danse d'hiver
A/N(Sorry, they are long intro notes):
This takes place 1 year after the end of the main story "On the Behavioral characteristics of the Ralts evolutionary line" It's 75 degrees here today and we are expecting snow on wednesday. The strange weather can have an effect on you without you ever really realizing it. This was originally to be a one shot set some time afterwards, but when I began fleshing out more details, I realized this was a fitting epilogue and thus, final chapter. I orignally began this as a kind of break from the chapter from hell that was 18. But as I continued it, I began to feel that sense of enjoyment again. I did not mean to write the ending before finishing the main story though. So this was a bit accidental but also quite enjoyable. It's a fun glimpse into where everyone went after the ending of the main story. When Rowans changes first began showing up, I wasn't too certain about how far to take them.
However, with this "chapter" I finally have a real end in mind for them. This is a rambling piece to be honest. It simply looks at the characters, major and minor, and how life has changed for them all since Rowan came tumbling into their lives one day. I readily admit that when I began writing this story. This was NOT the ending I had planned on. However, as I got into it and let the story flow, the progression of events inevitably led me to this chapter. When I post this, there will be a sense of sadness. One big project will be over and I will begin working on the quasi sequel of Angels over Lumiose city. I long ago posted a preview chapter. If any of you listen to old noir dramas, the intent is to invoke those themes.
Finally, thank you for reading to this point. I've had some interesting reviewers who have ridden this weird wave I've been riding with me, and I appreciate your feedback. Occasionally, discussions with some of you have nudged this story in a slightly different direction. You served as my inspiration when most other sources failed me.
I should just go ahead and say this. I was originally inspired to write in the theme of changes in behavior as a result from outside interference not from the Gift of the Protector stories, nor from Pokemon X (which served as the basis for world building and naming conventions), but rather from the Michael Crichton novel "The Lost world" which dealt with the original issues of how observing something leads to massive change. Discussions with a colleague who is an Archaeologist provided the foundation for the conflict. The subjectivity and objectivity theme kind of came from myself. When I began writing this, the original intent was to just have field notes as a proper foundation. But then I asked myself: Why not have his personal thoughts? This doesn't have to be a recap of events. It could in fact be two very important aspects that get settled in an indirect fashion that inevitably leads to a confrontation where he gains more than he truly understood.
A lot of Me is in this. A lot of the experiences, of those close emotional contacts they shared, of being communicative without actual dialogue, the notion of dance, the themes of change, the duality and merger of the two in a real way, those come from me. They sprang forth from this weird little untapped artistic side of myself that I initially discovered one day while trying out charcoal drawings, then had a rather rough encounter with in July. Since then, that side has come out more, and has allowed for more expressive bursts of creativity. I thank you for joining me in that journey. It means a lot to me that you were able to find something that kept you coming back .
But more importantly, while the conflict is important, the feelings Aria and Rowan grew arose from the same kind of bonds we all share in our lives. Unfettered by words, the feelings we shae for each other is what creates and strengthens our bonds. As we find people we are affectionate of, we create a sense of interdependence as our hearts merge. We go through small changes as well. We become better or worse people, depending on what kind of emotional relationship we share. We become less selfish, we grow more outwards, and as we move into matrimony and parenthood, our dynamics, begun with a simple bond, shapes the lives we lead.
This story also sought to capture just a tiny fraction of those feelings. I just hope that they were conveyed, for if so, then the entire exercise would be that much more succesfull.
With that said, please, enjoy the conclusion to the Behavioral Characteristics of the Ralts evolution line story:
Danse D'hiver
"Pure crystalline waves,
Your chill reminds me of carefree youth.
Lay with me in the vast expanse,
My snow angel." - Patti Willburn Hanley
Despite all the changes of late, one thing remains constant. When Aria and I sleep, we sleep curled up together in her hammock. We still have a natural roof over our heads, but we have expanded the Te Ze into something of a proper home with walls and doors. At least to an extent. The walls of our place were essentially reeds weaved together and placed in a box like configuration to give us nightly privacy from the prying eyes of the new residents of our little home.
Ever since everything ended, Aria and I remained here. Our child was born and was growing happily. Every day seemed to hold with it new promise. While I was fired from the university, it did not prevent my paper from going to publication. The firing itself also opened up new opportunity.
I wasn't working for the university anymore, but I still had a job to do. Maintaining the first ever Gardevoir habitat and sanctuary was an entirely new challenge. Whenever Aria and I were not dealing with our rambunctious child, we were helping Shii and her mate Clint with the new residents. SInce opening, we have accepted into our Te ze no less than 4 family groups, 5 ralts young, and even a rebellious teenaged Kirlia. What started as one settlement has turned into a small village of sorts.
Where the hide I used to use before I was brought into Arias life once stood, was a new building. It housed the administrative offices, run by Amelia of all people, and the Laboratories where Freeman would head up the continued evolutionary research that was laid down when I began to change.
Change...
I blinked my eyes to the bright light of early morning. My eyes fell upon Arias form. Her mic tem, heart shard resided against my own.
In the intervening year since the events of those days in September, my body had gone through a vast number of changes. All were gradual, yet they were also so sudden in my mind. Ears changing slowly to the same clipped formation of Arias, the gradual lightening of my skin, the slow diminishing green of my eyes.
Even the mic tem itself. That arose as a result of the gradual changes in my body. When it began to emerge from my chest, it brought with it the same sense of uncertainty and fear that nearly pushed me into having an emotional breakdown when Freeman told me what I was becoming.
Yet through it all, Aria held and guided me as I stepped away from the old life I lived and into the new life I now loved.
The torrid series of events which brought us to this moment was enough to change me, at least physically. Gone were most traces of my human form. My facial structure was still mine, though it was more rounded as a Gardevoirs. My hair was a mess of brown and green, and my lithe body was more pale than ever.
