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  1. In Memory of LAJ_FETT: Please share your remembrances and condolences HERE

Saga - OT Snowed In (Ewoks | 2.5/3 ABY | Horror/Supernatural) | COMPLETE, WITH E-BOOK

Discussion in 'Fan Fiction- Before, Saga, and Beyond' started by Ewok Poet, Nov 9, 2014.

  1. AzureAngel2

    AzureAngel2 Chosen One star 6

    Registered:
    Jun 14, 2005
    "And the two of you aren’t…angry with me?"

    "Why would we be? Come around again tomorrow...or any other day, for that matter."

    I am glad that I was finally able to come around & read on in this fan fic thread. That helped me extremely against yelling at my computer and stupid Facebook. Thank you! @};-

    You are an even greater hero for me than Latara, dear Ewok!
     
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  2. Ewok Poet

    Ewok Poet Force Ghost star 6

    Registered:
    Jul 31, 2014
    While I am not 100% sure what you're saying here, thank you. :)

    And maybe you need to reinstall your OS. Always helps me.

    That, and we'll never hear about the dumb belt again. :p

    Of course, she will. But remember, there may be somebody against the whole idea of emancipation AND the possibility of her rule.

    That's why this fic was written, after all. :D

    I am planning something like that.

    And, glitteryboots, we know that from Sunstar vs. Shadowstone; "only one Ewok brave had the courage to confront her that day".

    There is going to be at least one whole chapter of Warok and Batcheela confronting Lumat (and Zephee pretty much just sitting there) in the future, so you're in for a treat. :D

    Glad this came as heartwarming and sweet and not pathetic. :)

    And yes, Latara is discovering her soft side, as much as Teebo is discovering his tougher side.

    [face_whistling]


    He says that they can hug. Maybe he doesn't even know that they already kissed? And he sure as heck doesn't know that his daughter is an early bloomer. We're yet to see how early...
     
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  3. Ewok Poet

    Ewok Poet Force Ghost star 6

    Registered:
    Jul 31, 2014
    Chapter 24

    Tags: @Findswoman (the Findsbeta) @glitteryboots




    Warok and Batcheela spent the next several days tending to their son. The winter was exceptionally cold and they, along with Malani, often had to curl up next to Teebo to make sure he was warm enough. His new fur was growing slowly and he was gradually getting movement back in his legs and spine. The swelling in his mouth had gone away and he was able to speak properly again, albeit with a slight lisp.

    Logray visited his apprentice twice a day to track his recovery and to make sure that there was a sufficient amount of all the necessary remedies. Wicket, Kneesaa, Latara and Paploo came and shared stories about what was happening in the village. Paploo often provided nonsensical gossip, courtesy of his mother, to make his friend laugh.

    Having been a shy outcast for most of his youth, Teebo was not used to this amount of attention. At first, he found it hard to tell anybody where he hurt, to make any demands regarding food and drinks and to ask his sister to call this or that friend over. But as the time was passing by, he became more comfortable.

    And somehow, he was getting used to the darkness. After the first three or four days, he stopped lamenting his loss of sight and came to terms with it. He would reach out to the improvised table next to his bed for food and water. At first, plates and mugs would tumble down on the floor or in the bed, resulting in there were some k'varks and some kicking of the table in frustration. Later on, he learnt to be more careful.

    One particularly cold evening, Malani ran into the chamber carrying a pile of scrolls and a lantern.

    "I'm doing so well with recognising the symbols." She sat down on the lower edge of Teebo's bed and spread a scroll. "I think I will soon be able to read pretty much everything!"

    "That's great!" He gulped down half a mug of hot milk. "Are you going to read me the story of the careless young fisherman apprentice out loud?"

    Malani nodded. She pulled the table to where she was sitting.

    "That is what is on this scroll, chak. A sad story, made me cry when I read it first. When his mother found the bloody hood on the river bank and then, days later, the skull...a very sad story. Chief Chirpa told us to be careful and not to bathe in lakes we have not seen before..."

    Teebo drank the rest of the milk. "A lot of stories on those scrolls were intended to teach woklings something." He reached out and put the mug on the table.

    Malani cocked her head. Her brother's eyes were still glazed and he was not following her movement. How did he know where the table was?

