-Catgirl-of-Bavaria-: .:Runs from angry mob:.
Kyaah, I'm deeply sorry about my second bout of shameless lateness, you guys .:bows:. Me and friends have been hanging out, lot's of Final Fantasy has been played (which will be evident to any FFX players when they read this chapter! XD) And also, there was about a month where my grandmother was in the ICU at the hospital after complications in an operation, until she passed away in the morning on June 10th. So, I've been busy with family matters, as well as painting a little something for my grandma. So, any real beefs with the lateness of this chapter, take them up with the Gods, please :) But even with my living in the basement and away from my story-housing computer for a week due to my aunt's visiting, I have managed to actually get about 7 pages into the next chapter, so take comfort in that! All that was actually by PMing myself bits and pieces of it to myself on Gaia XD Problem solving! Mwahah…
So, yes, I'd like to mention, as I stated vaguely above, there is a big huge Final Fantasy reference in here, anyone who's played FFX should notice it. Though I did keep it the same in many aspects, I did change it up a little and added my own aspects to it to suit it for the Nourasians and I hope it works out well. Oh, and then there's the Nourasian language in here that I played with a little. That is basically just me, sitting here late at night, playing with words and sounds, trying to come up with things that sound Nourasian-ish! Though they do have a wee bit of Tolkein-Elvish influence(In fact, 'galad' really does mean 'light') So if anything, it's a hybrid of Elvish and Nourasian! Heh… That's me, for ya… .:sweatdrop:. Oh yes, also the creation myth I promised is in the beginning! I hope you guys like it, and I will be putting up a picture that corresponds to it that I drew a good couple of months ago on my Deviant Art account (remember, on there I am KyokoMari) as well as a new sketch of Molly and Janni's outfits towards the end of this chapter .:shifty eyes:. Another thing I'd like to say is that I hope I wrote Aikka's parents well…
Oh, and I got a scanner for my picture posting purposes! So there:P
Spellcaster-Hikaru: Nee-chan:D Oh, yes, Takai will be appearing in this chapter, but things will be made amends. I dunno if I meant to make him such an ass before, but yes, they'll be making up in this chapter and will probably become friends. I don't recall my original plan on how fast that would happen, but I'm sure it was different before I heard certain ideas for him that I'm going to utilize… Plans always change, you know:) I thought there'd be at least a little bit of reluctance in welcoming the Earthlings in Nourasia…I mean, just look at Takai's dad! Oh, and I know I told you about this chapter being done, like days ago, but…Augh. My computer hates me. .:glares daggers:. Complications…slowness…so now I'm doing this on my family computer(after E-mailing the chapter to myself) because it actually works! -.-; Oh, and if you haven't already…get to the RP thread! Quickly, nee-chan! Aikka and Eva are united once more:D
RedMageSalyre: Hmm, his eyes are blue, aren't they…? Heh. Sorry bout that, don't recall how I did that mix-up Perhaps it was a product of staying up too late….:sweatdrop:. But yes, the queen just came off to me as the one of them to be more understanding and even supportive of Aikka's possible relationship with a human. Perhaps it's because she was the one during the show that told him to keep to his code, and remain true to himself? I also thought that the king would be the more stern of the two...And besides that, there's gotta be a little internal struggle to make the story more interesting, ne? ;) But yes! Nourasia! And ceremonies! I hope you like it! And I'll hae to catch up with your stories while they're on hiatus….:scratches back of head nervously, then runs off:.
APurpleAvacado: Gomen! I didn't manage to make it in a month! .:sinks to the floor in shame:. Sigh, life's a bitch and it takes people away from the writing of fanfiction…but, I think you should be pleased if you really want a little bit of Tajan that much ;P And thank you for giving me the idea in the first place, Avacado-san .:bows:. It gave me a fluffy idea for a little comic for those two that I'm working on…among other projects XD As to the King and Queen, yep, like I said above to RedMage, The queen just comes off as the more understanding of the two. Just me improvising their character based on what little was seen of them on the show. But, as to the views on Aikka and Eva changing, only time shall tell :)
Sekai Nerah: You used that line? .:blushes:. Gomen, but I swear that I wasn't trying to do that .:sweatdrops and bows:. I may've read it some time ago, but I don't recall where it was… Oo And thank you for the Canaan Takai comment…I figure there'd be at least a little conflict. Makes the story more interesting, and the characters deeper. And I know what you mean about construction workers…they repaved our streets this week! (though not at four in the morning…Oo)
Crazyvegimab: Yay! My best comment on my Nourasia so far! .:bows:. I was really inspired by that new, possibly suitable for life, planet that scientists found, orbiting a red dwarf star, which, as Koji says, was thought to be an impossible combination. Bout the only time I ever pay attention to the news, when something cool like that happens XD And yes, poor Aikka's having a very tough time… and it may just get even tougher pretty soon here .:shifty eyes:. Sorry it took so long, again, life kidnapped me XD
Shrouded View: I'm back again:D And yep, the Sky's all natural in this one. More explanation above and below :3 Really? Ah well, to each their own I suppose. I tend to use the word mate like that, I just never really thought about it. Oo And I think I know what you meant about the over describing of the carvings, would you happen to mean the fable wall? Cause I actually meant to give some detail on that one, as a sort of lead in to the creation myth I got going in this chapter :) If that wasn't the one you meant…um…I'll try harder… .:bows:. And thanks for the honesty of opinion, too:D
Wild Child 15: Heh, sugar is fun :) And sorry for the lateness, things and stuff, you know… But, in answer to your computer problems, I'll not say that I'm a whiz in any way, but I'll see if I have anything intelligent to say…Are you having problems with the site, or with the computer itself? And what program are you using, and how far do you get when you actually try to submit something?
