After a rather odd night at Samantha's house near Haven, the "spacers" who answered Timothy's beacon find a place to curl up for the night. As morning breaks, Copernicus is outside talking to Charon's remote as Nalae and Acera wake up in their tree top sleeping area.
Copernicus purrs, "So Charon, it's good to see you again after all this time."
Nalae stretches, yawning. She rubs at her eyes tiredly and looks around.
The little dragon perches on Copernicus' head. "You changed your body, Copernicus."
Copernicus smirks, "Well, actually this happened to me a long time ago. I thought I had it fixed, then moving our solar system on accident brought it back."
Acera is still sleeping soundly in her room further along the branch.
The little remote nods, "You should plan that sort of thing."
Copernicus smirks, "How do you plan accidentally flushing an entire solar system that you were just trying to save from destruction."
Nalae sits up and glances down at the two 'spacers'. Whatever they are. Smiling slightly, she supposes that 'spacer' is a word odd enough to describe those two.. whatever they are.
Acera rolls over in her sleep, one small foot sticking out the open "door" of her room.
Charon suggests, "By running simulations?"
Nalae grins at Acera and tickles at the pad of her foot. "Hey.. wake up," she murmurs.
Acera mumbles then giggles then finally chitters, "Ok, ok, I'm up. I'm up."
Nalae grins at Acera.
Copernicus chuckles, "We had no time. No way to simulate what might happen. I was patching together arcane technology with some of the information from my Uncle Otto's books on stabilizing dimensions. ;)"
The foot-long black dragon on Copernicus' head turns to watch Nalae and Acera. A little blue gem embedded in its forehead glitters.
Acera yawns as wide as her small mouth will allow, but showing an nice set of teeth like Nalae's. She chitters, "So, whatcha want?"
Copernicus's ears flick as he looks up and grins at the two children.
Nalae says, "Those.. spacers.. are talkin' down there..."
"What's a spacer?" the little dragon asks.
Copernicus chuckles, "Actually, my race is called "Chirr'T'Thar". And the little fella here belongs to the Stela'rhyan. We are one of many races that travel through space."
Acera wakes up at this and looks down, "Really? Think we can go into space sometime? Wouldn't that be neat Nalae?"
Nalae blinks quickly, glancing down at the two. She hadn't thought that she had spoken loudly enough for them to hear...
Copernicus grins, "I have big ears, and it's a very quiet morning."
Nalae says, "I.. um.. I don't know..."
Acera starts scrambling down the ladder and churrs at Nalae, "C'mon. I wanta talk with em without that mage talking about trading stuff all the time. C'mon!"
Copernicus chuckles at Charon, "Children are so amazing sometimes."
The little remote blinks down at Copernicus. "Only sometimes?"
Copernicus hmms, "They can be amazingly frustrating at others. A lot like life I guess."
Acera is moving down the ladder as she glances up at Nalae, "C'mon. Don'tcha want to talk to em about your folks?"
Nalae nods a bit. She makes her way down the tree trunk, slowing her pace so she doesn't get ahead of Acera.
Acera finally gets to the base of the tree and pads over to the two "spacers" and chitters, "Hiya! I'm Acera Beiter, and this is my friend, Nalae. (C'mon Nalae)."
The dragon says, "I am Charon."
Nalae remains near Acera's side. "Hi," she murmurs.
The winged snow leopard purrs, "And I'm Copernicus Skygazer Talorn, often called just "Coper" or other things I probably shouldn't repeat in front of you. So, you wanted to ask me something ladies?"
Acera hmmfs, "I'm not a lady. I'm a girl."
Acera looks at Nalae, "You wanta ask em?"
Copernicus's tail is idly swaying as his ears flick amusedly, smiling softly at the two youngsters.
Nalae blinks a few times. "I.. um.. I was sorta wondering if you might've seen people like me before, maybe.." She looks distinctly uncomfortable.
Before you stands a slender young girl who looks not unlike a pine
marten. She stands a mere three feet tall, fully covered in rich brown fur
but for a bright cream-colored patch on her throat. She watches you warily
through pitch black eyes set into a face of sharp, angular features. Her
nose protrudes sharply forward and her ears poke up and back, swiveling to
catch the sounds about her. Gathered close against her sides (if one looks
closely) can be made out the folds of fragile-appearing gliding membranes.
