The epilogue to this performance is long overdue (Semi-Open)
Feb 29, 2016 15:38:55 GMT
Vi-Poi and Kizuki like this
Post by Reikiko on Feb 29, 2016 15:38:55 GMT
It's often said that people are the most vulnerable whenever they feel like they have lost their way, in the end most fear the concept of being an existence without purpose or value. It is a feeling that often causes one to fall into despair, and it was an emotion all too familiar to Reikiko. Twice she had tasted the feeling of such despair. The first time was when her master had died at the hands of her own sister. It was at that time that Reikiko lamented her own weakness, her inability to protect those she cared for, and as a result she abandoned the teachings of her father, and openly embraced the true nature of her creation. The second time was after the siege of the Solar Saiyan Empire. It was a time where Reikiko thought she was able to change her very nature, a selfless desire to follow her father's way. Yet, being a pacifist was incredibly difficult for her. Reikiko was a proud being, and quite competitive at heart also. She simply wasn't able to ignore a slight to her loved ones or herself, nor was she able to decline the temptation to answer a taunt. She was a warrior, and not a diplomat, no matter how much she tried to change that.
Still, what made matters even worse, was the fact that her past crimes had led to a lingering effect within the community she had been trying to protect. Even after she had opened Avalon as a shelter for those who lost their homes and family after the war, there were still some people who considered her a monster. Some who were in a sense brothers and sisters in arms would rather befriend the very enemy they fought together, than to trust her. It was a difficult question to ask: Why couldn't they accept her for who she was? The answer was simple: Because she was just deceiving herself. The real Reikiko wasn't a docile sheep, but a playful tiger cub. Certainly she could be adorable and cute, the type of being you'd want to take into your house and just cuddle for days without a break, but it didn't change the fact she was still a predator. It was that denial, Reikiko's attempt to ignore her true nature that had led to her current situation.
She believed that if she couldn't change herself, then perhaps it was best to remove herself from existence. A naive thought, but an understandable one. In the end if she never existed, then her actions wouldn't be able to harm those around her. Fortunately her crazy plan had been prevented before it was set in motion thanks to the combined intervention of her closest friends. Hikari's emotional plea to discard her worries and rely on those that cared for her had made Reikiko hesitant, and Vipoi's explanation about how her disappearance would cause a true disaster for Earth had been enough to make the girl realize that perhaps even a predator like herself was capable of doing something good.
Nevertheless, at the end of the day it didn't change the fact that she had lost her goal, and in a certain sense also her way. Yes, there was no ignoring the fact that Reikiko no longer had a clue on how to proceed. Her last idea, the one that would have ended everything was discarded, and she was genuinely lost. However, unlike the previous times there was no despair within her heart, because the loneliness that usually accompanied those moments had been gone. Ever since the events within the Bamboo Forest Hikari had declared she wouldn't stray from Reikiko's side, and as promised the two had now been staying within the nostalgic cottage where Reikiko had once lived in during the time she trained with the previous Crane Hermit.
A lot had happened during the time she hid herself from the world. After the dragon balls were all gathered the planet of her father's ancestors, Namek had been revived, and it seemed that according to Blue Banner Army reports quite some heated activities were taking place onto the planet. At the same time, and perhaps a more significant change of events was the fact that Kaula had left Earth, her destination unknown but guessable.
Finally there was Vipoi, who seemed to had been participating in some curious debates with the human population, a battle of words that would determine who would become the next president of Earth, a role compared to the leader of the whole planet.
An amused sigh escaped Reikiko's lips as she stood before the grave of her master, and idly she thought how weird it was that a place that served as a reminder of her failures, of the fact she was flawed and with weaknesses could still bring her such peace of mind. Perhaps it was because she felt a certain connection to her deceased mentor within this area.
"I should have known better..."
The sound of footsteps caused the silver-haired child to turn around, her gaze drifting up to the approaching green-haired hybrid who had just appeared from the backdoor of the cottage. Hikari's expression was softened in its usual gentle demeanor, the type you wouldn't imagine a Saiyan, even a hybrid to have.
