PRACTICE? (finished)

[terezi]

Terezi wanted to fight today. She wanted to go absolutely berserk and defeat thousands of foes! Even if there where thousands of foes, that would definitely not be possible. She had to make do with imagining that sort of thing in her mind, it was quite easy to do when she practiced with the right person. The right person wasn't around, however. In fact, no one was around! It was incredibly boring. She was all dressed up with nowhere to go. She had just gotten off of a few hours of duty, and now was sitting in the practice courtyard alone.

It was so boooo-ring. There wasn't an interesting thing to do as far as she could sense. Imagining a fight wasn't nearly as fun alone, so that was out of the question. The only thing to do was to make her sword-whip swish from side to side like a tail on the hard ground. Swish-swish. Swish-swish.

[Vix]

The sound of flapping wings faintly drifted down from above as a figure with a large wingspan entered the airspace above the courtyard and circled overhead for a few seconds. It seemed to shift until came to a stop, almost directly above the area's lone inhabitant. After a few seconds the wings folded back and the Shadow Beast dived quickly toward the ground. Seconds before landing in a painful crash it was enveloped in a swirling mass of twilight particles that touched down and stopped without any impact. The square-shaped bits of darkness all receded to revealed a young, grey-faced Twili boy with red hair and redder eyes.

"Is today my lucky day?" he asked of Terezi, looking directly to her from just a meter away unless she had moved from her spot during his descent. "I can't believe I found you so easily."

[terezi]

There was a rustle in the air. It was impossible to tell who or what it was at first, but it was definitely coming her way. Her smile started small but got bigger and bigger as the thing came closer and closer. Whatever it was, it would be the end to her boredom. Terezi didn't move even when the thing seemed as if it where going to crash right into her.

Terezi stood up to greet this thing that was now obviously a twili. He wasn't anyone that she recognized, and he seemed a little small for her to practice fighting with. Unless he had some hidden abilities it wouldn't be very fun.

When he spoke to her, it was a bit confusing. She was still smiling, but she tilted her head to the side slightly. What could he possibly want? "So you where looking for me? Where you personally trying to find me, or are you sent from someone else?" Maybe there was a new page in the castle that she didn't know about. It seemed likely. "Either way, spit it out. You've got me all curious now."

[Vix]

"Oh, it's a very personal quest, all right," the younger one replied with a satisfied smile. Vix's hands came to rest crossed before his chest as he looked the woman over.

Her appearance was right. It was just like the data that his... associate... had recovered. How to make a good first impression, however, hadn't been part of the info. Vix figured he'd just have to wing it. Most Twili were pretty passive and agreeable, after all.

"You're Terezi, right? The seer who lost her sight?"

[terezi]

His reply didn't help to lessen her curiosity. It made it worse, if anything. It wasn't often that people she didn't know came up to greet her, and for someone to actually seek her out was a rare happening indeed. Most would stay away, and that was a shame. They where intimidated by her status or her unusual condition, or both.

But not this boy. "I didn't lose it, it was burned from my head. I was unjustly punished." The very memory of it made her blood start to boil. Her lips curled into a snarl before she remembered that she didn't want to scare this boy away. "Let me get a better look at you, boy." She leaned towards his face until their noses where almost touching. "You're very young, aren't you? What would someone like you want from me?"

[Vix]

Vix allowed the ex-seer to do as she pleased in examining him. this much, at least, he had been briefed on. Hopefully that so-called detective he'd gotten to gather the information he needed was right about a few other things as well. Now was the time to find out.

"Actually, there isn't anything I want from you," the typically chubby Twili child answered, his voice still sounding a bit harsh as he always did. Vix wasn't fond of how most Twili were so pleased with their existence, so if this girl turned out to be exactly the same he'd be disappointed. "It's something that we might have in common. I'm given to understand that you aren't completely "satisfied" with what the legendary Light Realm got away with doing to you?"

Vix's red eye burned with intent that Terezi couldn't see. He was purposefully prodding a sore spot. If she had any small spark of passion in her then she was the type of Twili he was looking for.

[terezi]

Now that she had gotten close enough to him, Terezi would be able to recognize the boy from farther away. In a large crowd she might not, but if he was alone she would know it was him. If she ever wanted to find him, that is. She hoped that he wasn't just wasting her time with pointless questions, and making her angry for no reason.

