[Open] The end of one story is simply the start of another

[meanmonkey]

Who| Sariatu and anyone who wants to say hi!
What| Finding her way around, meeting some people, all that new person jazz
Where| Legion World, various common places - the mess hall, near the crew quarters, and on the observation deck
When| ...Now? Obviously after Kubo's whole autobiographical storytime dealio.
Warnings/Notes| This is a moon lady who turns into a monkey. Also spoilers for Kubo and the Two Strings I guess, if Kubo himself somehow didn't spoil you.

Sariatu is not sure about this whole "super hero" thing.

That's not to say she doesn't approve, at least theoretically, of what they're doing here. It's a noble quest, and an important one if what the Legion says is true, about all worlds being in danger. Still, these... code names and tight costumes and all that? Silliness that she's not intending to partake in.

She can simply be Monkey, apparently, if she has to fight. She can just use her name. All the rest of it-- well, Hanzo probably would've enjoyed it. Kubo, too. She, however, couldn't give a damn. So for now, she is wearing her own robes, when human, and has promised she'll attempt to work with the costume makers over the next few days.

In the meantime, she has a lot to get used to: technology, reminding herself how to fly (and with this entirely new way of doing so, thanks, ring), find her way around. Today, she's spending time in some of the more heavily-trafficked areas. Anyone near the crew quarters might run into an unnaturally large macaque, walking slowly through the area, looking critically and rather intelligently at its surroundings.

In the mess, one might notice the tall, regal-looking woman in the red and gold robes, frowning at the chef who's handing her a bowl of rice with vegetables and some sort of tofu. "I don't understand how a civilized society can not have fish," she mutters, none too quietly, as she glides away, her expression shifting to "slightly uncertain" as she surveys the large room and the many filled tables.

The same woman can be found, a bit later, on the observation deck, staring out at the shattered moon and the planet below. Her expression is relatively peaceful, and strangely smug and satisfied as she looks at the moon. She's feeling almost friendly, and will smile in acknowledgement at anyone she notices come near her.

Comments

[meanmonkey]

Sariatu laughs, and leans over to nuzzle Kubo's cheek with her nose. "I am neither, thank you. I want to hear you play. All the new songs you've learned, and all the new stories you have."

She kisses the top of his head and settles gracefully next to the spot he'd been sitting when she first saw him. "However, for now, I will settle for one."

Taking her thoughts away from Hanzo, from her father and sisters, from the quest they'd been on, just focusing on her son who she loves more than anything in the universe, it's so easy to be happy.

After the centuries she spent colder than the coldest star, she still can't quite believe she's lucky enough to feel the warmth of such love and joy.

[bachido]

He could have shed more happy tears. He could have told her a million stories. One was a good place to start.

He told her the story a passing traveler had told him a year ago, about the goldfish that swam from the mouth of a mighty river to its very source and became a dragon. His excessively detailed origami danced across the background of stars as his paper unfolded the tale. The moment when the humble little goldfish suddenly blossomed into a great, long dragon, the many golden papers folded up small inside the tiny fish unrolling into a mighty creature, was breathtaking and delightful, a true demonstration of how very far his skills had come in the years since she'd last heard one of his stories.

Kubo was so happy to tell her one, particularly one so pleasant and peaceful and uplifting. The children of his village loved the goldfish who became a dragon, and so he'd gotten to hone the tale over countless retellings. He was happy to tell her a story, knowing that from her perspective, she had only a little while before been despairing and afraid at the end of her life, with no way to know he'd live and be safe.

The dragon tale was a good one. A "look how far I've come" story, a "things became happy and beautiful again" story.

All the while through he glanced at her, waiting for the moment when her spirit would fade and he'd have to guide her wordlessly back to the safety of his quarters.

As her eyes stayed bright and her face attentive, his wonder only grew. At the close of the story, he'd settled on his third question.

"Mother . . . I never did ask you."

He'd started. Then father had interrupted, and Beetle's question had distracted him from it.

"Why didn't you tell me you were you? When you were Monkey?"

