| Carried along by unknown assailants, WhiteShadow's fear turned to panic as he once again struggled with the rope holding his paws. Any attempts to free himself were met with sharp jabs into his sides from below. A female voice below WhiteShadow suddenly spoke up, strangely calm despite the fact that they were hurrying along the corridor. "Do not struggle, WhiteShadow, and we shall bring you no harm..." WhiteShadow tried to look down, but couldn't. "What are you talking about? Zedd said that I was to be sacrificed... To Mother." The speaker clicked her tongue. "That young fool doesn't realise that the time of sacrifice is long past... There is no helping Mother now..." "You mean, NeiFirst is dying... Again?!?" Asked a now utterly mystified Motavian. There was no response from below as they entered a bright cavern, finally coming to a halt. WhiteShadow was lowered to the ground and freed. Looking at his former captors, WhiteShadow beheld many similar looking creatures, all with the distinctive horn-like ears and pupiless eyes of the NeiChildren. But as he continued to study them, and they him, he noticed differences in their appearances that made them all unique. Although technically inbred, they were still a fine race to behold. One stepped forward from the crowd, and before he even heard her speak, WhiteShadow knew that this was the one that had spoken to him. Her pupiless eyes were green under a thick fringe of purple hair. "Now is not the time for us to stare at each other, WhiteShadow, for time is short. Meet Mother." She extended her hand, pointing over WhiteShadow's shoulder. Turning, WhiteShadow could not help but gasp out loud. He was once again in a technologically-lined room, this one alive with the humming of millions of tiny wires. Every single wire, it seemed, was running to one focal point... A female figure, embedded in the wall. Her entire form seemed to be composed of wiring and metal... Her large eyes were shut, and the wires in the centre throbbed dully rather than hummed with life as the others did. Instinctually, WhiteShadow knew that this was all that was left of NeiFirst, and also that she was dying. "Now you see the truth of Zedd's misguided beliefs, WhiteShadow." Said the NeiChild. "Our beloved Mother, upon her rebirth, found herself degenerating slowly as her age increased. To help stem this slow death, she integrated herself into the Bioplant's systems, using her own technological creation as a template to join with it. Unfortunately, she still needed an energy source, so, blindly, we would attack lost travellers and feed them to her, draining their life forces so that Mother could live on, protecting us... Sheltering us... "Many times we argued over our place in the world, and the consequences of our actions in keeping Mother alive, but never coming to a resolution. Until, Mother forced the issue herself. Realising that she had become naught but a technological vampire, she implored us to cease the futile killings, and allow her to finally pass on to the next life... But still we argued, for what would we do without our Mother to protect us from the creatures below? "That is why we sent Zedd to capture you, WhiteShadow. If you have the bravery and the skill to scale this mountain, then you have the necessary attributes to lead us from this dark place. Little did we know, that with your pure white fur and your Motavian features, you would be almost the exact opposite of Father. Ironic, that." WhiteShadow was stunned. Once again, through almost no intent of his own, a belief had been built up around him. A belief, he feared, that would be let down by the reality. Mulling over the events of the past few hours, he turned back to the NeiChildren, all looking at him with expectant eyes. All except the purple-haired woman, whose tone remained calm and neutral. "Um..." He began to say, but faltered. Gathering his thoughts, he tried again, not used to public speaking; "Look, I'm not the one to lead you out of here, because... Because, you can lead yourselves out! Don't you see?" Warming to his task, WhiteShadow's voice gained volume, power. "NeiFirst didn't protect you, she simply provided the materials, and you did the rest! It was your inventiveness that allowed you to create your weapons, your own know-how that allowed you to hunt, and eat the creatures below! And you know what? There are many more trees out there, and many more monsters to slay and live off of, and a planet full of people who will accept you. So get out there and make your own lives!" Cheering, the NeiChildren raced out. Exhausted from the effort, WhiteShadow slumped where he stood, his voice low as he finished; "You definitely don't want a life like mine." Unbeknownst to the Motavian, he was not the only one to hear that comment. Still standing in front of him was the purple-haired woman, this time proffering WhiteShadow's dual scimitars. "Despite the fact that you were at Zedd's mercy, that you had almost frozen to death outside, and that you had almost no idea of what danger you faced, even knowing that you were outnumbered and due to be sacrificed, you never stopped struggling. And now, your words have set my brothers and sisters free. Do not be confused; we watched your encounter with Zedd on the security monitors... So now, you are free yourself, WhiteShadow. Do not disregard your life, however, as life is a precious gift." WhiteShadow looked up, and took the offered scimitars, slipping them back into his belt. "The fact that you did not strike me down then reinforces my belief in you, WhiteShadow." This time, the NeiChild offered only her hand. "My name is Ywe. Pleased to meet you." "Th-thankyou, Why." Replied WhiteShadow, enounciating the strange name slowly. "But tell me this, are all you NeiChildren named after the letters of the alphabet? It seems so strange, and impersonal..." "Say what you will, WhiteShadow, but it is still my name... Otherwise, how would the others know me? Know my age, my place in the family?" "Well, I guess that you could retain the Y, Ywe, but you should have a name that reflects your personailty.... How about..." WhiteShadow pondered for a moment, organising the impressions he gained of his new friend. "How about Yasmine? Jasmine with a Y, to reflect the lovely colour of your hair... " Yasmine smiled. "Why not? All the NeiChildren are beginning new lives, what better way to mark that then with a new name? Thankyou, WhiteShadow... But I must go join the others... What will you do now?" "Well, if you could lead me to the other side of this mountain, I have some business to take care of." WhiteShadow's tone became darker as he remembered the horrors of the undead attack on Aeido. "You sound troubled, Shadow." Said Yasmine. "Yes, well... My business is of great importance to the people you are sharing this planet with, and yet they still shun and fear me... You and your kind are the only ones who have taken some goodness out of my presence... It is heartening. I shall now have extra courage when taking on the zombies that attacked the Hunter's Guild, and destroyed the nearby towns..." His voice trailed off as his revulsion and fear of the rotting animated corpses came back to him. "Perhaps, I could lend you even more courage? Even more aid?" Queried Yasmine, her once controlled tone now showing a hint of worry. "Perhaps, you could use me as an ally?" WhiteShadow's mind froze. What had she just proposed? Not only did she and her kin not fear WhiteShadow, she wanted to travel with him? The notion was a new and strange one to the lone Motavian, causing him some discomfort as he debated with himself as to how to respond. "You'll have to be fast..." "You know I am." "Have to handle a weapon, and yourself in combat..." "You've seen Zedd handle his bow, haven't you?" WhiteShadow nodded. "I taught him everything he knows." The controlled calm that Yasmine had displayed before was almost all gone. In it's place was a happy, excited tone. She sounded ready for the adventure of the outside world. Why had she not acted this way before? Either way, it seemed to WhiteShadow, she had her heart set on accompanying him. Not one to fight over minor annoyances, WhiteShadow gave in to her whim. "It looks like I've got myself a partner." He said, smirking. |