"It's a bit amusing how you always come here when you search for answers. It shows you really respected your master."
Reikiko nodded her head briefly, a sheepish grin on her lips as she replied in a cheerful tone.
"Of course! Tamako-sensei is amazing, she wasn't only strong but also pretty smart and fun also."
She couldn't help but blush lightly from joy as Hikari's hand gently petted her head, the two of them now standing before the grave of the previous Crane Hermit. It was a fact that the answers she sought could no longer be found in books, at least not ones written by Earthlings. There was none she knew who possessed the wisdom to solve the problems that plagued her, at least none that were still alive.
"Ne~ Hikari, mind if I ask you a question?"
The girl's soft tone, one that despite its cheerfulness shown a small hint of insecurity, had caused Hikari to lower her gaze to Reikiko's level, a hint of curiosity in her eyes.
"Sure, what's on your mind?"
The child turned toward her companion, and from the moment those eyes looked at Hikari, the older girl knew all too well that there was about to be a serious question that was going to follow in a matter of moments.
"Why is it that you love me?"
The hybrid seemed to had been taken off-guard by the question, her cheeks flushing up into a scarlet red color and while she was clearly flustered for a moment, she finally regained her composure enough to be able to reply.
"That one came out of nowhere. Anyway, the reason I love you? I guess it's because of how dedicated you are. At first I considered you a rather confusing individual. Despite being so obsessed with getting stronger and avenging your master, you had this rather adorable side to you. Remember that idol performance?"
Ugg, did Hikari really needed to remind her of such an embarrassing event? Of course she remembered it! Sure it was really fun and entertaining, but to be dancing and singing was incredibly awkward for a being that was made for battle.
"That adorableness had a certain charisma to it that drawn a lot of people of the Blue Banner Army toward you. The recruits of KAOS, Administrator Azure, and myself were just some of those who see that gentle side of yours, the other side of the being that is called Reikiko. Albeit, if I was asked when I truly fell in love with you, then it must had been when you fought against your sister to protect me."
That time at the timeless lookout? She still remembered that day, the day one of the Chimera sisters tried to use Hikari as a means to kill her. Of course neither of them had expected that it would be that event that would make Hikari ascend into the state of a Super Saiyan, but in the end it was the first time she had fought for a different reason than to dominate an enemy. She had fought to protect someone, even if that fight had nearly killed her. Reikiko had remained silent during the explanation, and only after Hikari had finished speaking she had arrived at the question that likely mattered the most to her.
"Then would you love me, even if I was the monster that people believe me to be?"
A short silence followed, one that felt like an eternity to Reikiko, and it was a silence that made her a little bit uncomfortable. She watched every movement or change in expression Hikari was about to make, but what followed was something she didn't expect. the green haired hybrid knelt down before her, seemingly to ensure she was at the same height as Reikiko, and gently wrapped her arms around the child's neck, a innocent kiss on the cheek being followed by a whisper into her ear.
"I will always love you, in the end the predator is only one side of you Reikiko, I know all too well that there is more to you than that, and even that predator aspect of yours is one of the things I admire you for. So... How about you finally return to who you truly are?"
Wait, she... knew? She knew that everything she had said and done as a Homunculus was but an act? The magical skills she had displayed were easily disguised by the mystical skills she had from her Namekian genes, and her appearance changes was a simple transformation born from the use of her Shroud of the Fallen. Still, she thought that by suppressing the darker presence of her ki, she could have fooled people to make them think she truly changed...
"Y-You know that I'm---"
Reikiko's shaking voice was accompanied by a playful bump of Hikari's forehead against her own, and it were the hybrid's words that finally made her eyes tear up.
"Of course I know that you're still a Bio-android. I been watching over you ever since the battle of West Capitol, so even if it was weak I could easily pick up your lingering ki. It's no use hiding things from me Reikiko, because I seen everything about you already~"
The tears finally started to flow, tears accompanied by loud sobs as a silvery aura started to wrap around the child, a burning aura that caused her disguise to slowly dissolve into crystallized fragments, till it dissolved into dust, leaving the little white-colored Bio-android to cry in the arms of her companion. Even if she had yet to find a purpose or path to follow, she had at the very least found some peace in the fact that she was accepted for who she truly was, and the awareness that she had never truly been alone. Hikari had always been at her side, always watching over her.
