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Post by Red Charge on Jan 2, 2015 12:20:06 GMT -5
The journey back to the Triad was ... uneventful. Ceana, for the most part, was still evaluating herself, evaluating everything. Though she looked and acted very much the same as before, everything she did had ... almost a childlike wonder to it. Like she had forgotten how the world looked in the past several hundreds of years.
When they first went above the cloud Ambrosios saw her eyes widen, saw that spark of excitement and awe. She didn't really try to hide it, for the most part, she was rediscovering everything, from physical sensations, to visual and audio stimulation. What existence she may have had in that frozen, static castle must have practically erased whatever she was before. In fact, it was almost as if there was more of Ceana than there was the Baroness. When they finally talked again, after meeting the rendezvous on the airship, she even seemed legitimately depressed that Aegius and Aristide had perished.
When they stepped below deck, finally about to rest properly after the arduous journey both to their target and back, she only had one thing in mind for Ambrosios, pain, pleasure, much like the way the wind felt beneath her wings and the warmth of the sun on her face, she had forgotten them and she was quick to rediscover them, in excess.
When they had finally landed back, Ceana dismissed the idea of reporting directly to Tempest and continued to drag Ambrosios with her in her insatiable desire. It was only the next day where she sent one of her griffons with the report for Tempest. But even despite her new 'zest' for life, it became clearer and clearer that the Baroness may have succeeded in perserving her existence, but in her merger with Ceana, that existence became... a part of it. She wasn't exactly Ceana, but she was not someone else either. If there was a line to begin with, it became blurred beyond recognition. The only things Ambrosios truly could attribute to what happened in the castle, was her possessiveness of him and her new found lust for life.
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Ambrosios
Griffons
Disciple Griffon
"And from the ashes, life begins anew."
Posts: 150
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Post by Ambrosios on Jan 2, 2015 12:52:35 GMT -5
Ambrosios could only watch as Ceana, the Baroness, went about rediscovering the world around her. Her behaviors were surreal. Here was Ceana's body, his commander's body, and she was reacting, experimenting, with the most basic sensations. It was not odd coming from a griffon without physical form for several hundred years. But seeing Ceana do this was what made it seem so unreal.
And when they finally spoke, her words of Aegius and Aristide's demise sent a chill through Ambrosios. He had to work hard to push away the image of their dead bodies. He had killed them. His talons. The griffon had to convince himself that he was too mentally exhausted to deal with this right now, that even if he wanted to, his mind was simply too tired to take a good look at that thought again.
Below deck, spending time with Ceana helped distract him, and it actually made him feel good. Very good. He could push out all his terrible thoughts and memories and focus on what was happening right now. He was finally spending time alone with Ceana. Hers had been the first embrace that brought him into his new life. None of what had just happened mattered. For now, this was Ceana. And after all the awfulness that had happened, he found himself filled with warm emotions and satisfaction. He wanted to be trapped with this reality, to leave the others behind.
Even at the Triad Headquarters, as the illusion wore off, he found the Baroness resembling Ceana far more than he had expected, in every way. It seemed the Baroness had taken much more than just Ceana's body. Which meant perhaps Ceana wasn't gone. Perhaps she had just... changed.
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Post by Red Charge on Jan 2, 2015 13:26:45 GMT -5
In the next days, Ceana was quick to point out the next replacements for Aegius and Aristide, two experienced griffons, also from an undead fighting task force. She had reported to Tempest of her powers, at least, partially so. Ambrosios knew she had told Tempest that Aegius and Aristide died bravely destroying the 6th Fleet Dreadnought to cover Ambrosios and Ceana's escape. Whatever Tempest communicated back, however, was not for Ambrosios to see. Ceana seemed very happy with it however.
And why wouldn't she? She has achieved what griffons had been fantasizing about since the dawn of creation. A griffon magic user, a force to rival even the golem form of Severus Whitefeather, if it came down to it. If that alone wasn't enough, she was no longer susceptible to harmful side effects by magic, she was able to use magical artifacts as well as any pony or diamond dog. In every way possible she was Felis-Accipidris-Novos. She was, by her mere being, superior to any other griffon in the world. If she and Tempest found a way (one that did not require killing hundreds of unicorns, that is) to replicate the results and grant magic to the rest of the Triad, or at least several key members, they would come much closer to their ultimate goal - being able to challenge the Necropolis, or provoke the rest of the world into doing so.