Mystical-twins: Yay, a new reader! Thank you, I can't wait to write the rest of it! Believe me on that one…right now it's buzzing around in my head faster than I can actually type! Along with a certain OSR RP I'm participating in :D hope to keep you hooked til the end! Thank you:3
Isabella of the Night: I agree, double identities are super fun :3 I have two myself! Well, 4, if you include my little muleys… But you haven't been in the guild much…what's up with that? .:Pokes jokingly:. j/k XD but seriously, we need more activity in there… .:shifty eyes:. Not too much fluffiness this chapter, but there's lots of stuff going on!
Frubaforever: I love Fruits Basket! X3 I'll have to wonder over eventually XD Thank you and sorry for the long wait!
OSR4ever: Oh dear, I hope your grades did not suffer too much because of the all-nighter…Please don't sue! D: .:begging eyes back:. And sorry it turned out to be a longer wait than last time… .:continues begging eyes:. No sue?
Galonicandragon: Hee, another new reader! Thanku:D lulz, cliffhangers are fun… .:shifty eyes:.
Fushica: Kyu, thanks! Did I manage to do it again:3
IchikoKitsuneKoumori: Kyah, I know, the Catgirl had a brain fart with Canaan's eye color… .:Knocks self on head:. Catgirl is a dummy sometimes! .:sweatdrop:.
Thechickenlittle: .:bows down:. Fabulous? Orly? There is no emoticon(at least not one that's allowed on this site) that describes my glee over that word being associated with my writing…T.T and yeah, the whole Canaan and Takai issue will balance itself out in its own way… .:shifty eyes:.
Whitehitsugaya: thanks! Not too much fluff this chapter, but I hope you like it just the same! And doesn't it always lead to trouble? ;D
CrystalPersian: Thanks:3 Hope you like!
Disclaimer:….Wait, I'm still writing these things?? .:shrugs:. Oh well. Oban Star Racers belongs to the most awesome Savin Yeatman-Eiffel and his company, not to me… Awesome Awesome Awesome…Wish I'd thought of it! Takai and Janni are mine:o
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-Chapter 14-
Concerning Culture
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If there was one class that Eva had enjoyed in school, besides of course anything mechanical, it was astronomy/interplanetary studies. Leastwise after Oban had happened. She was sure that she'd learned things about Nourasia in her class at the Stern Boarding School, but through the course of time, and due to the fact that she never really paid too much attention to those particular teachers in the first place, what little information on the royal planet they provided was more or less lost to Eva.
However, it seemed she quickly regained this knowledge with a few observations by Koji on their first evening on the planet. The scientific aspects of Nourasia soon came back to her.
For one, Koji had told her and the rest of the group, Nourasia orbited a star that burned the color red, a Red Dwarf, by the Earth's terms. This was what provided the sky with its unique coloring, of course. He also expressed his personal fascination with it, marveling at the fact that up until early parts of the 21st century, planets that orbited such stars were thought to be unsuitable for supporting life. In his studies back home, he'd only imagined such a planet, and had never thought he'd live to actually see one in his lifetime.
For another, Eva rediscovered the differences Nourasia had from Earth in terms of simple statistics. As Koji had told her and the others, as they shared rights over a small bounty of Nourasian cuisine on the guest terrace under the stars, the orbit that Nourasia had around its star was wider than that of Earths. This meant a longer year, and though he couldn't say exactly what the ratio between their two planets was, he thought it to be somewhere between three to four Nourasian years to every five Earth years.
Even with the longer period of time for years, the Nourasian day was shorter than Earth's by a few hours, due to the size of the planet. By the time that most of the humans had awakened, it was already dark. Considering that they had arrived on the planet just after the Nourasian noon, according to Aikka, this was somewhat new to them. They had actually all slept long enough to have missed the evening meal, Aikka included. And so it had been arranged by Aikka that they'd have their late meals in the guest wing, on the terrace just outside. It would still be hours yet until the glow signifying the Crog fleets would be visible in the skies, so they were actually safe for the time being with being on the terrace without being spotted by the enemy.
So outside the human group had sat for a while, experimenting with the Nourasian dishes they'd been provided with, and often times marveling at the flavors. Aikka had sat with them as well, enjoying his own food.
Something else that became obvious about Nourasia, was that it in fact had two moons. While the one moon that Eva had seen on their way into the palace still hung and shown bright brown-orange, much in the same spot it'd been in during the day. But towards the end of their meal, the humans noticed the great blue moon that rose steadily above the trees. At this point in its cycle, it had waned into a perfect crescent.
It was when this blue moon made its appearance, staining the naturally lavender foliage into a calming indigo color, that Aikka took over in the telling of his planet. He told them of how the Nourasian people had, for ages, measured their time by the waxing and waning of the moons; the brown measured the Nourasian week, as long as ten Nourasian days. And, though years were of course dictated by the planet's orbit around the sun, the blue moon actually seemed to complete its rotation in one year. It had become a timetable to measure the seasons, much like humans had calendars.
More impressive, though, was the story that lay behind those moons, an old Nourasian tale.
In the beginning, according to legend, far before the first Nourasian, or the first beetle, even before the rivers began carving their ways through the planet of Nourasia, there was essentially nothing, save for a barren land floating in the cosmos. It was a world of Gods and spirits before mortal beings had come.
This was the story of two particular spirits, named Sekai and Sera, sister spirits that were roaming the cosmos, looking for a place to call their own. And so they eventually came to the little planet-to-be, bathed in the crimson light that came from its star.
They could sense the potential this globe held, the beauty it could possess, if given the proper care. Even if it was still plain, a canvas yet to be painted on, they felt the true aura of the planet. Especially Sera, the younger sister, saw this. For she was full of life and eager to create.
The two sisters decided to claim this part of the cosmos as their own, this planet as their charge. So they began forming their own second entities from which they could watch over the planet. These entities, of course, are the two moons. Sera, being the younger, became the smaller moon, her brown color representative of her spunky tenacity, her solid will to create and nurture. Sekai, the elder, became a larger orb of bright blue, to exhibit her beauty, a soft color to exhibit her kindness.
