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------------ACT 2-------------
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___Chapter 24___
Oboe was the first in her clutch to hatch, and the first thing she saw was Sanchiro. He was younger back then, and definitely smaller, with 5 less centuries of age and far less weight of sorrow on his shoulders.
When he saw her, looking up in awe with her bright eyes sparkling, he chuckled slightly, walked over, and picked her up gently, cradling her in his arms, and said "My, little one. You're special."
She just looked at him with her big sapphire eyes- she couldn't talk yet, of course.
"You probably don't know it yet, but you're very special." He put her down and walked out of the room, returning shortly holding a small box. "These are very special also." he said as he took a pair of black hoop earrings out of the box. They were just the right size for her. Sanchiro spoke as he fitted them on her ears, saying "I made these long ago, when I was just a young child myself. They'll grow with you, and I'll teach you how to use them when you're older. Now to get you something to wear."
She just watched, little head cocked to the side as he pointed his hand. Her antennae jumped up on her head and a little shock noise jumped from her mouth as white ki washed over her. Oboe shut her eyes tight, and when she looked, she was wearing a pink-purple little pair of pants and a purple little shirt.
"How's that little one?" Sanchiro said, a smile on his face. Oboe smiled and nodded. She couldn't talk, but she could understand him. She only knew how to say her name, which he then asked her for.
"Oboe" she replied happily. Sanchiro had to divert his attention from her when he went to tend to the other children, who were about to hatch. Oboe tottered after him to the other end of the room.
She was curious about these funny-shaped things sitting there, and a little pout appeared on her face as she walked up to one. It was light pink in color, and as big as her when she stood up. Oboe crouched down, and poked it's hard surface.
It moved a little. Oboe poked it again, and it shook more, a little crack appearing on the surface. She giggled, and started poking it with two fingers, then three. More cracks appeared, and Oboe stopped to laugh. But cracks kept appearing, even though she wasn't touching it. Oboe cocked her head to the side, a look of puzzlement twisting her features.
Oboe sat back, and a little sigh came from her mouth as she shook her head. She shrieked at something hid her vision, and she threw the top of the eggshell off her face, and saw a pair of orange eyes looking inquisitively at her. After some thought, she decided it wasn't dangerous, and helped pull the rest of the shell away.
It smiled happily at her, and Oboe smiled back. Then Sanchiro stepped in, ending the fun for a second. But the child was back in a few seconds, wearing a blue gi with a vest-type long-sleeved shirt. He smiled down at himself, and squeaked out "Palidor" when asked for his name.
The other children hatched shortly afterward, but Oboe and Palidor stayed to the side and played around. Sanchiro smiled, seeing how tightly the two had bonded already.
He let them play amongst themselves, but then Sanchiro rounded them all up, and took them so see a friend of his.
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One other group of children had hatched that day. So the children were taken there, to where an elder named Katass lived. Katass was the person who took care of all the children, and the young ones lived there while under his care. Sanchiro would have raised the children himself, but between his duties and the all-too-likely possibility that one of the children could fall from the tower, he could not.
Sanchiro landed, and let his children on the ground as he went to speak to Katass. Oboe and Palidor looked around at their new surroundings, glanced at each other, smiled, and started running wildly forward, as if in a race to the huge old tree, which was about 20 feet away. Oboe easily overtook her brother, running like lightning.
Upon realizing just how fast she was, she turned around and ran backwards, taunting Palidor with her laughter. He stopped dead, and cried out, pointing behind her. Oboe thought he was giving up, and was just about to let out a victory cry when she slammed straight into another child.
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The impact knocked the air out of her lungs, and she collapsed face-first on the ground. Before she could blink though, she was jerked up by the back of her shirt, and two fierce onyx eyes glared into hers angrily. She was caught aback by that, as noone had ever been angry at her before.
A frightful tear stroked down her cheek, and she quivered in fear. The dark eyes hardened, then softened at her tears, and the boy sat Oboe back down on the ground. He glanced at her once, and then turned his back and sat back down by the tree, crossing his legs and closing his eyes.
Oboe, more befuddled than ever before in her young life, stared at the boy in the purple gi and black vest, absolutely intrigued. Palidor walked next to her, an 'I told you so!' look on his face. Oboe just continued to stare confused at the boy sitting at the foot of the ancient tree.
The siblings ears perked up when they heard an unfamiliar laugh, and saw a tall, thin adult namekian in a white/black gi next to Sanchiro.
"So this is Oboe?" Katass said, laughing warmly when she broke out of her 'trance' and her antennae shot up at the mention of her name, a little shock expression on her tiny face.
Katass snapped his head toward the boy by the tree and said "Damaiou, get up."
The boy in the purple gi did as told, and Katass smiled at him. Katass turned to Sanchiro, and said "This is my eldest son, Damaiou. He's a couple minutes younger that Oboe, but lives up to the name of the dragon clan." Katass smiled, and said "He's even started meditating, on his own. He just saw me and did the same." The elder's voice was calm, but the look on his face, and the way the light gleamed in his eyes showed how proud he was.
Oboe blinked, and opened her mouth. "Da...maiou." she said, her eyes watching as he turned his face toward her, a hint of confusion showing. She saw the look, and giggled.
"She certainly is a happy child." Katass said, eyes opening a bit more.
"Yes, and Damaiou is such a serious one." Sanchiro said, "I think they'll all be fine together, knowing you'll be watching them." he ended with, looking up at Katass. The younger elder smiled.
Sanchiro stayed an hour or more so, and then left.