When we joined in singularity so long ago, we laid the foundation for groundbreaking research. When I was given the job of being the sanctuaries owner and administrator, that gave me the foundation to continue to study and be with the Species I had evidently become.
Aria stirred slightly, bringing me out of my thoughts. Her tiny form seemed to grip mine more tightly as she shivered slightly under the blanket we shared.
Her body fought slightly as she adjusted her posture to allow my shard to slide between her breasts, thus bringing our bodies into nearly total contact. Without leg guards on, our bodies were the only source of warmth that was not a blanket. As such, every bit of contact seemed to help. Even the warmth of our hearts needed the assistance of each other in this chilled state.
Teach me for leaving the heat set to low last night...
Beh Sze, it is quite cold today... She muttered in disappointment.
It was mainly through her insistance that we stayed here while the original Te Ze emigrated to warmer climates. And it was her insistence that we did not take up residence inside of the administration building. However, it was my insistance that we installed these walls and a small heater to provide us warmth during the winter.
Yes, it is tsu after all. I replied as her eyes opened to meet mine.
Had it not been for the Gardevoir at my side, perhaps I would not have been able to weather these peculiar changes in my life. It was her grace and resolve that allowed me to make my way through the turbulent storm that was my life. After being attacked, it was her that saved my life. After getting put on suspension, it was she that gave me a solid base to stand upon. When I was fired and the changes to my body accelerated, it was her guidance that saw me through the worst of it.
In every sense, without her, I would have been lost. Likely dead too... We lived in a sense of mutual dependency though. Being so strongly anchored to emotions, we all have a tendency to be wildly affected by others. In every way that she helped me, I reciprocated. We were good for one another. A true pair.
I know it's a Tsu Beh Sze. Still, we are a warm weather species. we move with the seasons if we must. Otherwise we build homes that give us warmth during the winter. Her arms pulled me ever closer as she said those words.
And who was it who wanted to preserve the natural beauty of our home? I asked with a faint edge of mirth.
You stop that... She rejoined with a small smile.
As Aria and I got up and dressed for the day, I regarded her body with affection for a moment. She is the most dazzling thing in my life. She awakens greater emotions in me than I ever thought possible. Yet like all great things, it began so simply.
An innocent expedition. Observation, documentation, low impact. That's how it all began for us. But what it turned into was something bigger than anything either of us could have imagined.
After dressing, we emerged to Shii fighting with Aura over her breakfeast. In the cold cloudy light, she looked less than happy with Auras happy squirming.
"Your darned kid thinks this is some kind of game..." She grumbled in greeting.
Aria swept in, then gently lifted Aura out of Shiis grasp as we approached. Then, she held our child comfortingly in her arms before she airily replied.
Well it is you after all~ Remember how you tried to show Aura how to slide on ice just recently? She thinks everything you do is one big game. Arias smile was enough to indicate that there was no ill intent.
"Well yeah there was that..."
Or the time you decided to occasionally pellet Amelia with unripe berries and used it as an excuse to teach our daughter about telekinesis. I rejoined.
"Well sure but-"
"Fun girl!" Aura cried out happily.
Shiis words died in her throat as she instead took on an embarrassed look for a moment. The expression died though as she felt the warmth of our emotions radiating. We were thankful for the immature Gardevoir. She stayed with us after the others left and is a key part of our new Te Ze. It is hard to believe that just a year and a few months ago, she had come to us little more than an immature adult child. Her progression in becoming a mature, adult Gardevoir was simply astonishing.
Clint swept out from an alcove they had converted into something of a bedroom.
Ses Frau I keep telling you we should have freeman look at that power unit in the tet. If we loose heat it will be very uncomfortable.
Clint stopped his words, then looked us over for a moment. A male Gardevoir whom had come to us at Dr. Kraffts suggestion, he had integrated into our family as well. While we were seen as the Matriarch and mate, the ones with the greatest standing, we saw him as the most powerful member of our Te Ze. While male Gardevoir often have weaker abilities than the females, he was the result of breeding from a trainer who sought to have a great competitive lineup for a pokemon league challenge. He was released due to the childs general disregard for individuals. A result of also evolving before a dawn stone could be found. He was released to fend for himself.
Had it not been for Maurice Krafft and Katia, he would never have found a home or a mate.
Maurice and Katia Krafft... News reached us after the birth of our child that shortly after the video conference we held in celebration, that they died the very next day in a Pyroclastic flow on Mount Chimney in the Hoenn Archipelago. Their loss all but devestated both Aria and I. Following the advice they gave us, and the help Maurice instrumented, Aria saw them as my parents. I later found out that she had sought him out before they left and officially asked that he recognize our matrimonial commitment to one another.
She explained to him that it was customary for the Wife to be to seek out her mates parents and seek their permission to marry their son. As Maurice and Katia were the closest I had to parents after my own split and essentially abandoned me, they were her natural choice.
I looked to the far side of the Te Ze, where, behind yet another woodcrafted set of walls, seemingly warped out of the surrounding underbrush into a room, rested a Diancie. The Kraffts only ever had the one pokemon. It was a gift they had received from the Geological society in recognition for their efforts to educate the public and reduce the number of volcanism related deaths over the years. Lilly, she was called. When she learned of their deaths, she was devestated. When she found out that I had been named in their will to inherit their museum due to me being seen as the closest thing to their child to them, she insisted on coming to us.
Aside from me originally, she is the first non-gardevoir to be accepted into the family circle. During the days she entertains Aura when Aria and I are at the administration and laboratory building. Often though, she tags along with us, naturally bringing Aura in tow. Her fairy tales tend to amuse and delight Aura endlessly.
In the intervening year, so much has changed yet certain things remain the same. Our sense of community is ever stronger despite the fact that we have lost the original members of the Te Ze. The traditions and sense of community seemed, at first, to originate in our realization that each of us wanted the same thing: Family.
It's so cold that we need to heat our fruits just to eat them! Shii fussed as she set around the communal fire, then began nursing the coals to life.
