Chapter Text
Alternia
Years in the past
On the outskirts of a town, far enough away to avoid the Imperial Drones, a small group huddled in a cave, hiding from the sun’s rays. They awaited the dawn of the sun to march into town and preach their leader’s ideals. Said leader now sat alone at the deepest part of the cave, devising a plan of action.
Before this he had only preached on small settlements. Of course, many rejected his message and reported him to authorities, but by the time they arrived he had already retreated. Some had listened, though, and he now boasted a small group of followers. But this next town was different. A couple drones were stationed in the area and wouldn’t hesitate to eradicate his entire group. He may have been reckless, but he wasn’t suicidal. He truly believed in a better world, and he had to be there to make it.
“Kankri.”
He was pulled out of his thoughts by a voice he knew well. The only voice that would call him by his name.
“9h, P9rrim! S9rry, I was l9st in th9ught.”
“As yo+u sho+uld be. This will be an impo+rtant mo+ment. If yo+u can co+nvince the peo+ple here, things will really get go+ing. It will make a real impact, and the wo+rld will have to+ ackno+wledge yo+ur dream.”
“6ut that will 9nly happen if they listen. This isn’t like 6ef9re, this time there’s real danger.”
His mother, though he wouldn’t know that word, giggled at his word of concern.
“Because o+f a few dro+nes? If I were scared o+f so+mething like that yo+u wo+uldn’t be here, kid. Anyo+ne with eno+ugh kno+who+w can avo+id tho+se tin cans no+ pro+blem."
Kankri was caught off guard by her confident grin. He thought he’d learned not to underestimate that woman, but she still managed to shock him. The same fearless troll that had risked it all to save him from certain culling. The same one who had believed in and supported his dream, who had risked it all to see it through. She was truly one of a kind, and at the sight of her, all of Kankri’s worries melted away.
“Yesterday I already sent a guy ahead to+ analyse the guard ro+utes. Just be at the right place and we’ll take care o+f the rest. Yo+u just need to+ fo+cus o+n yo+ur speech.”
“P9rrim… Y9u really are s9mething else. I d9n’t kn9w why I was even w9rried.”
“That’s what yo+u get fo+r no+t trusting me! But do+n’t yo+u neglect yo+ur part, no+w. We all have o+ur ro+les to+ play in this, but it will all be wo+rth it if yo+u can do+ it.”
“D9 y9u… really 6elieve they’ll listen? That the pe9ple 9f this planet can still 6elieve in a 6etter w9rld?”
“Hey… Yo+u go+t me to+ believe, didn’t yo+u? And do+n’t think I can’t be inflexible when I want to+! And all the peo+ple in here believe in yo+ur dream to+o+! Very so+o+n, I’m sure yo+u will have mo+re fo+llo+wers that will fit in this cave.”
“And then, we can finally make a change in this w9rld. We can create an Alternia where n9 9ne has t9 fear 6ecause 9f their 6l99d c9l9r! 9ne where every9ne has a chance at happiness.”
“Save the slo+gans fo+r the speech, Kanny. It better no+t disappo+int!”
They both smiled at each other, their faces showing the unbreakable bond of trust and belief between them. As they both returned to their respective tasks with renewed confidence, they dreamed of a better world.