Great Reconciliation

Ooooooh! Fancy-shmancy!

This place is HUUUGE! Wait... Don't tell me there are giants living here!

Nope, just regular old people. This is Palsifal Palace, so there a ton of workers living here to support the king.

The palace, huh? Well then, a couple of outsiders like us better keep our manners. Indoor voices, children!

Hahah! Nah, you don't need to worry so much.

Yoo-hoo~~~!

H-Hey! What're you shouting for?!

YODEL-AY-HEE-HOO~~~!!!

...How strange. There's no echo at all.

This isn't a trip to the mountains, you know...

HE'S SUCH A JEEEEEEEEERK!!!

S-Stop that! You're gonna get us arrested! Keep it down, okay? I'm serious!

Weren't YOU the one saying we needed to use indoor voices?

Fine, I'll stop. But I've got a good reason for this, you know.

A reason? Don't tell me you're trying to alter the timeline again...

What's that supposed to mean?

I just like to shout whenever I'm in wide open spaces, okay? It's like, my natural instinct or somethin'.

...That's a terrible reason.

MOVING ON! I gotta say I'm impressed with how far human civilization is coming along. It's really eye-opening.

Hm? Isn't that...

Oh...!

Huh? Where are you going, Melpiphia?

...Excuse me!

Sorry, can you spare a moment?

Huh?

Do you mean me? How can I help you?

Oh! I didn't realize it was you, Veina!

Well look who it is! Hello, Aldo. Fancy meeting you here.

I see you've made friends with another one of my people.

Yeah, that's right. This is Melpiphia. She wanted to talk with you, Veina.

My name's Aldo. I'm a traveling swordsman.

Nice to meet you, Aldo. My name is Veina.

I see you've made friends with another one of my people.

Nice to meet you, too. This is my traveling companion, Melpiphia. She wanted to speak with you.

YOU!!! I've waited centuries for this day!

Now we end this! THERE CAN BE ONLY ONE!

M-Melpiphia?! What are you doing?!

...... ...Veina. This IS the first time you two have met, right?

Y-Yes... So far as I can remember.

I knew it... Cut it out, Melpiphia. I can't believe how rude you're acting towards somebody you've just met.

......

Ah... Right, yes. Forgive me, lady Veinyan.

U-Umm... Just Veina is fine.

Sorry... She gives weird nicknames to everyone she meets.

It's just that this is the first time I've ever met an elf from outside my own village! Sometimes my mouth runs a little faster than my brain when I get excited.

That's no excuse...

Heheh! Well, this is the first time I've met an elf from another village, too, so I can kind of understand. My heart is racing!

Was that you shouting earlier, Melpiphia?

You heard that, did you? That was the song of my people, passed down for generations, The Sugar Plum Serenade.

Uhhh...

It's said to spread good fortune to all that hear it, so we sing it loud and proud!

Come, Vanana! Let us sing together! One, two...

Wait wait wait! I already told you, you can't shout stuff like that in the palace!

Heheh... Ahahahah!

Veina?

I knew our meeting must have been some kind of fate! If it would please you, how about traveling together for the day?

We would be honored, wouldn't we, Aldindin?

Sure, I don't mind, but don't you have business here, Veina?

Oh, don't worry about me. I just came to the palace to take a stroll.

Ah, okay. Well in that case, how about we take a look inside?

From the mist of the fountain to the peaceful greenery and flowers, this really is my favorite place in all of the palace.

Yeah, I like it here, too. There's something really nice about being able to enjoy nature even indoors.

Exactly! We elves are used to living in harmony with nature. So, places like this remind me of home. I'm sure humans must feel the same. No matter how far civilization progresses, we will always need nature by our sides.

That's true. There are still lots of trees and stuff planted around the cities of the future.

Is your village like that, too, Melpiphia?

Oh yeah? What kinda dance?

Well, it was certainly...unique.

Thank you very much for sharing your culture with us! It was wonderful!

(Her "culture"... Sure.)

Melpiphia?

...That's a difficult question. Do the two of you still have time today? There's somewhere I'd like to visit.