    "Teebo, what are you doing?"

    "What do you mean, what I am doing?"

    "I moved that table so I could put the scroll on it. It was next to your pillows. How did you know where it was? You cannot see!"

    He shrugged. She sat down, grabbed a piece of coal and scribbled something on the blank space at the end of the scroll.

    "Teebo, let's see if this was a coincidence. Tell me, what did I just write?"

    He sat down and spread his arms, snapping his fingers as if he were holding on to nothing but pure air current.

    "Snow is falling."

    Malani turned the parchment around and wrote another sentence.

    "And now?"

    Teebo laughed and tapped his foot on the floor.

    "Monster farts smell of pretty flowers. Hehehehe, that doesn't mean anything at all."

    "It does. Your magic is still there. The Wanderer did not take it away. And you can...see without seeing. You were not able to do that before!"

    Malani jumped to hug her brother. Every evening after that, she would bring a piece of blank parchment and write things down for her brother to read back to her, using his mind instead of his eyes.

    ...

    One morning, Teebo woke up and started feeling the space around him to see who was around, as he had become used to doing during his blindness. His strength was slowly coming back and for the past couple of days he was able to sit up in his bed. He rubbed his eyes, just as he would do any other morning.

    His face lit up.

    "Mom? Dad? Malani?"

    Batcheela ran into the chamber.

    "Son, are you feeling sick again? I’m sorry, I was preparing something for you to eat and…" She stopped as she noticed that his green eyes, which had seemed idle for so long, were now struggling to follow her movement.

    "Mom, I can see. For real, not through magic! You’re a bit foggy to me at the moment, but I’m sure it’s you!"

    He reached out to hug his mother. Both were now sure that the recovery was going as it should.

    "I'll make sure Malani lets your friends and Master Logray know that you can see." Batcheela kissed her son on the forehead and smiled.

    Later that day, as the "fog" was getting less and less dense, Teebo lifted the blanket and observed the new, grey and black striped fur growing over the fluffy undercoat.

    "W-what is this?” he wondered. “How can the colour of one's fur change?"

    Trembling, he quickly dragged his blanket up to his mouth. Moments later, he broke down, puling the blanket over his head so nobody could hear him cry. He did not have the courage to get up, cover up and sit in the main chamber with his parents and sister. But he was too afraid to sleep, fearing nightmares. He just sat there, shivering, looking at the black before him, not ready to face the world again.

    At some point, despite his best efforts, he fell asleep. He had yet another nightmare about his encounter with the Wanderer. This time, he could not move the axe and throw it at the wizard of the Night Spirit. Paploo and Wicket were on fire right before his eyes. The Wanderer was now aiming at him, his glowing red eye trained on him, but the menace's powers were different than usual. It felt as if somebody was shaking him back and forth. The Wanderer was coming closer, about to take his hood off to reveal his face.

    There was no head. There was no body. There was just one foul-smelling ball of burnt black fur. The one who wanted to kill everybody was most certainly a one-eyed Yuzzum with a red gem in the place of his lost eye. And that gem was flashing again.

    And turning green. Slowly the stench transformed into a pleasant scent that was still nothing like a meadow of flowers. The black, greasy fur was turning a lighter shade and he was able to recognise hairs on it. What was going on?

    "Wake up!"

    "Whaaaaa?!" Teebo screamed and started backwards, almost falling from the bed.

    The nightmare faded away and the ugly Yuzzum face was morphing into the smile he had been dreaming of during almost two full moons of blindness.

    "Latara? H-h-how?"

    The only girl he ever had eyes for was standing right before him, carrying an oddly shaped bundle wrapped in cloth. He gasped. She hugged him, stroking his rough, dark fur as he slowly came round.

    "You had a nightmare. Either that or seeing me for the first time in two moons is a scary experience!" Latara giggled and then sat down, leaving whatever she had brought with her on the floor.

    Teebo clumsily pulled his blanket up to his neck, forgetting that he had already grown enough fur to be decently covered.

    "You're getting much, much better."

    "And I can see you are....uh...here. That's good."

    "When you speak like this and I no longer have the desire to mock you for it, I guess it means that..."

