//------------------------------// // Tiny Hooves // Story: Mother X: Father // by Tatsurou //------------------------------// Once Moondancer unlocked the capacity to use PSI, it was relatively easy to teach her to use it for various things. The most readily available was the basic telekinesis, using PSI to move things around. She seemed to enjoy this quite a bit, as PSI apparently took less strain and focus than her other abilities. Much to Giegue's curiosity, the first thing Moondancer attempted to do was access the ship's computers. Much to his frustration, nothing he did would dissuade her from the attempt, despite her being unable to read the language the ship's logs were written in. Eventually, this led to language lessons, reading anything that could be in any written medium. Giegue found this activity oddly enjoyable, especially with how rapidly Moondancer absorbed every bit of knowledge he gave her. He wasn't surprised this was the case given her 'Magicant Core' had been a library, but he was surprised that the activity itself was pleasurable to him. Teaching her was a means to an end, so he could study her...wasn't it? He hadn't started trying to teach her to speak vocally yet. The Geeg language was entirely projected thought forms, far more efficient than any vocalizations and with much less opportunity for misunderstandings, and she seemed to be grasping it readily. She was already capable of broadcasting her basic needs like food, water, teaching, and comfort. If her mind developed at all like that of a Geeg's did, she'd be broadcasting complex thought forms - the equivalent of complete sentences - in one Earth Month, and obscure thought forms in one Earth Year. At that point, her mind would be advanced enough that he'd be able to start inquiring about her non-PSI abilities and get answers. One thing about her thought forms confused him, though. She often prefaced any thought form demand with a thought image of himself - despite her having interacted with no one else besides the Starman that was now in stasis awaiting decommissioning - and accompanied by a thought form that did not have an accurate translation in Geeg. This one most often was broadcast when she was demanding comfort. The part that frustrated Giegue about that the most was that he was certain the thought form was familiar, but its lack of a Geeg equivalent meant that it couldn't reach his mind ungarbled. In order to avoid getting too focused on these frustrations, he'd taken to reading bedtime stories to get her to sleep. Not only did using actual vocalizations take his mind off things, it doubled as a reading exercise in Earth languages, and was able to get her to sleep without the lullaby half the time. He still sang it to her when it was the only way to get her to sleep, but as he'd expected constantly bringing it back wore away at his mental stability. Niiue's cooperation helped hold himself together, but he knew it was only a matter of time before he was unable to remain whole and sane. He only hoped Moondancer was old enough to care for herself by then... ...where had that thought come from? It was not one based in his logical mind, and it had not come from the part of his mind distorted by rage. Had it come from- While I agree with the sentiment, it wasn't me either, Niiue informed him delicately. Giegue stared down at the filly floating beside him, staring up at him with...it was affection, wasn't it? Wasn't that what that facial expression meant? Affection was a strong emotion amongst those races not as evolved as the Geeg... Closing his eyes, he took a few deep breaths. "Are you enjoying the story?" he asked quietly. While not something he considered of significance, he'd found she slept more readily if she enjoyed the story he chose to read her, which meant he didn't have to sing. Moondancer nodded eagerly, floating herself closer to him so she could stare at the pages as he read, trailing a tendril under the words as he read them so she could connect images to sounds. At this rate, she'll never learn to walk on all fours, Niiue observed, amusement thick in his mental voice. Giegue refused to smile at that assessment, no matter how accurate. Instead, he continued to read to the foal until she started to yawn. Once there, he closed the book, chuckling as she tried to use her own PSI to push it back open. "It's time for bed, Moondancer," he instructed firmly, gently shifting her up to his head. Moondancer broadcast irritability, petulance, and eventually compliance. Curling up on his head between his antennae, she snuggled in to sleep. "Goodnight, Moondancer," Giegue offered gently. "Nai Da," Moondancer responded softly, sleepily. Giegue's entire body jerked as the thought forms that accompanied those words hit him, sending Moondancer tumbling off his head. "D...Da?" he gasped out, his emotions escaping control and starting to tumble through his mind. "N...no, I..." I cannot be Dad... Dad betrayed...I will betray, I only care about what I can learn... Was that all it was for me too...? No! I won't believe it! Truth is truth- Perception is not! I know not for myself, only what I was told! And on what I was told, I acted to pervert a race! I am a monster! I...I... They were right to betray me... As Giegue's emotions cascaded, Moondancer floated up to him, broadcasting distress and demands for comfort with all her might. Before long, it became plain even to her that he could not hear her. Desperate, she did the only thing she could think of to try and help him. In the crystal clear tones of a music box, she began to sing. Giegue froze as the notes pierced the fog of emotions in his mind, reaching past conscious thought and down to the very core of his being. Even as the song tore him apart, a meaning implanted itself deep in his mind. Love... That was the thought form that did not translate, because the normal Geeg language wasn't meant to transmit emotional impressions. That was something only shared amongst those who were. Cerue had... She...she loves me...as her father? Love only wounds... She is an innocent! She has no concept of harming another. I know better. I saw her Magicant, her Nightmare. I saw it fade as I protected her! It is not gone. She won't harm me. But I will harm her. She loves me, but just like them I care not for her. Then why am I clutching her so tightly? Giegue blinked in surprise. As his emotions brought themselves back under control, he found he was clutching Moondancer tightly to him, as tightly as Maria had when he cried as an infant and she'd sung to him. As an infant, he'd struggled against it because such close contact was not natural to Geeg...but Moondancer snuggled in, plainly enjoying being held so tightly even if she still broadcast concern and fear for him. "Da..." she whimpered softly. Giegue slowly, carefully brought his emotions under control. "It is alright," he spoke up finally. "It is...alright..." It is not. It will be. Will it? Niiue asked of the new voice in Giegue's mind, the voice of love.