The question had puzzled him for years. He knew there had to be a reason. He just couldn't figure out what it was.

[meanmonkey]

She is delighted. By the story, by Kubo telling it, by the amazing feats that he's able to accomplish with his paper. He's come a long way, and she couldn't be prouder if he was the greatest samurai since Hanzo.

That third question, though. That's a doozy, and one even Beetle had asked, though not until Kubo had been asleep. She sighs a little, and looks out the window. The view of the broken moon is enough to lift her spirits, just a bit.

"The magic that kept me there, as Monkey... it wasn't permanent. It was fading already by that night, and before too much longer, I would have been gone again, even if my sister hadn't killed me." She presses her lips together, and looks back to Kubo, hoping he'll understand. "I thought... if I didn't tell you, Monkey could prepare you for being alone, without you having to lose your mother again."

She makes a wry little face, and adds, under her breath, "That plan sure worked well."

(She hopes that will make Kubo laugh a little.)

[bachido]

There's no question that this was where Kubo's talent lay, not in mastery of the sword or bow, though he may become great at those in time. He'd been glad to realize that lately, to put on the mantle of bard and think about more ways that he could use his skills to support the Legion and vanquish evil, instead of wishing that his mother and father had been able to teach him their more traditional forms of heroing.

He didn't manage to laugh at her explanation, though he didn't look sadder, either. He processed the information carefully, looking down at his shamisen. He'd wondered, occasionally, if there could have been a story where Mother and Father had survived the adventure and, even in their cursed states, stayed with him. Now he knew that story was never possible, no matter what he might have done differently, and it was neither comforting nor sad, simply a story that never could exist.

"I was glad I got to see you again no matter what the circumstances were," he said, accepting her explanation. She'd done what she thought was best in a hard story. Maybe it was even the right thing to do. He couldn't fault her. "But I'm also glad I got to know your whole soul better, Mother." He smiled at her, wide, with all the love and admiration he could feel. "I knew you were brave and strong already, but I was happy I got to be part of that story with you, and . . . and know you better by the end."

He reached for her hand again. All the times he'd thought fondly of his mother for her patience and gentle kindness in their cave home, and for her ferocity and determination on their adventure, and he'd never been able to tell her just how greatly he admired all of these things in her. It was too wonderful just to be able to say these things, and know she wasn't going to disappear soon after he said it.

[meanmonkey]

She smiles, fond and proud and happy. Everything else aside, she truly is happy - Kubo survived, and he's here and she can watch him grow up a bit more.

"I'm glad you got to know me, too," she admits. Despite her belief she'd been doing the right thing, keeping her identity secret, in retrospect she's glad it didn't work out. Knowing Kubo would have more memories of her than her deteriorating state was a comfort before, and it's a comfort to know he had those memories for the two years between then and now. For him.

This time shenaniganry is really going to do a number on her if she thinks about it too much.

"Now," she says, "I do believe I have three questions that I can get answered, and a new place to acquaint myself with, we should get started." Totally three. She didn't at ALL already use one to have him tell her a story, what are you talking about?

[bachido]

Well that hardly counted as a question. As if Kubo wouldn't have done it anyway.

"Let me show you around," he said, eagerly, standing up with his hand still on hers. He tugged her gently away from the windowsill, slinging the shamisen on his back, eagerness shining in his eye. "And introduce you to everyone! Wash will be happy to meet you - that's the man who's teaching me hand-to-hand, he wears a suit of machine armor and he's very kind. If you're feeling well tomorrow, you can come to training tomorrow and watch me!"

It occurred to him, then, that she had been awake for a very long time, long for her, and maybe she was already tired.

"You don't feel tired at all yet?" he asked, looking concerned as he lead her out of the observation deck. "You've already been awake a long time."

He hadn't yet assumed she was healed. He'd already gotten the miracle of having her back from the dead, he wasn't looking for another.

[meanmonkey]

"Of course I'll come," she says, and then--

Oh. Oh her sweet child. The best of sons, the most kind and compassionate and caring. She is very glad to get to tell him this.