    "...that you're tired?"

    "You lurdo!" She smiled and gently pinched his cheek. "You always get things wrong. I wish there was a way to echo what my father said about us. You would not believe it, he has no problem with this anymore."

    "I do..sort of."

    "What?" Latara nearly fell off the stump.

    "I’m just...worried that I’m not the same person who fell in love with you. Not only because I don’t look the same, but the only thing I can wear now is a plain hood, and I never liked those. The first time I go out for a walk, I’ll probably be scaring woklings and old ladies. Growing tall was one thing, but if you also look err…as mean as I’m looking now…that’s a whole different matter. I don’t know. Would you really want somebody like me to hold your hand? Somebody ugly and strange should not be walking around with the most beautiful girl in the Bright Tree Village. You deserve better!"

    Latara was surprised.

    "No. My love will always be beautiful to me!" she said, without a single pout or smirk. "Please, don’t talk like I used to! You should know better, you never cared about these things."

    "I don't...I am...I have not looked at myself yet. I don't want to go to the outhut before the sunset. I might not go at all. Maybe I can uh...find a way to control the smelly pot and make it levitate its way here...then again, I don't want anybody to point and laugh. Oh, k'vark!"

    "I just cannot see anybody laughing at you after everything that happened, Teebo."

    "On top of it, I am too thin." He frowned.

    "Your mother is a great cook, she will sort that out. And more of you will mean there will be more for me to hold." Latara winked and leaned over to stroke his chest.

    "You still want to hold me?"

    "Hold, kiss...you name it, I want it."

    He pushed her away and turned his back to her.

    "That's just pity. Because I'm ugly. You...you don't really mean it. Nobody really means anything these days."

    Latara rolled her eyes and then frowned. She thought for a while. Teebo was staring at the thatched wall, facing away from her and she was sure she could hear him weeping. If this had happened one snow ago, or even two or three moons ago, she would have yelled at him and walked out. But this time, she couldn't.

    "Arandee. I’m ready to give you all the time in the world to make peace with what has happened. For the first time in my life, I have faith that this will turn out well. And I don't need to be able to understand the trees for that. I just know it."

    "Are you saying that...you’ll wait for me?" he finally turned around. "But why?"

    "Chak. I’ll wait for you. Don't ask me why. And until then, I have something for you. I almost forgot about it. The only thing I’m asking you is to open it after I’ve left home."

    Latara left the mysterious bundle next to his bed, blew a kiss and went out. He counted to hundred before picking it up, then unwrapped it Inside was a gurreck skull headdress with a base similar to his old hat, adorned with churri bird feathers and large teeth.

    Was he supposed to wear this on his head? That kind of garment was for warriors, not for the failed shaman apprentice he considered himself to be. And how did they know that it was he who had killed the vicious beast?

    As he was trying to decide if he was confused, impressed, flattered or all of those things, something fell out of the headdress onto the floor.

    The jaggedy piece of parchment seemed familiar. It was the poem he had written to Latara the morning the hunting party left to search for food three moons ago. He felt goosebumps and his heart started beating fast. The morning when the hunting party was leaving, he could have found another way to throw the poem to Latara, but for reasons he was not quite able to put any of his six fingers on, he was ultimately embarrassed with the idea of her reading it, of knowing that he had enjoyed the kiss as much as she did. How did it she get it in the first place?

    He held the piece of parchment up close to the light, solely to realise that something was written on its other side, too. He turned it around.

    It read, simply, "Happy birthday".

    He had forgotten about it. Could it be that the last snow was about to melt? Had it really been three moons since he almost perished in the fight against the Wanderer? Had it really been three months since he was no longer himself?

    Putting on the headdress took some effort. He was still weak and he could feel its weight. The shadow on the wall of the hut looked somewhat intimidating: a body too frail for an Ewok, with a belly barely visible, all with an animal skull on top. But was that another pair of ears? Impossible!

    Teebo turned around and saw Wicket standing in front of the chamber curtain. He was making shadow puppets.

    "I see you got the gift we all contributed to!" the young Warrick winked at his friend. "I'm not your girlfriend...don't turn your head when I call her that, you're eighteen snows old today...but I think it looks good. Much better than that green hood I put on you when you were barely alive!"

