A Moment of Peace...

The day had been brisk and calm, Earth finally free of all the fighting that had plagued it time and time again. On this casual day of days, Rhapsody found herself merely enjoying the world around her, traversing the Earth freely from dawn to dusk. She traveled from her home in Korin forest, first taking a visit to the ocean to enjoy the gleam of the rising sun as it glistened off the vast seas. Her journey would take her north from there, visiting small towns along the way, bringing promised herbs and foreign treats the residents of these towns couldn't otherwise acquire themselves. She enjoyed a meal in Jingle Village, as well as a brief nap amongst the animals in a nearby forest before eventually continuing onward.

Procuring a seal-able container from a northern village, Rhapsody made her way across the lands until eventually finding herself upon the glorious Mount Pucchino, a land altered by an unknown magic to become a literal land of ice cream. The magics of the land kept the delicacies that could be found there from spoiling, and reconstituted what was taken. While the deathly cold of the region kept most creature at bay, allowing the land to remain mostly untouched. Being a creature of magic herself, Rhapsody was unimpeded by the temperature, and found it a most interesting place to travel for a sweet treat.

Rhapsody continued across the stretch of the north, her treat procured as the sun began to wane, signifying the end of her day. As she flew softly across the skies above however, a curious energy would catch her attention. The land of ice acted very much as a daunting, unforgiving place to most, and yet down below was a man who sat unwavering against the frigid cold. His stark darkened appearance completely contrasting the otherwise pure white landscape of the lands. Curiosity ever being this cat's motif, Rhapsody would detour to fly down toward the man, her wings carrying her softly and silently much like an owls, while her nonexistent energy kept her otherwise invisible towards those with the technology or ability to locate individuals by their power level.

Despite her inherent invisible nature, as Rhapsody took to gracefully landing beside the man, the silence would be broken as the snow was delicately disturbed. She took stride not to bother the man at first, curious, and then enraptured by the sight before him. The setting sun on the mountainous edge was a beauty to behold, its fading light glistening off the while of the snow, every snowflake in the air shimmering like a local, personalized star. It wouldn't be too long before the sun would set entirely, giving way to the actual starry sky of the night. Rhapsody would simply enjoy the moment for a while, before finally speaking up to the man who seemed enveloped by his thoughts; though what she would say first, might have been rather unexpected.

"Hello there, would you like some ice cream?" She'd say softly, hoping not to disturb the man too much as she removed the container that'd hung from her hip, unsealing the lid to reveal a hot fudge rocky road ice cream procured from Mount Puccino. Along with the ice cream, Rhapsody would unzip a pack she wore around her waist, removing a box of plastic spoons and offering one to the man should he have been interested.

Rhapsody would give a soft smile in response to the man's acceptance of the ice cream, happy to have been a small help, albeit a likely unneeded and random one. She happily allowed the man to have the first few bites, giggling a bit as he seemed much more intrigued by the delicacy than expected. While he dug in, Rhapsody would procure a pouch of napkins if necessary, as well as a couple paper wrappings in preparation for the disposal of their used plastic utensils. She wasn't about to allow the nearly untouched northern mountains to be sullied by litter after all! As she finished her preparations, the man would ask a curious question, one that she would pause on momentarily. She'd hold a finger to her chin, glancing upwards towards the sky as she thought; her ears twitched while her tail swayed behind her casually. Then, as her wings shuddered, knocking off steadily accumulated snow, she'd give a slight laugh as she looked back towards that man.

"You, I suppose!" She'd say plainly, before finally taking her spoon and deciding to enjoy the ice cream alongside the man.

The answer wasn't entirely false after all, she'd originally had no intention to detour in this region and had merely been passing by. Had she not noticed the singular dark area that was Callion in the vast pure white expanse, then she'd likely never have stopped to enjoy the view. Thinking of that made the girl flinch with an additional realization, something she'd be quick to add.

"At least, I saw you and decided to say hello. Now, I believe I am staying for the wonderful view and nice conversation." she'd say happily, giving the man a soft smile as she took a bite of her ice cream before glancing off towards the freshly starlit sky.

The man seemed to deeply enjoy the delicacy, though curiously, the flavors seemed foreign to him. Rhapsody wasn't one to judge, her own home world was void of such treats as well, and certainly didn't have a magical mountain of ice cream to speak of. Still, having grown accustomed to many of Earth's facilities over time, by this point she couldn't help but to find the mans small enjoyment rather cute in its own way. While unbeknownst to Rhapsody, the ice cream eating man still had his guard up, on the contrary, Rhapsody would seem entirely defenseless. She held no worry of a sudden attack, and had no subtly in her actions. While the man's heritage taught and told him to remain vigilant, Rhapsody was a free spirit, wholly void of any form of malice. Such distinctions made the man's reactions to the ice cream all the more interesting when coupled with his rather large and robust exterior.