Once they'd established their second entities, Sera eagerly set to work, forming various dolls, of various shapes and sizes. It was her fondest goal, to someday see the tiny dolls as living beings, walking around on their planet. But first, the sisters would have to sculpt a suitable and beautiful land for them to inhabit. And so they set to work on shaping the land, giving their future people something worthy to live in and making it to be one of the most beautiful planets in the cosmos.
However, as skillful as Sera the younger moon spirit was at sculpting and creating, she was still a youngling in the eyes of the spirits. She could not give the life force to her dolls that would allow them to walk the planet they'd created. No matter how she tried, Sera could not successfully breathe life into the future Nourasians.
It was then that Sekai took to the dolls, gently blowing her magic into them, giving them life, a gift for her sister. Soon enough, with the life force that the elder sister had provided, the dolls were no longer dolls, but living and thriving beings.
It was said that the original Nourasian's recalled something of their experiences as dolls, which was how the legend came about, or perhaps it was simply comprised within the first ages of Nourasian life to explain the unexplained. Where ever it had come from, the legend had become a key part of Nourasian culture. Sekai's blue had become the key color, a special Nourasian Sapphire-colored stone an essential piece to channel magic, used in both the adornments of royalty and the weaponry of knights. Known as 'Sekai Alam', or Moon Stone in the common, it was not only used as arrow-heads, but was also sometimes forged into the blades of some swords. It wasn't too common for commoners to have such stones, but there were some who did. It was truly a prized gem.
Sera, likewise, had the bronze-brown attribute of Nourasian culture to her name. This occurred more often; there was the darker shade of stone that many a Nourasian building were carved of, as well as a very rare metal that was only used as royal jewelry, particularly the headpieces of the royal family and their closest guards. Then there was simply the fact that most Nourasian attire had some form or shade of the color in it.
And of course, the sisters had a part in the telling of time on the planet as well. It was said, as a mythical explanation for the Moons' cycles, that the waxing and waning was much like the coming and going of the two sisters.
The sisters enjoyed watching their creations, but they did vanish from time to time, as even gods had to wonder about once in a while. So, it was said, when the moon was full, it symbolizes its spirit host's complete attention on the planet, whereas a new moon would symbolize the spirit's being elsewhere. And while Sera checked up on her creations quite frequently, Sekai always held a longer gaze, providing her subjects with the most magic and life during her reign. There was often a festival at Sekai's peak, to celebrate her reign, her gift of life, and to signify the new age.
But seeing as how Sekai was at the moment waning, Eva knew the chances of seeing such a festival was unlikely, and even then, it'd be a long wait. It couldn't stop her from dreaming, however, which was exactly what she was doing now, in the later morning of the next day, her second day on the Moon sisters' planet.
Or at least it was what she was trying to do.
"Molly, wake up, I must speak with you," she only vaguely heard Aikka's voice in the hazy distance of her mind. "Molly, come now, you must get up!" Aikka laughed at her frowning face as he gently shook her shoulder, bringing her all the more from her festival fantasies.
"Nnn…! Aikka, go back to bed already…I'm tryin' to dream…" Eva slurred as she attempted to roll over onto her opposite side, only to find her cat occupying where she wanted to go to escape. So, she settled on sprawling out where she was. Aikka smiled and inwardly laughed at the girl before reaffirming his hand on her shoulder.
"Molly, I shouldn't see fit to return to bed, as it is nearly the mid-day meal!" he replied playfully, still leaning over her bed.
Eva opened a sleepy crimson eye at the prince as she lay sprawled on her back, and gave a yawn, setting a forearm over her eyes to protect from the light.
"I'm not that hungry, you go ahead…" she commanded sleepily as Satis got up next to her and stretched out, his sleep decidedly interrupted. Aikka shook his head and sat on the edge of her mattress.
"That isn't exactly why I'm summoning you," he told her awkwardly, blue eyes slinking off slightly. Eva didn't move but lay listening. "Concerning the mid-day meal…My parents… They would like you to dine with us."
Eva's eyes snapped open from under her arm. She was very suddenly awake.
"They want…me?" She asked with a dry mouth, starting to prop herself up on her elbows. "What for?"
"I don't know exactly." Aikka said truthfully, speaking low so Janni wouldn't be disturbed as she slept next to Eva. "It would be wise, nonetheless, for you not to be late. Punctuality is a very important thing to my parents…"
"Oh…Ok. I'll be right out…" Eva said nervously, pulling herself quickly out of her coverings. Satis glanced at his master as the girl gave a quick look at her clothes. They were still her own red shirt and boxers, and the shirt was currently covered in whatever debris managed to hang on from the previous day, as well as having a bit of staleness about it from the rain.
"W-wait, what am I going to wear??" Eva suddenly asked Aikka, as he started for the door. This was no way to meet a king and queen. It may have been acceptable yesterday, given the circumstances and the fact that she had been covered by a racing cloak, but now… Aikka merely smiled at her.
"Do not worry." He pointed over to a wide wooden dresser. Looking there, Eva saw a couple of piles of neatly folded fabric, in browns and whites, even a few crimsons. "The maids brought Janni and you some changes of clothing during the night. Anything from that selection should do, there isn't any great need for you to be too formal."
Eva looked over to the dresser, and, seeing the provision, estimated it to be quite a selection. She looked back at the prince's smiling eyes, and nodded.
"If you need any help with the garments, just speak with me through the door, and I'll see if I can find a maid to assist you. I'll expect you in five minutes, Lady Eva," Aikka said playfully, bowing to her as he exited through the door. Eva smirked at the young man as he disappeared behind the heavy door. Turning to the dresser, she decided to get started.
"Hmm, let's see…" Eva mumbled, delving through the clothes.
"Nnn, Eva? What's going on?" Janni murmured, sitting up in the bed a few minutes later. "Where are you??" Eva emerged from the bathroom seconds later and posed in her new outfit.
"Ta-da! What do you think?" Eva asked the other girl. Janni stared confusedly at the girl, who was apparently wearing some Nourasian garb.