Well it doesn't help that the only thing protecting us from the elements is our rooms and a thatch roof with a chimney atop I replied as I proceeded to help her by feeding tender into the smoking coals.
That was another thing. In the center of the smaller shack like rooms we all had, was a gazebo like structure Clint Freeman and I built this past summer. The previous winter was less than enjoyable. There was more snow than usual due to the jet stream getting bumped around a lot. So, once it thawed out enough, we set to work in building some kind of shelter for the communal area. At 20 feet in diameter, it provided more than enough space for us to move freely about unencumbered by proximity. At the edges, were our individual "homes".
Aria and I occupied the original spot. Her hammock, woven finely out of vines that still pulsed with life, with an elegant roof woven out of individual branches, and surrounded by reeds that were hand woven.
Clint and Aria had converted an Alcove that Aika and Aina originally used into a proper cave first, then turned that into a house of sorts. The rocks that we all helped them remove served as a wall that was hand mortard together. There was a small window that faced out into the field, giving them a commanding view of the other homes on the far side of the clearing. They had found mahogany and fashioned the wood into a somewhat ornate door.
Inside, Shiis human influences came to life. Since she had secured a number of solar panels and a large battery bank, she was able to bring a number of comforts to their home. A laptop that she used to keep in contact with the other Gardevoir and a few researchers at the lab, a small radio that seemed perpetually tuned to the KBC pop station, lights for the evening (Installed by Freeman after she shocked herself and nearly caught the entire place on fire) And a small cooler.
Gone were the days of us gathering water and putting it into a basin every morning. While we still had water primarily, it was piped in after endless weeks of Shii complaining about how primative things were . We had taken a step into the future while somehow still living a simple life.
Still, all the modern conveiniences in the world could not replace this hightened sense of community that had formed. We all met together, we sat with one another during our meals. We shared jokes, worked together to accomplish various tasks for the day. Nothing changed this most important aspect of our lives. The family we built.
As we were eating the mornings meal, Aria stopped, then glanced out into the field.
Sensing her distraction, I turned my attention outwards as well, then caught sight of the thing which distracted her so.
Outside, a light snow had begun to fall. The snowflakes seemed rather large. It began slowly, a few flakes here and there. But it slowly began to fall more intensely. The whiteness muffled out sound. The noises of the other Te Ze faded into silence. The snow fell silently though. Indicating that even if it were a long duration, the soft whiteness would certainly carry on.
The attention that the snowfall warranted was in part due to the celebrations that were soon to be upon us. Every year, Gardevoir commemorated the shortest days of the year with rituals of feasting and the dances of winter. Strength was sought in the bonds of merriment that encapsulated the celebrations.
They also fell around the same time that humans celebrated Christmas.
When I had originally pointed this odd coincidence out to Aria, she was elated. It was, in her mind, as if the two cultures seemed to be closely related. Humanities merriment at the holiday seasons were mirrored in Gardevoir culture and vice versa. Thus, one night about a year ago, after being fired and before the construction of the research facility began, Aria and I established a new tradition for the Te Ze.
My first present for the holidays to her was a simple scarf. I had seen a length of silk in a shop in Santalune, and asked that a scarf be fashioned out of it for her. Aria siply adored it. She wore it almost constantly for a month. It's pearlescent coloration matched her dress perfectly. It carried the same elegance as any outfit she constructed herself.
The gift given to me though... Using Diancies ability to create diamond, she fashioned a simple pendant for me to wear. Its pink coloration was set to match her eyes. It served, I realized, as a crystallized reminder of the bond we shared. The bond which had changed oth of us so radically.
Snow! She finally cried out happily.
The others slowly turned away from their food, then followed our gaze out of the pavillion. Indeed, gentle snowfall was quite visible. The ground appeared to be cold enough that as snowflakes landed, they lingered on the ground rather than melt away.
Aria and I leaned towards one another, our tiny shoulders offering each other support. The scene was captivating in every respect. From our vantage point, we were able to watch whilst maintaining a certain level of warmth from the fire that burned right behind us. We could feel a growing sense of affection in Shii and Clint as they too watched. Lilly continued eating, though it was clear that she too was captivated by the gentle falling of snow.
It was really moments like this that made the strangeness of my life seem secondary. The gentle falling of snow was enough to cast the world in a magical tone. A sense of wonder that inevitably stirred as snow fell from the sky to bathe the world in a soft white sheen.
I... may have lost a human form. However, sitting here with Aria, the realization seemed flat, an observation, a past that was irrelevant yet so proximate. Our lives had become so entangled that the notion of the two of us ever going our seperate ways seemed foolish. The notion that a human can take on a Gardevoirs form however, seemed to be a reasonable notion when compared to the idea that I would ever allow myself to leave her side.
A short while later, Aria and I found ourselves hand in hand walking through the snow to the research building. Small by all means, it was barely 50 feet by 15 feet. It was very much set back into the woods, though a well cleared path framed with Hardy hibiscus (On Arias insistence) lined the path from our clearing to my "work". Trees were cut back only 20 feet from the sides, with a very small parking lot framing the back side. Even with the clearing, bushes and a few windmill palms helped create a wall of foliage that normally obscured it from view. However, the great windows of the observation room were plainly visible from both ends of the clearing. Given the allignment of the building, with the rounded observation room itself forming an entire corner of the rectangular building, it seemed perhaps foolish to obscure it from view.
However, that was Amelias insistence, the shrubbery and windmill palms. They reminded her of southern Kalos, and had the advantage of being fully hardy. They formed a sort of wall through which we walked as we approached the building.
I rarely had formal work to really do. I would occasionally submit new papers on the development of the sanctuary, and occasionally give a presentation at a geneticists lab as they worked to understand the intricacies of human/pokemon DNA, but other than that, my real job was tending to the Gardevoir who had made this land their home.