Yeah, that should be fine. Where did you want to go?

H-Huh?!

Y-Yes actually. That was quite the guess... I'd like to visit the Zol Plains. Shall we be off?

Hm? What's up?

It's kind of a hard detail to forget. I heard about it on Wyrmrest Isle. You have visions, right?

Wait, what? Like, you already know what's going to happen?

Visions of the future, huh? That's an incredible talent... I hate to ask this, but, you ARE telling the truth this time, right?

No, I, uh... Sorry...

So then, what? Did you have a vision just now?

What was that all about? She definitely wanted to tell me something just now...

Huh? Weren't you chasing after Veina?

What the, ?!

I told you to stop yelling in the palace!

Hey! Who was that just now?! Guards!

I think it came from the inner gardens!

...Oh, crap! We gotta go!

It looks like some of Ratle's hunters are out today. Tracking raptors if I had to guess.

That's right. Raptors are good for more than their meat, you know. Miracle medicines, nutritional supplements derived from their horns, There are numerous tales covering the subject in the mythology of the dinosaur hunters. Would you like to hear a few?

Uhh... Maybe next time. We should probably do what we came here for first. Or did you just come here to observe the hunt?

Precisely, yes. The people here get all of their food from hunting and gathering. They take lives in order to fuel their own, and in this way we elves are quite similar. It may seem heartless and cruel to some, but this is also an undeniable facet of mother nature.

I mean, yeah, that makes sense. Raptors eat other animals, too.

That they do. But let me ask you, do you think the raptors we're tracking will simply lie down and wait to be hunted? The outcome will be the same either way, so wouldn't it be natural for them to just give in?

...Not really. Of course they'll still try to fight it.

Exactly. They do whatever they can to survive even one more day, and that too, is a part of nature's harmony.

Ahh, I get it!

Basically what you're tryin' to say is, "Raptor. It's what's for dinner."

I'm pretty sure you weren't listening.

Heheh, that's got a nice ring to it! But what I was really trying to say was...

"The will to survive is part of nature's harmony." Heard, chef.

Drool...

Repeating what she said doesn't mean you understood it... And wipe that drool off, will ya?

I'm not sure if it really answers your question from earlier or not, but... ...From my perspective, trying to change the future for the sake of yourself and those you love is very much in harmony with nature.

......

Now then. Since we're already here, how about we join in on the hunt?

Sounds go to me. Let's go ask them about it.

Excuse me. We would like to assist in the hunt today. Is there anything we can do to help?

What? You lot think you can hunt raptors?

That's right. All three of us have got plenty of experience.

Three, 'eh? Now that's funny, 'cause I only see two of ya.

Huh? Where's Melpiphia?

Ah! I see her!

Huh?! What's she doing way over there?

We've got injured over here! Was it the raptors?! Is she still breathin'?!

Don't worry, she's still with us.

...Urrr...Grawr...

RAWR! GROAWWWWWWRRR!!!

Wh-What the, ?! This girl's gone feral!

N-No way! You think maybe she were raised by the raptors as one of their own or somethin'?!

Aha! That's gotta be it!

Of course not!!!

Rawr... Rawrma... MRAWRMAAAAAA!!!

Did you hear that?! Poor thing's callin' for her mama!

Don't make this even weirder, Melpiphia!!!

And you guys need to calm down! She came here with us, and...

Crap! Our prey got away while we were worrying about the girl!

Ain't ya got no shame, raptor?! I can't believe you'd abandon yer child to save yer own hide!

......

...You, sir, seem to be confused.

Uwah! She can speak! Clever girl...

I am an elf, and as such, my life is significantly longer than that of a raptor. To think that I could have been raised by one is simply preposterous.

An elf? Actually now that ya mention it...

So what? Ya really had nothin' to do with that raptor?

Nothing whatsoever. I was merely enjoying an afternoon snooze. YOU, sir, should be the one explaining to ME why you would accuse me of being in league with dinosaurs.

Look at where you were sleeping...

...Pfft! Hahaha!

Veina?

Forgive me, I couldn't help myself. Melpiphia really is an interesting person, isn't she?