"I think you're nuts, being up this early to play some dress-up…" Janni said. Eva laughed and tossed her friend some clothes from the pile she hadn't claimed for her own.
"Get with the times, it's nearly lunch!" Eva said, almost the very definition of chipper. "I gotta go, though, so I'll catch up with you later. Make sure Satis doesn't get out, k?"
"Huh? You're going somewhere?" Janni said, tossing the covers off of her legs and pulling herself out of the bed. Yawning and sticking her gun in the back of her pants, a tradition she was going to make frequent, as she was now a guardian, she walked after the other girl, now on her way out the door.
"Yeah, Aikka's parents want me to have lunch with them…" Eva explained. Janni raised an eyebrow, but nodded.
"Alright, go have fun without me…I'll see you later. Maybe I'll go get some sleep…" the gunner yawned again, and Eva laughed.
Aikka turned to Eva's doorway as the girl emerged, and was immediately pleased with what he saw. Grinning, Eva stood before him in an outfit that appeared to be a bit mix-and-match. A long, white with brown-bordered tunic, that almost reached her knees and split up the sides, served as her top, a pair of plain white trousers, not unlike his own current ones, as her bottoms. Along with the traditional separate sleeves and sandals, Eva had tied a red sash from her supply of Nourasian clothes around her waist for added decoration. The girl had even pulled her hair back into a ponytail, giving her almost a whole new look.
And, staring bright-eyed back at him, Eva finally noticed the prince's own change in appearance. Today his hair had changed again, and was now more loose; while parts of it still wound through his headpiece, most of it was down, and tied loosely at the end at the back of his neck. Sections of it in front of his ears, as well, were tied off with Sera's metal beads. Aside from his hair, his attire looked more regal. While he still had pants similar to those of his racing gear, he now had a brown over-shirt, reaching mid thigh and tucked under his belt. The ends of his sleeves actually seemed to extend off his shoulders, almost like how his armor did, but nowhere near as far.
Now, Eva thought, he really looked like a prince. The Nourasian held a hand before him.
"Shall we be on our way, then?" he suggested. Eva smiled back as she shut the door behind her.
"My pleasure, prince," she told him with a smile.
Back through the mazes of palace hallways they went, and somewhere along the way, Eva finally made the connection between the carving in the corridor by the infirmary, and Aikka's story the previous night. She stared, still fascinated by everything she passed, until they reached the great hall, and Eva had no clue where they were. Aikka told her it was the center of the bottom level of the palace, and that this was also where the royalty held some festivals, though generally, those were held outside, with nature. It was where the king and queen held their court, during normal circumstances. The room they'd held the previous night was some 'inner throne room,' one that the king and queen would retreat to if there was any threat to the palace, such as the present group of Crogs looming just beyond the planet's atmosphere, most likely plotting their next mode of attack...
"Ah, is there anything specific I need to do? Like a different type of bow, or something?" Eva asked Aikka cautiously as they approached the small group of guards near another Crimson curtain. This one, though, hung from a vaulted ceiling that was much higher than the other. Aikka simply laughed slightly at how nervous the human appeared to be.
"No, all our bows are very much alike. Other than that, just keeping to the rules of chastity is all you need to do. Just be yourself, Eva, you'll be fine." Aikka smiled sideways at her. She nodded beside him, blushing at the thought of how silly she must have sounded. How could she help it, though? She was nervous. It wasn't everyday she had lunch with the king and queen of an entire planet. Much less when they were the parents of the person she actually felt very fond of…
Before she knew it, the both of them strode under the curtain, and up to a large table, where the king and queen were already seated at their places. The royalty stood as the prince and Eva came into the room, and both bowed towards their son and their guest.
"Welcome, my son, and good afternoon to you, Lady Eva," King Lao began once his bow was completed. Aikka led Eva in their own set of bows, and Eva flushed at being greeted directly. "I trust the guest room was to your liking?"
"Yes, it's very nice, thank you," Eva said with a nod. The king nodded approvingly.
"Very good, you are most welcome."
"Hmm, let us not all stand forever, come, my children, sit down, sit down!" Nori said cheerfully, beckoning them over to the lengthy table. Aikka led her over to the nearest side of the table, choosing for himself the seat nearest his father and opposite his mother. They all sat down together, upon the King and Queen's actions, and Eva hoped she was doing fine for her first time among royalty.
After a few minutes of heavy silence, and Nori looking imploringly at Lao again, the king decided to start up a conversation, just as Aikka tried to concoct the very same thing.
"My son tells us that you are a most skillful racer, you even defeated Kross in the final battle of the Great Race!" The king began, smiling at her for once. "All on your own, as well, I must say I'm impressed. For someone your age, to defeat a mature Crog, you are a very talented young lady." he continued, as the servants brought out some food for them. Eva flushed again on the other side of Aikka.
"Oh, well…I don't know, I guess it was all instinct…" she said before thanking the servant who set her food in front of her. "Actually, I'm not sure I was even alone…I felt my mother's spirit with me. She helped me get away from his blades…" Eva said quietly, thinking back on the phenomenon. "I'm sorry if that sounds odd…"
"No, dear, it's actually quite familiar to us," Nori smiled at her from across the table. "You see, it is Nourasian belief that when one dies, their spirit returns to the life force, which in turn, comes back to each and every one of us. Life continuously moves in a cycle like this." The woman explained. Her smile suddenly turned to a look of concern, though, and she leaned slightly forward. "Though I am sorry to hear of your mother, what happened to her, dear?"
Aikka looked worriedly at his friend as this question was asked; he knew it was a rough subject for her. Eva, though she looked slightly pained at the memory, didn't object to the question, however. Something about Nori…just made it alright.
"Well…She was a pilot…A great pilot, the greatest on Earth. But, she died in a crash when I was only five years old." Nori nodded sympathetically. King Lao nodded wistfully over his food. Aikka simply chewed on his own food modestly. Eva even finally saw it fit to begin into her own plate, glad to see some familiar things from dinner last night…or at least similar things.