    "What do you mean, 'everybody contributed to it'?"

    "Latara told us all how you saved her from that posessed gurreck, so when the hunters were done getting the meat..." Wicket patted himself on the belly. "Ee cha, those were some nice evening meals, by the way. Anyway, Paploo and I took the skull. Master Logray supplied the churri feathers. Then we took it to Latara and she topped it with leather. And Kneesaa made sure this was all right, with her dad, the council and all."

    "But why?"

    "Why? You're a hero!"

    "I am not! I failed, just like I did last time when you said I was a hero. You are a hero, you killed the Wanderer and saved us all. That said...where is your belt of honour? I hope you were not punished for not following the rules again?"

    Wicket snickered.

    Teebo was worried. "D-don't tell me you lost it again! I would not be able to forgive..."

    "I didn't! I completed it. I'm a warrior. The smallest we have had in thousands of snows, but I’ve made peace with being small."

    "Eecha wa maa! That is wonderful! Why didn't anybody tell me about this?"

    "You were still blind, in bed, with fever and patches of fur. They also honoured our friends, your dad...and you. Now that you can see, ask him about your new axe!"

    "I have an axe?"

    "Chak, an axe with a blade made out ofstone from remains of Mount Thunderstone and a handle carved from a branch of the Father Tree."

    "And w-what am I supposed to do with it?"

    "Join us for the first warrior practice after the winter hiatus." Wicket was on his way out. "Master Logray agrees. He thinks that your skills can be put to use in combat. Besides, you need to regain your strength."

    Teebo shook his head. How was he to participate in warrior practice when he couldn’t even keep his new headdress on of his head without feeling immense pain?

    His throat was dry. He reached for the mug with water and drank it with his eyes closed.

    He was afraid of seeing his own reflection.


     
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  4. Findswoman

    Findswoman Fanfic and Pancakes and Waffles Mod (in Pink) star 5 Staff Member Manager

    Registered:
    Feb 27, 2014
    I like how you turn Teebo's recovery process into a way for him to cement his relationships with just about everyone most important to him: his sister, his beloved, his best pal. This is probably one of the first times I've really seen him bond with his little sister, and it's so wonderful that she gets to play a really active role in the recovery process—not just talking to him but also helping him hone this new (?) "second sight" of his with the "write-and-read" game. (And the fact that he gets a few laughs out of some of them too certainly can't hurt in the healing process! [face_laugh])

    "And I can see that you are... uh... here." Yep, that's our head-in-the-clouds boy magician speaking, all right! :D Love that that quotation is how Latara knows that "Harry's himself again." OK, maybe I'm a hopeless romantic puppy for picking up on this—but it says so much for her character growth over this story that everything she says about loving her beloved just the way he looks, fangs and all, seems 100% in character now. Which makes this moment even more wonderful and rewarding than the similar one in whichever Harry Potter book it was, where Fleur Delacour declares her love for Bill Weasley despite his werewolfhood. That declaration came almost out of nowhere, but Latara's is the culmination of a whole story's worth of growth, and she's a much more important character in this tale than Fleur was in that HP book anyway.

    Of course, it will take more than just that declaration for Teebo to come to term with his new appearance, as we see at the end with his fear of seeing his refletcion. And that makes perfect sense.

    It looks too like this recovery process is where Teebo's transition to warriorhood begins in earnest, with the wild new gurreck-skull headress. It's completely new and different for him, and even wearing it is a bit of a warrior-esque trial for our hero at present. Yet it also has a few touches that remind him of his old cap: the leather and the feathers. And that Latara got to use her hoodmaker skills in making it (I take it that all the details of who contributed what to the headdress are fanon) is just perfect. (Priceless, too, that Kneesaa's role was administrative, overseeing things and making sure everything was all right. A true princess! :D)

    I'm now curious to see how Teebo will do in his first warrior training session, though I realize that might happen in a different story than this one. :)
     
  5. Kahara

    Kahara FFoF Hostess Extraordinaire star 4 VIP - Game Host

    Registered:
    Mar 3, 2001
    Ch 22

    :D Okay, now this was epic! The way that Asha and Galak both show their respective mettle in this chapter is a treat to read.