Amelia did most of the day to day work. After she assisted us in figuring out Tennysons motivations and ensuring that he was thus disbarred and placed under observation during his rehabilitation, she had desperately sought any way to rectify the mistakes of her past. It was Freeman and his lover that took her under his wing. Using the research begun on the day of our singularity experiment, he took the lead in establishing a proper laboratory where he could study the changes to my body, the development of my powers, and the behavioral changes to the Gardevoir who came to settle our clearing.
Within no time at all, she established herself as the public figurehead of our project. With the Unversity funding our research as well as the Louvson pushing congress to set aside our land as a preserve, the facility had grown to one of the more respected field labs in Kalos. Even Sycamore would occasionally stop by with Diantha, the current Champion in seating, to visit.
As we stepped through the Glass front doors, we were greeted with the dry warmth of the labs heaters. Our cold extremities fairly tingled as we warmed ourselves in the entrance whilst dusting the snow off of one another.
After we had finished this small grooming task, we turned to the vivid blue eyes of Amelia. She stood before us with her hair tied back. Since we did not adhere to a strict dress code, she chose a dark green wollen sweater and a pair of jeans. She was wearing a pair of flats, shoes she strictly kept at the lab during the winter to change into, and looked like she was rather upset with us.
"You two are late." She said crossly.
"Rowan, you have that paper that needs to be signed and Aria, you need to get over to the lab and help freeman with the translation of Gardevoirian to basic." She huffed.
Her head then tilted, catching sight of the snow falling down behind us. She gave a small smile as she then examined us once more.
"Yeah, no problem." I said in a somewhat sheepish tone.
Once a week of actually coming in to file paperwork... that's working right?
With that on my mind, I walked over to my simple office, then walked inside. Behind me was Amelia, with a folder in her hand. I took in the simple office for a moment, then smiled to myself. Despite being fired from the university, I was still PhD Rowan Gingko. Here hung the few real posessions I still owned. The diplomas showing my accomplishments, a large collection of books, video player, computers, carpet from the Hadoka trip I once famously told Aria about... Pictures, lots of pictures. Each showing a snapshot of my life. Pictures of the old self.
A few pictures showing me in the weird intermediary between human and Gardevoir, then a number of pictures taken over the last year. However, sitting on the Mahogany desk was two very important pictures. One was of Maurice Katia and I standing on the crater rim of Hadoka volcano. It was taken about 2 years ago. The other was a picture of Aria. It was the first real picture I had taken of her specifically. Shot literally minutes before she walked over and invited me into her life.
Her aquamarine hair caught the sunlight in such a way that it had glared slightly, it cast her cerulean red eyes into sharp relief. Her pose at the time was, I later came to learn, one of anticipation and excitement that was lurking just beneath the surface of calm interest. Her eyes were focused on the Camera, as at the time she was looking at myself. Tempting me to walk out and greet her.
Because of this picture being the very moment that everything changed, it occupied a very important center piece on my desk. Angled so that someone sitting on the left side of the front of the desk would readily see it.
"Alright, so it should be short today, we go over the paper, you put your signature on it, then we go over and join Aria and Freeman in the lab for your monthly bloodwork" Amelia said.
"After that, we are gonna close up early. Freeman wants to get home and I want to come down and enjoy the evening with you guys." Amelia added as I began reading over the request to the university.
Strangely, these monthly budget reports and requests were more of a formality. After word had gotten around, funding came in from a few benefactors who sent a few lawyers over to draw up contracts. Based upon the sources of these funds, the university was all but obligated to make sure that we continued operating. Since we were a small operation tasked with little more complex activity than observe, do write ups, and occasionally articles for major journals and the Kalos Geographic, we did not really require much overhead from the university. However, time and time again, the name of F-T would be at the bottom of most budget approvals. As of yet, we had not met with the supposed eccentric old man who kept us funded and the University supporting officially Freeman and Amelia. I was persona non grata with them still, so my paycheck came directly from the benefactor.
"Don't you love formalities? They keep you from enjoying the weather and cooped up in here. " I said as I finished reading through, then signing the forms. I handed them back to Amelia with a look of curiosity.
"By the way, it's nearly Christmas, do you have plans yet?" I asked.
Amelia blushed slightly, then glanced away. It was obvious that even a year later, she still carried feelings for me. Though, she was aware that I did not reciprocate these emotions. In my eyes we were friends. Perhaps a certain level of family too. Aria had certainly forgiven her transgressions.
"Not really. I was wondering if I could actually join you all tomorrow when the festivities kick off. Staying at home for the duration of our break from work seems like a bit of a bore. Especially since Freeman won't be around to kick." She said.
Even though Freeman had no interest in her, or any woman for that matter, he still treated her like a sister or something. She reciprocated by occasionally teasing and causing him grief. Oh the trouble she gets him into with his boyfriend...
I gave her idea a good thinking over, then simply nodded.
"Well, " I said, "We still have that guest home set up, you can stay there, though don't use too much electricity, we still haven't gotten around to upgrading the power unit for the heaters and electrical outlet, so you don't want to drain the batteries quickly at night"
Amelia gave something of a carefree laugh at my words. She knew that in the past year, the advances were staggering. Every Gardevoirs hut had electrcity and heating here. Bought and paid for by the university, hooked to small wind turbines and solar panels that brought power into each home. It was a side effect of living in one spot. Normally this level of sophistication would be found in Hoenn, where a generally mild climate meant that we as a species were more sedentary.
"Well it beats sleeping in a tent like when we first got here" She replied as I handed off the paperwork to her.
She glanced over the forms quickly. My neat handwriting occupied the previously blank spaces. Many requests, official documents... every little thing that needed to be approved inevitably had to go through me before it could be sent ahead. It was formality really.
"And what was so wrong with that?" I asked as we drew up to the lab door.
My index finger alighted the biometric scanner installed on the door. With a flash of green, the doors unlocked and the two of us walked into the lab.
