Rhiannon by T'Val
	Chapter 1 Waking up, Rhiannon thought that Failté Eloi wasn’t surely to be the worst planet in this Galaxy. Two suns, a mild warm climate with no winters, not too hot summers, beautiful landscapes with only a few industrial areas, no pollution and one big spaceport. There was hardly any poverty and the educational system was known to be one of the best, and quite a lot of solar systems in this part of the galaxy did copy it. Yes….. if there wasn’t the one BIG if…. The people on this planet accepted strangers for trading reasons, for buying what they couldn’t produce on this planet and sell the many good agrar products and the kind of jewels that where only found on their planet, but they were not allowed to marry a stranger; under no circumstances. No one was believed to be as intelligent and spiritually elevated as the Eloi thought they where. Rhiannon gulped, trying hard to keep down her tears. Yes and she was a “Bastard” in their beliefs. Her father, before his accident in which her mother died, was a brilliant Officer and Doctor of Starfleet, but then decided to return home… but she, his only and beloved daughter was half Betazoid, the same tall slender figure as her father, the golden shimmering skin, the pointed ears, but not the typical violet or bright blue eyes, nor the fair hair he had, they all had, but the dark hair of her mother and the same eyes as her. Maybe she would have been easier to be accepted if she wouldn’t have looked so different… and if she wouldn’t have been so telepathic. They feared her, she felt it all the time, she could read the thoughts they had about her. Her father never told them she was telepathic, maybe he didn’t even realized himself that she was since… he told them that she was only emphatic, but this on its own made them shiver in fear. And she wondered why. Reading the history of the Eloi, Rhiannon had seen that once they had been not only telepathic, but had many different abilities like telekinetics, healing, seeing into future, floating, and even some had been able to shape shift. Why they had lost their ability and when... had nowhere been written. Her father was a broken man since his wife died, judging himself as guilty. He with help of the old honoured name of his family made it that she was taken into school, then later on Arati, the Eloian equivalent of college. But she was all her life since she came here the bastard. Schoolmates never would accept her as equal, never invite her on birthdays, nor would any male even think about taking her as a mate. Yes, some had been interested in getting her into bed, being curious if a bastard was good in bed … Thinking of that she still growled in anger, which helped to ban the tears. And she finished her education with highest degrees possible, but still now she wouldn’t get any kind of job. She knew she would be a good doctor and psychologist; she even had stronger healing abilities than her grandmother of father’s side had, but... no one would even dare to think to employ a bastard. She growled again. Rhiannon stood up. She thought by herself that it would make no sense to complain. After she had a shower and dressed, she decided to take some food and go to the temple of Uni-Te, the main God of Failté Eloi, or rather main Goddess. The one and only, the source of all being, Mother of wisdom and strength. And then after that have a picnic by herself. As she slowly strolled her down the way to the temple, enjoying the fresh air, the wind playing with her long, silken hair and the warm sun on her golden skin, she thought about her life. If her father wasn’t such a lovely man and if he only would be able to live without her, she would have probably tried to join Starfleet. But she did know too well that her father's little bit of life will was her. She remembered the time well when she was a child on Starfleet ships, a short time as well her father had been a doctor under Dr. Pulaski on the famous USS Enterprise, before he got the offer of being the chief medical officer on another ship together with his wife, who was known to be a brilliant biologist. She sighed. If only he wouldn’t have taken that job, yes if only…, but she did knew she couldn’t turn back the wheel of time. Although this incident now had happened years ago she remembered it as if it would have been yesterday. She just had turned 12 when her parents took a little shuttle to examine a moon of a planet in the neighbourhood of the one on which they where analyzing and searching for plants with healing powers, specially for yet incurable illnesses. As it should have been a short trip with no problems, they took their daughter as a belated birthday present with them. As Rhiannon reached the temple, she interrupted her thoughts. She placed her bag and her shoes beside the entrance. Entering the temple, she felt peace, like always when she came here. The temple was an architectonic jewel, a harmony of light and crystals. No dark and cold stone was used at all, only the quartz crystals which were found so richly in this solar system. She thought that when she had first seen the temple it reminded her on Opals and diamonds, including all the rainbow colours and a bit opaque like an opal but with a brilliance like a diamond. The round cushions on the floor were all made in a white silk-like natural material. They reflected the light and the colours. Somehow she thought that if there was a heaven, and she did believe in that, that this temple must be an earthly reflection of it. But then her thoughts calmed down bit by bit and more and more she was filled with deep inner peace and felt comforted, embraced, like a baby in the arms of her mother. She prayed that she would find a solution for her problems, and that she would find strength and peace within her self. Then she went into deep meditation. All of a sudden Rhiannon was overwhelmed by a feeling of such intense and pure love, that her body was shaken. There was a voice within her as coming from her heart, different from the telepathic signals she was used too. My dear beloved child, the voice said, my people know I am Mother of Wisdom and Strength, but they have forgotten the most important thing, I AM MOTHER OF LOVE. LOVE is the most powerful thing in all the universes. LOVE is the core and goal of everything. Let them know that… Then the voice faded and the feeling that had shaken her body ebbed away. Rhiannon was sitting there wide awake, but in a way stunned, unable to move, to speak or even to breathe. Slowly she calmed down and now in an instant the realisation hit her and a million thoughts and questions raced into her mind like an all overwhelming storm. Inside her was absolute chaos. What, why her, how… She jumped up like bitten by a Sakkaran and ran out of the temple, slipped into her shoes, grabbed her bag and ran in to the forest. She surely didn’t want to see anyone of the Eloai people, no not even her father. Deep inside the forest she leaned on a