An oily black paste has been smeared in thin lines and symbols through the
fur beneath her eyes, and highlighted by small dots of a bright orange. Her
form is currently clad in small, loose-fitting articles of leather that
don't restrict her freedom of motion.
Copernicus frowns slightly as he purrs, "I've seen a lot of races, some that sort of look like yours. How big do your adults get?"
Charon's remote looks Nalae up and down. "I have references to similar species as well, but none that match your form exactly."
Nalae shuffles a foot on the ground. "A bit bigger'n me..."
Copernicus's whiskers wilt as he guesses the problem and purrs, "I'm sorry, I haven't. I assume you are looking for your parents?"
Even Acera looks rather disappointed. She was hoping to take a space ride to Nalae's home.
Nalae nods faintly, lowering her gaze a bit. "I.. just woke up here... I can't find them anywhere..."
"Do you know if your kind is native to this world?" the little dragon asks.
Nalae blinks at the dragon a few times. "I.. um.. what?"
Acera blinks, "Well, ma hasn't found any reference to her type, but even my ma isn't everywhere. That is what ya meant, right?"
The little dragon bobs its head in a nod. "Yes."
Copernicus hmms, "All the disturbance of moving our solar system probably triggered a few gates here and there, and you may have gotten caught in one. I'm sorry Nalae, I'll have our scouts check for your people. Can you tell me how they lived? What types of things they built?"
Nalae says, "I.. we lived in the forests..."
"What kinds of trees?" asks the remote.
Nalae ums.. "They.. were just trees.." She gestures towards the nearby deciduous trees. "Taller than these.. with.. thinner needles.. more pointed..."
The dragon nods, "And what color was the sky? And the sun? Did it have a summer and winter?"
Copernicus smirks, "Take it easy Charon. She's obviously a bit overwhelmed."
Acera sniffs at Charon a bit, then looks at Copernicus's wings.
Nalae blinks several times. What odd questions. "It.. it.. it was like here... except for the trees..."
Nalae isn't really good at dealing with new people.. she's from a small independent tribe where she'd known everyone all her life....
Charon quiets down and just listens, curled up on Coper's noggin.
Copernicus hmmms, "You curious about something Acera?"
Acera nods, "Ya, but I'll let Nalae go first. Her stuff's a lot more important."
Copernicus nods and then looks at Nalae, "You know, I have someone you'd probably like to meet. She's like you, she's lost her home."
Nalae fidgets a bit more and rubs at her nosepad. "I.. I dunno.. if they haven't seen anyone like me before.."
Nalae glances up, blinking.
Copernicus purrs, "Well, we cover a lot of space as we search Nalae. We can possibly find them for you. But yes, my mate, Melora, has lost her home, in much the same way you did."
Nalae nods slowly, sniffing. "You.. haven't found her old home yet?"
Copernicus purrs, "Well, we may have, but we haven't had a chance to check it out yet. A lot has been happening lately. She nearly died, and she's carrying our kits."
Acera is looking impatient, yet doesn't want to interrupt her friend.
Nalae nods slowly. "O-okay.. is she near here?"
Charon's remote studies Acera idly.
Copernicus shakes his head, "No, she's on my homeworld, up there amongst the stars. Charon, you think your brothers and sisters can look for Nalae's people also?"
Nalae blinks several times, her eyes getting very big.
The little remote looks down at Copernicus, "I'm an only child."
Copernicus blinks, "Hmmm? I thought Clothos and Kraken and the other Stela'rhyan were your siblings also?"
Nalae's voice begins to tremble. "Y-you're Creators?"
"They are my aunts and uncles and cousins.." the remote goes on.
Copernicus is about to respond to Charon when he blinks, "We're what Nalae?"
Nalae mentally kicks herself.. she ought to have realized it before.. they came down from the sky...
Nalae says, "The Creators... the Keeper told us tales about you.. back home... about how you made the world from your fur, and balanced it on the back of three plodders.."
Charon's little remote just stares at Nalae.
"Chirr'T'Thar don't shed enough fur to make a planet," is the remote's eventual response.