The lab occupied the most square footage of the building. It was essentially a long room with a few tables that ran the length of the room. On those tables were an assortment of computers and the standard equipment needed for DNA Denaturation, Annealing, and replication.
Due to it being so close to the holidays though, the lab was empty save for two figures in a far corner. Aria was one of those figures. She sat serenely in a chair as Freeman, the other such figure, talked to her lightly while he inserted a needle into her arm, then began the blood extraction.
"Well no we really haven't been..." Came his light voice.
I could detect Arias telepathy enough to realize that they were having a discussion about how Dr. Freemans relationship had been fairing.
Oh Chief Freeman, you have to realize that at times like this, the little acts of affection mean the most! How can you expect your Beh sze to just be so stoic when you try putting work here ahead of your Beh Sze? You should really...Ahh! Beh Sze! Chief Freeman seems to think that he doesn't need to spend much time with his Beh Sze! Aria excitedly said.
I quirked an eyebrow, then glanced between the two.
"Marital problems?" I asked simply.
Freeman ignored me for a moment as he withdrew the catheter and placed a gauze pad over Arias arm, then nodded for her to press down on it. She happily complied, though let out a playful hum, as if to remind him vocally that their conversation was not over.
"Something like that.. She's trying to convince me to take the week off like the rest of you slackers are and spend some time at home."
I gave a nod before humming an assent.
"As well you should. The blood work isn't really as important as spending time with family and loved ones you know. Besides, at the cellular level, we've rather conclusively proven that the process levels out over time. We don't need nearly daily testing. We haven't in...what? 8 months now?" I asked
Freeman picked up a few sheets of paper, then flipped through them. They were the preliminary data on our physiological changes. Well I say ours, but really it was mine. Aria, thankfully, did not undergo nearly as drastic a change as I did. Her tone darkened slightly, her eyes became more cerulean, and she seemed to have gained additional bone mass, enough so that she could essentially be fitted for regular clothing if she so chose, but aside from that, she was as much a Gardevoir as I was now.
"Something like that. When you entered the terminal Ancillary neural interface development stage and developed that..." he said nodding to my chest, "Major physiological changes finally started dying down. I think the only major change post neural development was the change in your foot. Your metatarsals experienced mass loss yet the calcaneus bone also shrunk. Oddly enough... cuboid bones extended...what? 15% despite the lost mass in those bones?"
I glanced idly at my feet. They were tiny now, same as any Gardevoirs.
"The point I'm making" I said with a slightly annoyed tone at being derailed, "Is that It's not like it was back then, you can take some off time and pick things back up after the new year. Visit with your friends! Be with your loved ones! Hell, go get Sycamore, drag him out of his lab in Lumiose city, grab Diantha, and come get rip roaring drunk or something."
Freeman gave a slight scowl, then glanced around. He found the two women were nodding in agreement.
"Absence does not always make the heart grow fonder" Amelia chimed.
And love itself does occasionally need cultivation. Much like any flower! Aria replied somewhat dreamily.
Freeman looked as if he wanted to argue, then finally gave a defeated sigh.
"I hate it when you all gang up on me like that..." He admitted.
Aria gave a triumphant smile as I sat down, then held my arm out for the collection of blood. This was supposed to be a weekly event, but when it became difficult for us to properly heal up after the collection, I pushed for it to be done only once every three weeks. Even then, I pointed out to him how much was actually going to waste using the current methodology.
Thankfully, we agreed to a less copious volume, but still, there were difficulties. For one thing, due to the smaller diameter of my limbs, this meant that blood vessels were smaller as well. This meant that in order to find veins large enough, he had to go in through the hand, which itself was more painful than the elbow joint itself. Especially as Gardevoir used their hands to communicate emotionally, the higher nerve clusters had to be avoided. This complicated things for people like Freeman who had to draw blood. Eventually though, we found the right spots. Though the evidence of previous failures made one hand look faintly speckled if one looked closely enough.
After a few minutes, the blood was extracted, then placed in cold storage for later analysis. Aria and I walked with Amelia and Freeman out of the lab, then to the door once more. In all, we spent less than an hour in the lab today. It was enough for Aria and I to warm up enough to not feel terribly discomforted by the coming trip across the field to the other settlement, but it seemed too short a time to spend with now treasured friends.
Indeed, Amelia had endeared herself. Previously seen as an enemy, now seen as a member of the Te Ze, if only honorary, she had seemingly undergone the greatest changes of all of us. While mine could be traced in physical terms as well as emotional, hers was the most striking. Gone was the arrogant, selfish, goal oriented kid who had accompanied me into the field. She now stood as the capable, confident, administrator, tending to the many issues that seemed to crop up with practiced ease. She earned her retribution in spades.
Freemans attitude though... That was the more shocking one. Often, we are not aware of our own insuffiencies until they are right in front of our faces.
Regardless, despite our differences, we were able to overcome the differences that ate at our friendships and grew from them. Now, we stood here, regarding one another as true equals. That spoke to how far along the 4 of us had come.
"Well, I'll be along tomorrow. " Amelia said as she put on her coat.
"We will warm the place up for you tonight." I promised to her as Aria and I joined hands.
We all looked to Freeman with an expectant air. He seemed to fidget for a moment, then nodded finally.
"Alright, we will be out tomorrow as well, though since we live close after Lambda closed down, don't expect me to live in one of your huts." He added the last part more as a joke.
Aww, don't want to dance around in a jockstrap under the moonlight? How dull" Aria joked.
Freeman chose not to respond to her joke. Instead, he shrugged slightly before he tossed on his jacket.
"Anyways, I'll stop by tomorrow evening." he said.
With a nod, the 4 of us departed. Amelia and Freeman walked to their cars, while Aria and I set off for the tree line to cross the field to the other settlement. The sound of their car engines faded as Aria and I felt the world close in around us. In the middle of the field, we were surrounded by falling snow which muffled the sounds of the external world. Had the situation been different, the silence would have felt more etheral. This world without sound felt more like a place that perhaps Aria and I occupied in our sleep. The middle world of our dreams when we sleep.