"So what brought you to the Great Race? The Earth team hired you as their pilot?" The king asked after another bout of silence.
"Well, actually, no…I was a stowaway;" Eva explained, knowing that the whole explanation was going to be needed again. "I came to my father's racing company to reunite with him after ten years, ten years after my mother's death, but he didn't recognize me. I decided to just make my way into his company as a mechanic, but then he got called off to Oban, and I snuck along and called myself Molly… I was only the pilot because Rick got injured in our first race due to sabotage. I didn't go there to race, I just wanted to make sure my dad noticed me and to hopefully get him back, though as the race went on, I wasn't so sure on that he really was sort of a jerk sometimes..."
The king and queen both looked astounded at her, and for a second, she was worried that she'd said something wrong. Suddenly the king let out a slight laugh. It wasn't much, but nearly enough to send poor Eva into shock.
"You certainly have a unique story, Lady Eva. This is the same father who you worried over yesterday, is it not? You are very forgiving," he suggested to her with a raised eyebrow. If Eva had to guess, this was…humor?
"Oh, no," she said, blushing. "It's ok, we've patched things up and everything, he's not a jerk to me anymore! Just overprotective at times!" She laughed nervously. She was so relieved to feel Aikka laughing beside her. The king smiled slightly at her remark.
"It is refreshing to meet a human with such a broad character as yourself." The king said, while Eva felt her stomach churn pleasantly just from the fact that he'd complimented her. "I always knew my son had a good judge of character," He said, turning his look to Aikka, who in turn, blinked and smiled as he worked over a small piece of meat.
"Speaking of which, how is it that you two came to meet?" Nori said, holding her spoon before her as she asked. Aikka glanced with a smile at Eva, as she decided to take the question herself; apparently the ice had been broken enough as to make her much less nervous, something he was glad of.
"Oh, he saved me from being trampled by a bunch of aliens who really weren't looking where they were going," Eva said proudly, before taking a sip of her water. Was it just her, or did this water taste a bit purer than she'd ever imagined? "That was just before I got to watch him in his first race," Eva added, setting her glass down. "He's really good, I knew he'd be a good opponent when I saw it."
Aikka managed to resist the blush that began creeping up on him at this as he busied himself with a sip from his own goblet.
"Oh, yes, I believe I recall this," The king said, stroking his beard. "You were the one whom I ordered Aikka to take out early in the race, just after his unfortunate match with Spirit, yes? I apologize, but one does what one must in those times, I hope it hasn't left any harsh feelings between the both of you," Eva shook her head and smiled.
"No, it's alright, I understand, the race was harsh on everybody," she said, before casting a look to her side at the prince. "We're past all that," She said honestly, as the prince smiled back at her. For a second their eyes connected and the honesty of their friendship made the both of them reluctant to let their smiles fall, or for either of them to look away.
Meanwhile, Nori smiled knowingly on the two adolescents, while the king honestly tried to ignore it along with the fact that he'd really been the one to cause it. Sipping his tea, he decided a change in subject was in order.
"So, I am also curious, what exactly is Earth life like, Lady Eva? Perhaps having a guest such as yourself would help me understand your race better." Lao said, sure enough breaking his son's gaze with the girl. "There are of course the Nourasian ideas of humans, but these may not necessarily be true. Would you like to share anything?"
With that question, the conversation continued on throughout the meal. Eva was glad to supply what answers she could to the questions of her own planet and its workings, mainly culture. She'd rather not enter too much on her jaded views of the government, her group's recent dealings with the President still fresh in her mind for one reason. As the meeting wore down, though, it came up, with Aikka being none too appreciative about the president's carelessness.
"I have respect for the planet and its people, but if the leader of a planet is unwilling to heed advice for defensive movement, they should surely be reprimanded for their reckless behavior…" Aikka was saying as he set his utensils on his empty plate. Eva mimicked his actions with her own, down to the position each tool was set on the plate. "I do hope Earth will fare safely against the Crogs even with such a man making decisions with such gravity,"
Lao nodded at this, setting his own utensils on his plate, his look a serious one at the news of Earth's plight. Aikka still had a hard expression for the memory of the leader of Earth, and even Nori looked stoic as the three royals rose to their feet, Eva not far behind them.
"Well, it seems as though Earth is in as much danger as ourselves, hopefully we may all be able to survive it together, spirits willing," Lao said with a bow to his son and his companion. As the two youths bowed respectfully to the king and queen, Lao laid a hand on his son's shoulder.
"And Aikka, now that you are back home, I would like you to perform the Sending ceremony this evening," Aikka looked only briefly at his father before answering.
"Yes, it would be my honor, father." The prince said with a bow, while Eva couldn't help but watch on, oblivious to what a 'Sending' ceremony was. She looked confusedly at the prince as he came up beside her and they were excused, but said nothing until they were down a few hallways away from the throne room.
"So you're doing a ceremony tonight?" she asked casually, stowing her hands behind her back as the two of them walked.
"Yes, it's one deeply rooted in tradition, and very important for times like these." He said, his voice going soft with regret. Eva looked at him with curious red eyes, but decided to not press the matter. Aikka, noting her uneasiness, smiled back at her. "Do not worry about it, Molly, I will explain further later on, but as it happens, I have some preparations to make. So I'll leave you here," He paused in front of another door, holding his hand out before it. Actually taking note of where she was, Eva found herself in a familiar place, the doorway to the infirmary.
"Oh!" she said, understanding, and recalling her father. "Uh, thanks," she said blankly to the prince. He smiled at her and placed a hand on her shoulder as he began to walk past.
"I will send Canaan or Takai later on for you, I am afraid I will be busy much of the time before the ceremony. Give your father and the others my best," he told her before walking off down the hall. Eva turned in place and stared after him, watching the Nourasian disappear off into the palace.