"I do believe they call it "rocky road", though, do not let the name fool you!" she'd begin to explain in a rather proud manner, "There is naught related to either rocks nor roads in this treat. Merely chocolate, marshmallows, hot-fudge, and it seems this batch contains pecans!" she'd continue, unintentionally showing her ignorance of Earth's naming conventions despite her decent knowledge of ingredients, "I rather like pecans over alternative nuts, they are quite soft." she'd remark with a happy hum as she took another bite, enjoying the assorted flavors, and fluffy textures.

It was easy to relax in the brisk atmosphere and quiet surroundings; the occasional howl of the winds acting as a comforting white noise, while the crunch and crackle of the snow felt to Rhapsody like a game of sorts. There was something utterly enjoyable when it came to stepping ones foot down in the snow when all that existed was silence in its place. While it didn't seem the man was here for quite such a reason, she could at least see why he was resting up here all alone. Though, hang on, why exactly WAS he here? It hadn't occurred to the girl before, but upon further thought even she could recall that it was her magic that allowed her to traverse the frigid north without issue, was the man not cold, in fact... who even was he?

Finishing another bite of ice cream, Rhapsody would stare at the man blankly for a few moments; her blue eyes rather wide, the small feline genes she held causing them to reflect the light of the starry sky slightly. After a few blinks, her thoughts would be back in order before she would speak again. "If I may, who might you be?" she'd ask nonchalantly, as if only just now realizing she was speaking with a stranger, "Oh goodness! Forgive my rudeness, my name is Rhapsody!" she'd introduce a bit clumsily, lifting her dress slightly despite sitting in the snow in order to give a mock curtsy to the man.

As Rhapsody sat happily eating her ice cream, her ears twitching further as she enjoyed the next brisk breeze and distant howls of the wind the broke through the mountainous terrain, she was glad to learn the name of her current conversation companion. Callion he called himself, a surprisingly stoic and somehow serene individual in spite of his size. While a Rhapsody of a time past may have known well the disposition of the Saiyans, the Rhapsody that sat beside Callion was blissfully unaware of such a heritage. An accident she'd incurred in one of the many battles that threatened the Earth having robbed her of such memories, though with individuals like Lottus being a source of past trauma for the girl, her memory loss may have been a blessing in disguise. Still, while her memories of Plant and the Saiyan's she met there may have been gone, this wasn't to say she didn't have any source of reference at all.

While the man's spiky black hair and coal black eyes may have been a giveaway, Rhapsody wasn't one to judge by appearances; however the tail the man sported reminded her of Russ and Zerori both, Saiyan's themselves with the selfsame feature. It wasn't as though a tail alone constituted a persons species in the universe, after all, Rhapsody had her own tail and wasn't a Saiyan. The distinct features she could make off a glance however tipped her off to the fact, that was, at least until Callion mentioned his home planet of Bhupal. Rhapsody recalled Zerori mentioning Plant when she spoke of the home of the Saiyans, and with that in mind, Rhapsody was quick to dismiss any presumptions she might have been forming about the man. It hardly mattered what his background might have been after all, that was no way to judge another; he was pleasant enough company, and quite calm compared to Zerori, and even Russ.

"Hmm?" she hummed curiously at Callions question, mid-bite, pausing to think with the spoon of ice cream in her mouth.

She agreed wholeheartedly with Callion's assessment of serenity, just glancing across the icy expanse as the starry night sky caused the snow to twinkle and shimmer was enough to verify that. Such tranquility was the reason Rhapsody would travel the planet more often than not, enjoying what small peace could be found here and there, creating a personal aim to protect such places as best as she could. When she thought about the natural beauty of the world, and the kindred wildlife that made said placed their home, she was at peace. However, when she recalled the battles that loomed and threatened to steal away such peace, her heart would ache. Now wasn't a time to dread the unpredictable however, she was with a guest of the planet, and had no intention of souring the man's otherwise blissful mood.