My arm snaked around her waist, then gently tugged her body close to mine. The snow had begun to coat the world around us in a mantle of white. Adding a fairy tale like quality to this simple act.
Behind us, our footprints were visible as tiny markings of cresent shaped indentations. We traveled like this in silence for a few minutes before we came to the small lake. Aria broke away from my grip, then pranced out onto the ice. As she turned to me, I felt a momentary lapse in inhibition as I too pranced out to meet her. However, instead of stopping as gracefully as she did, I instead allowed the ice to let me slide towards her.
Oh Beh sze! You do know how to skate! She cried happily as she threw her arms around me in greeting.
Gracefully falling is how I would describe it. I replied.
She hummed happily as she mimicked my earlier action. She lept forward slightly after letting go of me, then slid a fair few feet across the smooth ice. With a grin, I followed suit, allowing my body to turn so that as I skated past her, I was facing her with my gown fluttering forward.
We continued like this for a few additional moments. Letting our inhibitions fall away as we enjoyed this fairy tale like atmosphere. Our moves slowly synchronizing into a sort of dance that had its roots in carefree enjoyment of the moment.
Eventually though, we stepped off the ice, then resumed our small walk over to the accompanying te ze.
Do humans often go ice skating? Aria asked absently as we walked lightly through the snow.
I gave a thought on this, then offered a nod.
Certain people do. In some areas there is a sport where you chase a little block down the ice and use it to score goals. Another sport is what's called figure skating. It's where people expressively skate to the accompaniment of certain musical pieces which are emotionally charged in certain ways.
Aria hummed gently in response to this. Is it beautiful? She asked.
I grinned lightly, showing off tiny pearlescent teeth to her.
Of course it is. It's very beautiful to watch. Especially if they articulate the feeling a certain song evokes.
Aria skipped ahead, then turned to face me. Her hands fell behind her back as she leaned forward.
I would much like to try this figure skating sometime. She chirped.
Typical girl. Getting excited over the little things... There really was no middle ground for Gardeovoir, I found. It was usually one absolute or another.
That was my life really. Even after a year, even after settling into a life of relative peace. Even... after becoming Gardevoir myself through the sheer unpredictable feedback of cellular mutation, I am still learning.
As we approached the settlement, Aria settled into a somewhat worried feeling. She did not like the formality associated with the title of Matriarch. In fact, she wanted nothing more than to bequeath the title to Shii or one of the other women. However, she was stuck with it. Forced to, at times, be the formal head of the settlements, resolve differences, act formal, lead ceremonies...
All the things we quietly groaned about before.
It was a funny sort of situation really. Seeing things from the other side of the coin in the sense of realizing that there was a purpose. Providing a sense of balance that the others relied on, setting the tone for how we would treat one another, all these things which we saw as being kind of excessive had very real applications.
However, at the very least, Aria did not have to speak so formally. That was something she saw to immediately.
Ah, Matriarch! Came the cry of one Gardevoir.
This was a male named Garth. Captured as a kirlia while he was out seeing Hoenn, he worked as a team with his trainer until the trainer fell ill. Rather than be passed along to a new trainer, he was officially released, yet remained by his trainers side until she passed. After her death in the Lumiose general hospital, he was discovered on the streets by Sycamore, who decided to send him to us. He was considered the most senior Gardevoir of the other settlement.
The decision to begin a second te ze came about as a result of the original settlement simply being too small to accomodate the additional 8 Gardevoir, the decision was reached to have a second te ze established on the far side of the field. This was more for space utilization. When three Gardevoir who had been found foraging in Geosenge towns dumps was relocated here, they brought knowledge of agriculture. Or at least Orchard upkeep. They had plans to plant a new crop of berry trees to suppliment the ones they previously had.
I wasn't too certain about the how and why of them rummaging through trash for food given this, but accepted it when they proved their agricultural capabilities. Their proper names were Jurgen, Klaus, and Sike. Two males, one female.
Klaus proved to have an artistic eye for designing furnishings. Supposedly, he had done this kind of work at Te zes back in Hoenn. He was actually the one who showed us how to manipulate wood to create weaved wall structures and windows. His handiwork was in evidence with the more elaborate homes built in this te ze. Everything was crafted from still living plants. Elaborate vine walls fairly pulsed with the changing seasons under his guidance. Thatch roofs, seemingly weaved ceaselessly by his manipulations, gave each home a more ornate appearance.
Sike turned out to be the master Agriculturalist. She could take any plant, no matter its condition, and seemingly breathe new vitality into it. She had managed to get a windmill palm to survive the first winter, giving the seed for the Windmill palms which lined the walkway that led to the field. Come spring, it would be her that led the effort to have the first orchard.
Jurgen, it turns out, was a master textile specialist. He took the delicate plant fibers and strings emitted from the bug pokemon and plant pokemon, and turned them into the fine clothing Gardevoir typically wore. His weaving techniques were a secret though. When I first received the outfit I now wore every day (Rather than the borrowed gown from when I first came) it was his handiwork that demonstrated the love one could have for their craft.
Greetings Garth! Aria said, How are things this wonderful day?
Garth looked between us, then sent me directly a slight sense of confusion. He was used to Matriarchs being more formal than my ses frau tended to be. However, after a sense of acceptance was directed from me, he accepted it, then responded in kind.
With the falling of diamonds, we find ourselves uplifted by the opening of ceremonies tomorrow. We look forward to your guidance and the joy your dance shall bring to all of us.
Aria grinned, though I could feel the slightest sense of being exasperated.
And I sincerely hope that my performance shall invoke the highest soaring joy in all of you. How is young Janyan? Has she been doing well recently?
Janyan was the rebellious Kirlia. She had run off from her trainer then settled with us. It was my responsibility to put out a notice to Kalos Pokecenters about the matter, though we eventually got a holovideo that the trainer sent asking that we took care of her for the duration. In response, the Facility made it clear that should he change his mind, he would be welcome to come and speak to her in haven't heard from him since. Frankly, we didn't know if he would ever contact us again.