Copernicus is startled, but has had to learn to deal with very different beliefs from Melora. He purrs softly, "No little one. We didn't make the stars or the worlds. We have just learned to travel between them. Given time, your people may someday too."
Acera blinks and bites her tongue, remembering that ma said not to laugh at other folks for what they believe.
Copernicus purrs, "I'm going to be returning to Melora in a day or so Nalae. I'll tell her about you. I've been looking for a good place to rear our kids. They need to spend time on a more rural world in addition to my home. I think she'll like you, and you may get a chance to play with our kits."
Nalae blinks several more times. "But.. but... you can't come back, once you go to the stars... my.. brother went, when I was little.."
Copernicus's ears go back a bit as he ponders how to explain this.
"Do you remember which one he went to?" Charon innocently asks.
Acera gapes in confusion at Nalae and Charon.
Nalae shakes her head several times, and explains, as though to a kit much younger than herself (the remote's size, undoubtedly, helps). "You don't go _to_ one... when you leave here, you go up there, and look back down.. you can't come back, but you watch over your family an' friends while they sleep.. to keep them safe.."
Copernicus ohs and nods, "He died then. Did all of him leave, or did his body stay behind?"
The little dragon just looks confused.
Nalae is about to respond, but finds herself a bit limited by the words she knows. Finally, she says, "The important part of him left..."
Copernicus nods, "Yes. A lot of races call that their "soul". When souls leave for the stars, they usually can't come back. But we travel while we are still alive, so we don't really end up traveling through the same places."
Charon, who lives in space and only occasionally visits planetary surfaces, gets even more confused.
Nalae nods slightly, looking rather uncertain of what Copernicus is saying. Finally, she says, "Well.. if you see my brother.. would you tell him I miss him?"
"What does he look like?" Charon still hasn't grasped the concept yet..
Copernicus blinks, "I'm still alive Nalae, so I couldn't see him, not till I die anyhow. Er, I don't think you understand Charon."
Charon's remote blinks at Copernicus. "Is this like where my name comes from?"
Copernicus is now confused, "Your name?"
Nalae ohs quietly. She glances over at Acera and makes a vague gesture towards Copernicus. Her turn. She goes to the base of a nearby tree and sits down against it, looking utterly befuddled.
"'Charon' was a mythical boatman who carried souls to the land of the dead," the remote explains.
Acera blinks and pads over to Nalae and chitters, "What's wrong? I mean, I know it hurts to lose your brother all that time ago, but I mean, I don't understand?"
Copernicus licks his nose and then nods, "Yes, that's about right. All races have different ideas of what happens to them when they die. In fact, some races have several each."
Nalae shakes her head a bit. "I.. I don't know.. I.. just don't understand anything they say..."
Acera ohs, "Well, ma says that's normal when you meet someone new. It's like a puzzle, trying to figure em out. Hey, I know, you wanna fly? I mean really fly?"
Copernicus sighs and shakes his head, "Well Charon, it looks like I need a lot of practice talking to children."
Nalae glances up at Acera, rubbing at her nosepad. "How?"
The remote shrugs, but the motion is lost in the shaking of Coper's head.
Copernicus purrs, "How have you been Charon? I haven't seen you for a long time."
Acera grins, "Just leave that to me. Watch. ;)" and pads back to the odd duo.
"I've been traveling," the remote says.
Nalae watches Acera, but remains sitting at the base of the tree.
Acera pads up to Copernicus and chitters, "Do those wings work? Can ya really fly?"
Copernicus chuckles, "Yes, I can fly quite well thank you. Some of my landings have been less than wonderful, but I can fly."
Acera gives her best little innocent minkette eyes and chitters, "Can ya carry passengers?"
Nalae rubs at her nosepad a bit, sniffing.
Copernicus rolls his eyes up to Charon, "I'm getting this feeling I'm outclassed. What do you think my friend?"
The remote blinks tiny eyes. "I don't understand the question."
Copernicus grins, "When I have a lot of time, I'll try and explain Charon. I assume Acera, that you and your friend want a ride? ;)"
Acera nods, "She's upset about her brother and stuff, and maybe this'll cheer her up."
Copernicus hmms, "And what will your mother think?"
Acera fidgets a bit at this and then chitters, "Well, she let's Nalae jump out of the tree alla time."
