24th January 2006
08:23 GMT -5
Zamaron is busier than I was expecting. Towers in the styles of a dozen species cover the planet, interspersed at apparently random intervals with cultivated areas of greenery. I can even see what appears to be a vertical farm in skyscraper form, a hollow column of greenery covered in flowers and fruit.
The Zamarons themselves are easy enough to spot. The ones acting as our escort all look like human women in hoplite armour, their hair done up in curls. But I've caught sight of others dressed the same way but wearing faces of other species. They're still all women and all humanoid, but I've seen blue, purple, orange and yellow skin, two eyes, four and six, conventionally attractive and unconventionally… Unconventional.
I assume. I don't know all of these species.
There are plenty of aliens, too, male and female and children. Though none are in the air as the Zamarons appear to all be, and there's a certain… Distance between the two groups even when they're close together. I haven't seen any non-humanoids yet, but we've only flown over a relatively small part of one urban area. I also haven't seen any male Zamarons, Guardians, Controllers, or any other Maltusians.
Komand'r doesn't look impressed.
"What's so great about
this place?"
"It's not quite what I was expecting. But-.
"
"What
were you expecting?"
"More violet crystal. And fewer men.
"
One of the Zamarons looks around, her artfully styled left eyebrow arched.
"The crystals are for the direction and storage of energy. Why would we make buildings with them?"
"Why do the Guardians make all their buildings look like giant lanterns?
"
She rolls her eyes.
"A truly mortifying lack of imagination. Why do you think we
dumped them?"
Blackfire wrinkles her nose. "Aren't Guardians, like, three-" She makes a 'you must be this high' gesture with her right hand. "-feet tall? And don't they all look like
babies?"
The Zamaron huffs. "Those characteristics didn't
help." Then she smiles. "Now we attract paramours from across the universe! Most of whom have feelings they don't mind talking about, a reasonable knowledge of armour couture and an acceptance that
we're more important than their stupid Lantern Corps!"
Ah.
"Bad break up?
"
"I'm
perfectly fine! Why does EVERYONE say I'm not?!"
I.. look awkwardly at
one of the other Zamarons, who subtly shakes her head and makes a 'stop' gesture. I nod, and float away from Unexploded Zamaron and towards head-shaking Zamaron.
"I wanted to talk to someone about holding our wedding here. Is that really something I need to speak to your current Queen about?
"
"Weddings are a celebration of love, one of the two most important things in Zamaron society."
Komand'r frowns in a 'I'm nearly interested' sort of way.
"Oh? What's the other one?"
"Punching people in the face."
"Huh?"
"I'm one point two billion years old. Have you got
any idea how many cities I've seen? Heck, this is the seven hundredth one I've seen just at this geographic location alone. Seriously, razed to the ground, built up again, seven hundred times. Only two things still make me feel alive: genuine emotional attachment to another intelligent being." She smiles beatifically. "And the brutal rush-" Her expression becomes a little more manic. "-of bloody combat."
Komand'r nods. "Oh, I
totally get you. This… 'Love' thing's kind of
new for me, but I've always liked fighting."
The Zamaron glances my way. "He is your first?"
Komand'r hesitates.
"When you say
first..?"
"The first person for whom you have felt romantic love."
"Oh! Yeah, definitely."
"You don't sound very convincing."
Komand'r huffs.
"
Ugh, fine.
He's the first person I think I can be completely honest with, the first I trust enough to be w-." Twitch. "
Vuln-." Twitch. "
I don't have to constantly assert myself when I'm around him.
Who I know will be there for me because he's proven that he loves me too, who I can trust not to abuse that trust."
The Zamaron looks at me.
"And
can she?"
"You're not going to ask me if she's
my first?
"
She shrugs. "I probably would if I was being fair, but we picked female forms for a reason and I'm
not."
Komand'r frowns at her. "I am." She looks curiously at me. "I never asked that. Am I?"
"Yes.
I love your passion, your fury-.
"
"That's just a tamaranean thing.
I want to hear about me."
"I've never been more alive than in the time I've known you.
Your adventurousness, your vivacity, your determination to wring every bit of excitement out of life made me actually embrace what we do rather than stumble from job to job out of a sense of obligation, or…
Because I couldn't think of anything better to do.
Heck, the way I put aside all of my reservations about letting my anger and hate run free, the.. whole way I was able to channel the Lesser Sign of the Butcher…
That was you, what you showed me.
"
Komand'r's eyes are wide and watery as she drifts over to me and lays her hands on my chest.
"
Awww…"
And then head-shaking Zamaron drops a pair of necklaces over our heads.
We both blink, pulling away slightly to look at… The
glowing violet crystal attached to each of them.
"Congratulations! You're married."
…
Okay. That's.. why we're here… But…
"Isn't there supposed to be a ceremony?
"
"Usually we send a couple who want to be married by us on an epic quest to prove their worth and test their love, but we heard about Vega and you two have pretty much
done all that. The Queen can officiate a ceremony with guests if you want, but this is the important bit. Two people who complete each other finding each other."
I think I-. I
close my eyes-. I can
feel Komand'r through the violet crystal. Komand'r blinks as she realises the same thing.
I hold out my left hand to her.
"Let's go and see the Queen.
"