Janyan is surprisingly learning the arts of weaving from Jurgen. He replied. She seems to greatly enjoy the patterns that can be created from the delicate fibers of the bug pokemon. She hopes to present you and Beh Gingko the fruits of her labors soon.
Janyan tended to look up to Aria. When she first came to us, she found it startling that a pokemon was heading a research organization. However, when we explained to her our stories, she seemed to be unsettled by everything. When the subject came up of us synchronizing and how it led to my current state, Janyan began to admire Aria. However, it was after Aria confiding to Janyan that she too ran from her home after becoming a Gardevoir, that Janyan came to see Aria as her surrogate sister.
Ever since then, Janyan has looked up to Aria. By proxy, she seems to admire me as well, but in a different sense than one would expect. Aria, upon picking this up, seemed rather annoyed at her "Flagrant Kirlian expressions of adoration" towards me, and would often seem to cling ever tighter.
If there was one thing that didn't change, it was Arias jealousy if she even suspected someone of making passes at her mate. It was rather endearing since it was more of a brash action on her part than an actual insecurity. After a year together, and the depth of the bond we forged, there was no doubt in her heart that I would ever be taken with any other Gardevoir. We were bund together through the hearts that defined the Gardevoir, our thoughts always just in tune that removal of one or the other would likely hurt us.
Well that is great! Where is she anyways? Aria asked.
She is playing with the young in the woods. Amala is with her though. Garth replied, referring to his mate.
Is she to be learning her dance today then? Aria asked.
Amala, another Kalosian Gardevoir, occupied a role much like Arias. She kept the culture and traditions of Gardevoir. If Aria had to choose someone other than Shii, who was very much her protege, then it would be Amala that would take on the matriarchs role.
Garth gave a slight laugh at the question, but nodded just the same.
She wishes to impress you with her "better understanding of Ses Arias cultural expressivism" in her words.
Aria laughed lightly at the Kirlias naivete` but let it go just the same.
That is a shame. However, I admire her efforts. She and the young Ralts are the very symbol of new vitality, and who would I be to interrupt their important lessons just to dote? Do mention that she was in our thoughts? I feel like she would greatly love that.
Garth nodded, then turned back to his task. With 5 adults currently occupied, that left the three others.
Amrita, a newcomer female who had actually wandered in quite by accident one day.
Champo, another emigrant from the southern Kalos region,
and a curious Gardevoir who was called Dohna.
Amrita was known for her foraging abilities. she had extensive knowledge of all plant life and would often impart the knowledge of this to the others. However, she didn't seem to be able to grow anything. In fact, this previous summer she accidently ruined a testbed of sugarcane and was hence banned from trying to grow things. This "Ban" was more in jest, a joke Aria crafted one night when we were visiting. The joke harkened back to how one night after Aura was born, she had gotten into Freemans vodka, and started a commotion during the night with me in tow trying to fix everything.
The next morning, Amelia and I decided to very publically ban Aria from drinking Vodka in particular. Since then, the joke about "Banning" someone from doing things was used whenever an minor mistake was made. No malice was intended, and all was meant more to bring us together, than to make light of our mistakes. Still, we tended to be on our guard whenever Amrita was near the berry trees.
Champo did not have special skills. However, he did like assisting others in various tasks. He was very much a jack of all trades in the extended te ze. Though he would, on occasion, lend a hand in teaching the young psychic control. If anything, he could be counted on to be a master fighter. As the only Gallade in the Te Ze, he did tend to make a fuss about "Nightime patrols to ensure the safety of the Te Ze" despite repeated assurances that events like what happened when I came around were not able to happen anymore given all the changes since then. Undeterred, he would occasionally patrol the border of the refuge with Garth and occasionally Dohna, his mate.
Dohna, on the other hand, posessed extensive knowledge about medicines and treating illness and injury. She could craft elaborate medications that fortified the immune system and accelerate the healing process. She became invaluable during the colder months and when young were born. In fact, due to the massive changes to my physiology, I had become something of a reocurring patient of hers. Though freeman saw to getting me vaccinated as a precaution against damages to my immune system, it would be Dohna I would turn to for things such as the common cold.
Truth be told, she took special interest in me. Apparently, her previous Te Ze had stories about humans who communed as Gardevoir. They mostly appeared in the epics of their lexicons. Though usually their presence otherwise was a sign of new vitality. However, it turned out that this was actually more common than we recently knew. Certainly stories abounded of people occasionally getting turned into pokemon for one reason or another, but it was her that gave us critical insight into the frequency.
In the Gardevoir culture, this happened about once every 5 or 10 years. The only thing that was truly unusual was the fact that it sprang from the unification of two into one deed or act. In extreme cases, it was when the Gardevoir saved its trainer from harm. Upon realizing that the trainer was changing, the Gardevoir would inevitably seek out and consult a local Te Ze, who then guided them through the process.
Occasionally, the ones who chose to associate with Gardevoir ended up in the state such as I by complete accident. There would be no intentional merging of souls. Sometimes emotions would rise high enough that the pair would feed one another back their emotions until they were in perfect sync. The Gardevoirs traits would unintentionally trace into the humans genetic structure via psychic activity, and the changes would happen.
Ours seemed to be a fusion of the two situations. On one hand, we unified in the commiting of a deed, but the resulting feedback was what had set things in motion. Given that the psychic trace initially worked both ways though, we had stepped into well marked trails. The depths that we had gone in our emotions were saved originally for two Gardevoir to be certain, but the understanding we gained came about as the synthesis of human and gardevoir originally. We considered our changes to be the fruits of this synthesis.