That's certainly one way to put it...

Misunderstandings aside, it doesn't change the fact that the prey we'd been trackin' for days on end is now long gone.

Yeah, and she ain't gonna be fallin' for the same traps twice. Them raptors is smart.

Ah! Then allow me to help you with that!

Huh? You?

......

W-Wait a second. We wouldn't want to interfere with the natural harmony of their hunt, would we?

We already did when we let their prey get away. We've got a responsibility and the know-how to help them out, so that's what I'd like to do.

We appreciate that. In that case the first thing we need to do is chase the bugger down.

It'll be on alert after what just happened, so we've gotta tread carefully.

You got it! I'm stealthier than I look.

Right, let's get on with it, then. Come on Melpiphia. If we don't hurry it's gonna get away.

Wasn't expecting my plan to completely backfire, but well...

...Them's the breaks, I guess.

Aldo!

Huh? What's wrong, Melpiphia? You look shaken up.

There's something I need your help with. It's about Veina's future.

Veina's future?

Yeah. I saw it when we first met her outside of the palace.

...Is something bad going to happen to her?

Bad doesn't even begin to describe it. I saw her out on the Zol Plains...

, Getting flattened into a Veina-cake by a ginormous dino-foot.

SERIOUSLY?!

If we don't do something, poor Veina's gonna be nothing but a smear on that dinosaur's boot! Do they wear boots?

No way! Isn't there anything we can do?!

...I'm the one who saw her future, so I thought it was up to me to stop it. I've been trying to change it all morning.

So that's why you were acting so strangely today... (Not that she doesn't act strangely every day...)

Trying to change it? (Does that have something to do with how strange she's been acting?)

Trying and failing I'm afraid. If anything I just made things worse...

Doesn't sound like we have much time to waste, then.

Yeah, so let's hurry up and find her before something terrible happens.

Yeah! Let's go!

Wait up, Veina!

Aldo? Did you find the Raptor?

No, the hunt's been called off. We're giving up and going home.

Huh? Why would they suddenly call it off?

Because they saw a juiced up, freakishly huge macho-saurus staring them down with bloodshot eyes and pulsing veins! All hunts are off until it's cleared the area. They've ordered a complete withdrawal.

Isn't that all the more reason to keep going?

Huh?

B-B-But! You won't be sayin' that when he turns you into a pre-workout meal!

Hunting carries risks, we knew that when we came. And if the beast is as powerful as you say, then we're the only ones here capable of defeating it. We have to put it down before someone in Ratle gets hurt.

Urk...

Foiled again...

You know, Melpiphia, you could just tell her the truth.

No, that will only seal her fate! We need to find a way to distort the future ourselves if we're to have any hope.

I don't really understand what you mean by distort...

But I do know one thing we can do, We can take that dinosaur down as quickly as possible. That way we can protect Veina ourselves.

...Right. I'll do whatever it takes!

There it is!

Looks like it called in some backup!

I don't want to take any more lives than I have to, but you haven't given me much of a choice.

Let's go! I'll take out the leader, so you two just focus on...

STOOOOOOOOOP!

Huh?

I-It couldn't be...

Dragonu! Dragorita! Is it really you?!

Oh, my babies!!! Let me get a good look at you! Have you been eating your vegetables? Brushing your teeth?

B-Babies?! I never knew Melpiphia had children!

Hellooo? Those are dinosaurs...

Sorry Melpiphia, but do you mind if we get on with this?

Ah, right. Sorry about that. Don't worry Vey-vey, we aren't related by blood. You can kill them guilt-free.

Heheh... Then I won't hold back.

Aldonzo! Veyneena! Let's go!

And that's that.

You good, Veina?

Hm? Of course. I'm fine...

Good to hear.

Don't get too comfy, kids. This ain't over.

Right. Let's head back with our spoils.

Wait! What about the macho-saurus?!

Oh that? It was a lie.

Huh? Why would you lie?

The truth is... Dinosaurs are terrifying. It's no surprise someone would curl up in a pool of their own fear-tears and lie to get out of hunting them. And that someone...

