Date: Thu, 18 Mar 1999 22:14:21 EST
Title: A convergence of sorts
authors: Teri, Stana, Ian

Sometime later....
* * *
Teri thought a moment about her meeting with the Queen and King the previous
day-- and wondered that she was still surprised and shocked by the opulence
around her.  The welcoming of Shinji and herself had been nothing short of
grand, if private, and after quite a few gracious, overly verbose words, the
two guests had been returned to their respective suites.

Today was the day the Earth Guardian was supposed to arrive. Someone,
presumably one of a detatchment of the army Teri had only gotten a quick
glimpse of, had raced from the north to announce the arrival.  The audience
chamber had apparently been decorated for the official welcoming of two
elementals, and she'd seen servants scurrying around the palace with flower
bouquets and linens, probably preparing for the evening's banquet. Teri
inhaled sharply with excitement as she watched the dressing-girls bring out
her gown.  Rose and red silk, simple and flowing lines, with tiny embroidered
flames lining the cuffs and hem.  She smiled patiently-- the people here
seemed to think that since she was named Fire Guardian everything she
participated in MUST be accompanied by some depiction of fire.  She wondered
if they'd clothe the earth-element in palm fronds or something similar.

 But the dress was beautiful.  She slipped into it excitedly, and waited
for the girls to lace the dress a little too tightly.  Stockings, heeled
slippers-- Teri was reeling in all the accoutrements of court attire.
She only  hoped there wasn't a service charge later.
               ****

               Teri smoothed the front of her rose-colored dress,
turning the rings on her fingers around and around in nervous
excitement.  She wanted to touch the necklace again, the garnet and ruby
necklace she had been given at Reiki, but these people around her were so used
to such riches... and she didn't want to seem simple in their presence.  All
this audience stuff was slightly unnerving, but she was reminded of her high
school plays--  she would manage, and with a smile too. Plus, she had a trump
card.

               The smallish man in white livery-- the magistrate or
something, she assumed, announced the arrival of the Queen and King, and
the murmuring in the large chamber ceased.

               "Good courtiers, citizens, it is our pleasure to announce a
face which  we hope grows ever familiar here in our courts.  The young Lady
Teri, newly named   the Chosen of Flame by the Ancient Mages of Reiki."

               Teri came forward, beaming what she considered to be a
Beam of Graciousness. Her stomach was fluttering and her hands shook,
but she hoped the white- knuckled clasp of her hands together would go
unnoticed. Calm, Calm, she  thought. Think Calm.  Thankfully, the smile
of the Queen and King gave off such warmth that she could shove her
nervousness down to the pit of her  stomach.  She wasn't sure if she
could get used to this Lady bit. At least, not yet anyway.

 She turned and took her place to the side of the landing. She couldn't
imagine who the earth-elemental would be. After encountering Alan, a
half-vampire, and some of the Ancients,  Teri was no longer certain even
that the Guardian of Earth would even be human. It was all terribly
exciting, and yet she was wary, too.

"It is our pleasure, too, to introduce her Guardian, Lord Shinji of the Silver
Fang
Monestery."
Shinji, in his elegant black and red attire, bowed and returned to his place
behind Teri's right shoulder. It must have been nervousness, since for some
reason Shinji thought he heard hoof beats...

The King picked off where the Queen had ended. "And again, people of
Tashisei and beyond, we once again welcome a Guardian into our courts.
Here from afar, to join her sister in fulfilling the Ancient Prophecy--"


    Just then the doors slammed opened and in the hush that ensued
strode the unicorn.  His gilt edged ivory horn was held proudly aloft,
his cloven hooves barely  making a sound on the stone floor. The gold
zebra striped hindquarters rippled with ropy muscle. Amber and silver
eyes looked right through to the heart and beyond. Like a breath on the
air he moved forward, not even a shadow marking his path.
    The appearance of the mythic Unicorn was enough to cause gossip for
years, but as  shocking as  the beast was the fact that he carried on
his back a rider. There were more than a few that admired a person who
would (or even could! snickered some) ride a Unicorn. The young woman
didn't glance around but stared right ahead hazel eyes somber, back
ramrod straight and looking as if she had always belonged on the back of
an equine. Her reddish hair curled in playful waves around her
shoulders, spilling down her back.  It was by far the only thing
flippant about her.
     Once in the center of the room, the Unicorn stopped. In the quiet
and with one movement the girl dismounted.
     "My name is Stana." she said "I've been sent as the Unicorn's
emissary, in the capacity of Earth Keeper." The Unicorn at her side, and
the bloodstone and gold pendant nestled around her neck spoke that
statement more strongly than her voice.
      Sporadic applause broke out  then, and Stana's eyes rested coolly
on those of a much-shocked Teri.
       "My companion's name is Clip."