    Seems that the Ewok youngsters from the hunting party are rethinking their treatment of the others -- or at least some of them are. Takes a bit of disaster, though.

    Really liked this part, and Asha's later moment of awesome in getting the animals to more or less run crowd control. Nobody wants to mess with that many large critters in an unpredictable mood!

    =D= So, now what about that Ewok princess? :p I like that there's that particular acknowledgement between her and the korrinas. Makes me wonder if these ones were part of the family she stayed with in her feral days. Tangent maybe, but Asha's canon story reminds me a little of this film (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Princess_Mononoke), and this scene really evokes that too. Which is great, because that is one fantastic movie and I am ridiculously fond of the whole "warrior forest girl with fierce animal companions" archetype. (I'm sure TVTropes must have a name for this as they do for everything, but I don't know what it is.)

    Galak is quickly becoming one of my favorites in this story. Figures! [face_laugh] I mean, look at this smartmouth:

    Oh, snap... :p You know, I think that made them angry somehow.

    And his quick thinking and ability to adapt to what's going on with Patrash's attempt to get Umwak killed helps to save the day here, at least for his clan.
    This was a fantastic moment. I like how we see Kaalwar show a moment of his honorable nature (such as it is? [face_thinking]) overcoming the pride and anger that drove him. Seems as though he was the one who was in this fiasco more for revenge and not conquest -- so it's fitting that once he learns the truth about his father's death, he's willing to lay down his weapons. And not just because his faction has had their tails pretty decisively kicked. ;)
     
  6. Chyntuck

    Chyntuck Force Ghost star 5

    Registered:
    Jul 11, 2014
    Why oh why did you have to send Gwig on a wild bantha chase with Latara's father? WHAT HAS HE DONE TO YOU??? Poor little Ewok... :(

    Ahem.

    I'd stopped reading at the showdown chapter, so this was a major splurge. Of course everyone having been here before me, it's not like I'm left with much to say about the main plotline or the protagonists of this story, so I can comment on a few minor ones.

    Head Elder Kazak is a major moron who needs to have his sorry behind kicked by Asha (I loved how she got her own chapter btw). I didn't start reading the sequel yet but I'm sure he'll be there causing trouble.

    Latara's dad seems to be a recovering moron at this stage. Yay for the mom and Boozie putting him in his place.

    Galak saving the day was a nice touch. It's difficult to feel any sympathy for any Dulok but you managed that.

    And Malani! The scene between her and Teebo was a pure melty-melt moment once again. It's interesting how she has slightly matured throughout this story, even though she keeps her childish streak.

    This was a wonderful Saturday-night read, thank you :)
     
  7. Ewok Poet

    Ewok Poet Force Ghost star 6

    Registered:
    Jul 31, 2014
    1. You will LOVE the last chapter.

    2. You will HATE the first chapter of the sequel.

    3. It was not me, IT WAS WICKET.

    #justice4gwig2015

    Given what's been happening, I did my best not to bother you about this or pretty much anything else until you're comfortable with it again. And I'm glad that the moment came, but I hope that this means other things will be fine, too. :)

    Friends will be friends. Boys will be boys. Morons will be morons. [face_whistling]


    The sequel does not feature any of the morons - or anybody other than some OCs in a totally different place on Endor - yet and won't feature these two much, apart at the beginning and at the end. It's a cross-planet trip sans one character.

    One can sympathise with him in The Tree of Light, too. He lives surrounded by morons and appears not to be a moron at all.

    You remembered the scene that Findswoman didn't remember. Since I always thought that scene was one of the cutest moments of the whole story, I'm glad it stuck to your mind. :)

    Thank you...but...but...it's Friday. 3 more minutes for you, one hour and three minutes for me. Summers suck, they don't function well with time in general.

    He bonds with her at the end of chapter 9, she tells him she loves him and he is surprised by that. But yup, this is the ultimate bonding scene. :)

    I always thought that writing their mother out of the cartoon series and having the father as an unnamed background character was done partly to accentuate their brother-sister relationship. Sure it made no sense in some episodes, making them look like some sort of orphans.

