Attending the Tournament of Ages Wonderlight Ball together in all their enchanting cosmic glory! May I present to you the Hearts of Tenacity as: ˗ˏˋ ★ ˎˊ˗ The Celestial Kings ˗ˏˋ ★ ˎˊ˗

Talthorn and Konietzko Syl'voran

“I have something for you.”

After wandering the booths and the performances and the dueling, Kyuusei’d made her way up the hill to the same cooking competition as opening day. It might have been the so-called Tournament of Ages, but nothing said it all had to be a competition of martial strength, dora dor. The crowd held many of the same faces as the previous night of competitive appetizers, for this night’s contest of main dishes.

Mozelle was among them and, despite the human doctor’s dry and ascerbic wit and detached manner, Kyuu considered her something of a friend. Mozelle’s knowledge and appreciation of nature and life bore unusual depth, more than enough to endear her to the druid. Besides, Isha spoke well of her. The regard of birds wasn’t easily granted.

It didn’t make it any less of a surprise when the good doctor drew a single orange rose from a small bundle of flowers and presented it to Kyuusei.

“It was the only one I could find that matched your skirt,” Mozelle explained matter-of-factly. “A Helena’s Feather rose from the Ashes of Al’ar booth. They’re supposed to make a good incense as well.”

The bundle of flowers Mozelle carried, obviously intended for other gifts, assuaged a brief moment of unreasoned concern, and Kyuusei inclined her head in thanks.

“Shaha lor’mar. Thats so thoughtful of you.”

A nod of acknowledgement and both turned their attention went back to the competition to see what could be made of salmon, yak cheese, and cabbage. Kyuu absently tucked the rose into the vines that entangled her staff, a few newly sprouted tendrils twining about the rose’s stem to hold it firm among the pale leaves and small white blooms.

The Dreamwarden looked down at Kyuusei, calmness in Alythsera's voice as she posed her first question.

"In the darkest night, in the deepest dream - what do you see?”

Kyuusei considered for a moment, her expression briefly solemn. "The past. Flames and pain, written three times."

"So it is that your dreams bring to mind the anguish you have suffered - but as Fate will test you, know that darkest night brings brightest day. Let the mark remind you to never forget what you have lost - for what you have endured grants you strength. But what awakens you from these tormented dreams?"

She inclined her head and slowly exhaled, the earlier darkness breathed out. "Small white blooms, growing on vines with leaves of pale green." Almost absently, she reached over her own shoulder, plucking a small leaf from the living staff slung across her back.

"Ah, the sight of flowers. Let these brilliant blooms remind you that no matter how tall the walls may be, one will cherish the sight of your bloom to climb them. And at last, my final question - what do you hope will remain, after you are gone?"

"Given enough time, no things remain." Kyuu's expression turned wry as she looked up at the green dragon's visage "You know that better than I, hrm? But - stories, those endure, yes? I'd like to hope they still tell stories, fondly, once I'm gone."

"As the cycle draws from seed to bloom, as flame endures within a lantern, know this: Long after the cycle of nature has come for you, decay will never touch the spoken word of your legacy."

The Dreamwarden cupped her hands briefly - a verdant light shining between them, before offering a dream mark to Kyuusei.

"Here. May this serve you well in the times to come."

Kyuu accepted the mark with both hands, offering a shallow bow in return.

The mark seemed a strange thing, weightier than its size as Kyuu carefully tucked it away. The green dragon in her visage, Alythsera, excused herself into the Tournament's crowd moments later, proclaiming a need to find rest after having seen into so many dreams

* * *

Many hours later, as she drifted off to her own rest after an eventful night, Kyuu mused over the Dream Warden's words

"...decay will never touch the spoken word of your legacy."

Amid the hustle and bustle of stage hands scurrying about, there is the great, heavy sound of wheels on wood. A ramp is set up and a full sized grand piano is rolled onto stage. Absolutely no smaller instrument would do. 

Celedyn saunters onto the stage, passing by the puffing crew as they hurry away. He turns, staring very hard for several long moments until one rushes up with the matching bench seat, setting it before the ostentatious instrument. 

Celedyn continues to stare, his blue eyes moving from the seat to the stage hand and back again as they look on with tense confusion. Finally he sighs and nudges the bench with his foot, pushing it into precise parallel alignment. 

Celedyn lifts elegant hands, letting the manicured tips slide over the golden trim of the piano, scrutinizing the pristine white lacquer. He wrinkles his nose in repulsion as he finds a smudge and disdainfully polishes it away with his silken sleeve. 

Celedyn gives one more accusatory look back at the stage hands and sharply flips the bottom of his robe back, seating himself on the bench. He reaches into the breast pocket and withdraws a framed picture, setting it atop the instrument with a flourish.

Keen eyed audience members would spot that the portrait in question is of Celedyn himself, smiling brightly and in embrace with another man. A photograph of Magni Bronzebeard’s face has been unconvincingly pasted over the other figure’s head.