She removed the spoon from her mouth, smacking her lips before tilting her head with a contemplative thought. "Well, I am certainly no one so grand as to formally welcome you, but welcome you I do to our little planet." She'd say happily, giving the man a soft smile, "I am afraid Earth is not likely to offer you the same tranquility your home of Bhupal may, but that is not to say there is not peace to be found, you need only know where to look!" she was happy to explain, waving her spoon in the air as she prompted her brief helpful lecture, "Though not quite as peaceful, not too far from here lies Mount Frapp- oh, excuse me, I do believe they call it Mount Pucchino now. I dare say, it is quite the amazing place to visit." she'd say with a small laugh, taking another bite of ice cream as her tail shifted across the snow, "It is in fact, the very same place this delicious treat was procured." she'd note, giving Callion the secret to the ice cream should he have felt interested in the future for another batch.

While the near was simple enough to speak of, Rhapsody found herself pausing before bringing up more locales across the planet. From his words, Bhupal was a rather icy planet the same as the Land of Ice the two currently found themselves in. While there may have been villages here and there that would offer a peaceful respite to those seeking to remove themselves from the cold, such places were likely not what the man had in mind. Rhapsody felt troubled thinking of what to say next, while the area around the once proud Battle Island was rather quiet and peaceful, the memory of what had happened there hardly made it a place of tranquility. She wanted to believe that despite the mans current icy choice, he would be open to locales apart from climates well below zero.

"If you find yourself interested, well to the south you will be upon the vast oceans of our world." Rhapsody would begin again, chiming in with the best guess she could that would hopefully satisfy the man's curiosity, "While not all has been peaceful at the main islands, you can easily find yourself upon an island secluded from all others that you might make your own." she'd state with an affirmative nod, "Staring across the vast shimmering seas with naught but the sound of the waves and gulls as your companions is quite relaxing." she'd say with a purr, "If the ocean is not too your liking, I find my home in a forest to the far East to be rather relaxing." she'd include, pausing as she recalled the recent battle the Lookout had experienced, "Sadly, chaos had a tendency to creep in where you least expect it. My teacher experiences such chaos more often than not, but so long as you stay clear of the tower, you should find the forest to be a rather inviting place." she'd finish affirmatively, finally putting away her spoon in the wrappings she'd brought with her for disposal, content with the amount of ice cream she'd enjoyed.

A slight blush came to Rhapsody's face, more embarrassed than anything as the man continuously complemented her on the aid she was providing. She'd bring her hand to her face, partially balled, covering her mouth with her fingers as she began to laugh in response. She hardly found the information she was giving so useful, but for Callion it must have been as welcoming as a travel brochure. As he said, he was a new visitor to Earth, and had no prior knowledge to speak of, so any amount of information must have been useful. Rhapsody began to have her own curiosity of the man, most specifically of his arrival. Sure, she was curious as to what led him to leave his home and come to Earth, but she was becoming curious on the specifics surrounding his actual entry to the planet and subsequent settling in the Land of Ice.

How long had he been here? What drew him to the Land of Ice of all places? Was it because of its similarity to his home world? Why even leave his home world if the first place he'd visit would be something of similar design?

While questions like these steadily began to come to her mind, she chose to refrain from asking, at least for now. She didn't want to seem rude by prying so intently into the mans background, and in truth, she wouldn't be bothered by not knowing. Her very nature made her the curious sort, it was what led her to sitting down beside the man upon noticing him meditating in the first place. As a person however, she was not tied down by what one did or would choose to do in their life. It wasn't as though she didn't have her own personal views, likes, or dislikes, but to judge another was to subject yourself to judgement as well, and who was she to judge the way another lived their life in the first place? Her questions would come eventually, but for now, they were mere curiosities and nothing more.

Strangely enough, despite the otherwise clear sky, snow continued to fall at a steady pace. The flakes tiny and inconsequential, drifting through the air moreso than falling, perhaps carried from afar on the breeze of the mountain. It made the area all the more serene as the minuscule flakes twinkled in the air, making what would otherwise be a dark location from night having settled into a sparkling display. If the governments of Earth were to discover the majesty of the location, they'd have certainly ruined it by turning it into a tourist attraction; luckily, most had far too difficult a time attempting to traverse the Land of Ice, so something so terrible wouldn't be likely to happen any time soon.

As Rhapsody spoke, her ears would twitch, shaking the steady accumulation of snow from her fur. She'd taking note of Callion's subtle interest in Mount Puccino and would give a soft smile. While she wasn't necessarily one to say she had a sweet tooth, she also couldn't deny the delights she had in such treats. Callion seemed content in learned of the additional recommendations she had, though afterwards, Callion had posed a question to her. He inquired into her past, her history, and her experiences on Earth.