Copernicus smirks as he guesses Nalae is built for that and chuckles, then pads over to Nalae, "Nalae? I'm sorry I upset you. I guess it's cause I don't quite understand a lot of things, and I confuse people in the process. Your friend wants me to take you two for a flight. Would you like that?"
Nalae glances up at Coper. She wipes at her eyes, despite having no tears, and nods a little bit. "Okay.."
Copernicus hmms and grins, "Well, I think I've been in this form long enough. Oh. Nalae, Acera, remember how my other friends looked yesterday, the ones with arms?"
Acera nodnods, "Ya. I was gonna ask ya if you were...misborn, but ma says that's rude."
Nalae nods a little bit..
Charon's remote hops off of Copernicus' head to get a better view of this transformation..
Copernicus purrs, "Well, It was because of something I did that I look like this, but I can change back for short periods of time. Just wanted to warn you first, so I don't scare you."
Nalae blinks several times. "You.. you.. change bodies?"
Copernicus concentrates, and after a moment a blue shimmer runs through his fur, and he seems to melt and reform as a winged felitaur, arms and all.
Nalae winces, and averts her eyes as Copernicus changes shape. It's almost painful to watch.
Copernicus stretttttttttches and purrs, "Good to have my upper body back, even for just a few hours. I guess you could say I change bodies Nalae. My race thinks it's even weirder than you do, I'll bet. So, you two want to go flying?"
Acera just goes, "Cool! Can ya teach me to do that?"
"I don't remember those horns, Copernicus," notes the remote.
Copernicus hmms and rubs his forehead where the two little nubs of horns peek through, "Well, last time I was changed, the cure had some side effects. Cute little seal girl helped me."
Nalae murmurs, "You _are_ one of the Creators..." She slowly stands and moves over to join Acera near Copernicus.
Copernicus decides not to argue at this point and purrs, "So, you two should fit on my back in front of my wings. Who wants to sit closest to my torso? The portion with my arms on it?"
Acera hmms, "Where ya want ta sit Nalae?". She's so happy they're going that she doesn't care where she sits.
Charon's remote looks up at Copernicus. "If I ride you, do you promise not to cause any riots?"
Nalae pauses for a minute. "Can I sit behind you, Acera?"
Copernicus chuckles, "I promise. At least none today, ok? ;)"
Acera looks up at Copernicus and hmms to Nalae, "That'll be ok, sure. That ok to you Copper...ni...Coper?"
Nalae has, by this time, become accustomed to not understanding the conversation between Copernicus and Charon. But that's to be expected, since they're Creators. Or Copernicus is, at least.
Copernicus leans over and helps Acera to sit behind his upper back, then offers Nalae a hand, purring, "Where do you want to sit, Charon?"
Nalae settles onto Copernicus's back, her arms going gently around Acera's waist. She's suddenly a lot more at ease, no longer acting as though afraid she's going to be unexpectedly bitten by Coper or Charon..
The little dragon hops up onto Copernicus' rump. "I will sit here. It is the toughest part of Copernicus, I think."
Copernicus laughs, "And where Kainudy thinks I keep my brains I bet. Ok, I'm going to wrap my tail around you two, ok? I jump straight up to take off, don't want you to fall."
Nalae smiles at him a little bit. "Okay."
Copernicus's prehensile tail curls around the two mustelids, with Acera giggling and squeezing it. He purrs, "You all set Charon?"
The dragonette nods, and digs in with tiny claws.
Copernicus yeeps a bit at Charon, then leans back on his haunches, curls his back legs under him and leaps into the air, snapping his wings open to their full 15 yard span and beating strongly to get above the trees and level out quickly for his passengers.
Acera squeals loudly, but seems to be happy despite her claws grabbing handfuls of the odd creatures fur.
Nalae holds rather more tightly at Acera's waist and peers about curiously. It's so rare that she gets to see forests from above...
After her initial excitement, Acera looks back at the large beating wings of this spacer and goes, "Cool. Ankhl be jealous. Hey, Nalae's never seen an ocean before. Can ya head over that way?"
Copernicus twists his neck and torso so that he's looking back at them (felines sure are flexible ;) and purrs, "Sure if you want me to. That ok with you Nalae?"