huge old Banjan tree and gasped for breath, than she slowly slid down and sitting at the roots she tucked her head between her knees, wrapped her arms around her knees and started to weep like she had never done since her mother died. Her memory went back to the worst day in her life. Her birthday present; she thought; what a bad joke: She wished the Captain had never done her parents the favour of letting her in the shuttle, then at least she would not have the memory of how her mother died. The flight to the moon was nothing special for her parents, but she still was amazed and had enjoyed every second of it. They scanned the small moon and found out that it did have a breathable atmosphere and no big creatures as well as acceptable temperatures, although maybe a bit hot. So they landed the shuttle and went out. Before her mom instructed her not to eat any plants or touch them before they dhadn't checked them with the tricorder. It looked all so pleasant, although strange. There where reddish trees with purple leaves, violet bushes with square-like white little flowers smelling sweet and filling the air with their scent. This lovely scent she hated since. At that time it reminded her on earth’s jasmine, but even more intense and much sweeter. The tricorders couldn’t find anything dangerous, and they collected some of the plants to examine them in the lab later when they would come back. It had been an afternoon full of joy and laughter. Rhiannon wept harder, remembering that day. She had it all so clear before her eyes... far too clear. As only half Betazoid she never had been able to be more than empathic but with her mom. They have had a strange bond and she could always reach her no matter how far she was. When the shuttle was about several hundred meters above the ground she thought that the thoughts of her mom faded for a tiny short moment as if she were falling unconscious, and then she felt that she was unable to move and saw that her parents where the same. She was overwhelmed by the panicking thoughts of her moms and herself. The shuttle, now out of control, began to fall towards the ground. Only seconds later the shuttle crashed into the trees. Her head nearly burst when she felt her mom crying mentally in agony. That was the moment her telepathy awoke. She could feel her dad’s thoughts and pain too, then there was only blackness. She shook her head to get free off this painful memory, and tried to concentrate on what had happened in the temple of Uni-Te. Why me, she thought, I am only half Eloai. There must be better choices. She wished she could have wiped it away as a daydream, but the feelings and the voice had been far too real. She shook head in disbelief. I am not worth, Mother, to be chosen by you, she thought. Who would listen to her? She took a bottle of Rhada juice out of her bag and took a long sip. She smiled. That pure white fruit with its golden skin was surely the most delicious thing in the Universe. Sweet, but not to sweet, smooth like cream, refreshing, and that unique flavour, not compareable to anything else she ever had tried. Looking at the precious watch she had on a chain, the last gift of her mom, given her with the words that she should always remember the beautiful times, she saw in a shock that it was time to return home to prepare dinner for her dad and herself. Where had the hours passed? How long has this timeless moment in the temple really been, she asked herself in astonishment. She drank the rest of the Rhada juice and packed the bottle away, then in a quick pace she headed homewards. Chapter Two In the next weeks Rhiannon did everything to avoid thinking of the past and thinking of what had happened in the temple with her. Her father already wondered why she never went to the temple any more, hadn’t it been a pleasure for her before to visit it daily? Then one day she decided to make a trip to the spaceport and do some shopping there; maybe that would give her some fresh ideas and some different thoughts. Which woman could resist the magic of shopping, she thought and chuckled. She went over to the garden where here father was sitting and she gave him a hug. Than she told him that she planned to visit the spaceport, but other than expected, her father was upset. She could read in his mind that he feared she would leave Failtè Eloi. Before she could comfort him by telling that she wouldn't leave him, he said in an upset voice why she couldn’t meet a man and marry him, and why she hadn't started to work as a doctor yet. She was shocked. She had never realised that Madana was thinking in this way and that she had been so good in hiding how the Eloi treated her when he wasn’t around. Well, she thought, my mother did train him well in hiding thoughts. Rhiannon sat down in a chair beside him and got herself a glass of lovely fresh spring water. Her throat was so dry that she wouldn’t have been able to speak a single word. It’s maybe time to tell Madana the truth she thought. She didn’t want to hurt him, but living in illusions is no life either, that she had learned. "Father," she started, wondering how she could explain. So she told him that without his families' influence, from which only her grandma was still alive, she would not even have been able to visit college; how the Eloi treated her an Eloai Bastard; that no man would have dared to dishonour his family and bloodlines by taking her as lifemate. She went on telling him some incidents, although not the worst. Her useless tries to get a job somewhere. She didn’t mention how rude some, no most of the people had been. She didn’t want to hurt her father more than she already did. She needn’t be telepathic to know that. The look in his face was telling her more than enough. Madana cleared his throat and told her that he must have been blind. He shook himself like someone awakening after a long and deep sleep. Too long. He said that he should have known, but caught in the pain of the loss of his Imzadi or archaii as it was called by the Eloi, he forgot how stubborn and arrogant his folk could be. He started to excuse himself, but she interrupted him by putting her fingers on his lips. She told him that there was nothing to forgive. He looked at her like seeing her first time as what she was in ages. He told her that she had so much of her mother, not only her eyes and hair he said, but much of her understanding and caring nature. They talked together for hours, honouring the memory of wife and mother, and renewing the bond between father and daughter in that time. The next morning she packed some stuff and after breakfast went to the transporter station. Arriving there she thought like often before, how different these where to the federation equivalents. She had read once that not only the looks where different, like most Eloai things it looked beautiful and aesthetic, but that it was basing on a complete different technology. The Federation was never allowed to get the secret of