Story: Meanwhile... His Future, Her Past

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M15 - Main Path
M15 - Warrior Path	
Main Path Epilogue
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Despite his best efforts, Alaric couldn’t stay mad.
He sat at the entrance to Ptolemy’s home, watching children of the King’s Eyes rebels play-fight in the front yard (if you’d be willing to call a slab of rock a “yard”). Cecil and Matteo were inside, working over the documents the Pikachu had scribbled down from his notes he’d taken during their talk with Ptolemy. Before Alaric had gone outside, he’d noticed that Cecil appeared especially interested in the task, if only to keep himself distracted from the sandstorm howling just outside the mountain that could be heard even this deep within.
In truth, Alaric had similar feelings battling within him: frustration at being left behind, anxiety over the fates of his captain and his people, desperation to solve the mystery of his visions… but even though he wanted to rage against these circumstances, seeing the children swing and miss yet still carry on with pride… It was enough to draw a small smile to the snake’s face in spite of everything.
Said smile soon faded when the play-fighting became real. One of the children had apparently insulted the others, and a pile of thrashing limbs soon appeared as they began to punch each other - interrupted by Seb who shoved his way past Alaric out of the house and pulled the brawling children apart.
: Hey, knock it off! Now’s not the time to fight amongst ourselves, we need to stay united!
The children grumbled, their response too muted for Alaric to hear from his position at the home’s entrance - but it was apparently amusing to Seb who merely barked out a laugh before posturing grandly.
: We don’t need to worry ‘bout those dumb other rebels ‘cause my dad is going to cut ‘em all down to size, you’ll see! He’ll teach ‘em a lesson they won’t soon forget, and they’ll come crawling back to us, begging for forgiveness.
: But in the meantime, we need to stick together and be strong for everyone else. So, no more bickering amongst ourselves, and let’s get back to training!
Judging by the childrens’ moping faces, they didn’t seem keen to continue, rubbing at their blossoming bruises with slight winces… so Alaric moved out from the entrance, waving a vine in greeting.
: I’d be happy to spar with you, Seb.
: You sure? I could injure you.
: I’m not so delicate that I can’t hold my own in battle. Don’t hold back on my account.
Seb beamed, hurrying back inside and returning with a wooden sword. He charged forward, and Alaric dodged slightly out of the way before returning the ‘mon’s strike with an outstretched vine. The other children, now fully engrossed in the duel, watched attentively, occasionally offering tactics that Seb eagerly attempted, and Alaric felt a warmth in his chest that he hadn’t felt in quite some time.
Was it really so long ago when Nicholas would beg to play hide and seek with him in Adonai Castle, or sneak treats from the kitchen, or learn the basics of swordplay from Gawain at the training grounds? Time had a way of slipping from his vines, and Alaric suddenly wondered what it might be like to go back to that time, to raising a family.
Just as Tara wanted………… 
THE DAY BEFORE LEAVING FOR KHETMAAT…
The atmosphere in Aether Castle was lighter than it’d been for months… well, specifically around Alaric’s study. The curtains were drawn open, casting thick ribbons of light across the floor, and embers popped in the fireplace, their warmth still faintly wafting through the room. Coiled at his desk was Alaric, energetically scanning over a map of Khetmaat, a quill in one of his vines drawing potential paths through the sandy dunes, eyes gleaming brighter than they had for such a long time.
He hardly even looked up as Tara entered the study, pushing the door open with her forehead and watching him for a moment before sighing and composing herself.
: (clearing her throat) Alaric, do you have time to sspeak? There isss ssomething I’d like to disscusss with you.
: Of course, give me one second - (He finished his etching, then turned to her with an easy grin) - what is it?
: …
: Tara? What’s wrong?
: N-Nothing!
: I… I sshould go, let you continue your work-
She turned to go - but Alaric stopped her, wrapping his tail around hers and meeting her anxious gaze with one of his own.
: Please, Tara. What is upsetting you?
: It… It’sss nothing. Really.
: I find that hard to believe.
: … sstupid...
: What?
: … Alaric… Do you think I’m a bad perssson?
: A ba-? Why would you say that?
: Oh pleasse, you are not nearly asss deaf to chatter in the casstle asss you pretend. You have heard the gossssip, you now know everything that went on while you were-
: Uh-
: Going out of my mind?