...Was Aldo.

(What the?! Why me?!)

Y-Yeah... It's true. I once got punched in the head by a dinosaur and I've been afraid of 'em ever since...

Don't they have tiny arms? How did one manage to punch you...

Th-That's enough questions for now! I've had about all I can take of this place! I'm freaking out here!

Awww, poor Aldo! We'll get you home safely, dear! I promise!

...Those two sure have been acting strange. I wonder what's gotten into them?

D-Did you hear that just now?

I FELT that just now! It was like a mini earthquake! H-Hey! Where's Veina?!

Oh crap!

VEINAAA!!!

No... I couldn't save her! I knew this would happen, and still, I, !

Snap out of it! It's too early to give up!

Huh?

We might still make it if we hurry! Let's take this thing down so we can help her!

But... It's exactly like what I saw in my vision...

If you give up here then it really is over, her life, any chance we have of seeing her again, all your efforts to save her! I can't accept that!

......

You're right. I've gotta pull myself together.

The future CAN be changed! And I'm gonna prove it here and now!

...Yodel-ay-hee-hoo.

Huh?

V-Veina?

Okay. You can go home now.

I was trying to spread a few smiles, but...it seems it may have had the opposite effect. Forgive me, I never meant to worry you.

Don't tell me...

...That was all an act?

...Yes.

Well... I'm glad you're okay?

You had us really worried, you know! Especially Melpiphia. She's been...

Hush, Aldoldo. It's fine.

But uh... Why? Why would you be playing dead over here?

Well, you see... You two have been looking really stressed out all day, and...

Hmmm, yes. That's an accurate assessment.

Wait a minute!

Were you trying to act like Melpiphia?!

Exactly. I wanted to lighten the mood a little. I'm always laughing at Melpiphia's cute little jokes, so I figured...

...I feel light-headed.

Gotta admit... It IS pretty funny.

That's an impressive haul, kids.

You sure you wanna just hand this over to us?

Yeah, if anything we're just glad it won't go to waste. It's too much for us.

Well, we appreciate it. Thanks for all yer help.

...Phew. Looks like we're all finished up.

I don't think I've ever been on a more exhausting hunting trip...

Um... S-Sorry about that...

Don't be. You were just trying to make us smile, right?

What he said. Taking us on that hunt was your way of answering my question, right?

Ah, back in the palace, right? About harmony?

Yep. Vey-vey's gone and reignited my fire. I'm gonna keep on living, and that means I've gotta keep on fighting the future.

Heheh. I'm glad to have been of service.

But I do have a question of my own. What got you two in such a hurry? Surely Aldo isn't really afraid of dinosaurs.

Urk! You got me...

And how did Melpiphia guess that giant dinosaur would appear? It was almost like she knew it was going to happen. Luckily it was a gentle beast, so it was happy to go along with my little act.

It's actually pretty simple. I saw your future.

Huh? You saw what?

I didn't tell you, but I have the power to see the future. In my vision, I saw you collapsed on the ground and misunderstood.

...Pfft!

Did I say something funny?

No, it's just...thinking about you as some kind of soothsayer, Melpiphia, Hahaha!

H-Hey! I'm being serious y'know!

Sure. I believe you! Heheh...hahaha!

Hey! Why do you keep laughing, then?!

Haha! I guess you cried dinosaur one too many times, Melpiphia.

Grr! Not you, too, Aldy! It's not like I lie because I want to!

Ahhhhhh!!!

There's a juiced up, freakishly huge macho-saurus headed straight for the village!

Speaking of crying dinosaur...

It's okay everyone! Get yourselves somewhere safe!

...It really doesn't seem to mean us any harm. I think it just followed us back. Maybe it likes you, Veina.

We don't want to frighten it. We just need a way to get it to go back where it came from. Any ideas, you two?

Wait... It couldn't be...

Y-You're...

...PAPAAAAAA!!!

Huh?! You, too?! That's a heck of a plot twist!

It certainly is! But this, too, is harmony.

...Whoa! You two were sisters all along?!

Wait... What am I saying?!