it. Like with most of the Eloai technics, she frowned. Arriving at the spaceport the same second Rhiannon left Arati, she needed some seconds to get used to the whirling crowd around her. She could see many Eloi, but even more human and non human species from all over this sector of the Galaxy. She could see an at least twenty different species and the Goddess only know from how many different systems the simply human looking ones came. She had to shield herself pretty strong not to get overwhelmed by so many thoughts filling the air. Walking down the gigantic shopping lane she spontaneously decided to sit down in a coffee shop and to drink a hot chocolate. Something she rarely drank, because it reminded her too strong of her childhood. Rhiannon chose a place on the terrace where she could watch the passing crowds, but was herself a bit hidden. As she sipped on the hot chocolate, a delivery boy passed the coffee shop with a huge pot of big pink sweet smelling flowers which scented the air. And that moment the memory she had tried so hard not to remember came again. The smell was obviously not the same, but sweet and heavy enough to remind her on that violet bushes with this tiny squared flowers. The next thing she remembered after falling unconsciousness was that she woke up in the hospital of the ship. She immediately knew that her mom was dead and her father was lying beside her as unable to move or speak as she was. Just that she could open and close her eyes. Then doctor Satok, her father's Vulcan colleague, came into her view. He told someone she could not see that she was awake. Her eyes questioned what had happened, and he answered her in the quiet typical Vulcan way that when they had been overdue, another shuttle had been searching for them. They quickly found the wreck of the shuttle and scanning it, that she and her father had been still alive. They beamed them and the body of her mother into the shuttle and returned. One of the two pilots of that shuttle reported some slightly paralysis signs and all of them came into quarantine immediately. The moon was set under quarantine as well and a message was sent to HQ that something was on the planet that was paralysing people. It came immediately on the list of prohibited planets. Only the Sivaoan officer, a catlike species, showed no signs and was released back to duty a week later. The other pilot still suffered from the slight paralysis and she and her father couldn’t even move a tiny bit weeks later. But as long as they couldn’t speak, they couldn’t report. One day the hard work of the great hospital team showed effort, and they where slowly but surely able to move and speak again. But it took month of therapy, till they where healthy again. They literally had to learn to control tongue, voice and body again like little baby’s. She hated to remember that time. And simply no one had believed her that she thought that the flower bushes where the reason. A deep, velvet like voice got her back to the present. She excused herself and asked again what he had asked. He smiled and asked if he could sit down, as most places on the terrace where already full. She smiled at him and nodded. As he sat down she secretly watched him. He was as slender and tall as any Eloai, pointed ears, the same shimmering skin complexion… but his eyes they where golden and his hair was not only the fair colour but of a silverish shimmering white. She gasped in astonishment. Another half Eloai, she told herself. She had problems to breathe. But he looked purer than any Eloai she had ever seen. He looked like some of the Eloi on old paintings in the museums, from the time the Eloi still had all that different kind of parapsychic abilities. As Rhiannon recognized that he looked at her with a little amused smile in his eyes she blushed deeply. He asked her if she would be content with what she looked at and chuckled a bit. She tried to be angry, but started chuckling together with him and told him of what he reminded her. That very moment it was as if the sun had vanished. His face become very serious and his smile vanished. She asked him to forgive if she had said something that hurt him. He started smiling again, saying that it was okay, and changed the topic to something else. One hour passed like nothing, after which he said goodbye with the excuse that he had to do something important, but asked her if he could see her again in two days. Being happily surprised she nodded, and they decided to meet here again for breakfast. After he was gone, she decided to do some shopping as she had planned. But she was full of questions about the stranger and remembered that she didn’t even know his name. Thinking of him, her heart beat in a quicker pace. As she looked in the window, she saw a beautiful bright red silk dress, with sparkling quartzes on it, the skirt a little over her knees, in a swinging cut, shoulder free… she couldn’t resist to buy it, although it cost a fortune, but it did fit her like it was made only for her. Then she went to a jeweller who had jewels that where made after ancient pieces and or pictures. She bought some earrings and a similar chain for herself and, not knowing why, a man’s bracelet with some ancient carved writing and decorating knot work on it. She coughed when she heard the price and the jeweller explained that this was an original piece at least 700 years old. She had never spent so much money before for herself, but for some reason she couldn’t define she knew she must buy it. After that she went to a guesthouse which had a decent name and got a room for herself. Sitting in the room she looked at the bracelet and, turning it in her hands, wondered what the writing could mean. As she held it, she sensed some strange but not unpleasant vibration emmanating from the bracelet. It reminded her a little bit on the bliss she had experienced in the temple. That night she fell asleep with the bracelet in her hands, dreaming of the mother Goddess, the ancient ones and a handsome, more than mysterious stranger. Chapter Three Rhiannon tried hard the next day not to think of that stranger, but it didn’t work. She went to the Gjana manor, a huge museum with artefacts from the ancient ones and thousands of old, very old and even older books and reading crystals. Reading crystals, they still had machines to view them, but the technique how to produce them was gone and lost long ago. Why, well that was another secret about the Eloi. She went in and looked in the computer for themes about the mother goddess and the ancient ones. She found quite a few titles which she copied onto a notepad and than she went to the first section she had on her notepad. She took the book and started to look through. The hours flew by as she was reading through the books, viewing what the crystals where showing, and making notes. When she was looking for the next crystal, she noticed that directly beside it there was one without any title on the box, and it was