: Hrm, yesss, that.
: Sso, by now, you ssurely know that my attitude during the outsskirtsss crimesss - really, during thesse passt few monthsss - hasss been lesss than gracciouss. I wasss taking care of you, yesss, sso ssome might ssay that I couldn’t be exxpected to pay attention to anything but your health, but that’sss no exxcusse.
: Really, I do not blame Guinevere for being sso crosss with me, how could I have been sso cruel-
: That isn’t true.
: Hmm?
: Guinevere can be… passionate about her craft: so much so that when others do not pay it as much heed, she gets agitated to the point of verbal abuse.
: Abusse that I richly desserved.
: No, you don’t. (He cupped a vine under her chin and tilted her head up to meet his gaze.) Tara, you are not some noble who thumbs their nose at the lower class. Hell, your attendant - who, might I add, is also your childhood friend - is from one of the poorest districts of Ulster! You care immensely about all the people of Aether-
: And any who would insinuate otherwise will have to answer to me.
: Heh… My hero.
: Always, my lady.
He pulled her in for a hug, vines wrapped around her, and she rested her chin on his collar, staring at the map unscrolled on his desk… thoughts straying to the desert, and the library, and the visions, and…
Alaric felt his wife stiffen in his grasp, and he pulled away from her, nervously searching her face, worried at the blank look he saw there, as if she was trying valiantly to hide her true emotions from him.
: There’s more, isn’t there? You wouldn’t let a few loose tongues and idle words rattle you like this.
: …
: Tara, if there’s something else bothering you, I’d like you to tell me. I’ll feel a great deal better about going to Khetmaat if I know that you’re alright here.
: There’sss a better way to know that.
: Pardon?
: Don’t go to Khetmaat. If you don’t go, then you won’t need to know if I’m alright, becausse you’ll be here!
: (withdrawing his vines and half-turning away) I’ve already told you, Tara, I need to go-
: No, you want to go, there’sss a big differencce-
: You were there, you heard Mindaugas. My visions are clearly leading towards the Library of Thales. If we want to change the terrible future that’s filling my head with nightmares, then that’s where we must go.
: Sso ssend ssomeone elsse! It doessn’t need to be you every time.
: It does when it concerns this, events that only I have seen. Mindaugas said-
: “Mindaugasss” thisss, “Mindaugasss” that - I sstill ssay that he sshouldn’t have let Ene dig into your mind sso freely!
: You can’t deny the results. Thanks to them, the visions are muddled behind a barrier or sorts, where they have nearly no affect on me. And we were able to find a clue to give us a direction to go. Isn’t that better than where we were before?
: Doessn’t mean I have to like it.
: (sighing) Tara, I understand that you are still upset about the, er, “session,” but you must understand, it was something that needed to be done. The barrier Ene made helped, but it certainly did not “cure” me. If my thoughts linger even slightly-
: ... I can still see the bodies, smell the smoke... feel the fire’s burning kiss…
: If I don’t do something to quiet the warnings in my head, I fear I’ll go mad. And now that I know where the next clue lies, I have to find it. I must see this through, wherever it might lead.
: Surely you’ve noticed how it keeps me up at night-
: Yesss, I have, and that isss what conccernss me.
: Hasss it not occurred to you that you might not make it back? The nature of thesse vissionsss being what they are, I would think that you might practicce more caution when choossing your tripsss!
: And to be absssolutely honesst, I’d like to make ssure that our lineage hasss a chancce to continue before you go and get yoursself killed!!
: !!
: D-Do you mean-?
: Well I’m not ssuggessting that we play footssie.
: (coughing) Tara, I… Don’t misunderstand me, but are you sure about this? You told me once before about the, erm, birthing problems that plague your household. Wouldn’t pursuing motherhood put you in harm’s way?
: It isss true that both my mother and aunt perisshed due to complicationsss during childbirth-
: But I have thought thisss through. After what happened in the outsskirtsss with the children… with what’sss happened to you and your vissionss… Time isss sshort, and we musst make the mosst of what we have.
: And I’d like to have a child. With you.
: ...
: B-But if you - thisss you doessn’t want to, I-I under-
: “This” me?
: Your mind traveled here from the future: it isss the consscioussnessss of the Alaric from who knowsss how long from now that’sss in your head. You’ve made memoriesss that I don’t know about, had a life that I’m not a part of.