This was a touchy subject for her. It wasn't something that she was entirely comfortable talking about, especially with those of a lesser standing. She had discussed it often enough with other guards, and even Midna. It was their right to know of this, but what about this boy? What had caused him to seek her out?

When her unspoken question was partly answered, she found herself to be surprised. This boy was young, and as far as she could tell, intact. She couldn't tell why he should have thoughts like that, but she wasn't going to miss the chance to find out. "Your comparison is useless. To say that I'm not completely 'satisfied' with this doesn't do justice to the situation at all, and I'm all about justice." Terezi was smiling again. Her thoughts where running away with her, and she had to make herself concentrate on the conversation. She shouldn't imagine cutting out the eyes of the dwellers of the light realm, not now. That would just leave her unsatisfied and unbalanced. "I have my own reasons, but what is causing you to have 'something in common' with me?"

[Vix]

Vix seemed happy with that reaction, his smile turning a bit smug. The boy moved his arms again and pointed his right hand to his own chest while gesturing to his new acquaintance with his left.

"We both have something we want that can't be satisfied while we're here," the redhead answered her. His arms dropped to his sides as Vix's gazed turned away from the fellow Twili. He now gazed off to the side and upward. It was the faintly-glowing patterns of Twilight in the black sky that drew his attention now.

It disgusted him.

"Here in this Twilight Realm."

[terezi]

Terezi didn't have anything against the Twilight Realm itself like this boy, it was a good home and gave her most everything that she needed, except for the few big things. She had a secret, small desire to see the sun again, but she knew that was not possible. Anything that beautiful and incredibly painful wasn't something that she could forget. It was remarkable, really.

"And what is it, that you want?" Terezi figured that it wouldn't be intruding too much to ask that question. He had sought her out, and seemed to know that much about her. It was only fair. "I don't think that you have told me your name yet. You already know mine, it seems." She had to wonder how much more he did know about her, and what he was planning to do with their knowing each other now. He had to have some sort of plan. It would show itself sooner or later.

[Vix]

"Ah, forgive my rudeness," Vix answered, returned his red gaze to the blind woman. He gave a small bow out of proper respect and offered his name to her. "I am Vix. As you said before, just a child. Nobody sinister or even special in any way. I haven't even any magic to call my own, rare as that is."

Vix righted himself again now, introductions properly exchanged. He seemed to have succeeded in intriguing Terezi. At the least, she hadn't chased him off or attacked him yet. Now he had to seal the deal, though. Her potential aid could make a lot of difference in how easy or hard this quest was, not that it seemed to be easy in any way.

"I don't have everything I want here in this world, so I want to find the Light Realm and find out if what I want is there instead. It's as simple as that. But, even if it is just a child's self-indulgence, that doesn't mean I won't help others with their own reasons to find that other world. Finding other Twili who aren't entirely satisfied with life here is hard, but as I said before there's nothing special about me so all I can do is be active about it and gather together people who share my goal. One of them pointed me in your direction as a possible... ally. Our search has just begun but we plan to make it happen somehow. All we wanted, Terezi, was to find out if you'd like to help us. We thought you might have your own personal reasons to look, just as we do."

[terezi]

"You do realize what I am, don't you? I work directly under the Twilight Assassin. Telling me these things could prove dangerous for you, and whoever you work with." She wasn't going to go through with this threat, not now and not anytime soon hopefully. She was mostly saying this for her own amusement, her still-present smile hinted at that. "I won't make any move against you or your friends unless you break the law, or disobey our sovereign." She was required to say this, it would keep her from blame if she associated herself with people who did break the law.

"If you do know who I am, I can see why you came to me. If there was any possibility of entering the light realm, I would be right there on the front line, behind or in front of Midna. Wherever she needed me. I'm privileged in that way." By this, she meant that she would be there to attack or defend, no matter what. It was in her job description. "I can see us becoming friends as long as you play by the rules, Vix. If you skirt around the Law, or go against the word of Midna, you know what will happen." She hoped that he knew about her duty to uphold the law, then he would know that her warnings where very real. He had probably heard about how she went about it as well,...He was just a boy, but it was necessary that her thoughts be known.