bigger than the others. She was very curious. She took it and put it onto the machine. As expected, the hologram appeared and a voice began to speak. She gasped in a shock. The lady talking was looking like an ancient one; just the same golden eyes as her mysterious stranger. Than she listened to the lady. "I am greeting you, chosen one," the lady said. Rhiannon's eyes widened in shock. The lady paused with a smile and then the voice continued. "You surely wonder why I know that you are the chosen one of the ancient prophecies, and what that means." She chuckled. "I know you are staring at my hologram in disbelief. I would have done too, I presume", she went on. "But there are two reasons I know. First, you must be wearing the old bracelet, otherwise you couldn’t have seen this crystal, which was hidden when Gjana manor was built." Rhiannon gasped again. Her heart was beating as if she had run for a complete hour. Gjana manor was built a 1500 years ago, that was stated, which meant that the bracelet was even older than the jeweller had known. And the lady went on. "You must have been touched by the Mother Goddess, or wearing the bracelet would cause severe pain to you." Then the lady said that she wouldn't tell her more here, that the manor in her time was not the right place. She instructed her to go somewhere where she would be on her own or with her archaii, if she had found him yet, and put the crystal in the middle of the bracelet. It would show the same effect as the plump machines, they started to make the speakers time, no, she went on even better but she would see. The hologram vanished. Rhiannon sat there for about half an hour, here mind and emotions rioting. What prophecy ... no, the old lady couldn’t have meant the prophecy of the return of the divine ancient ones and the golden times. She remembered that she had it in school, but she didn’t remember much of the prophecy. It had been a tale to her in school times, and one she thought she didn’t like that much. She never had been one for religion, although she deeply believed in god/goddess or by another name the source of all that is. She always did believe that every prophecy, every religious writing, went through the hands of many generations and had been changed, not being the original as what they had been when they were noted down whether it was for dark or selfish reasons or by simply not understanding how it was once meant, when translating into a more modern language. Rhiannon put the crystal back into the box, which now she noticed did look different than most of the others, with the same type of carvings on it as her bracelet had. Looking carefully around if nobody was looking she hid it in the little bag she had on her belt. She knew she wouldn’t be controlled, because on Failté Eloi nobody would ever steal, and the other crystal boxes had a sensor so if someone would leave without the crystal being replaced he wouldn’t go far. And that was only because of visitors from other planets, who already had tried to steal crystals. Here books where far to big to be carried unseen, specially when your bag was placed at the entrance. But still she was happy when she made it outside the manor. She walked to the riding stables and got herself a Trichandra. These animals where about the size of a horse, had a velvet like soft fur which was gold, copper or bronze, rarely there was a silverish white amongst them, but they nearly counted as holy ones. She chuckled because that seemed quite strange to her. They had three short horns on their head which looked a bit like a deer, and a horse-like tail. But the most fascinating would have been the amazingly bright blue sparkling eyes. No white in them, no black part, just all in this nearly hypnotic blue. She always liked riding on them and had a golden mare herself at home. As she looked through the paddock she saw a beautiful stallion which had a dark gold fur nearly like polished brass. As she talked with the Trichandra master she was told that he was quite a handful to master, but she got him. Riding him needed her concentration, but was pure joy. Out of the town, she let him run as fast as he wanted, til they reached a forest. Riding through the forest she saw a clearing and decided to look which message was hidden for her in the crystal right here. She got off the Trichandra and let him eat some neems, a kind of a mix between grass and moss. She pulled off the bracelet, took out the crystal and placed it in the middle of the bracelet…but, nothing happened. She turned the bracelet the other way round, pressed on the carvings and crystals in it, but whatever she tried, nothing happened. After half an hour she gave in. She was frustrated. She thought by herself that the bracelet might have been damaged after the centuries. She rolled on her back and decided to take a short nap. She woke up when something was blowing in her face. Opening her eyes, she realised it was the stallion. She talked to him, stroked his soft nose, then got up and mounted again. Looking at the sky, she knew she had slept longer than the half hour she had intended. Riding back, she asked herself whom she could ask for help. She knew that most of the Eloi would have called her blasphemous at the minimum, and they would have taken bracelet and crystal off her for sure. The next morning Rhiannon woke up very early and with a bright silly smile on her face. She got herself ready, put on the new beautiful red dress and the new jewellery as well, only the bracelet she hid together with the crystal in her beltbag. She spun in front of the mirror and thought to herself that she didn’t look too bad. Then she looked at the watch and knew it was time to walk to the coffee shop, she would need 20 minutes to go. She chuckled. Strange that she still depended on a watch which was oriented on minutes and Starfleet time. She had programmed a second time on the display which showed the longer day on Failté: 26.5 hours a day had here and one year here would have been nearly 2 years on earth. When she reached the coffee shop, she saw that the stranger was already sitting there, although she was still early. He smiled at her, when she reached the table, stood up and helped her to sit comfortably. He asked her how she had been and did some small talk after she had ordered a drink. But she couldn’t help herself after some minutes bursting out with a bunch of questions. She asked him what his name was, who he was, where he came from and why he hadn't liked the comparison with the ancient ones the other day. He looked at her with a serious, but kind of benign look in his eyes. So many questions at once, he asked her. He told her that he couldn’t answer most of her questions but his name, and he told her that he was named Nimai. She didn’t know why but his name sounded very familiar to her. When he saw how disappointed she was he told her, calling her little girl, that he wasn’t allowed to tell her although he would like to