: And your Tara, the one that you remember, sspent time with… loved… sshe died, yesss? Sso perhapsss that’sss why…
: Why…?
: Why you are not my Alaric… and why you want to leave me behind… becausse you’re not the ssame, and you never will be.
She pressed her head into Alaric’s chest, and he pulled his tail around her back in a soft embrace, allowing her a moment to cry; then, as her emotions calmed, he nudged her gently until she looked up at him.
: Tara, please believe me when I say I AM still me. It is true that I have memories of other times in my head, things that I cannot forget, and I understand that it is… frustrating, to say the least.
: I confess, I’m not sure how it all works, exactly-
: But one thing I know for certain is that the me that is here right now loves you wholeheartedly, and no amount of time could change that.
: … Truly? Then doesss thisss mean that we will…?
: …
: Sstill you hessitate?
: (sighing) Knowing what the future may hold, having seen what I’ve seen, I can’t risk bringing a child into this life, exposing them to whatever horrors may befall Aether.
: But if I can do something to ensure Aether’s safety, anything at all, I would gladly do it if it meant that there was a chance that I could make the future bright for them.
: It takess two to make a baby, Alaric. Issn’t throwing yoursself into harm’sss way alsso jeopardizzing our child’sss future? If ssomething were to happen-
: Gawain will keep me safe.
: He’sss sstill recovering from hisss time north. Are you ssure that he isss up to the tassk?
: When it comes to my protection, Gawain is as loyal and dedicated as any captain worth his salt. And with Cecil, Osmund, and Matteo accompanying us, I am certain that he will do everything in his power to ensure my return home - if only for his pride’s sake.
Alaric offered her a small smile - and Tara reflected it, albeit sadly.
: Alaric, I can’t pretend to agree with thisss, and I wissh that you wouldn’t put yoursself into thisss dangerousss ssituation.
: But if it will help you find ssome peacce regarding thesse vissionss, then I supposse I’ll have to accept that. I jusst… don’t want to ssee you ssuffer anymore than you already have...
: (pressing his forehead against hers) It’s not just about me anymore, Tara. You know that.
: I know. Doessn’t mean I have to like it…………
: King Alaric, sir? Are you alright?
: Huh?
: (shaking himself free of his memories) O-Oh, yes, I’m fine. You have bested me, Seb, well done. Go on, continue training with the others, I shall observe from the sidelines as a judge…
The Larvitar nodded, worry still clouding his face, and Alaric mentally cursed himself at causing the child undue concern as he went back towards Ptolemy’s house. Still, Tara’s face swam before his eyes, along with her wish for a family… followed by some mental images of what they had done that night, a flush running up his neck. They had no issues displaying their love for each other then: so was it truly the uncertain future before them that was holding him back from that next logical step?
: “Wait for me, Tara. I swear, this will all be worth it…”
... And so Tara waited for Alaric’s return. Her mind wandered back to that last night, their possible last night, and she sighed, one of many that she’d let slip over these sleepless moons. Rest did not come easily to her, not with worry over the length of time he’d been gone with no word from any party; she supposed she should be used to this by now, but this was different, she felt different, and she could hardly ignore it any longer.
As Gaius left the council room with a bow, having just delivered another report that continued to lack news of Alaric’s progress, Tara motioned for Maeve to approach from where she’d been standing in the corner. The slight movement caused pain to lacerate up her spine, and Tara hissed on reflex, scrunching her body in a tight coil and blinking away the stars. Maeve’s paw gripping the edge of her hood brought brief comfort, and she met the concerned gaze of her faithful attendant and friend.
: Steady th’re, Tara, ya a‘right?
: … No, I don’t think ssso. I- I believe I may need to retire to my chambersss.
: Could you fetch Guinevere, pleassse?
: ‘Course, ju- just stay ‘ere, yea? We’ll help ya get there- Be back in two shakes!
The Pancham rushed off, and Tara tried to stretch the knots from her body to no avail. Her thoughts meandered again, unhelpfully reminding her of who wasn’t here right now to soothe her, and tears stung at the corners of her eyes (and not for the first time).
: “Come home soon, Alaric…”
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Category:Meanwhiles
Category:Arc 2
Category:Aether
Category:Khetmaat