It was then that a memorial service was held for Aegius and Aristide, at the end of which Tempest would announce something important to the Triad. For Ambrosios, it would be the first time actually seeing the entire Triad. In fact, it would be a first for everyone in it. They operated in an operator system, with no Griffon knowing more members than absolutely needed to perform his duty. In fact, griffons who were switched around were occasionally wiped, a term which Ambrosios came to learn meant had gone through complicated chemical use and psychotherapy to forget or confuse their memories.
"She will announce it to the entire Triad, what we've accomplished." Ceana said, after finishing her morning workout with Ambrosios, "If you were in her good graces before, she's positively ecstatic now. Maybe she'll even try to take you away from me."
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Ambrosios
Griffons
Disciple Griffon
"And from the ashes, life begins anew."
Posts: 150
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Post by Ambrosios on Jan 2, 2015 14:05:00 GMT -5
The next several days passed for Ambrosios in a haze-like state. His worst fear was that he was going to fall apart, that everything that had happened was going to collapse in on him at once in a terrible realization. With the annoucement of a memorial service for Aegius and Aristide, the griffon now feared that that was when it would happen. He had murdered them. He was responsible. Was he going to be able to handle the entire Triad being lied to about their deaths? As he stood there? What if he was asked to speak?
Otherwise, the Baroness' plan had worked flawlessly. She had effectively taken Ceana's place, explained her powers. The only danger to her secret now was Ambrosios. Just more stress to add.
If there was any solace, it was that the mission had been more than a success. The triad had a magic user now. They did it. The Ambrosios of a few days ago should be overjoyed. But the Ambrosios of today was in silent turmoil. Everything that had happened was taking its toll on him. He needed one definitive voice to settle things for him, regardless of whether that voice was actually right or wrong. It couldn't be anyone else in the triad. There was really only one griffon.
"I need to talk to you, privately," Ambrosios spoke to Ceana, almost disregarding what she had just said. "So much has happened over the last few days. I need.. I need to get it straightened out. I need help."
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Post by Red Charge on Jan 27, 2015 21:46:44 GMT -5
Ceana studied him apprehensively, "Of course." She said, looking at him with some worry and sat down in her chair, facing him. "What's going on Ambrosios?" She asked seriously. She seemed oblivious, as though she had forgotten exactly what happened back in the Baroness' ritual chamber. Another thing which seemed to indicate that whatever the Baroness was, was assimilated into Ceana herself. Though she possessed some new qualities, she was, more than anything, herself. She had seemed genuinely sorry about the passing of Aegius and Aristide and she had a hard time replacing them, or lack of desire to do so. But it was like she forgot entirely she was the Baroness. Ever since she had first revealed herself to him in the ritual chamber, she had not spoken once as the Baroness, only as Ceana.
So the real question was, did the Baroness believe she was Ceana? Or did Ceana assimilate the Baroness? Did it even matter?
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Ambrosios
Griffons
Disciple Griffon
"And from the ashes, life begins anew."
Posts: 150
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Post by Ambrosios on Jan 27, 2015 22:10:17 GMT -5
Ambrosios sat down opposite Ceana. Or the Baroness. She seemed more like Ceana at this point, but the confusion wasn't helping the situation any.
"How do I start?" the griffon spoke, lowering his head and digging his talons into his forehead. "I don't... I don't know what I am, what I'm supposed to do. You said that Ceana.." The griffon swallowed, seeing the griffoness' confusing identity already becoming an issue. "You said I was being manipulated. Ever since I got here."
Ambrosios let out a worried sigh. "I killed Aegius and Aristide. But, I didn't want to. But I did. I did it but I wasn't in control. I don't know now if anything I've done was my own doing or someone else pulling a string. And now I can't even trust my own thoughts. How do I know they're my thoughts?"
"I've wanted so badly to be a part of the Triad, be part of its family. But does a family do what they did to me? Would a family hide secrets from me about Aeolus? Did they not trust me? What would I have done if I had known? I don't know who to be loyal to anymore. The triad? You?"