do. She nodded, although she surely didn’t like to be called a little girl, being a fully adult woman in her eyes. He asked her then if she would know the Grand Mother Tara. Rhiannon looked at him eyes wide open, and told him that it was the title of honour of her granny indeed, but that it would be better if he would go there without mentioning her. He looked at her with a question in his eyes. She pressed her lips together for a moment, then she told him that she only was a bastard, as if that would say everything. Seeing that he didn’t understand, she told him more about it, how difficult it had always been for her, and that her own grandma only accepted her in order not to hurt her father. He shook his had slowly, saying more to himself that it had come so far that the arrogance even had grown since. Since that little word caught her attention and somehow she knew he had something to do with the ancient ones, and that he knew why they lost their powers. He asked if they could travel to the grand mother, because he needed to see her urgently. She was more curious than ever, but holding back her questions, she nodded, being pleased that he said we. She told him that she needed to get her stuff from the guesthouse and that she still needed to get something here in the shopping mall, and asked him if they could meet three hours later at the southern transporter station. He nodded, agreeing, and shortly after she went of to buy what her father needed. On time, she arrived at the transporter station and they went to Arati, her home town. Gritting her teeth she thought how ludicrous it was to call this place her home. It has never become that, not in all the years since she arrived on Failté. She asked Nimai then if he would like to have lunch at her father's place, because she would have to get Trichandra there to ride to the grand mother’s house, which was a good two hours' ride away. He agreed, and to her astonishment he didn't seem to wonder why they didn’t have flyers here. When she arrived she couldn’t understand it herself, having transporters, a spaceport and even ambulance shuttles here, but the Eloi refused any further use of modern transportation on the planet itself. Her father looked at the guest she brought, gasping as she had done before. He bowed deeply, hands folded in front of his face, and said something she couldn’t understand. It did sound like namaste deva and something else. Nimai smiled and bowed himself in front of her father. "Namaskar", he said, "so not all is forgotten here." She looked from her father to him and back like between two tennis players. Although she didn’t like to leave them, she excused herself to prepare lunch. She would have given anything if she could have listened to the talk of the two men. Rhiannon never before hurried as much to prepare lunch. But still she made a lovely vegetarian dish, with dessert and salad and soup. Hopefully Nimai didn’t mind to eat without meat. She had grown up like that and couldn’t imagine eating animals of whichever kind. She shook her head. And why should she, Rhiannon thought, with so many delicious vegetables and fruits of all the solar systems in this galaxy. When she entered to serve lunch, the men spoke about Trichandras, and her dad was just offering Nimai to take his excellent stallion. She smiled in surprise. She knew how precious this bronze stallion was to Madana, and never before had she seen him allow someone to ride it. But she was even more astonished to hear her father titling him Lord Nimai. There was no higher rank on Failté than this one. Opposite to earth it was higher than King, Queen or even Emperor or Empress. Lord was not only a leader, but a spiritual leader and or mentor and she did know of two or three persons on Failté who had the title. The whole thing got more and more interesting. She decided after he would come back from Grand Mother Tara she would tell him of the bracelet and the crystal… and maybe of her experience in the temple. So she was more than happy when she heard that Lord Nimai accepted her father's offer to be their guest over night. Chapter Four Right after lunch they set out for Grand Mother Tara. After riding for an hour in silence, which was no uncomfortable silence, she told him that she would bring him to the house of her grandmother but wouldn't enter with him. Raising eyebrows, he answered that he would accept that, but if she wouldn’t feel uncomfortable if she had to wait for many hours all on her own. Laughing harshly she pointed to her bag telling him she had all she would need, and that she would feel much more comfortable than in her small mansion. He shook his head in disbelief and so she told him, when her father brought her to the Grand Mother for the first time, she told her where she thought her place was. Falling silent, Rhiannon remembered that moment. The second the old Lady’s son was out of the room she immediately told her that she would be polite when her father was around, and for him, only for him she would do that, for her she always would be the bastard, unwanted and surely not accepted in any way. She remembered the blue eyes of the lady like a frozen lake and sparkling full of hatred. She shivered, remembering the hatred hitting her like a hammer. It had been so hard for her, just being thirteen, just recovered from the long illness, and still mourning for her mom. Since then she had only seen her on her birthdays or on Failté holidays. But if in the beginning she had hoped that it was only an old woman’s opinion, she had found out quickly enough that it wasn’t. As she looked up, she saw Nimai looking at her with that benign look in his eyes, as if he knew what she was feeling. And somehow she was sure he did know. Rhiannon smiled a sad little smile at him and was astonished when he led his Trichandra beside her and took her hand. She blushed, but then she felt a warm peaceful feeling floating her, like when she was in the temple and she felt as if a burden was taken off of her. She looked at him in amazement, but it felt so natural, so… wonderful, she didn’t even want to speak a single word. So they rode till they reached the sight of the Grand Mother Tara’s small mansion. Being only a third of the size of Gjana manor, it was still a big place. As she stopped and he let go of her hand she had a feeling of deep loss. They both dismounted the Trichandras and he handed her the rein of her father's stallion. Nimai smiled at her and told her he couldn’t tell her how long it would take, but latest with nightfall he would be back. She smiled back, nodded and told him that it would be okay. She guided the two Trichandras to a little spring and let them drink. After releasing them from saddle and halter, she took out a book of her bag and a bottle of Rhada juice and some chocolate to nibble on. She smiled about herself, thinking how addicted she was to that juice, and she wondered if Nimai had ever tasted that juice. Knowing herself, she had two