v8c8: Differences (Patreon)

Being awake again was so strange. She could think. She could feel. She could remember.

It was all so overwhelming, and the only reason why she didn’t just curl up and weep for the next century were the others.

They had gathered her up, and taken her to a warm, smooth stone under the sun, overlooking the representation of the Grand Ravine in her domain. They held her, gave her time to think, to sort through some of the chaos and the sensations that were flowing through her mind.

The view was beautiful. Calming. It filled her with awe and wonder and pride, to look upon the Grand Ravine, to know its beauty. She saw it, through a thousand different eyes, and a thousand different pieces of art. 

Thank Tianlan. Praise Tianlan. Ah, Tianlan blesses us with this beauty.

She was Tianlan. Or… part of Tianlan, she supposed. The other part utterly dwarfed her, as large as the Grand Ravine was. The shard of Tianlan could feel the echoes of steam, snow, stone, iron and marble, a massive lake, the Dueling Peaks, the expanse of the Grass Sea and the lingering smoke from Ash Forest.

The Ravine was beautiful. But all those other places had their own beauty, too. A farm in the north, so wonderful and full of life. An Iron Dragon, roaring and carrying people to their destinations. Hot springs rising out of the earth, their cousins laughing and drinking with Imperials without fear, the thunder of water down the Gutter.

Spires of rust and metal, gleaming and reaching for the heavens; a perfectly circular lake. Creations of an upheaval the Ravine had largely been spared. Beauty, made from destruction. The surge of light and life, a river of emotion, compared to the quiet solitude that had been her life in the Ravine.

She looked to the side. Somewhat paradoxically, she looked better than the greater part of herself. Her eyes found the Tianlan who had the form of a young girl. Tianlan had entire swathes of her body clad in gold, cracks running through her body, and her clothes were just slightly frayed at the edges. 

She knew it was the differences in circumstances. She, the shard of the greater whole, had been cared for and tended to. There were a few small cracks at her wrists and her neck, but the care the Grand Ravine had for her corporeal form was obvious.

The other part of her had not been treated so kindly, torn to pieces and bleeding out—and yet her heart still had room for love. She could feel that through the thickening connection between them. Her larger whole had her own fears and reservations, and yet still, even after everything, she could feel joy and happiness.

Most of it was due to the man beside her. Her contractor. Their contractor. She could feel the bond. She could feel the rightness. Not just with him, but from another presence, who would glance over in concern.

He was steady and enduring, like the earth itself. He cared. He cared enough to willingly come from his life away from politics and cultivators because the earth was wounded and hurting.

He had come to make things better. 

“To think that a prophecy founded on a misunderstanding… ended up coming true anyway,” she muttered to herself, echoing the sentiment that she could feel in her connection.

“I know, right?” her larger, yet shorter portion asked, her grin cheeky.

“It's funny how things end up working out, huh, Tianlan?” her contractor asked, before his brow furrowed. “Hmmm. Calling you both Tianlan is gonna be a bit confusing. How about Xiaolan and Gaolan?”

Small-Lan and Tall-Lan.

“You’re lucky you already call me that. Really, making your partner change her name!” her shorter part scoffed, while she felt some amusement at the nickname.

“If that is what you will, mine contractor, I shall bear it with pride, like a shield name of the Ravine,” Gaolan said, inclining her head. The movements came easily. Powerful. Regal. That was what the Ravine thought of her, and thus it was so. She had a thousand thoughts, actions, etiquette floating around in her mind.

Her contractor seemed taken aback at her tone of voice, and the bow, before turning to Xiaolan.

“Look at how regal she is. Now that's an Earth Spirit. You need to take some lessons on gravitas, huh?” he teased.

“Haaa?!” came the immediate eruption from Xiaolan. “I can do gravitas! You’ve seen me do gravitas!”

“You throw mud and headbutt people,” her contractor rebutted.

“Both are valid responses to what I have to deal with! It's a precision technique, just ask Xiulan and Tigu! They both were cured by percussive maintenance!” Xiaolan said proudly.

“I’m pretty sure both of them just call you an annoying gremlin…”

The two of them began squabbling like children, sniping and jabbing and getting heated on the outside, while their souls bore nothing but amusement and happiness. Her smaller half ended up tackling their contractor, and their foreheads connected with the sound of rock on rock—

And underneath all that, was the hope that their little show was amusing to her.

Indeed, it was. Despite how things had changed, she and her bigger half still had the same sense of humour. The headbutts, the poking and prodding… it was like being with Xiaoshi again.

Even though that thought provoked a dull ache in her chest, Gaolan found herself chuckling at the two rolling around in the dirt.

They were both utter fools, but being so bright and open was how people were supposed to act among friends and family. Better to burn hot and have a fist fight then keep it to yourself and stew for years, eroding the bonds between kin.

That was how the Ravine did it! Or was supposed to do it.