    Of course, that incredible, hello-captain-obvious reply was there for a good reason. Subtle romantic moments > cute to the point of diabetes. If she didn't love him and if there was no character growth, she would've acted like in chapter three...or done something creepy, involving the blanket, perhaps.

    I didn't think of Bill and Fleur, but now that you mention it, it's very similar and closer to this than, say, Tonks and Lupin.

    I wanted to show that even the hippie-like types who don't care about their physical appearance will be vulnerable to body image issues.

    Plus, the same thing he was mocked for, the "androgynous" look was allowing him to get away with so many "unmanly" things in others' eyes. Having first sprouted like there's no tomorrow and now, having changed to a more "manly" appearance, he could get mocked for things nobody ever noticed about him before.

    This similarity with the old cap is what I remind people of the moment they go for that wild fan theory that Teebo and Paploo were accidentally swapped for the cartoon...that and the fact that Teebo was always slightly leaner and has an almost flat nose in all incarnations. The cap is a child-friendly and animation-friendly take on that headdress, more suitable to his approximate age there.

    He'll be struggling with achieving balance in the sequel, a lot. Sure he has an unfair advantage compared to most warriors, with the Force and all, but the "good wizard warrior needs to rely on himself first" narrative has got to pop up at some point. ;) He also needs to learn not to be lazy...heck, his introduction in the cartoon shows him as a lazy character. :p
     
  8. Cushing's Admirer

    Cushing's Admirer Chosen One star 7

    Registered:
    Jun 8, 2006
    Hi, Poet. :)

    I have read your intro notes and Chapter 1.

    I love your detail level. :)

    I

    Most of the characters are new to me (I have seen Ewoks and the two films but it was looong ago). To my surprise I enjoyed the humour and congratulations at least so far you are getting me to connect and be interested in the girls, a rare feat for Cushy.

    I found Malani absolutely adorable! She seems to have a crush on Wicket. :) I like how she seems brimming with enthusiasm and innocence.
     
  9. Ewok Poet

    Ewok Poet Force Ghost star 6

    Registered:
    Jul 31, 2014

    While I'm waiting for you to read the rest, thought I'd comment on what you said so far - because it's pretty big. Just like a commenter on my other epic was annoyed by two major characters and I considered it a success, I consider your comment about the girls to be a success. I'm flattered! The three of them featured majorly through this story may initially look like the Three faces of Eve trope played straight; but then one goes... Hey, is that how I am expected to see them or what they REALLY are? And it all starts from there.

    I think you'd enjoy the cartoon - you could totally find a place for your apartment complex by watching it, the kids and teens are as realistic as it was possible to portray for a cute alien species on TV in the 1980s and their actions have consequences. In the first season, aka the good one, slapstick is minimal and believable. :)


    The only really young ones there are the Warrick brothers and the folks who may appeared at Wicket's party. The others are middle-aged, whatever that may mean in their world and they should have known better. LONG ago.

    The comparison has been made many times before and I think that Paul Dini may have been inspired by Princess Mononoke when he created Asha. He was going for many myths, fairy tales and previous successful comics and films (e.g. he cites Uncle Scrooge as an influence and then you realise the Duloks are Beagle Boys!); so it's quite probable.

    I totally need to watch that movie.

    And I'm glad you said princess, many people forget that she is one, despite not being heir to the throne.

    And yes, those were *her* korrinas, aka her "parents". Earlier in the story, she realises she would have done anything to protect her actual parent...but then, the other "parents" come to rescue and had somebody tried to hurt them...pretty sure they would have been dead on spot.

    Yup...his teenagehood shows, but his brains do, too.



    "Revenge and not conquest" - 100% spot on. From his doubts about magic in that conversation with the Wanderer, it was pretty clear that he'd rather keep to his territory than wish big and lose everything.
     
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  10. Cushing's Admirer

    Cushing's Admirer Chosen One star 7

    Registered:
    Jun 8, 2006
    II:



    Latara is a lively, spirited one. Almost reads like the 'It Girl' or at least she's attempting to be.



    Malani is effervescent and eager. I like her. :)



    I liked Wicket's handstand.



    I think I will like Deej too.