bottles with her so Nimai could have some too on their way back. A deep sigh slipped her out. She scolded at herself for being so foolish to fall in love with him. How only could that happen, she asked herself. If he really was a high one, of the ancient gods, well then he would think about taking her as a lifemate even less than the Eloi. She wept silently and wondered how she could feel as if she had always known him, as if she never could do anything, but adore him from deep within her soul, with all her heart. Maybe she knew him from other lifetimes? One second she doubted he would feel the same and then she hoped he would and then again she was sure he couldn’t feel anything different than she did. All that had happened during the last days and all her emotions were too much for Rhiannon and so after a while she fell into a deep sleep of exhaustion. She woke up when someone tenderly touched her cheek. Needing some seconds to find out where she was, she saw Nimai looking at her and he told her that they could ride home. She felt immediately that he was angry, very angry, if not furious, although he was very calm on the surface. Silently they saddled the Trichandras again and rode off immediately. She wondered what her grandmother could have said to make him that furious. As she wanted to help him as he helped her before, she reached out with her mind and tried to read his thoughts. The second she felt his mind, he telepathically shouted at her so hard how she could dare to insult him and pry into in his mind, that she nearly fainted, so painful was his reply. Although it was nearly dark she saw the cold anger in his eyes when he told her to never ever try that again. Seeing the same coldness in his eyes she was so much used to was far more than she could bear and she raced away as fast as she could get her golden mare to run. When she reached her home, she asked her father, who came out hearing her, to look after her mare, and ran away as fast as she could. Although she had blindly run away, her feet had taken her towards the temple. She slipped into the temple, which was only lit by some ghee lights in front of the altar, and kneeled down and prayed ardently, but without a single word. She didn’t know how long she was kneeling there when she felt a hand softly touching her shoulder. She didn’t need to turn around to know it was Nimai. She turned round and looked at him with eyes red and swollen from crying and full of deepest resignation. He felt a pain deep in his heart seeing her that way and, wondering why, he promised himself he would never again hurt her. He telepathically asked her if she knew a place where they could talk on their own. She nodded, refusing to answer the same way, and led him out of the temple towards the old banjan tree where she had been some days ago. When they reached that place and sat down below the huge old tree they looked at each other. Something started to flow between them like electricity, strong and intense. Fear stroke her as she was thinking whether she should open her mind so much that he could read and feel what she was feeling for him. But then she said to herself that if she wouldn’t let him know she would surely regret it for therest of her lifetime, and in that point being genetically a full Eloai, that would be very long, much longer than even a Vulcan’s lifespan. So before Rhiannon could decide differently, she opened her heart and let her love flood to him. Feeling this love surrounding him, knowing immediately how much and deep she felt for him, Nimai felt he couldn’t any longer hold back his own feelings. It didn't fit into his mission, but what they felt was a call ancient and well known to his folk and he knew he must follow it. It was recognition, the recognition of two archaii and for a single second he wondered why he hadn’t known from the very first second on. They looked at each other and he opened his heart and soul completely to her. Feeling the total response of what she felt, she opened her soul to him as well. Slowly they undressed and touched each other slowly, tenderly like something immeasurable precious, starting to share lingering kisses and melting with body, heart and soul. When they woke up next morning, they smiled, both joyful, blissful and thankful. Yes their first deed this morning was a prayer to the god/goddess. They both felt so peaceful and complete as they never had done before. Nimai was leaning against the banjan tree and she was sitting between his legs leaning on him and looking back up to him, when she remembered the bracelet and the crystal. She reached out for her little beltbag and pulled out both. Nimai gasped when he saw that. His eyes opened wide as he asked her telephatically and that way the talked all the time since their union, if she knew what that was. So she told him what had happened before she had met him. And she did ask him if he knew what the carving on the bracelet was saying. Smiling still in surprise he looked at it and nodded and answered that it meant: Praise divine love it is the greatest force in the visible and invisible Universe and beyond. Rhiannon smiled at him lovingly and he slipped her a kiss, asking her than to activate the crystal. Making a grimace, she told him that she had failed before and he knew immediately that it was because she wasn’t trained to use her mental abilities. Together they activated the crystal and again the beautiful lady appeared, smiling at them and starting to talk. "I am greeting you, Archaii, so your souls are united after all these centuries again, might it turn the fate of the true Eloi and their descendants to a better way. Yes you are the chosen ones again and I hope this time you won’t fail again, nor that you doubt the bond between you again." They looked at each other in shock and shame, knowing that the lady was warning them rightly, that they had failed because they hadn’t fully trusted in love, in divine and in each other. She told them how once the Folk of her father had been so arrogant, so overconfident, not listening to the wise ones who warned them again and again to misuse their immense mental ability and use technics which where harmful not only for their planet, but for their complete solar system. For nearly an hour the lady talked to them and in the end letting them know how they could use the crystal as well for special questions they had, because there where answers saved in as well. Now she knew as well what Nimai had known before why the Eloi on Failté Eloi had been banished here and had lost all their psychic abilities. Looking at him, he confirmed to her that he was one of the true Eloi and that Failté Eloi meant nothing else but welcome Eloi and not, as was taught, Home of Eloi. When it was midday, they decided to return to her father and let him know what had happened. When she arrived, her father was obviously relieved to see them, because he had been in sorrow about Rhiannon. He hugged her, then looking