[centre][h2]Mea Culpa[/h2][/centre]
[hider=Scarifer & Muttonhawk write a quick aside about Toun and Niciel resolving things]
A relatively short post:
Niciel's wisps take notice of the droningbird in the Valley of Peace. She infers that it is Toun's work and is reminded of their falling out.

Exposition: The hain in the Valley of Peace are confirmed alive and well!

To make things right, Niciel travels to Cornerstone. She sees the flying siphonbeasts as well as the slave hain working on a large number of humanoid constructs that Mutton should really finish and write a creation sheet for soon.

Toun is found pacing around, reflecting on recent events, when Niciel reveals herself.

Niciel is nervous, but upfront about her intentions. She apologises to Toun about the debacle with the Vestec-influenced angels.

Toun belies his reaction behind a stony demeanour. He asks what her intentions are from now on.

Niciel conveys that she wishes to update herself on the world so she can actually do some good. She shows Toun her new staff, Enlightenment.

Still hiding himself, Toun tells her to go ahead and do that, just as long as she stays out of his way. He is rather firm about that last part.

Niciel acknowledges and teleports out.

Toun's visage betrays some minor troubles on his mind now that Niciel is gone. He continues his thoughtful stroll.
[/hider]

Niciel appeared within a small area of the Valley of Peace, where some Wisps had alerted her of an unknown object in that location. Usually Wisps didn't alert her unless it was something major, and even then such events that happened did not get Wisps to alert her. With her staff, Enlightenment, however, it seemed that every minor thing now had to get her attention. Niciel knew she would need to fine tune that. Meanwhile, a few nearby Hain spotted her and knelt down to greet her, but she merely gestured for them to get back up, then placed a finger on her smiling lips. Returning to her original business, Niciel approached the thing her Wisps alerted her for. What she found was quite interesting: a little bird of porcelain and metal. She didn't need to sense godly influence to know who had created this. She reached out to it and let it rest atop her palm, examining its fine quality and wondering why Toun made it. Knowing him, Niciel doubted it was merely cosmetic.

Niciel looked back at their past, recalling the argument they had. She wondered what Toun was doing now. Probably something more important than reminiscing of the past, no doubt. Then a thought occurred to her: she should take this chance to finally go apologize to Toun. Niciel never did like how their last encounter had ended, and now that so much time had passed, perhaps he would be more willing to listen to her. Using Enlightenment, Niciel located the Wisps nearest Cornerstone and used them to locate Toun.

Some had a distance to travel over the metatic ocean. Others had to come up from under the surface. Cornerstone was never difficult to find. The sheer white walls of the circular fortress stretched up and loomed as always. When the wisps danced over the top, the slave hain patrolling the toothy crenellations traced them with their eyes and clay spears. But the wisps were no threat.

Over the walls, Cornerstone was no longer as vast and empty as it used to be. In the sky, huge floating shells with crab-like pincers breathed a soft blue magical fire. The energy streamed gently upon the shadows below. Row upon column of identical clay structure was under construction by a crew of slave hain each. Lumps of porcelain rose, was shaped, and added to the structures in a syncronised dance. The military precision of the operation took the interior courtyard away from any notions of the natural world.

When the wisps looked closer to search for Toun himself, they saw that the structures were frames for some kind of large humanoid creatures. Beak-headed, like hain. They had blades and claws for hands and a seat in their torsos. They were empty and incomplete, for now.

Finding Toun was as simple as listening for the one noise out of sync with the factory floor. The robed white god was walking between two of the concentric circles of constructs, apparently oblivious to the oppressive industrial clinking. He had his hands clasped behind his back, pondering at the floor.

He stopped. His head turned to the nearest wisp, revealing his wide blue eye. He stared right back at Niciel through the mote of light.

As the Wisps gathered, a light began to glow in front of one of them, and with a flash, Niciel appeared hovering in the air a few inches before gently setting down on the ground. Giving off a gentle smile, Niciel greeted Toun, "[color=fff79a]Hello, Toun. It's... well, it's been a while since we last spoke, hasn't it?[/color]" She realized just how nervous she was about actually going through with it, gripping her right hand with her left a bit more firmly. 

Toun maintained his stare. Neutral, if tense. The clay works clunked on around them. He spent seconds as if forgetting how to move, let alone speak. [b][colour=PaleGoldenrod]"It has."[/colour][/b] He said, cautious.

Niciel could feel the urge to turn her head to the side, afraid to meet Toun's gaze. However, she gathered her resolve and continued to look at him right in the eye. "[color=fff79a]Do you still remember the... argument we had? I... first, I wanted to, um, clarify a few things. When the Angels came here on that day, they were tricked by Vestec. I swear that I had nothing to do with their attack.[/color]"

Finally, Toun blinked. [b][colour=PaleGoldenrod]"Is that why you are here, Niciel?"[/colour][/b]

Niciel sighed. She didn't think a simple apology would be so hard. "[color=fff79a]No, it's not just that. I really wanted to come here to... to apologize to you, for the way I acted, I mean. Back then, I failed to see your side of the story, and I barely listened to you before... saying the things I said. I never liked the way that ended... and I wanted to make things right.[/color]" There was a short pause, then Niciel added, "[color=fff79a]I hope you can forgive me.[/color]"

[b][colour=PaleGoldenrod]"You were careless."[/colour][/b] Toun took a sliding step to face Niciel fully. [b][colour=PaleGoldenrod]"How is it that you can ask my forgiveness with naught but your word? What do you intend from now on, sister?"[/colour][/b]

Niciel was silent for a time, then answered, "[color=fff79a]You're right, Toun. I was careless, and to an extent, I still am. I wish to change that.[/color]" Niciel extended her right hand towards Toun, summoning her staff, Enlightenment. Still holding it out, Niciel continued, "[color=fff79a]I created this staff of Enlightenment as a symbol of my resolve. I know I have spent too long resting idly within the Valley of Peace, all while ignoring so many events occurring outside of it. Vestec's war on the world. Logos' Realta attack. Even that malignant, chaotic burst of energy that I'm sure was a declaration of war to the world. No longer will I hesitate. I am the Goddess of Light, and I intend to right all of my wrongs while aiding the world to the best of my ability.[/color]"

"[color=fff79a]As for what I intend to do from now on... admittedly, I have no idea,[/color]" Niciel said. "[color=fff79a]That is why I intend to see for myself the world that all of my siblings have created. I can't help a world I know nothing about, which is why I will learn about it first. That is my answer to you, Toun. Perhaps my word means little to you, but to me, it is everything I can offer.[/color]" 

[b][colour=PaleGoldenrod]"If that is what you wish."[/colour][/b] Toun's level voice made him hard to read. He turned his head one way to look at a nearby slave hain, and then the other way to look at something else. [b][colour=PaleGoldenrod]"See for yourself as much or as little as you desire here. I only have one condition."[/colour][/b] Toun bored his eye into Niciel again. [b][colour=PaleGoldenrod]"Stay. Out. Of my way."[/colour][/b]

Even with her ability to sense Purity, Niciel found it difficult to gauge Toun's emotions. Perhaps it didn't matter too much, though. Niciel did what she came for, and there was little else to do. Niciel bowed to Toun, lowering her head deeply, then teleported away with a flash of light.

The white polish of Cornerstone dimmed a degree. Toun was alone once more, but for the regular noises of the things being contructed either side of him.

He lowered his shoulders. His eye dimmed. A moment to pause and stare at a blank space passed. He turned, mouthlessly exhaled, and continued his walk.