fandomhigh | World Mythology, Monday, Period 3

Ghanima was not wearing her normal formal Imperial clothing. Instead of her usual elaborate gown and hat, she was dressed in her Fremen robes, hair pulled back into a simple ponytail instead of twisted into a cascade of complicated braids as she sat on the floor, awaiting them.

Yes, Ghanima was aware of what was going on; she was Bene Gesserit, she did not have to be affected by it unless she allowed herself to be. But for everyone else, perhaps, she had decided a less academic class might be of benefit.

"Today, we're going to discuss what happens when myth becomes reality," she said, gesturing for the students to take seats on the pillows and cushions heaped around the room. "As some of you may know, myth does not always stay detached from our day-to-day lives. On occasion, myth becomes fact, fiction turns reality, and we are left with the aftermath of our gods and heroes."

"This is not as theoretical as you think. In Fandom alone, anything is possible, and many of us are from worlds where that it has already happened at least once," Ghanima said. "So, what do we do when faced with such an event? How do we reconcile the merge of two previously incompatible worlds?"

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As you do.

Prince Sidon

Gratuity Tucci

Ahsoka Tano

It's short today, but you still might want to pay attention.

Sidon was quietly cursing himself for his dedication to being an upstanding student, feeling like he should have just skipped class today. In addition to feeling to strange and bizarre and awkward and...other things, he now was confronted with one of his least favorite topics in mythology class again. But he was here, he should at least try to get through it without being so much of a grumpy guppy or a distracted dolphin...

Ahsoka had been very steadfastly meditating over the last day or so, but she paid attention to Ghani during the lecture. To her practical clothing, and her hair, and her...

...stang.

"I come from Arrakis, Dune, desert planet," Ghanima said, her voice sliding from the cultured tones of an Imperial princess into the quiet rhythm of a Fremen master storymaster, the weight of words that had walked a planet for millennia. "A planet mastered by none, but home to the tribes of Fremen."

"The Fremen came to Dune thousands of years ago as the Zensunni Wanderers, a religious sect in retreat. Over time, surviving the incredibly harsh conditions of Dune bred them into the ultimate example of humans in extremis: a people bred purely to survive. Of course, such a people breed myths like many breathe air. You cannot live on Dune without faith, and the Fremen say that Dune was created to train the faithful." Her smile was slight, but sad. "We are not wrong."

She watched the class careful as she spoke. "One myth that was born was that of the Lisan al-Gaib, the Mahdi, 'The One Who Will Lead Us to Paradise;' a prophet who will ensure a green, lush Dune. The myth tells of a boy, come from another planet with his mother, who will bring water to Dune. It is easy, I think, to see how such a myth would come to be in such a survivalist climate, where even tears are forbidden as a waste of moisture."

"This myth came true." Ghanima smoothed her robes serenely. "It came to pass, and the Mahdi overthrew the despotic planetary governors, and even the Emperor himself, unleashing over a decade of jihad upon the Known Worlds. He set into motion Kralizec, the long-foretold "Typhoon Struggle" or final "battle at the end of the universe" that the Fremen have prepared for for the last thousand years, and then vanished into the desert to let it run its course without him, a coward unable to face the future he had wrought."

Ghanima flicked her ponytail back over her shoulder, face unreadable. "How does a planet, no, an entire Imperium recover from such damage? Can they recover? How do you rebuild after something like that, which as claimed more lives than all the wars of Earth combined?"

"Now, who else has had a myth come true? Gods and heroes often wreak chaos and destruction in their wake, leaving us to clean up," Ghanima said. "I'm curious to see how you reacted, and how you think you would react now."

"Well," Sidon huffed out a sigh, shifting a little, "I've mentioned in this class before how our myth came true...or rather didn't. Our myth which told of a powerful princess and her champions riding out to defeat the evil Calamity Ganon. Chaos and destruction in his wake is only the beginning of it..."

Another deep breath, puffing out his chest, and let it out slowly to keep himself from getting too dour or morose or angry about it, but it wasn't easy, shimmering on the surface just like so many confusing emotions today.

"But we rebuild. We strive forward. We hope one day we'll be strong enough to try again. Maybe if not in this generation, but perhaps the next, or the one after that..."

Generations...yes, the next generation would be important. And for generations...he would need....he should start thinking about finding a mate sooner rather than later...

He cleared his throat a bit at the end of his sentence, grateful that Zora didn't exactly blush, even if their faces did enough to suggest that they might be.

"If we are very lucky, the people endure and strive forward, waiting to grow strong again. But for a Kralizec or Ganon, like any typhoon, the effects will be felt for a very long time," Ghanima replied. "How do you choose what to re-build? Do you tear down all the the trappings associated with the myth-turned-reality, or do you accept them back into your cultural tapestry? How would it change your perception of other myths in your pantheon?"

And Sidon had tried to listen and pay attention; truly, he had. But he had found it terribly difficult as his mind started to wander, thinking of rebuilding, thinking of generations, of mating...and it wasn't too much of a stretch for his mind to then drift toward Hylians and humans, especially since he was surrounded by them, and it was rare, wasn't it, but not impossible for a Zora and a Hylian...why, Mipha had fallen in love with a Hylian, hadn't she? She'd made the armor for the Hero and everything. He had to wonder, what was so special about him that would make his sister feel so strongly for him? He could barely remember him, having been so young, but maybe there was just something there...or would Mipha had felt that way about any Hylian? What a strange thought, they were just so small, he imagined he'd nearly crush one if he ever tried...but Mipha had been so small herself, even for a female, and so had Link, even for a Hylian...

He just had to wonder...

...and then he abruptly remembered where he was and realized that someone had been talking to him and there was the expectant pause at the end of a question, and he'd had no idea what had been said.

"Begging your pardon, Lady Ghanima," Sidon said sheepishly after giving his head a faint shake, "but could you repeat the question?"

Had she ever been that young? No, Ghanima had never had that, though there were many within her Other Memory who'd been allowed that freedom.

"Of course. I do tend to wax philosophical, I apologize," she said, no indication that she had any idea what might be distracting him, or any of the other students. "How do you choose what to re-build, after an event like Ganon? If you actually came face-to-face with your Calamity, and found only a person like yourself, caught up in circumstances beyond their control, how do you think that would impact you? Or your world?"

As always, she is here for the talking.

Holding up the sleepy OCD.

World Mythology, Monday, Period 3

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During the Lecture

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Discussion: Myth of the Mahdi

Discussion: Your Myths

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Talk to Ghanima

OOC