingers, Kazooie is now wearing a white dress with her mohawk in a fancy bun)

Banjo: O.O (takes a picture)

Kazooie: TT; Fairy Red has won an uber special extra super cool picture, a Nintendo Nut1 exclusive.

Banjo: Wow! She's so lucky!

Yep! It's being sent to her now! Congratulations to you and good try to the rest of you reviewers who guessed! Your reviews really matter, so keep it up! And don't be mad! O.O Just review!