"I've been awake for quite a while, yes," she says, smiling as he leads her. "But no, I'm not tired. I don't think I'll be getting tired like that anymore."

Her smile turns a little mischievous as she thinks of something and adds, "And if I do, I can just escape it by doing this."

And with that she turns smoothly into monkey without breaking her stride. Hi, Kubo, your mom's even more magic than normal, now.

[bachido]

Kubo's smile had begun to light up his face as his mother told him she wouldn't be going anywhere, a miracle on top of miracles - but it lit up his face fully as she transformed, and he almost automatically reached out to put his hand on her furry neck.

"Oh, this is your power here! That's a good one!"

He hadn't expected her to keep her full range of magic, but Monkey was a good form for her to have access to - strong and fast, with good senses and a coat for keeping warm, and big scary teeth, good for intimidating enemies on the battlefield. And she still had her hands, for swordfighting, which reminded Kubo -

He reached around to his belt, where the Sword Unbreakable hung, unimportant until now compared to all of the things they had to share with each other.

"I think you should have this more than I should," he said, taking the sword off his belt and, with about as much formality as he'd ever learned, presenting it to his mother. The handle was covered by a little scrap of cloth, the scabbard plain battered leather. "You might recognize the sword once it's drawn," he said, with a grin.

[meanmonkey]

She smiles slowly, realizing what it must be before she even takes it, but does indeed draw it, careful not to cut Kubo or anything.

"The Sword Unbreakable," she says with... well, it's not reverence, exactly, but there's a weight to it. The weight of memory, perhaps. She does a couple of fancier movements, then sheathes it, looking satisfied.

"I'm glad you were wise enough to keep this with you," she says. "I'm also glad to have it back in my hand." She unfolds herself out of Monkey's form again, using the ties to attach it to her own belt, under her outer robes. Not the best option, but it will do for now. Especially since she'd rather be a human right now, with Kubo.

She reaches out to take his hand. "Thank you for letting me use it. Though there's a young man here I may let practice with it. He said he would need a sword that wouldn't break before he got sent out, and while he can't have mine, it wouldn't do for him to fall too far out of practice. He was a kind young man." She pauses a moment, pursing her lips. "Odd, but kind."

[bachido]

"What was his name?" Kubo asked without jealousy. He probably knew the young person, and he was glad to hear that people had already been kind to his mother.

"I'm glad you're here to take it," he countered, wrapping his hand around hers, eager still to take it. He pressed his lips together. "Ultimately, it didn't really do very much good in my hands."

His shamisen had served him better. His love for her had served him better.

But that didn't mean that he could go on with the rudimentary swordsmanship he had when he was in a situation that called for every skill he could possibly strive for.

"Mother . . . I know I wasn't always as attentive during our sword training lessons when I was a child, but would you give me a second chance to be your student?"

It wasn't as though he actually expected her to say no. But after two years to think about what he could have learned from her, if they'd both had time, if he'd been as interested in the sword as he was in the shamisen . . . after his breakdown the last time he practiced the little he knew, he only wanted her to know how much he had come to value what she'd already been able to teach him.

[meanmonkey]

"I think it was... Dave? All these strange names, it's hard to remember them all, honestly." She purses her lips. "I'm almost certain it was Dave."

And then Kubo's going on about sword training and Sariatu is so proud that he wants to actually take his training more seriously. She resists the urge to cuddle him for it this time, though, schooling her face serious (but not too serious).

"If you promise to be on time to your lessons and practice on your own as often as I tell you, I would be honored to have you as my student again."

[bachido]

"Dave is my friend! He's a really good friend. He helped me with these machines - Mother, they can make a recording here of something that's happening, and show it over and over again. So I can tell a story once and it's told forever, but since I don't know how that works, Dave helped me - "

His excitement faded a little, too many topics tumbling over themselves in his head, all trying to get out at once.

"Is he going to train with us?" he settled on. He'd get to the other important things later. Excitement at the prospect of training with his friend and his mother bubbled up in him, almost too much to contain.