Dohna, as a matter of fact, approached us in her typical manner after Garth had left. She glanced us over once, then gently placed her hand onto my shoulder in an affectionate manner. She was older than the rest of us,into her fourth decade of life, yet demanded not to be Matriarch. She was too solitary for such things. She made concessions for her mate Champo, and their young twins a boy and a girl, but otherwise tended to be alone.
Except for us, that is. She had taken us under her wing, in a manner of speaking. Some nights we would sit with her at the fire, listening to her stories of Gardevoir mythology while she would puff at a pipe of a strange weed Amrita had originally found. While Aria knew the cultural basis, the stories of old were mysteries to her. So naturally we both relished in these tantalizing stories that she often told us.
It was actually through her that we learned the actual Gardevoir answer for what happened to us. When one thought about the matter in the way a Gardevoir does, that is, two hearts joining as one, what follows then is the emotional fulfillment of the act itself. When Aria and I became lovers, we began to synchronize with one another. It became easier for our minds to wrap around a situation. It also served to ground me, it turned out. Back when she and I joined as one, the psychic link that we shared that night meant that my body itself was more prone to the "Synchronization" that many Gardevoir shared. Indeed, it did not really happen to humans as a rule because of the fact that it was commonly Gardevoir with the ability trace that sought out the contact of humans. Though in some cases, this isn't always the case. In those rare cases, such as the Delta matter, the Gardevoir begins taking on human characteristics.
It is seen more as an oddity. Occasionally a human, lost, would come before a Gardevoirs Te Ze. In the stories of old, they would become a part of the tribe, and cast aside their human implements. Then, many years later, when they would come across a new human, the Gardevoir would be unable to tell if the one who originally joined was in fact human or not. Buried in those stories about becoming a member of a family and so on, was that seed of understanding just what had incited the change. Freeman may have discovered the result and a number of situations that lead to the initial change, but here was our mythological construct.
Perhaps that was why she took us under her wing. We were like so many of those people in the stories that filled her head.
After our visit with her, Aria and I were left with naught to do. The gentle snowfall had blanketed the world in a white visage that seemed to magnify the magical feeling that permeated the failing day. From behind the clouds, the pale red of the sun was barely visible, casting a gentle orange glow through the clouds. We found ourselves hand in hand, looking up to the sky above.
Despite the chill, I find this very beautiful Aria mentioned in a light tone of voice.
Her three fingers clasped tightly around mine as I nodded in response. Her arm tugged me ever so gently, bringing our heads into contact. Her aquamarine hair intermingled in mine, contrasting rather effectively with my green hair. In the past, this would have seemed a jarring contrast, yet as I found myself being lost in the ruby pools of her eyes, I found the contrast to be quite beautiful in its own right.
The Brilliant red sun peeked out from behind the clouds as it continued its movement towards the west. The weak light was enough to briefly warm our skin.
Though, as we drew together into an embrace, the warmth of the sun could not compare to the warmth we felt in our hearts.
That evening, as the two of us led the Te Ze into a dance. Our own future was spread brilliantly before us. With Aura at our feet, we tenativly stepped off. With the movement of our feet, came the surge of emotions as the two of us stepped forward into our future.
The End
On 22 April 2015, I finished the entirety of the story. This chapter was actually written back in December. It was 70 degrees outside and we were expecting snow a few days later. Truth be told, had I not allowed myself to get distracted a fair few times, this story would have been complete in January. There is no excuse for this. However, writing it was always meant to be fun. If I got distracted for a while, then came back, to me that was alright.
However, I came to realize at some point how much I like my own characters. Aria was especially fun to write because she had a lot more that could be going on for her. She offered a look at the world from pure feeling, yet was tempered by the grace of being fully actualized in the moment. For her, not a moment passed in which she was anywhere else but right in front of Rowan. She lived entirely in the moment, and was free of the anxieties that often plague us.
Yet, she is also in a way me. She's the caring, emotional side of me, the part of me that lives in a state of complete amazement at the world.
Rowan though... he was the most interesting to write. I began by keeping him somewhat undescribed. I wanted this to be a character who was originally out to observe. As such, I intentionally presented him as being kind of simpleminded in his needs and ambitions. He was, in a way, the everyman who goes through an ordeal and comes out different and better as a result. Rowan didn't have lofty ideals. He was a creature of just logic and obsession. He didn't have a moral grounding so much because he didn't have a culture. He came from a minor tragedy which haunted him. It made him afraid to reach out. It took being exposed to a culture, and the chance to be grounded that got him to change over time. He became more relaxed. He became more selfless, he saw the forest for the forest instead of seeing it for the trees.
More importantly, he FELT the connection to the world.
And that was a major theme I wanted to address. I started with a simple theme, but the more subtle messages began to be teased into existence with each character written, each personal note made about this or that aspect of Gardevoir culture. Then, I reached a realization that I was heading towards a bigger theme. In that, I had to turn to the only possible way of executing that thematic element. For this, I had to turn to a favorite book. Darkness at Noon by Arthur Koestler. If you ever get the chance, give the book a read. It should provide insight into the bigger theme I finally began attacking.
Even though this story was essentially finished in June, problems arose which required my full attention. As a result, this story fell to the wayside as I attempted to put my life on track towards something greater. I won't go into detail, but I will say that the hearing part 2 chapter required no less than 4 complete rewrites, often with little reference material.
My method had been to write out where I wanted to go with each chapter. Yet 23 was... a nightmare. If it weren't for each set back, this would have been done on the 4th of July.
Oh well, Feb 12th 2016, 30 years to the day after I was born is a fitting enough time to bring a story to a close.
Thanks for reading. I'm going to be putting forth effort into the next story "Angels Over Lumiose City" soon enough. As noted by the introduction chapter, it deals with Rowan and Arias Daughter and a certain scruffy private eye. To properly appreciate that, it might be a good idea to listen to those old time pulp detective stories and other serials. That series, while helping to further this meta plot that is mostly in generalities right now, is also a bit of a love letter to old time radio and detective dramas. As such, a lot of the elements are rather noir in nature.