--
All too soon, the afternoon wasted away, and Eva found herself staring out the window in her and Janni's room. She had been thinking about things for a while, ever since she and her father returned from the infirmary with Canaan, who'd apparently mentioned at some point that the ceremony of the Sending was usually restricted in who was allowed to attend, foreigners were rarely ever included, if they so happened to have foreign visitors at the time of a ceremony. The Crogs were usually the one exception of this, though the conquerors usually preferred not to concern themselves with such 'primitive' acts.
Still, the fact that Aikka was performing it, was enough to really make her wish she could go. And besides that, there was the topic that seemed to be ever present lately, the Nourasian's real ideas on the planet known as Earth. It bothered her at times that some only were ever respectful to her because she was around the prince. Canaan's politeness seemed forced at times, and she still hadn't seen or heard of Takai since their little confrontation the previous day. But apparently, hearing her talking to her father about the upcoming ceremony on the way back to the rooms was enough for Canaan to take his chance at exhibiting his dislike for the humans, or so was one of Eva's theories.
"You're thinking too much, Eva, you're gonna give yourself a headache thinking about stuff like that," Janni told the girl, running a polishing cloth over her hand cannon out of boredom. "Planets always have biases about other planets, and that's just how things are."
"I know, but still…" Eva said dully, stroking the soft fur of Satis who sat drowsily in her lap. "Sometimes they really know how to make you feel like a stranger…I was kinda looking forward to seeing the prince doing this ceremony thing…"
Janni kept her eyes on the reflective surface of her cannon, thinking on this whole Aikka thing. This must have been what it felt like to her brother when she shared her thoughts on Aikka back during Oban. Janni would love to see her brother reunited with Eva, for them to be together and for him to be happy, but she knew this wasn't possible. Aside from the fact that their life spans were now drastically different, and he was millions of light years away, even her brother knew, that prince held a unique place in Eva's heart, and every time she mentioned something about him her eyes seemed to have a special glow. She had to wonder, how long was it until Jordan saw and realized that glow she reserved for Aikka?
Both of the human girls were brought out of their thoughts by a knock at the door, at which Janni jumped, nearly sending her cannon to the floor. Setting Satis down on the window seat, Eva hurried to answer.
"Hello?" she asked, peeking around the door. The person on the other side of it, however, was one of the last she'd have expected to see. "Oh! Your Highness??" She stammered, dumbfounded, and clumsily tossing herself into a bow. She was met with a hearty feminine laugh.
"Now, now, none of that, Lady Eva, please call me Lady Nori," The queen said, bowing her own head, and laughing again at Eva's stunned speechless expression. "Ah, Lady Janni, was it? It's a pleasure to see you again!"
"Ah, thank you," Janni said awkwardly and with a bow of her own. Nori then turned back towards Eva.
"Now I'm sure you're already aware of our ceremony set for later this day, and our certain circumstances on it," Nori told them kindly. "However, special arrangements have been made, and you, Lady Eva, and your guardian, Lady Janni are invited to attend, if you are interested in learning more about Nourasia's culture."
At this, Eva could have sworn that her heart stopped and her stomach flipped all at once. Janni simply stood staring at the queen, despite every voice in her head that told her it was unseemly to do so.
"Though I will ask you both to keep in mind that this is a traditional, and very serious ceremony, and you will need…" She suddenly presented a bundle of clothing neither of the girls had noticed in the entrance before her. "…suitable attire."
The humans looked at the bundle and to each other, Eva then smiling broadly. Stepping forward, she accepted the robes for the both of them with a bow.
"Thank you," Eva said, as Nori smiled at the girls. It was then that Eva knew where Aikka had gotten his expressive blue eyes; the queen was smiling down on her with the same ones.
"It is my pleasure, Lady Eva, I do look forward to having you with us. Aikka sends his best, and hopes to see you there as well, ladies," With a bow, the honorable queen took her leave, and left the two girls to ponder over their new sets of clothes.
This new set of clothes, while a little more difficult to figure out, was indeed a lot more formal. After a series of trial and error, and even a bit of help from a maid, Janni and Eva both found themselves wrapped in what could only be a Nourasian version of a Japanese Kimono, fitted with a white base dress. A brown robe went over it, fastened by several fixtures down the front, along with a sash around the middle, very similar to that of a Japanese Obi, tied in the back in a decorative and traditional knot. Aside from that, a new pair of more formal looking shoes were given to them, and actually reminiscent to the greeks, with strips of the material set to wind around the bottom of their legs in a criss-cross pattern.
So, with the both of them dressed up and ready to go, they waited outside their rooms for someone to fetch them, while explaining things to the others.
"The Sending, eh? Does sound important…" Rick commented, leaning against one of the walls, still in his own clothes.
"Just remember to be respectful, whatever it's about," Don Wei lectured, at which Eva rolled her eyes slightly. As if she needed telling so here, in Nourasia.
After that, Canaan came up to them, also dressed in his best, and stiffly beckoned them off.
"Have a good time, you two," Stan and Koji told them as they left. "Tell us about it, will you?"
After a long, and silent walk down a few levels, and out to the ground level terraces, the trio came to a small and thin patch of woods, where other Nourasians of the city were gathering. According to Canaan, they were nearing the gate to Daal, the Holy City, which was built deeper into the mountainside. There, there were ceremonial waters, where the Sending would be held. Nodding in understanding, Eva and Janni followed silently, keeping eyes on some of the scenery they were passing.
True to his word, beyond the open gates made of swirling wood, Canaan had led them to a vast clearing, with Nourasian people gathering along the banks of a vast lake. On the surface, the two girls could see many tribal lanterns, lit and extending out of the water itself. Two similar lanterns stuck out of the sands near the edge of the waters, and between those two, stood the royal family, Aikka included.
Nourasians streamed along with them as Canaan led them down towards the side of the shore, near the king and queen –the latter giving them a friendly smile in welcome- and Eva noticed the fact that many had either tears in their eyes, or a look of reservation and wistfulness. It was really an atmosphere of melancholy, so much so that many didn't even seem to notice that there were two humans in the mix.