Nalae nods a little bit, casting a nervous glance upwards after noticing how high they are over the trees. They aren't too close to the sky, are they? But she shrugs off that worry and smiles at Copernicus. "Okay.."
Copernicus grins and turns back, and heads towards the huge sea of blue. He passes over the farmlands, and one with a sandy patch and a little white speck. Nalae could swear it says, "Flying Fuzzy!" but Copernicus quickly passes over that and they approach the shore. The blue of the ocean on the east side of Haven slowly filling the entire Horizon.
Nalae blinkblinks. "Wh-what is all that?"
Acera chitters, "That's the ocean. It's really big. Like a giant lake, only the water's salty. See, those things down there are ships, folks sail on it from all over."
Charon's remote watches Acera and Nalae, ignoring the view.
Copernicus grins and purrs loudly enough to be heard, "It's a beautiful planet, isn't it Charon? These two are lucky to live here."
Nalae shakes her head a bit, peering down. "But.. but water isn't blue..."
Charon perks up, "What color should it be?"
Acera blinks and wonders why a spacer would think they're lucky to live HERE?
Copernicus hmms, "Well, water only looks blue when it gets really deep. It absorbs the other colors of light and refracts....er...nevermind. When it's really deep it looks blue."
Nalae ohs softly. It makes no sense, but she doesn't pursue the matter.
Acera grins, "Can you swoop down like those sea birds and touch the water? Show Nalae?"
Copernicus grins, "Sure, hold on tight you three."
Nalae pulls tighter around Acera's waist.
Copernicus dives down, and as he gets closer to the water, it looks less and less blue and more dark, like normal river water. He drags his paws through it and splashes his passengers with a light spray as he swoops back up and beats his wings strongly to regain altitude.
Acera squeals again. She loves water. She licks some drops off her fur and chitters, "See, it's salty!"
Nalae wows and ohs.. "I.. never saw anything like that..." Her gaze remains on the ocean for quite some time, though she makes a mental note never to actually go into it, remembering what happened the last time she bumbled into water.
Nalae says, "I didn't think there was that much water in the whole world...."
Copernicus tilts to one side and turns back and purrs, "Well, I think I'd best get you home before your mother gets upset. Did you two like the trip?"
Acera nods, "Ya, this is cool! Wait'll I tell Ma! And Nipper! And Graffi!"
Nalae nods at Copernicus several times.
Charon wonders if they'll ask Copernicus to blow something up.
Copernicus arrives back at the old tree after being out nearly 2 hours with his passengers and helps them to the ground and quietly purrs, "Well, I have to get ready to head back to my home. But I plan on seeing you two again, if that's ok?"
Acera nods, "Sure. That was fun, what else can ya do?"
"He can do tricks with his feathers, and make people pregnant," the remote offers.
Nalae nods a few times, smiling up at Copernicus. "Yes, please..."
Acera hmmfs, "Ma says it doesn't take any brains to make a baby. But what tricks with a feather?"
Copernicus tries to keep a straight face as he purrs, "I think I'll leave the feathers for another time Acera. You two take care of yourself ok? And Nalae, if, during our travels from star to star, we find your home, I'll let you know ok?"
Nalae nods a little bit. "Um, okay..."
Copernicus hugs them both and purrs, "Take care, both of you. I hope my kits get to meet you too. So, Charon, you staying around or heading out?"
Nalae glances up at Acera.
"That will depend on Chimera," the remote answers.
Copernicus purrs, "Oh, that's right, I remember Chimera heading off with Jarik and that human last night. Well, take care all. I've got to leave."
Acera snugs Nalae, "Isn't this exciting?!"
The little dragon waves to Copernicus! "Say hello to grandma for me!"
Copernicus smirks, "I will Charon." And takes off into the air, towards Captain Lightheels shuttle.
Nalae smiles a bit.
Nalae gives Acera a little hug, smiling after Copernicus. "It really is.." Apparently, she's excited about the event for an entirely different reason than Acera.
Charon's remote settles down in a corner, and says, "You live in a nice tree. Does it talk?"
Acera snugs Nalae and chitters happily about Copernicus teaching her how to change forms or teaching them both to fly. She truly believes it's just a matter of effort.
Acera's mouth drops open at Charon?