The griffon paused, swallowing again. "I can't even think straight. I'm by myself with these thoughts and I can't be. You have to help me sort this out."
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Post by Red Charge on Jan 27, 2015 22:19:35 GMT -5
Ceana's face sterned greatly when Ambrosios began talking. "It was not you who pulled the trigger on Aegius and Aristide, it was the Baroness and you know it well. What is the use of tormenting yourself about their deaths when you had absolutely no way to stop it? Their death is my folley, for taking you, fresh as you were into her chamber. But on the other hand, I truly doubt that I would have been able to get her powers if I hadn't brought you there. With no one to coerce into completing the ritual with me, it would have been likely that we'd have just given up and the secrets of magic would be lost to griffon kind forever." She said, standing up and walking towards the sitting Ambrosios, crouching so she was at his height. She held his chin softly.
"Ambrosios, you more than anyone knows the Triad's dedication, you know why we do what we do, what the importance of it is. You know there is no settling, no personal feelings involved in this. If we had told you everything when you came, weak and confused as you were, would you have really stayed, or would you have ran? How far would you have gotten, chased by both the Triad and the Kingdom? We did what we did to grant you assurance, confidence and strength. The reality you were expected to accept is one that most griffons cannot accept, look at the Kingdom, our nation's finest flat out REFUSE to accept it, because it will shatter their perception of being safe with their mighty armada and their Maginott line and it shows them that all they are, all they have ever achieved means nothing in the shadow of the Necrolord."
"But you weren't just manipulated, you went into it full heartedly. Look at what you've accomplished by yourself, No one would have forced you to fight at Canterlot with only one arm, you chose to do that. Do you think I pushed you to excel in Tempest's eyes? I helped, but the rest came from you. Tempest loves us all but I have never seen her get so involved with such a young member before. Unfortunate circumstances aside, you've helped us achieve nothing no Griffon has ever been able to." She looked straight into his eyes, "And Aeolus, was a traitor."
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Ambrosios
Griffons
Disciple Griffon
"And from the ashes, life begins anew."
Posts: 150
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Post by Ambrosios on Jan 27, 2015 22:39:45 GMT -5
Ambrosios lifted his head as Ceana began talking. She was making it very clear that she was Ceana, not the Baroness. And while what had happened in the castle wasn't his fault (or really something he had done) it had ultimately proven critical. The griffon watched intently as Ceana walked towards him, kneeling down and lifting his chin.
She seemed to be peeling away each of his troubles and concerns one by one; turning his worrying questions into reassuring answers. What Ceana was saying was true. He hadn't come into the Triad as he was now. He had arrived weak and confused, a different griffon. Everything they had done was for him. For his good, and the good of the Triad. And that was what he wanted, wasn't it? Everything he had accomplished, everything he had wanted, was for the good of the triad. The fact that Tempest had taken such an interest in him was indication enough that the organization cared as much about him as he cared about it.
Ambrosios looked back into Ceana's eyes, letting out a heavy sigh as he recomposed himself. "Thank you," he said. "You're right. I just.. I needed to hear someone else say it. I was having trouble trusting myself." Hearing an outside voice say all of this had made Ambrosios feel immensely better. He could already feel his thoughts clearing, like what Ceana had just said had always been obvious.
"I'm glad you're still here," he said. "When it first happened, I was afraid I was going to be alone, afraid that it was going to be just me and the Baroness. And that I'd be taken away from-... I'm glad you're still here; and that I'm still here."
"I only want to help the Triad the best I can. You're my family. You've taken care of me, and you know what's best for me. Even if I owed you nothing, I need to give back my best. I'm a part of this."
Perhaps he had been looking at what had happened at the castle all wrong. Aegius and Aristide were dead, yes, but Ceana and Ambrosios had made it through. And now the Triad had an extraordinary development on their side. They had a living, breathing, griffon capable of magic, powerful magic, as one of their own. This would be an incredible aid to their fight against the Necrolord.
Now was not the time for confusion and sadness, but for anticipation and excitement. The future was looking very bright for the Triad; and for Ambrosios.
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