With another look out onto the water, Eva then noticed some shadows underneath the water. It took her only a second longer for her to figure out what the shadows there were.
"Janni, it's a memorial," She whispered to her guardian, who then nodded.
"Looks like it…A city wide memorial service…" She whispered back with awe.
Eva's look turned back to the shore, and found Aikka, dressed up in his best, and holding a metal, blue jeweled staff, and speaking with other Nourasians that were undoubtedly relieved to see him back home and safe. She saw the prince bow to the person he'd just finished talking to, as his blue eyes snuck over to her. His face immediately softened and he gave a her a smile, which was just effective as having actually said that he was glad to have her there.
She smiled back as the low chatter began to die down, as the king stepped forward.
"Friends, we are gathered here this night, to honor those who were lost in the most recent and deadly attack from the Crog Imperium," Lao told them all. "Though many were lost, we must also take joy in the fact that many were spared, including our own prince and heir, Prince Aikka." Aikka then stepped up with a bow on his cue, "My son was thought to have been taken or killed by the Crogs, but with blessing from the spirits and some help from some Earthen friends, he has returned safely to us."
The chatter rose a bit again at the mention of the humans, and Eva and Janni suddenly felt very exposed. With a raise of a hand by the king, however, the crowd fell silent again quickly.
"And so, our prince shall now perform the Sending, in order to safely guide the lives lost back to the life force," Lao announced, stepping back, and letting Aikka have the figurative spotlight. The prince stepped up nobly, and bowed to the entire city, before turning, and actually heading into the water, his long brown outer robes pooling around him on the surface of the water as he went. Eva watched intently, as he stopped where the water met his knees.
Shutting his eyes and raising the ceremonial staff, Aikka recalled to memory the prayer of the Sending. Waving the staff between himself and the underwater caskets, Aikka spoke the start of the prayer, in a voice that was haunting, and almost foreign to Eva, a side of him she'd never seen.
"Un Sekai, un Sera, Tellanin karane Galad," As he spoke the ancient Nourasian, water swirled lazily out of the lake and around the staff and its owner, taking on a blue glow.
"Wakarnin te Enare, Tellanin karane Seka…" Aikka continued, waving the staff majestically over the water, while the moon of Sekai appeared in the sky, as if being summoned by the prince's prayer. The water that played about him lifted to hover and swirl above the memorial in the lake, and as Aikka spoke further, it began to evaporate into the night sky.
Eva was entranced by the whole process, and found the prince's voice still to be surprisingly haunting. Somewhere along the line, with only imagining what all of it meant, a lone tear streamed down her face. She didn't need to be Nourasian to understand and feel sadness for those lost in the attack.
As Aikka's prayer then started coming to an end, the candles out on the water began extinguishing themselves after first blazing blue, a last show of the willful lives of the people they symbolized. Finally when the last had gone out, Aikka closed his eyes, and lowered his staff slowly. In his heart, he so desperately wanted these types of ceremonies to stop happening, for the Crogs to be a worry of the past, just a distant memory.
Turning, he sought comfort from the one girl who could provide him with such a thing as the Nourasian citizens gave their last respects and turned back towards the path for the gate between cities.
Eva herself seemed in a state of awed shock as he looked at her, and as soon as he was able to manage it, he escaped to stand by her. She and Janni both looked impressed, even with the obvious air of mourning about them both.
"Come, I'll further explain what has happened tonight in a little bit," Aikka promised them as he led them off, back up the pathway to the gateway, and on into the terrace gardens of the palace. Here it seemed the Nourasians were gathering again, though it looked like it was on more cheerful terms, sort of like the reception after the funeral, in Earth terms.
"Aikka, that was amazing! What did it mean, if you don't mind me asking?" Eva asked him, with eager red eyes. Aikka smiled back as they all three sat down at a bench away from the main hustle and bustle of the gathering. Aikka thought only for a brief second while inwardly translating the ancient language into Common.
"Well, the first prayer meant, 'by Sekai, by Sera, guide them toward the light, protect them in your mercy, guide them back to the life,' meaning the life force," he readily explained, and at their puzzled look, knew he'd need to further explain.
"You see, when a person dies, it is believed that they are returned to the life force, which in turn supplies all living things with life, by Sekai's will. We pray to Sekai to give us strength and blessing, and whenever we chant our magic. It is like a cycle. And as royalty, it is up to us to protect the life in this, the mortal world. When that is not achieved, such as in a mass attack like this, one of royal blood must perform the ceremony, guide the spirits of the deceased back to the spirits. We must protect them in death and ask for forgiveness for failing them in life. That's what the second part of the prayer was,"
"Oh…" Eva said quietly. There really was a lot about Nourasian culture that she didn't know…She never knew Aikka had that to deal with this on top of everything. She never knew that guilt was such a major part of his burden.
But as the night progressed, her sorrow for him was lifted by the new festivities, a celebration of life and the life force, the mercy of the moon spirits. Aikka said that the little 'party' afterwards was to remind the people to accept the good with the bad; yes, there were losses, but life also went on, there was still hope as long as that happened. So, in that little terrace, under the light of Sekai and Sera, the Nourasians celebrated the blessings they were given despite tragedy. Particularly acknowledged was the presence of their prince, as was many a time demonstrated through the evening, by well-wishers coming to give their relief of his return to the prince, some even going as far as thanking the human representatives.
The prince, in return bowed and spoke with whomever granted him these well wishes, but never once left Eva and Janni on their own. A welcoming greeting though they'd received at the Sending and at this gathering, he didn't see it as fit to leave them off and alone just yet; his people were still getting used to their presence.
Meanwhile the king and queen watched on over everything, but the king was still particularly interested in his son's interaction with Eva. Sighing as Aikka managed to get Eva up to dance with him, he almost welcomed a little interruption on the side by one of his guards.