 A unicorn...her breath caught and her eyes watered.
               No- not a unicorn...
               Clip.
               So.
               Oh.
               A uni-
               Clip?
               No
               No
               Oh-
               oh.

               That was the extent of what was going through Teri's
mind. Or rather, just  sitting in her mind like stagnating river water.
With time, the thought would  gather the mold and algae of bitterness
and hurt, but for now, all she could  do was blink, and repeat Stana's
sentence to herself. A sentence obviously   intended for Teri alone.
And obviously without the slightest bit of guilt or  remorse for having
not only deceived her "Friend", but also for having LEFT her stranded in
the middle of the woods with only an impetuous boy for  company.

               Teri's mind seemed to be working again, and rapid-fire.
And more than her mind, too.  She watched Stana closely. Very closely.
The older girl's face was passive, immobile.
               Teri watched that face flicker, almost in surprise, as
her foot touched the  first carpeted step of the royal landing. And
Teri's face curved automatically  into a radiant and beautiful smile, a
smile with diamond-hard eyes.


******************************

Stana's entrance had been a very unexpected suprise, to understate, and only
his sense of pressence had kept Shinji from dropping into a combat stance when
they literally crashed the party. The suprise he felt, though, wasn't so easy
to control. After a brief (too long still for Shinji) moment of shocked
idleness, he forced his composure to return and quietly regarded Stana and
(shudder) Clip. A small smirk flashed across his face. Perhaps this court
thing would finally get a little interesting.

     ***
               Stana strode down the court carpet to the few stairs
rising up to the thrones. This was going to be unpleasant. She could see
from the tightened lips and unwavering stare of her elemental  sister
that Teri had gotten over her initial, undisguised shock.  What Stana
herself wasn't prepared for was the invisible wall that hit her- head
on- with  almost enough force to knock her breath away.  Only her newly
found composure kept her expression  smooth.

               The sheer resentment and repulsion permeated her body as
if it were made of the gauzy stuff the foppish courtiers behind her had
been wearing.  Angry heat swelled around her, so hot that the air she
breathed seemed dangerously icy in comparison.
                With a slight frown she cleared her mind and let the
tide of anger swirl around and past. She wasn't sure how successful it
was, but she made it to the top of the steps.

               ****
               Teri smiled pleasantly at the crowd and nodded her head
graciously as the steward announced, at the audiences' long last
conclusion, the queen's departure, and then hers and Stana's.  One thing
she'd gained, from her time with and healing by the Ancients, was the ability
to split
her emotions.  She no longer had  to appear angry when she was, or send
angry vibes when she was angry. Of course she wasn't very good at it-- her
control was rough at best, but with her nightly readings in the ancient lesson
book, she hoped to fine tune that. She could basically send pleasant ones or
angry
ones, regardless. Regardless of the blood- curdling violence she felt
whenever she glanced at Stana's uncaring, rigid  back.

               She made it to her room without breaking anything, thank
the spirits. She must have been exuding a bit of her feelings, though,
for the maids wrung their hands nervously before helping unlace the
dress.  Teri pulled on her nicely washed tank top and a pair of the
pants she'd had made, despite the maids' protest that there were other
"fashionable" fine clothes to wear, and plopped  onto her rosy chaise
lounge. Digging one of the ancient books out of her torn and mended bag,
she glowered at the words until it was time to get ready for   the
banquet.
               ***
        Shinji watched her go, but made no movement to follow. While Teri's
empathical assault had been more or less focused on Stana, it had given him a
good impression that Teri wouldn't want to see anyone at this moment. A
somewhat tired smile on his face, he slipped past the crowd and outside into
the very spacious garden. Thankfully, the rest of the crowd was focused on the
two new arrivals, so he had no trouble getting out unnoticed. Once outside, he
took a deep breath of the cool, floral air, then pulled his white bandana out
of his pocket and tied it around his brow. Something, his conscience maybe,
wanted him to go back and see if Teri was okay, but his feet wouldn't respond
and he started walking. He was pretty sure that his intervention would only
bring about more problems later on anyway. So, his bandana flapping behind him
in the slight breeze, Shinji dissappeared amidst the hedges.

************************************************