It was strange, to know what she ought to be. To finally have form to truly be what the people of the Ravine thought she was—Tianlan, the great Ancestor who had protected them, who continued to protect them.

The goddess whose name was on their lips when they marched to war.

Gaolan frowned at the thought. It sat uneasily with her. She was ancient… and yet most of that time had been spent as a mass of instinct and emotion.

She reached for her connection to the greater whole, to help her make sense of these new strange feelings. She pressed towards her larger half, hoping to see more. It felt right, to press forward. To immerse herself in herself, to become one, to return to what was right—

A hand on her shoulder snapped her out of the thoughts, gently pushing her away, and back to the surface.

“Hey. Hey, you still with us?” Xiaolan asked, her voice worried.

Gaolan gasped, as she realised what had just happened… and that provoked a fresh round of confusion.

“Why… did you not just merge with me?” The question was quiet. She was part of Tianlan, after all. Why had her other part allowed her to awaken? Why had she held off, and allowed her to exist, when by all rights, she should have just been returned to the whole?

“Because you’re different enough to choose,” came the calm, matter of fact answer. “At your core, you’re me. But the years have made you into something else. There's a core to you that’s… separate. We could have just merged, but I want you to have a choice… and I wanted to get to know the lady that Altan’s descendants took care of so well.”

“Choose?” Gaolan asked. Nobody had ever asked her to choose before… she simply had been.

“Maybe it's better this way. Maybe it's worse. I’m not sure yet. But what I do know… is that you deserve to see the Grand Ravine, as more than a mass of instinct. Whatever happens next… we’ll figure it out! Stay separate or join back together, it's all good with me!” Xiaolan said cheerfully, and held out her hand.

It was rather an absurd thing to say. If she wanted to stay separate, she could? Part of her was baffled by the offer. She was but a small shard of what was Tianlan.

And yet another part of her, the part the Ravine Folk loved and worshipped… appreciated it. 

Gaolan took the offered hand.

===

Baatar stared anxiously as the crystal glowed, brighter and brighter. The Qi of the earth filled the air, filled this most sacred, holy place.

The Herald of the Earth’s eyes had been closed for perhaps half of an hour, when everything suddenly shifted.

The earth trembled. The crystal glowed. And for an instant, a woman made of golden light appeared. Her dress was that of the Ravine; her eyes were Tianlan blue.

She placed a hand on the Herald’s shoulder, a soft smile coming to her lips. Then, the woman looked upon the gathered Elders, her vast presence pressing against them.

Thank you. For everything.

The voice was a whisper on the wind; and yet it touched Baatar’s soul.

And then it was gone.

The Herald of the Earth rose, and the crystal’s light dimmed slightly, but it maintained its inner light; gold now, instead of amber. Revitalized. There was no sudden outpouring of great strength.  And yet… they could feel the difference in the air.

“You’ve taken good care of this,” the Herald said, turning to face them. He considered them all. He weighed them. He clearly was having another internal conversation with the Earth, his head tilting.

“Your prophecy is at least partially correct,” he finally spoke. “This land is broken. The Dragon Veins were shattered, long ago—before the battle on the solstice weakened them even more. The entire point of my journey through these hills was to repair them.”

Baatar made to sink to his knees. They all did, but the Herald raised a hand. His green eyes bored into them all.

“That will not be happening,” he stated bluntly. “I will take no oaths of loyalty, nor will I take a leading role in anything that you think of. You will not be prostrating yourselves, nor declaring my superiority to others—that is, if you have any respect for my wishes. If you do not… by all means. But I will not be pleased.”

His words were the coldest any had heard from the man. The crystal beside him glowed.

Everybody wisely stayed standing.

“I came here to fulfill a promise to a very good friend, and fix the Dragon Veins. As for the rest of your prophecy, why would I be needed? It's already happening. This golden era, where you can walk without fear… aren’t you already walking down that path?” the man asked.

Baatar closed his eyes, as he realised what the Herald was getting at. It was the same reason why Cai Xiulan did not march into the Dueling Peaks as an Empress. Their orders would be followed. But would the people’s hearts be moved, when a command was given, instead of the bonds between people growing naturally?

“Are you not already working with Cai Xiulan? Were you not the first to declare that you would strike out old grudges? Do not all the sects now work together to repair what your ancestors built?”

Truly, this man was worthy of being the Herald of the Earth. His vision was long and clear.

Baatar had scolded the others for having no patience—but here he had been hoping the man before him could simply snap his fingers and make their dream a reality.

Of course things were not that easy. And yet he was correct. They had already started down the path they desired.

“It is as you say, Herald of the Earth,” Baatar replied.

The man nodded.

“Now. I think that's enough excitement for one night,” he said with a smile. “I’m looking forward to seeing the sunrise from the Ravine tomorrow.”

===

===

Jin's soul is getting a bit crowded. Both Tallan and Smallan at the same time?

Edited by:  BargleNawdleZouss,