at her he said that he had never seen her so beautiful and bright. Looking at Nimai, he sighed in remeberance for his wife and asked only one word, no not asking it was more a statement. He said Archaii. Both looked her father. It was Nimai who found his voice first and asked if Rhiannon was a child of a recognition, and her father nodded. Smiling, Nimai turned to her and said, "That explains a lot about you and why the Mother has chosen you." Madanas' eyes opened even wider as he asked if he understood correctly that his daughter was the chosen one of the ancient prophecy. Nimai nodded, telling him that it looked that way. Than, looking at each other, they decided to go into the house and talk there. Nimai knew he had to tell them about his mission. Chapter Five When they sat down in the atrium-like room in the middle of the house, each a glass of Rhada juice in front of them, a carafe of fresh spring water and one with Rhada juice in the middle of a table, they all felt that something extraordinary was going to happen. Nimai looked at them, took a long sip of his juice, and then he started talking. He said that as he had mentioned before, he was on a mission, and he assured Madana that what he had thought before was right, that Nimai was of Ksetra Eloi, the true home system of the Eloi, and that he indeed was an Eloai, a descendant of the ancient ones. Rhiannons eyes widened when she heard that. She hadn’t even thought a bit that he could be one of the ancient folk. How could he accept her as if she was on same level as he was, she thought. As they had such a close bond Nimai heard her thoughts as if they where his. Again with this for him so typical benign look on his face, he said to her how she could think so low of herself. He went on that it didn’t matter if someone had a small bulky figure like some races from a planets with high gravity, tall and slender as he himself was, if they had a green skin, like the people from Orion or blue like the Andorians, nor did it matter if the would breathe methan or oxygen, or be nearly looking like a stone like the Hortas, not birth, not race, not material circumstances would count, but solely the character, the heart, the persons' deeds. Rhiannon shook her head wildly. "See how much knowledge the people from here have," she said, "how good they care about nature, not even prison exists here, because it wasn’t needed," she finished. Nimai and Madana laughed. Her father told her that she was nearly as blinded as he was, although in a different way. Nimai than went on that not the knowledge one gaines counts, but if the person is willing to share knowledge, with the ones who are able to understand to be wise, gracious, merciful, friendly, understanding, tolerant as well as honest, humble and self confident. He said that as she had experienced most of the people on Failté Eloi where arrogant, overconfident and caught in a picture they had of themselves. And even if someone had not only high knowledge, but elevated powers like the Q’s he asked, does it make them any better. With a sigh and a laugh she gave in and told him that he was right. Coming back to what he started to tell them, Nimai told them that he had come to relieve the ban on the children of the Eloi, to give them back their true heritage and a new destiny. But, he went on, the problem was that the arrogance which caused the ban had grown instead of what should have happened, they founded a whole system on what were mostly lies. Rhiannon and Madana where listening intensly, as Nimai went on with his story. He told them that the Grand Mother Tara hadn’t believed a word of what he was telling her, and so had four of the other six Grand Mothers reacted. Rhiannon was not astonished by all that arrogance, but she asked him if he would leave now or what he wanted to do. He smiled benign and lovingly at once at her and said that he probably would have done, if, yes if they wouldn’t be archaii and now as well the chosen ones. He told her that with the power of the love of two archaii united they could change much more than she would believe now. He told her, smiling at her father, that one plus one for archaii didn’t mean two but a a multiple of their abilities. Madana nodded, agreeing, and chuckled. So Nimai said that over the next few weeks, till the day without night, something like an earthly midsummernight festival, he would start to teach her to awaken and use her mental abilities. And so he did. Every day from morning till evening he worked with her on her abilities. Not only that her telepathic ability increased so she could read the thoughts of people a spaceship which was orbiting the planet, she as well learned to levitate herself, gliding through the air, which she enjoyed quite a lot, and not seldom her laughter was heard through the house. Often Madana joined them, sitting silently and just looking, or calming his daughter when something didn’t work out as well or as quickly as she wanted. Patience wasn’t her big strength, as all found out these days. But, most importantly, Nimai taught her self-control, so she never would use her abilities for selfish, egoistic reasons. Her healing powers increased as well, and when one day her father was bitten by a new young and very wild trichandra, to her amazement it only took some less than two minutes to heal his arm completely. The nights where theirs. They spent it with lingering kisses, loving, longing touches or sometimes simply very close embraces. Nights full of enchantment, filled with their love and always deeper unions. Both couldn’t imagine how they could have survived without each other, specially Nimai, who was already 200 years old, which was for the true Eloi still a youngster. They found out what the true magic of love could be like. A simple touch of his hand on her shoulder, a kiss on his cheek, could bring them bliss. They even learned to reach ecstasy while simply holding each other close, letting energies flow. It was the true marriage of their souls. Not only that their hearts where beating in completely same rhythm, but it seemed as their breath was flowing in the same rhythm of in and out as well. When they looked at each other, the love was speaking out of their eyes, their smile, out of every single gesture. It was like a dance of love and bliss and both of them where so grateful that they could experience it. Soon the day without night had come. All three went to Na Boinné where the festivities should take place, like every year. Arriving there, they found themselves surrounded by many hundred Eloi, mostly the elite of the planet. Rhiannon gulped hard, doubting that any Eloi would accept what they had to tell them. Nimai gave her an encouraging hug and helped her to wipe away her doubts and fears. Madana gave them a big hug when they reached the Grand Circle. Both of them went on, while Madana was waiting at the outside of the circle. The seven Grand Mothers had already taken their place on the throne-like