In truth, Rhapsody was a bit worried about how to respond; her accident had left her without the majority of her memories, however she'd been regaining them over time. She'd come to learn she wasn't a naturally born inhabitant of Earth, and though this was hardly something to cause alarm in others, it was something that made Rhapsody question the validity of her feelings when it came to considering Earth her home. "Mmn, you need not worry." Rhapsody would respond with a shake of her head, "I take no offense to your curiosity, so long as you might afford me the selfsame indulgence." she'd continue with a laugh, teasing the man a bit before leaning back to look up towards the starry night sky.

She'd pause for a brief moment, think of where best to start her explanation; she didn't consider herself so interesting of a person to be capable of regaling the man with incredible exploits, and so decided a rather brief and humble explanation was in order. Her wings would fluff, her feathers shaking to yet again remove the accumulation of snow; each such reaction seeming as natural to the girl as breathing. Though she had a mostly humanoid appearance, much like Callion, it was rather apparent that she was no Earthling. Cat ears and a tail, wide eyes and fangs hidden behind her soft smile, large bird wings and an unnaturally lithe form contrary to her proportions. She was an alien herself, and she could recall the name of her planet, Zoa, though unfortunately, could not recall its location.

"My home of Zoa, I know only that it is quite far from here. I have asked others for help in finding it, only to learn that it exists on no known map." she'd say, her smile not leaving her face, but her eyes giving away the heaviness she felt in her heart as she looked up towards the stars, "I do believe I have family there, though in truth, I do not recall their faces. It is not as though I have been away for long, however..."

Rhapsody would explain her lack of memories, a condition spurred upon by the assault from a villain known as the Mad Heran, Fukushu. While she'd successfully aided in defending the city, rescuing residents to the best of her ability at the time, the cost of her endeavors was a hospitalization and subsequent amnesia. A great quantity of her memories had been lost, from her family and friends of her home world, to its location as previously described. She knew there was at least one who know of her past greatly, Zerori, however she was hesitant to approach the woman for aid. It hardly made sense not to have Zerori help her, but in prior attempts to learn the truth of her past, she could feel only pain, her psyche going so far to suppress the truth that nightmares of an unknown giant Saiyan would occasionally plague her.

Finishing that brief explanation, Rhapsody would continue one in a much less somber tone, finding happiness when it came to speaking of the Earth. "Wherever I may have come from, I consider Earth my home now." she'd say with a serene expression, her tail swaying blissfully and daintily behind her, "My teacher accepts me for who I am now, and though they seem to be experiencing difficulties of their own, I too have chosen to accept them." Rhapsody spoke of the Guardian of Earth, Jackie, but chose not to reveal that fact. She wasn't going so far as to keep it secret, it simply didn't seem like a necessary point to make at the moment. "I do believe you will find Earth to be a rather pleasant place!" Rhapsody attempted to encourage, considering her words the truth even in spite of the occasional threats the planet has endured.

She wished she could have explained more to the man, but the truth was lost to her. Rhapsody was unaware of just how bad the memory loss she experienced was, and was in fact unaware of how her magic had gone so far as to alter her physical form in order to save her life. Zerori was the only one aware, but had withheld the truth from Rhapsody for her own sake. Though the girl seemed as healthy as could be now, had Callion had been able to meet the girl over a year ago, he'd have bore witness to a much different person.

"What of you my friend?" Rhapsody would ask, a spark of curiosity coming to her eyes as she jumped on the hopefully equal exchange, "Might you have stories of your own to share? Of course, I afford you the selfsame respect you have given me, you need not speak more than you are comfortable with." she'd say happily, hoping not to bother the man with her curiosity too much.

After having listened to Rhapsody's story, Callion provided what insight he could, though as he himself would admit there was little he could offer. He explained his own situation, allowing for the fact of his Saiyan heritage to be revealed. Rhapsody was able to allow her mind to relax on the matter, having had the obvious point clarified. It would no longer be a presumption, but that didn't mean she would start comparing the man to his kin. She continued to listen to his story, thinking intently on his explanation of being sent from his home world to another. There was nothing Rhapsody could fathom that would explain the possibility of why he was sent away, any assumptions she could make being no better than whatever assumptions Callion made himself.

