[Fiction] Zen and Horns

[Symmetry]

Dawn, Mt. Hood Oregon

Forty Five miles from home that was less than a dozen leaps through the clear beautiful sky. The man who called himself symmetry stood on the summit of the dormant Cascade Range volcano and watched as the sun crept over the horizon and caused the surrounding to brighten as it bounced off the perpetual snow atop the eleven thousand foot peak.

He was barefoot as usually standing in the snow did not seem to bother him in the least. Kevin held one hand flat in front of his chest like a prayer that missed the other hand. He remained that way as the sun crept higher in the sky. Then with a sudden surge snow sprayed around him as he burst into motion. A kata was a rehearsed and imaginary combat that helped train moves into muscle memory making a practitioner of a martial art recall the maneuvers taught them on a near instinctual level. What Kevin displayed seemed simply one step beyond that fact as sweeps of his legs tossed snow into the air he fought through the frozen water snapping limbs so quickly that the sound of their movement became a audible performance. A swoosh snap and hiss as the air parted for the Nova martial artists.

It went on this way for an hour without stop. The young ameriasian man trained like he was a man fighting for his life. Each moment was filled with a flurry of activity until finally all was silent and still and he had moved back to the position he had started from. A perfect circle thirty feet across was scoured into the snow as a result of the activity.

Kevin folded his legs up beneath him and assumed his Lotus position. He was troubled, what had happened to him with Chloe felt like he had set himself at odds with his own center. Since the Pow Wow he had felt like this since he had seen her with Revenant did he even truly realize he had feelings for her. Still this was another obstacle to overcome and not to give in to. In the snow the Nova began to meditate and seek his inner peace and a resolution for his heart.

[Satyr]

Several minutes passed as Symmetry slipped into a deep meditation, simple mountain goat wandered into the clearing and began discretely started munching on some grass that Symmetry's recent kata had cleared of snow.

It spent several minutes chewing the grass clearing that spot completely of any vegetation; it then moved on to another spot of grass and started the process over.

After an hour of this the cleared area was completely empty of any grass or anything else remotely edible to a goat, and that list included a great deal of everything. It then moved over to sit on its haunches directly in front of Symmetry who still sat in meditation.

It was then that the goat spoke to the nova in perfect Chinese, yet with a Scottish accent. "So Xiao Kan Rong, do ye come 'ere often, lad?"

[Symmetry]

It wasn't that he was not aware of the goat it was that he had accepted the goat as part of all that was around him. Encompassing within the whole of his meditative state a sense of belonging. Time does not really pass at in the traditional sense to him when in such a state. so when the goat finally sat down and began to talk the sun was much higher than it had been when he had closed his eyes.

Xiao, his chinese name was not a secret anyone who bothered looking info his school or his personal information could find that name. Still a goat speaking it to him on a mountainside was not exactly something he had expected this day. He knew it was a Nova he spoke to he could sense the ebb and flow of the quantum weave around the body of the creature (Even though a goat talking was enough).

"I come here often enough very quiet and peaceful. Good morning sir goat." Kevin cracked a broad smile that hinted at amusement. "You have me at a loss though who might you be?" He of course had a supicion on who this was. He also figured what the subject of conversation would soon be. If this was Satyr then he considered if he came here to turn his node enhanced social prowess to turn him away from Chloe. He could likely do so and there was not a whole lot he could do if the man was unrelenting. But hopefully the druidic Nova had not came up the mountain to wage any form of war.

[Satyr]

"Ye know me, Xiao." The goat sniffed the air, looking thoughfully at the rocky outcropping beyond the nova. "It is time ye and I had a conversation, this be a good place a any." It said still speaking flawless Chinese, albeit with Scots flavor.

The goat looked over the nova sitting before it. "I dinnae mean ye harm, there is nae earthly reason why we shouldna be friends, Xiao." It chewed what remained of the grass in it's mouth, "Care ta talk?" it asked with a gleam to it's eyes.

[Symmetry]

The tongue wasn't his first language but he spoke it fluently as he replied to the goat. "Well we seem to have something in common so I am glad you found me. It is good to talk and the matter is one that should be discussed considering just where it is heading."

Kevin rolled his head around swiveling it upong his neck. "I guess should we start this conversation in the cliche' manner? Or would the cliche manner be to fight? Either way I will ask it. I assume you are in love with her?"

[Satyr]

The goat responded to Symmetry's question by glancing down at it's hooves. "Ach... Aye, I am... and ye hae feelings for her as well." It returned its gaze to the nova.

"Wha' are we to ta do about it?" The goat stood, and moved to the edge of the clearing. "Figh'ing prooves not a thing. Dinnae get me wrong, I hae thought aboot it since finding out o' ye." The goat turned back to face Xiao and began to change.

His hind legs stayed as wooly and shaped largely the same. His fore legs quickly altered their form to more resemble human hands, his form took a human appreance with the exception of his wooly legs and hooves.

Satyr was still nude and he smiled. "Ye couldna hae found a more... hospitipal locale could ye?" There was a smirk upon his lips.

[Symmetry]

"Sorry I didn't really plan to have a long conversation here today and the air helps me focus." Kevin smiles and finally gets to his own feet dusting what little snow upon him off before facing the horned one.

"I did not intend to fight over her. I know she can make her own choices. She chose to be with you I just hope that choice was influenced to heavily if you know what I mean." He takes in a deep breath of the cold mountain air and takes in the nude nova in front of him. "Yeah.. If you want to resume this somewhere more comfortable for you I am fine with that."