---
Vi-Poi
This topic is open to everyone else upon invitation (aka please ask me before joining, I'm unlikely to decline unless it gets crowded, so don't feel nervous to ask)
Topic is mostly used to explain Reikiko's return as a Bio-android.
Still, what made matters even worse, was the fact that her past crimes had led to a lingering effect within the community she had been trying to protect. Even after she had opened Avalon as a shelter for those who lost their homes and family after the war, there were still some people who considered her a monster. Some who were in a sense brothers and sisters in arms would rather befriend the very enemy they fought together, than to trust her. It was a difficult question to ask: Why couldn't they accept her for who she was? The answer was simple: Because she was just deceiving herself. The real Reikiko wasn't a docile sheep, but a playful tiger cub. Certainly she could be adorable and cute, the type of being you'd want to take into your house and just cuddle for days without a break, but it didn't change the fact she was still a predator. It was that denial, Reikiko's attempt to ignore her true nature that had led to her current situation.
She believed that if she couldn't change herself, then perhaps it was best to remove herself from existence. A naive thought, but an understandable one. In the end if she never existed, then her actions wouldn't be able to harm those around her. Fortunately her crazy plan had been prevented before it was set in motion thanks to the combined intervention of her closest friends. Hikari's emotional plea to discard her worries and rely on those that cared for her had made Reikiko hesitant, and Vipoi's explanation about how her disappearance would cause a true disaster for Earth had been enough to make the girl realize that perhaps even a predator like herself was capable of doing something good.
Nevertheless, at the end of the day it didn't change the fact that she had lost her goal, and in a certain sense also her way. Yes, there was no ignoring the fact that Reikiko no longer had a clue on how to proceed. Her last idea, the one that would have ended everything was discarded, and she was genuinely lost. However, unlike the previous times there was no despair within her heart, because the loneliness that usually accompanied those moments had been gone. Ever since the events within the Bamboo Forest Hikari had declared she wouldn't stray from Reikiko's side, and as promised the two had now been staying within the nostalgic cottage where Reikiko had once lived in during the time she trained with the previous Crane Hermit.
A lot had happened during the time she hid herself from the world. After the dragon balls were all gathered the planet of her father's ancestors, Namek had been revived, and it seemed that according to Blue Banner Army reports quite some heated activities were taking place onto the planet. At the same time, and perhaps a more significant change of events was the fact that Kaula had left Earth, her destination unknown but guessable.
Finally there was Vipoi, who seemed to had been participating in some curious debates with the human population, a battle of words that would determine who would become the next president of Earth, a role compared to the leader of the whole planet.
An amused sigh escaped Reikiko's lips as she stood before the grave of her master, and idly she thought how weird it was that a place that served as a reminder of her failures, of the fact she was flawed and with weaknesses could still bring her such peace of mind. Perhaps it was because she felt a certain connection to her deceased mentor within this area.
"I should have known better..."
The sound of footsteps caused the silver-haired child to turn around, her gaze drifting up to the approaching green-haired hybrid who had just appeared from the backdoor of the cottage. Hikari's expression was softened in its usual gentle demeanor, the type you wouldn't imagine a Saiyan, even a hybrid to have.
"It's a bit amusing how you always come here when you search for answers. It shows you really respected your master."
Reikiko nodded her head briefly, a sheepish grin on her lips as she replied in a cheerful tone.
"Of course! Tamako-sensei is amazing, she wasn't only strong but also pretty smart and fun also."
She couldn't help but blush lightly from joy as Hikari's hand gently petted her head, the two of them now standing before the grave of the previous Crane Hermit. It was a fact that the answers she sought could no longer be found in books, at least not ones written by Earthlings. There was none she knew who possessed the wisdom to solve the problems that plagued her, at least none that were still alive.