The Monsol sounded rather pleasant, though Callion would quickly reveal that the specific monks that raised him were no longer among the living. Rhapsody would lower her head, offering a brief mental prayer for the departed. She had no idea how long ago they may have been lost, but hoped her prayer would reach them regardless. Finally, she would have an actual judgement of Callion, one she kept in her mind rather than vocalizing. To Rhapsody, Callion was strong, and it wasn't merely his body she found strong, but his heart and mind. Though she couldn't remember it, Rhapsody was aware she'd suffered some sort of trauma, and it was a trauma so bad that the mere attempt to recall it would stricken her with nightmares. She considered herself weak for this, but didn't allow it to define her; in spite of her weakness, she was still seeking answers to her past as best as she could, and was still intent on living her life.

Callion suffered no memory loss, at least, this was what Rhapsody could gather from his explanations. He was too young to know the reason why his kind would send him away from his home world, but his memories of what became of the Monsol monks were fresh. As he said, he'd left Bhupal of his own accord, with the monks gone, there may have no longer have been a reason to stay. Perhaps there was nothing to protect, nothing there worth fighting for. Rhapsody would hold back her steadily wandering thoughts, not wanting to form unnecessary presumptions. Regardless of his reasoning, he was here now, continuing to live without suppressing the truth of his past, and for that, Rhapsody found him strong.

"I know it may not mean much coming from me, and certainly will not bring back what you have lost, but I am sorry for the loss you have been forced to endure." Rhapsody would express, giving Callion a deep bow, "I will not proclaim to understand how such a loss has made you feel, but I wish for you to know that I find your resolve to continue on in spite of it commendable." she'd say, giving the man a soft smile.

Perhaps because of the mentions of the past, Callion had found himself becoming more curious about things outside the scope of Earth. He'd inquired with Rhapsody as to the state of the Saiyans, more specifically, her own encounters and interpretations of them. Rhapsody would cross her arms lightly, bringing one of her hands to her cheek and resting it in her palm as she processed the question. Certainly, she wasn't about to tell him about the Saiyan she saw in her nightmares; that wasn't exactly a good impression of a Saiyan, and being from a dream, was likely not accurate in the least. Besides that, she'd have rather not tried to think further on the nightmare if she could avoid it. All that remained however were the two she'd met, though she couldn't have been entirely sure of their origins.

"Well, I do believe Zerori is a Saiyan by her own admission, though, she seems to claim herself a demon." Rhapsody herself seemed confused by the prospect, but wasn't one to judge. She'd tell Callion what she knew about Zerori, mentioning her strength and magical abilities. The woman was a rather scary one, having gone so far as to separate Rhapsody from a group once in order to interrogate her. She would insist that the woman was kind despite her rough actions however, not wanting Callion to get the wrong impression of her. Even in spite of her supposed "demon" heritage, Zerori wasn't too dissimilar in appearance to Callion, and had mentioned being a Saiyan, so she must have been. Lastly, she'd assert to Callion not to worry about Zerori being a demon, Rhapsody had yet to meet a demon that hadn't been kind to her. She wouldn't claim that each and every demon was kind, but that they people were not too dissimilar to others in the universe in terms of how diverse they could be.

"Then there is Russ, though, I hardly know much of the man myself." She'd admit with a bit of a nervous laugh, "He has never admitted such a thing to me, but if I was to merely judge off appearance, he may well be a Saiyan himself." Russ was a strange one to explain, exhibiting almost none of the traits one might have expected from a Saiyan. He was as soft and approachable as a human, and rather upbeat, at least that's how he was when Rhapsody had last met him. To make him even further removed however, Rhapsody would explain to Callion the fact that Russ seemed to have smooth blue hair, rather than the typical black spiky manes most would have been familiar with. He did feature a tail however, though as Rhapsody had thought to herself internally before, she had a tail herself and was no Saiyan, so perhaps Russ having one didn't matter.

"I am quite sure at some point I could introduce you to them if you would like!" Rhapsody would say rather excitedly, always happy to introduce new friends, "But of course, I would do so only at your request. I am quite sure you would like time to grow accustomed to the planet, and there is quite the bit to see." she'd say, deciding to finally stand up, brushing the snow off her dress and out of her hair.

As if on cue with her comment of things to see, the famous northern lights would begin to spread through the sky. Had Rhapsody known the even was approaching? Perhaps, it was a secret she would keep if she did however, such a thing was a fun dramatic reveal. A myriad of colors stretched and danced across the skies above, like ephemeral waves of untouchable energy. The lights reflected well off Rhapsody's eyes as she stared with an enraptured gaze; though the lights hadn't been her reason for coming to the north, they were always a beautiful sight to enjoy. She hoped Callion might have felt the same; having come from a world of ice, she wondered if perhaps his planet had a similar event. If not, then hopefully he wouldn't have been too caught off guard, and would kind the beauty of the lights just as captivating.