[Vix]

"Your warnings are completely understood," Vix assured her, his hands before him and opened in a defensive gesture. Just because she was blind didn't mean he would stop using the body language that he was used to, after all. "I'm not aware of it being against the law to search for the Light Realm, so please don't think of me as a potential criminal."

Really though Vix wouldn't hesitate to defy even Midna herself if it ever became a choice between her or his goal. He hated life here so much that the land's ruler was hardly held in any real regard. Still, being as young as he was, Vix was easily seen as just a spoiled child who'd never really defy authority and not an actual rebel. Of course, what he said was true: He didn't plan on breaking any laws if he could help it.

"In fact, it is your very status that led me to you. My associate and I would very much appreciate the opportunity to enter the palace and search for clues to our next step there. Gathering information is their specialty, you see. With the proper permission and guidance we hoped to begin the search here, if you could assist us with that."

[terezi]

Terezi giggled a bit. She didn't think that she would have to worry about these things with this boy, but she still had fun saying them. "It's not the act itself that is against the law, that has been deemed impossible anyway." Heh. Impossible, but did that stop some from looking? Certainly not. "It's how you go about it that matters, understand?" That was the more delicate aspect of the matter. She would find out as much as she could about Vix and those 'friends' that he mentioned, and watch them closely for two reasons. The first: to make sure that they followed the rules and where good little Twili. The second: She was genuinely interested and curious in them. If they did get anywhere, she wanted to know it.

At the boy's request, her smile shrunk a tiny bit, but still stayed. She had expected him to ask something of her, why else would he have come? "Now about that. That is not my decision to make. If I where to bring an unknown group to snoop around the Palace, that would be a mark against me, you see. I will not only have to notify my superiors, but ask their permission as well. That will take more that just a few minutes." Terezi sat down on the ground again. "I will have to contact you later. I'll need to know where to reach you."

[Vix]

"Don't worry, I'm at least mature enough to understand the limits of your authority. Having a voice in the palace to ask the right people for permission at all is really what I hoped for," Vix explained, though secretly he had held out some expectation that Terezi might be passionate enough to let them in right away. Still, it was probably a long road ahead so no need to be less patient now.

"Yes of course," the boy said in response to her final inquiry. The redhead moved closer and removed a card from within his robe. He placed it on the ground next to the blind Twili's hand. He assumed she could get someone else to read his contact information for her when it was needed. His parents would probably be impressed if someone from the palace came calling at home for him.

"I still have other like-minded people to track down but it was a pleasure meeting you Terezi. I hope to find out with you that the Light Realm isn't just a fairy tale after all, just as your vision foretold."

With that the Seeker of Light was engulfed in black particles once again. This time when they cleared his Shadow Beast form emerged, spreading its wide, multi-pointed wings out. Vix flapped them several times to gain altitude then banked, gliding off into the dark sky once more. In seconds he had left the courtyard the same way he had come.

Little did the boy know that the next time Terezi contacted him it would be much, MUCH better news than he was expecting.

[Vix Exit]

[terezi]

Truth be told, Terezi was interested in what the boy would be able to dig up. The sort of Twili that this endeavor would attract often times weren't of the norm, but it made things all the more interesting! "Wheehehehe! We'll meet each other again very soon I'm sure." Even though she hadn't gotten what she wanted from sitting in the courtyard, it was equally as interesting as a practice fight.

When the boy transformed, Terezi stood up and waved goodbye to him, but not before picking up the card. She didn't want it to blow away. She had sensed it like a white smudge on the ground. "Heh, me too Vix, there are more with these sort of tendencies than you realize. Even if they don't admit it to themselves." Terezi knew this for a fact. She never lied to herself, so it was a shame to see others do so.

It was hard to tell what the boy's shadow beast form was, but it didn't seem very beastly to her. It seemed more elegant with lots of wings. Who needed that many wings anyway? Two where just fine.

Terezi waited until he was entirely gone, then licked the card that she had been given to get an idea of what it said. She absolutely HATED having to rely on others to read things for her, so she would avoid it when she could. Luckily this card wasn't very difficult to get the information from. Terezi pivoted on her heel and made her way back into the palace.

[EXIT]
[THREAD FINISHED]

[Azler Wilder]

This thread has been Officially Finished!

Terezi and Vix received a 20 Rupee Finisher Reward for completing the requirements!

Thank you~