    III:



    Teboo, does he have the sensory disorder where sense perception and data is confused? That's what it sounds like. A fascinating idea and very brave to incorporate if you do. :)



    Yes, seeing the Light Spirit, I take to mean either courtship or possibly bonding/marriage. :)



    Teebo is really interesting!


    IV:



    Shodu, seems one that has gained some insight and temperence through being a family woman and it is a shame that nearly all youth do not respect wisdom when they'd be the wiser for it.



    I certainly don't agree there are no differences between genders nor am I opposed to gender roles as the Princess seems to be. I am all for equality of genders but for me that doesn't equal denying or attempting to erase natural and inherent differences. Likewise, her indicating she'd be a rather hands off ruler seems to convey she needs some maturation herself. She believes she means well, I get it, but have a unified people would be a strength.


    V:



    Teebo seems similar to me in some aspects: a dreamer, granted depth of perception and understanding that astounds and baffles many yet often solitary because so few truly take the time and are willing to exert the effort to understand and tend him as HE needs it.



    He's likewise correct that love, relationships, and family are very nuanced, layered, and complicated. People can almost seem too much hassle sometimes as the constant stimuli and conflicting messages and emotions can become overwhelming. It's likely why he enjoys solitude doing what speaks to him, like studying the sky.



    Wicket does seem to be a little ego and glory-centric right now. Hope he mellows some.



    Kazak seems too stubbornly adherent to Ewok traditions. Personally, I am very wary of most of Man's traditions as they seem to usually centre on power of few over many handled improperly. He was needlessly mean and snide with his implications and jibes as well. Amazing how oft one acts like any difference is a horrid threat that must be squashed. Fear is a terrible thing.


    VI:




    Now just a minute, Wicket...Teebo may endure a lot for the sake of unity, peace, and his delicacy but you're nearly implying he has no standards and that's not true at all. You're so wrapped up in posturing and proving yourself to acclaim you really are rather blind to anything else. I hope you're shaken loose soon so you wise up.




    A woman being spirited and bold is hardly bad but I do agree Latara needs to grow in her own ways as well.




    Good job, Paploo. :)

    VII:

    Something is clearly wrong. I suspect the dead cub may be a victim of Dark Side power particularly as it has no signs of distress and the fact most creatures are fled or hiding is telling as well. I love all the creatures mentioned and interwoven throughout. Makes Endor feel alive. :)


    VIII:




    Have to say not surprised at all that Teboo and Wicket wish the other were in different locations and circumstances than their current ones. However, I do not believe lying is justified in ANY case. None are 'white'.




    I find it rather sad that Wicket's brothers mock Teebo's masculinity. There are some beautiful fragile men out there. Teebo is an excellent example here. Gender identity as well as strength is not limited to one set of traits though many sadly demand and act so. To their determinant. My Sir was likewise a very fragile, sensitive man and his strength of character is extraordinary to behold. I suspect similar of Teebo and I hope the tribe eventually learns to respect uniqueness.




    Glad to see Latara has achieved some realisations. I hope she soon begins a path of balance and temperance.
     
  11. AzureAngel2

    AzureAngel2 Chosen One star 6

    Registered:
    Jun 14, 2005
    "But why?"

    "Why? You're a hero!"

    "I am not! I failed, just like I did last time when you said I was a hero. You are a hero, you killed the Wanderer and saved us all. That said...where is your belt of honour? I hope you were not punished for not following the rules again?"

    Wicket snickered.

    I bet Master Yoda would be very interested to be part of that discussion. ;)

    Anyway, about my last comment, Ewok Poet, it was a weird world play and I tried to be funny. Which I should not do at the end of a long working day in the kindergarten. Sorry for confusing you. @};-
     
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  12. Cushing's Admirer

    Cushing's Admirer Chosen One star 7

    Registered:
    Jun 8, 2006
    Poet, here starts Batch Two:

    IX:



    I am glad Asha now has several pieces of the puzzle but how/will she get to the village in time to warn the tribe?



    Good Teebo. :) I hope if you wed your lady will respect your bond to silence, sky, and colours.



    Lumat is an over reactive and judgemental jerk. Poor Zephee and woklings. :(


    X:



    I feel bad for all the animals being killed or misused so. :( Especially the gurreck.