"Pardon me, sire," Said the younger man with a bow, "The princess has just arrived. Shall you be sending anyone to receive her?"
The king thought for a moment, looking back at his son, currently guiding Eva through the steps of a native Nourasian dance, his face almost beaming, the human not even noticing for her focus on her feet. Though a few people had paused to watch the human, almost with looks of approval on their faces, many seemed not to even notice the prince's dancing with the girl.
"Yes, in a moment, thank you," the king approved, nodding the guard away. With a bow, the guard disappeared again.
"Very good, you're doing very well, Molly," Aikka coached, smiling at the girl as she steadily followed his footsteps in this foreign waltz. All Eva could seem to feel was his hands in hers, and probably more Nourasian eyes on her than there actually were.
"Hmm, left, right…" Eva repeated under her breath, before slipping up and stepping on the prince's sandaled toes. "Oh…Sorry…See, I told you I'm not a dancer!" Eva laughed nervously, red spreading across her face as Aikka laughed it off.
"May I cut in?" a male voice said from the side as Eva tried to retrace the steps in her mind, as Aikka got back to simply beaming at her.
Looking to their side, they saw none other than Takai standing before them. Eva's eyes immediately widened, recalling their little meeting the previous day, and looked away, still red. Aikka looked confused at first, but Takai didn't give him chance to question his friend and guardian.
"Pardon my intrusion, but the king wishes to see you, Aikka." Takai explained with a bow. "I will keep the lady company, if she forgives me," He looked meaningfully at Eva, but Aikka was back into his dutiful mode before he had a chance to actually ponder the last remark.
"Right. I'll go take care of it, I'll return as soon as I can manage." Aikka told them both dutifully, bowing deeply towards his dance partner. "Please forgive me," With that, and a last glint of blue eyes, he was off, leaving Eva with Takai on what was serving in the terrace as the dance floor.
"Shall we?" Takai suggested, holding out a hand before Eva, who hesitated, but nervously took the young knights offering. After a few seconds of just moving through the motions of the dance, Takai spoke.
"I'm sure you have not forgotten our meeting yesterday," he said, almost sheepishly. Eva looked at him, looking up from her confused feet, but nodded slightly. "I wish for you to know, I do apologize for my actions. I was not right to say such things to you. Regardless of the biases standing between our races, you have done much for the prince in his time of great need. I know that now, and I am therefore in your debt."
"I-it's alright, I understand," Eva said. Recalling what he'd suggested to her back when the prince was still there, along with the long standing trait that she knew of the Nourasians, the teaching of forgiveness. "And yes, I do forgive you." She told him with a smile.
It didn't take long for Takai to match the smile, or for Eva's footwork to get the best of her, causing her to step slightly on Takai's foot.
"Oof, sorry…" Eva groaned. Takai only laughed.
"You were right, you are no dancer, lady Eva." Takai observed, which earned a look of slight distaste from Eva, and a puff out of her cheek, her old childhood habit. "That reminds me, though," Takai then said, bringing the air from Eva's cheek.
"The prince, he's always called you, what was it…'Molly?' He still does…but your name is truly 'Eva?'" Takai asked, lowering both of their hands as they decidedly began to walk back to Janni.
"Well, Eva is my real name, but Molly's how he knew me back during the race," Eva explained. "He knows, but he still prefers to call me by Molly," Takai nodded, almost slowly, almost knowingly.
"Really," He said quietly, figuring things out in his head. A small smile came upon his face. As long as he'd known the prince, he'd never known him to call anyone by something like a nickname, or an alias. Besides that, there was always that look he got when he mentioned the name 'Molly.' There was just something different about this girl. The prince was never the same after he met her. And Takai was just beginning to see why that was.
"Well, well, well, what's this? I see you leave with the prince, and you come back with a different dance partner," Janni began, standing up and looking at Eva slyly. The other girl, in return, stuck out her tongue as an act of countering. "Wait 'til I tell Aikka,"
"Aikka already knows, don't waste your breath," Eva laughed, play-punching Janni on the shoulder. "Oh, yeah, this is Takai, and this is Janni, I don't think we were ever properly introduced!" Eva said cheerfully, indicating each of them to the other.
"A pleasure, lady Janni," Takai said, bowing, then offering her a hand. "Would you perhaps like to dance? I'm sure you can't be very entertained just sitting here,"
"S-sure," Janni stammered, suddenly tongue-tied, as she got up, not taking her eyes off of the Nourasian knight. Eva was actually surprised to notice that Takai was apparently just as taken by her, as she caught sight of his brown eyes. She couldn't hold back a giggle at the sight as Takai guided the other human off.
And she continued to laugh for the rest of the night; it seemed that Janni had even more of a problem with keeping in step with her two left feet.
--
Aikka looked monotonously at his people as they swirled around in the ancient dance-steps, still processing the information his father had given him.
"I understand, father, I will go greet her…" He said with a bow, before turning and heading off for the entrance to the palace, an escort ready by him.
Turning and finding Eva back on the bench where they'd left Janni, the gunner girl off with none other than Takai, learning the dance for herself, the prince paused. He recalled teaching the girl how to dance, guiding her hands with his. Feeling his stomach drop, he felt an emotion that was reminiscent to waking up from a wonderful dream.
Turning, he almost painfully remembered that all dreams, no matter how sensational, or how pleasant, must come to an end.
-Catgirl-of-Bavaria-: Oh? What's this? A cliffhanger like ending? Hee hee…What do I have planned?
A few random notes, I suppose:
- You may recognize 'Sekai' from whenever Aikka casts a spell on the show. I do this on purpose, lulz…Like Aikka says, when casting a spell, the Nourasians of my design pray to the spirit Sekai. So, 'un Sekai' means 'by Sekai' that's just how I improvised it :)
- How'd you guys like everything, anyway?
- And who is this princess I speak of:o
Next chapter, we'll find out…uh, maybe. At least a little? But first, we'll check in with a certain avatar, see what he thinks about this whole mess. And where the heck is Aikka??