[Satyr]

"Ach, I can understand th' need for focus, gimme a moment an we can talk." With that Satyr disappeared abruptly in a flash of green light.

Less than fifteen seconds ticked passed before the hooved nova reappeared just as he had left. He was now wearing a red, heavily buckled shirt, and a kilt adorned with the Black Watch tartan pattern, it was slightly odd that a few layers of thin fabric should now protect him from the tempratures here.

"Gettin' back to what ye said, I agree, she has been thru too much in 'er short life as a nova for th' two of us to be competing for 'er affections, especially when she be needin' some level of stability." Satyr looked over the martial nova with a warm smile.

"I am gratified that we be largely on th' same page." Satyr became quite serious as he met Xiao's eyes with his own. "I wouldna attempt ta persuade Chloe's affections thru th' use of my quantum charms, nor would I attempt to disuade ye from wanting ta be wi' her." Satyr turned and considered the landscape, his back to Symmetry. "I hae done things in me past that I canna condone since talking wi' her.

Satyr turned back to Symmetry his brow furrowed. "Chloe makes me wan' ta be a better person."

[Symmetry]

Kevin nods while listening to Satyr he manner is sincere and attentive as the goat like Nova speaks. "So you love her." Kevin comments as he stands upon the balls of his feet and stretches to one side doing his best to release his own tension that might build in the conversation.

"All I want is what is best for Chloe." He makes it a clear point in his saying that. "From the moment I rescued her to this moment now I have felt a bond with her. She is a sort of flower I guess. You give it love and care then that flower blossom into the most beautiful thing you have ever seen." Kevin moves to his arms stretching one in front of his chest while holding it by the elbow.

He looks at Satyr a moment and the other can feel Kevin making a mental choice in his mind before he speaks. "I don't like telling other people my opinion on their life.. But since this is very important to me I feel I should. You say you want to be better, I assume that is your thoughts on not sleeping around with others. But to me there is a lot more at stake than loyalty and fidelity. I think you might be asking something from her she might not be you might be molding her by your very presence. I am not saying you are using quantum to influence her thought and actions but seriously look at you." He gestures with a grin. "Your presence alone could do this."

He pauses a moment and studied the scottish godling. "I want you to answer me as truthfully as you can on this next question. Do you love her how she is or do you love her for how she could be in your mind?"

[Satyr]

"If ye believe she is that weak... that she would be so easily influenced by my mere presense, than the same would be true of any man or nova." Satyr gestured back with a pointed index finger. "What would ye do, keep 'er locked in a cellar?"

"I told 'er this honestly, now I am telling ye..." Satyr didn't like the turn this was taking. "... When I saw Chloe at the Pow Wow those months ago, I didna see 'the Maiden' when I first looked upon 'er. I saw a beautiful woman who expresses her quantum similarlly to the way I do... I saw a Dryad, a Druidess." He looked up to the sky. "I saw... Chloe." He spoke the name with the same reverance as he had ever spoken any single word.

He returned his gaze to Symmetry. "It wasn't until I was standing in a public shower surrounded by an orgy I had begun, that I realized that I wanted only ta be with her." He paused briefly to reflect. "I also want 'er ta be happy, she has only known pain for most of th' time I have known 'er, but if 'twas simply me projecting wha' I wanted onto her, if she truly were not as special as we both know 'er ta be, we wouldna not be ha'ing this talk, an ye know it." Satyr looked as serious as anyone had ever seen him.

[Symmetry]

"Keep her in a cellar? Not at all, it is not my way to do things. I will not try to control her."

Kevin looks down at the mountain at his feet and then the sky around him. "Maybe she wants that. Maybe she wants someone who will worship her in that manner. She is just getting started in her new life." He looks dispondant and kicks a rock in the air snagging it with his hand.

"I don't want to fight you for her. I do not want to compete for her. Would I want her in my life? Yes. But I am not going to add stress by forcing choices upon her. Besides I know a battle I cannot win." He grins in a way a good sport might upon losing a lopsided baseball game. He rolled the stone around in his hand feeling it's texture and weight before finally pitching it toward a lake to the north several miles away. It is long gone and never to be confirmed if it ever reaches that lake.

"So what now? We both want what is best for her. We both want her to be happy? You want me to bow out gracefully so things run smoother?"

[Satyr]

"Aye, we dinnae need to compete, we dinnae need to force this choice upon 'er." Satyr approached Symmetry, coming to within a few feet of him. "Ye an I should be enlightened enough... " Satyr chose the word carefully for Xiao's own good. "... ta see an option where we can both help Chloe grow as a nova, while she also teaches us… or a’ least me ta be a better person."

Satyr's voice was firm now. "I canna ask ye to 'bow out'. Ta do so would be disrespectful ta not only ye, but a grave disservice ta Chloe." His look was earnest and forthright.

"Without attemptin' ta manipulate 'er, we can both offer her the chance ta make any decision she needs ta make in 'er own time." Satyr offered a hand to Symmetry. "Ye exude patience, you are like th' very earth we stand on. Chloe needs that. Where you can offer her protection from those that might harm ‘er, I can offer ‘er an alternative to th’ dogma those sadists would give ‘er before tryin’ ta kill ‘er…” There was a look in his eye as he spoke, Symmetry noticed it just before it vanished. It was fear. “… I can offer ‘er a chance ta embrace ‘er newfound abilities ona spiritual level if that be what she wants.”