"Ne~ Hikari, mind if I ask you a question?"
The girl's soft tone, one that despite its cheerfulness shown a small hint of insecurity, had caused Hikari to lower her gaze to Reikiko's level, a hint of curiosity in her eyes.
"Sure, what's on your mind?"
The child turned toward her companion, and from the moment those eyes looked at Hikari, the older girl knew all too well that there was about to be a serious question that was going to follow in a matter of moments.
"Why is it that you love me?"
The hybrid seemed to had been taken off-guard by the question, her cheeks flushing up into a scarlet red color and while she was clearly flustered for a moment, she finally regained her composure enough to be able to reply.
"That one came out of nowhere. Anyway, the reason I love you? I guess it's because of how dedicated you are. At first I considered you a rather confusing individual. Despite being so obsessed with getting stronger and avenging your master, you had this rather adorable side to you. Remember that idol performance?"
Ugg, did Hikari really needed to remind her of such an embarrassing event? Of course she remembered it! Sure it was really fun and entertaining, but to be dancing and singing was incredibly awkward for a being that was made for battle.
"That adorableness had a certain charisma to it that drawn a lot of people of the Blue Banner Army toward you. The recruits of KAOS, Administrator Azure, and myself were just some of those who see that gentle side of yours, the other side of the being that is called Reikiko. Albeit, if I was asked when I truly fell in love with you, then it must had been when you fought against your sister to protect me."
That time at the timeless lookout? She still remembered that day, the day one of the Chimera sisters tried to use Hikari as a means to kill her. Of course neither of them had expected that it would be that event that would make Hikari ascend into the state of a Super Saiyan, but in the end it was the first time she had fought for a different reason than to dominate an enemy. She had fought to protect someone, even if that fight had nearly killed her. Reikiko had remained silent during the explanation, and only after Hikari had finished speaking she had arrived at the question that likely mattered the most to her.
"Then would you love me, even if I was the monster that people believe me to be?"
A short silence followed, one that felt like an eternity to Reikiko, and it was a silence that made her a little bit uncomfortable. She watched every movement or change in expression Hikari was about to make, but what followed was something she didn't expect. the green haired hybrid knelt down before her, seemingly to ensure she was at the same height as Reikiko, and gently wrapped her arms around the child's neck, a innocent kiss on the cheek being followed by a whisper into her ear.
"I will always love you, in the end the predator is only one side of you Reikiko, I know all too well that there is more to you than that, and even that predator aspect of yours is one of the things I admire you for. So... How about you finally return to who you truly are?"
Wait, she... knew? She knew that everything she had said and done as a Homunculus was but an act? The magical skills she had displayed were easily disguised by the mystical skills she had from her Namekian genes, and her appearance changes was a simple transformation born from the use of her Shroud of the Fallen. Still, she thought that by suppressing the darker presence of her ki, she could have fooled people to make them think she truly changed...
"Y-You know that I'm---"
Reikiko's shaking voice was accompanied by a playful bump of Hikari's forehead against her own, and it were the hybrid's words that finally made her eyes tear up.
"Of course I know that you're still a Bio-android. I been watching over you ever since the battle of West Capitol, so even if it was weak I could easily pick up your lingering ki. It's no use hiding things from me Reikiko, because I seen everything about you already~"
The tears finally started to flow, tears accompanied by loud sobs as a silvery aura started to wrap around the child, a burning aura that caused her disguise to slowly dissolve into crystallized fragments, till it dissolved into dust, leaving the little white-colored Bio-android to cry in the arms of her companion. Even if she had yet to find a purpose or path to follow, she had at the very least found some peace in the fact that she was accepted for who she truly was, and the awareness that she had never truly been alone. Hikari had always been at her side, always watching over her.
---
Vi-Poi
This topic is open to everyone else upon invitation (aka please ask me before joining, I'm unlikely to decline unless it gets crowded, so don't feel nervous to ask)
Topic is mostly used to explain Reikiko's return as a Bio-android.