story_ish_a_shift_in_timelines

((This was worked out between EVenstar and myself over ICQ, and subsequently hammered into something story-like (I call it

"story-like" because I reserve the word "story" for things that have happened in the past. This, on the other hand, is an ongoing thing).

So, er, have a look.))

Next to Sarath, a strange looking dragon with iridescent white scales, 4 eyes that are turreted like a chameleon's eyes, and hind paws that are adapted into hands appears floating in mid air reading the book that she is holding in her forepaws, and looks at Sarath with three of her eyes and keeps reading with the other one. "Hello." Somehow, Sarath knows that the strange being's name is Shaladra.

~Hello... Shaladra...~ Sarath looks startled at the presence of this being whose name she is surprised to find she knows. ~Um... what're you doing here?~

"I am here to discuss some things I might be going to do." She smiles gently at Sarath, or at least attempts to; it seems that smiling is not a natural thing for her.

~"Things"? Like what?~ She doesn't seem reassured.

"Changes."

She whimpers, as she doesn't like the sound of that. Changes tend to be frightening.

"Do not be afraid, they will not be harmful to you; in fact they are in a large part things that you want to happen." She reaches down and does her best to stroke Sarath's head reassuringly with a forepaw. Again, it is obviously not something that comes naturally to Shal.

~But... what will they be? Can you tell me?~ She stops whimpering, but she still does not look happy.

"You want your father to have a mate, do you not?"

She blinks, looking confused. ~Yes... I want a Mommy...~

"And do you enjoy hosting the Sa'arunai'itai Overmind?"

She looks even more startled than before. ~They/she is s'posed to be a secret!~

"I know; I am omniscient. I know everything."

~Oh...~ She tries not to be awed by this, but fails. ~Well... the Overmind is kinda loud... but I DO want her/them in me.~

"Why do you want her/them in you?"

Sarath proclaims proudly, ~'Cause it feels right. She/they told me it's 'cause I'm Sa'arunai'itai too... it's natural to have other minds in my head. I like her/them there... she/they keep my thoughts company.~

"And when you were the one you were before merging with them, would you have chosen that way?"

She seems confused again. ~I wasn't Sa'arunai'itai then. I chose this as my old self. Now I am Sa'arunai'itai, and I have the Overmind.~

"Hmmm... did you truly know what merging with the Overmind and being altered by her/them would entail, I wonder? You are not the one to ask about it, though; I have a solution." The environment changes. They are now in a square arena with Shaladra floating in the middle, with the Overmind on one side (Sarath can still feel the Overmind in her but also that they/her existing as a separate entity for the current discussion). On the side to the right of the Overmind is the current version of Sarath. Opposite the current version of Sarath is another version of Sarath, what she would have been if she hadn't merged with the Overmind (because the Overmind wasn't wandering for her to merge with) and instead had gone on as she was. The side opposite the Overmind is empty, for the moment.

She looks around at the various versions of herself in amazement. ~Wh-what is this? Why are there other... other... MEs?~

"Because what I am going to do will effect all of you differently."

She looks like she wants to whimper again. ~Why do you have to change things? What are you going to do?~

"Because things will fit better if changed a little."

She looks unhappy with it, but sighs and bows her head, waiting for whatever is going to happen to happen.

"And now for the final being." On the previously unoccupied side of the arena appears a female Sa'arunai'itai who the others can somehow tell is the host of a slightly different version of the Overmind, the primary difference being that not long before Sarath decided to merge with the Overmind, the Sa'arunai'itai reappeared.

She looks at the Sa'arunai'itai with wide eyes, then turns her head toward Shaladra. ~Is... is that... the one that is supposed to be my mommy?~

" If you want her to be; it all ties together though."

She continues to watch the Sa'arunai'itai with an uncertain eye, not entirely certain what Daddy is going to think of all this...

"If I make the change, it will be in the past; you will never have merged with the Overmind, because she/they would be being hosted by Sela'atura. If you and/or the Overmind choose to you can remember the current course of events."

~Yes, I want to remember.~

"Good, do you wish me to change things?"

~I... I guess... but I want to stay looking like I am now. I don't want to look like I did before I merged.~

"Hmmmm... that would be problematic."

Sarath looks sad. She likes how she looks now; it feels more natural to her. ~Can't you do anything about it?~

"Once the change has happened, you will never have been in this form. The memories of the current timeline will be more like a daydream than real memories, while the memories of the new timeline will be much more real.

"You might well find that you prefer your old form. Try it for a while; if you don't like it, I am sure something can be done."

Sarath tries hard not to cry. She is frightened by the prospect that everything that has happened since the merging will suddenly have something else imposed on top of it...

She nods, but only with reluctance.

She huggles Sarath. Again, it is slightly clumsy, like she has read a book about how to do it, but never actually done it. "Don't worry, it will all be ok."

When she lets go, the change has happened. Sarath is now her original, red-scaled self, and remembers that nothing that unusual has happened in the months since the time she joined with the Overmind in the other history line... and yet she cannot help thinking of the merging as something that never happened. As faint and dream-like as it is, she knows that it was real.

But she does not know where it is that the Sa'arunai'itai, Sela'atura, has gone to... Daddy hasn't met her yet.

Perhaps... perhaps it will happen soon.

-- Shyriath Wielder of the Great and Mighty Ouchmaker Sovereign Protector (Cheesism) Chief Root Beer Scientist (RootBeerism) Father of Sarath and Nale, Wing-brother to Athagon and Shadowing Owner of 1 Chocolate Point and 1 Ponder Point More information can be found at: http://www.angelfire.com/md2/shyriath/index.html