Celedyn gently kisses the tips of his fingers and touches them to Magni’s face. He flutters his eyelashes coquettishly at the picture, then turns to the audience and gives his most winning smile as his hands find their place on the keys and begin playing.

“You’ve got my lost brother's soul…My dear mother's eyes… A brown horse's mane… And my uncle's name.”

Celedyn gives an affectionate look to the crudely assembled Thane, his nose wrinkling slightly in amusement. Long fingers glide over the keys while he leans forward, as though singing to a lover seated atop the grandiose piano.

“You walked me down 14th Street, with a doctor to meet, after thoughts of the grave… In the home of the brave… And of the weak.”

Celedyn presses his lips into a thin line, head bowing as he strikes the keys a bit harder than needed, a thread of tension building in his shoulders before his eyes snap back up to the photo. 

“But– Why’d you have to break all my heart? Couldn't you have saved a little bit of it?”

Celedyn snatches up the photo with a stormy frown. As his hands leave the keys, a second pair shimmers into view, the enchantment continuing to accompany the high elf while leaving faintly glimmering trails in their wake.

“Why'd you have to break all my heart? … Couldn't you have saved a minor part?”

Celedyn huffs and rises, tossing his head as though he imagined his hair to be significantly longer and in need of haughty flipping. He looks out into the audience, one eyebrow lifting, his expression incredulous as he saunters to the edge of the stage.

“I could have clipped and saved and planted in the garden. Damn you, I guess I'll have to get a new one.”

Celedyn plops himself down on the edge of the stage. He lifts the picture once more, singing briefly to it, but seems touched by the absurdity of it all, casting sly glances out into the crowd; a barely contained smile crinkling the corners of his eyes.

“I'd love to sit and watch you drink, with the reins to the world, gripping a smoke… Vaguely missing link.”

Celedyn laughs and kicks off the edge of the stage down into the audience. He tosses the frame over his shoulder, ear giving a single flick as he hears the shatter of glass on stage. That’s a stagehand problem, not a Celedyn problem.

“Don't ever change, you hungry little bashful hound! I got the sheep poor Little Bo Peep has lost, and filed for grounds.”

Celedyn throws his arms wide as he steps out into the audience, hips swaying dramatically, platformed heels keeping the hem of his robe just, JUST above the snow as he leaves a shimmering trail in his wake. 

“But, why'd you have to break all my heart? Couldn't you have saved a little bit of it? Why'd you have to break all my heart? Couldn't you have saved a minor part?

Celedyn sighs and drapes an arm around the shoulders of %t, looking utterly exhausted but putting very little actual weight on them. He twists to stare beseechingly into their eyes as he sings, touching the tips of his fingers to his collarbone. 

“I could have ripped apart and thrown into the river… Wonder if there's hearts that will deliver?”

Celedyn gives a small, private smile to %t and stands on his own once more, fluffing his hair before tossing a bright smile out towards the audience as his voice builds in strength. 

“Don't ever change! Don’t ever worry, because I'm coming back home tomorrow!”

Celedyn closes his eyes and hugs himself, hands sliding over his arms as he seems to be reveling in the warmth of the moment. Blue eyes open, looking out to the distant horizon, expression bright, hopeful before he saunters back towards the stage once more.

“To 14th Street, where I won't hurry; and where I'll learn how to save, not just borrow! And they'll be rainbows! And we will finally know!”

Celedyn is suddenly startled out of his revelry as the wind picks up the photograph and blows the paper onto the side of his face. He tears it away, then stops as he realizes what he holds, staring at the paper in silence for several long moments.

Celedyn pulls himself back up onto the stage and stands. He scoops up the frame and carefully tucks the photo back into place, pinned under the shards of glass. 

Celedyn seats himself atop the piano, staring into the photograph, his expression pained. He turns to sprawl out dramatically across the pristine surface, setting the picture down only for the glass and photograph to fall out once more!

Celedyn scrambles to pick up the photo before the wind catches it again, clutching the paper to his chest as though it were unspeakably precious. He looks down at himself, betrayed by his own hands and frowns, returning once more to song.

“Why'd you have to break all my heart? Couldn't you have saved a little bit of it? Why'd you have to break all my heart? Couldn't you have saved a minor part it?”

Celedyn furrows his brow and suddenly tears the photo in half! Immediately his face fills with regret, staring horrified at what he’s done. An instant later- he’s digging into Magni’s half, ripping a messy oval to retrieve his face.

“Why'd you have to break all my heart? Couldn't you have saved a little bit of it?”

Celedyn reaches into his robe and opens a locket purchased from The Ephemeral Wagon. He hesitates, shoulders sinking, his expression distant. He collects his resolve, tucking the face into the locket; then tears out his own photo to fill the opposite frame.

“Why'd you have to break all my heart…?”

Celedyn glances sidelong and seems to notice the audience’s presence once more. He lifts his chin haughtily and snaps the locket shut, tucking it away.