chairs, and both stopped right in front of them. A murmuring arose from the audience around, they could feel astonishment, curiosity and anger that the ceremonies didn’t start as usual. But from the Grand Mothers they felt four times pure hatred - and fear! The others, the younger Grand Mothers, where angry, felt disturbed, but nothing more. A gesture of Nimai, accompanied with his mental abilities, brought silence into the Grand Circle. He started to speak with a full, vibrant and well audible voice. He started by greeting the children of the Eloi and bringing them greetings from the people they called the ancient ones. An outcry arose and the Grand Mothers called him a liar and a bastard as Rhiannon was one. Again Nimai brought them to silence. He told them what had happened in the past and why he had come. His looks underlined the truth of his words, but the crowd nearly began to riot. He went on that they both where the chosen ones by the Mother Goddess, but he couldn’t speak on because the crowd went mad. They might have accepted him, but Rhiannon the bastard a chosen one was unthinkable. Rhiannon saw the content smile on the faces of the older Grand Mothers and opening her mind she found out that the four did know that they where speaking the truth, and so did Nimai know. She was desperate and she pleaded to the Mother Goddess to help her, to help the people of Failté Eloi. She started levitating and then she felt the strong vibrating again, which she had felt in the temple. It was emanating from her, reaching all the people in the Grand Circle. It was an energy of pure love, nearly more than she could bear, she started weeping when she felt Nimai levitating behind her, holding her close. It took another two minutes, which seemed her like eternity, then the Vibrations stopped and she collapsed. Nimai took her down to the ground and looking around, he said that they never should forget that the Mother Goddess, The God or source of all that exists is pure and infinite love, that beginning the maintenance and the goal of life was this love divine. Not a single sound arose from the circle when he left. Chapter Six As quickly as possible they returned home. Arriving there, Madana saw that already 25 messages where awaiting him on his communication system. His eyebrows rose. Expecting nothing good, he declined for the moment to listen to the messages. He then asked Nimai what he wanted to do now. Rhiannon, who was still a bit dizzy, said that she wanted to leave the planet for good. Nimai smiled at her and said that he would do so, but that at least they had to stay some more days to see how situation would evolve. Sighing deeply, she nodded, agreeing. Her father then made some food for them and got Rhada juice for them, winking at his daughter because she was so addicted to that juice. She started to chuckle and as she did she felt much better. Breathing deeply in and out several times she calmed herself and felt refreshed. Then she cuddled deep into Nimai's arms and asked how they could react so hateful or at least angry and blinded. Madana, looking for a moment to Nimai, answered that she shouldn’t forget that all the people on Failté Eloi had been taught for centuries that they where true Eloi, the only ones of their kind in the galaxy, the most highly evolved race of evolution, that in the end most of the people apart from a few who did know the truth, did believe what was told to them in the history books, what the priests taught them, and what all people had believed had to be true, hadn’t it? See, he continued, even I believed that we where the only ones of our kind, although I wasn’t as arrogant as most of us. Nimai now said that even some points of the religious writings as well of the writings of the mother goddess as of the other minor religions on Failté had been changed. Not all, not too much, but some points where missing, some others had been twisted. He continued that if the people forget to listen to the truth within them, if they search the truth in writings, in rulers, priests, the might be easily betrayed. See Rhiannon, he went on, as long as rulers and priests are honest, and tell the truth, then it is alright, but when they do something out of selfish, dark reasons, then you won't find the truth through them, and at some point they might be honest, but they are grown up already with wrong knowledge, so they cant tell you any truth, even if they think they do. Rhiannon shook her head, asking herself how people could act that way. Than she said to her father that they should listen to the messages. Madana made a face, but activated the communication system. The first and longest message was from Tara. She was bellowing and screaming on his malvolent Bastard, using words her son didn’t even expect she would know. He said, "what had happened must have impressed her a lot." All three chuckled. But then, to their astonishment, a mix of positive responses and sceptic ones who wanted to know more, followed, as well as some in the style of the Grand Mother Tara. "It seems that we split Failté into two parts," Rhiannon said. Over the next days the communication center was nearly running hot. Many people wanted to speak with Nimai and Rhiannon, and they couldn’t go outside, because there as well where many people who wanted to see them. It turned out as Rhiannon had said, Failté was split in two parts, or rather three. The ones who believed the message of Nimai and Rhiannon, the ones who didn’t know what to believe, or didn’t want to decide, and the ones who followed strictly the old rules and history. But to their true astonishment the Eloi who wanted to reunite with the folk of their ancestors, who wanted to change their attitudes towards non-Eloi people, was slightly bigger. It was foreseeable that it would take a long time till Failté Eloi would be a place again where understanding, and acceptance, love and peace would rule, but, one day in the future would see it happen. Luckily not even the people who where on the old lines would start a war because of different beliefs. It wasn’t in the mentality and beliefs of Eloi to fight with anything else but words. Three weeks later Rhiannon, Nimai and Madana were at the spaceport, standing in front of Nimai's beautiful spaceship, and where hugging goodbye. Rhiannon had tears in her eyes when she asked her father for the fiftieth time if he wouldn’t come with them. But again he denied, telling her that he was needed here as contact person to the true Eloi, and that he knew he was needed in many ways here. Rhiannon cried and hugged her father even harder. Than Nimai took her in his arms, saying "We will come back one day, Madana, you know that, and you might visit us one day on Ksetra Eloi." The men hugged each other as well. Then Nimai and Rhiannon entered the ship and after checking everything they took off. Leaving the planetary system of the two suns behind them, they flew into a new future full of promises and love.