    Does Gunlaag's tale and appearance at Bright Tree link to the Dark Ones?


    XI:



    It's good to see the little band defend Wicket. I do not like all the name calling. It does nothing but degrade individuals and for me it's NOT humorous. I hope Paploo is able to do as he said.



    Teebo is an intuitive. I'd wager he's correct too. The Ancient One could be trouble, a Sith rouse. He is a fretter, yes, but being such a powerful empath it's no wonder. Interesting that Mum is the one concerned about the Newcomer.


    XII:



    Asha made it but I sense trouble is about to explode.


    XIII:



    Nice to see Latara starting to mature. :)



    I expected that. It seems practically a demand that the sweet, peaceful males be forced to kill something.


    XIV:



    Heading towards a climax are we?


    XV:



    I do hope Teebo will be all right. :(


    VXI:



    Close now. At least everyone knows something of the threat now....


    XVII:



    I will be upset Miss, if Teebo dies. He's my favourite character in this.


    XVIII:



    Okay, exploiting an enemies cubs and women is not cool. :(



    I hope Galak is able to get someone to see sense.



    :eek: Is he talking of Teebo? That's awful!







    XIX:



    Yay, Chirpa and Lorgay listen to Umwak. Not necessarily, what many see as 'ignoring' is often simply 'lack of perception' and given Teebo's visions/dreams of death he may feel danger is inevitable for him.



    Does it, lass? Gentle souls are lovely and yes sometimes they are handsome as all get out physically too. :p



    XX:



    Heehee, this possessed hand business reminds Cushy of an old Hammer film.



    XXI:



    Good Warok. :) Finally Latara knows and she has the sense NOT to jeer. Please make it, Teebo. :)


    XXII:



    Well, I'm glad that's finally over but I don't care for the Ewok gloating.



    XXIII:



    Score one for Zephee and Latara. :D Great lesson Wicket finally gained. Shame many never figure that one out. I figured as much but it's not as simple as a 'girl can be whatever she wants'. Personally, I fail to understand why anyone wants to be a warrior especially females and NO this is NOT bashing. I DETEST war altogether and violence so it holds ZERO appeal whatever.



    Yes! Teebo lives! :D



    XXIV:



    One doesn't need to be a physical warrior to prove bravery or strength. I'd prefer Teebo remain solely with the Spirits. I just hope he'll be content.
     
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  13. Ewok Poet

    Ewok Poet Force Ghost star 6

    Registered:
    Jul 31, 2014
    Catching up with Cushy's spot-on reviews, step by step. I am really glad that you remembered what I said six months ago when you were reviewing another story; because I totally knew that our sensibilities may be closer and that you'll drag some moral and other points nobody else did, implying they may have been normalised or easy to miss. So, thank you, thank you, one thousand times thank you. This was great to read, there were many of those "wow, she spotted THAT" moments.

    Yup, that's from the cartoon. :) And that's exactly what she is all about - the perky cute child, taken up to eleven.

    You're really good at figuring stuff out!

    Latara had a whole IT Girl type of an episode in the first season of the cartoon, The Travelling Jindas where she ran away with the circus, she wanted to become a star.

    Wicket's handstand was taken from a cartoon episode as well, it happens near the beginning of The Three Lessons, then his brother attempts to follow the suit and fails.

    Deej is a nice, family man, but he doesn't get to appear in my stuff a lot. I will make sure I include him more in the third story in the series.


    Sort of yes, sort of no. I often wonder if certain traits of those blessed by the Force would be a disorder in our world. Teebo's a Force-sensitive and Logray's apprentice, but his training would probably still classify him as untrained by, say, Jedi or Sith standards. As per the young reader book where he was the lead character, he has chromestesia. That would not cause him to be "weird" per sé, I have traces of that myself and I am pretty fine; but his Force-sensitivity enables him to see the future in the stars, hear the rivers of colour and understand the language of the trees. I can imagine that, until he's learned to make sense out of it and block out all those sounds when they're not necessary, there was a huge mess in his mind.


    In Latara's mind, the steps are...reversed. So, neither of these, but something else. Luckily, Teebo realises that she is drunk and he would've said no at this point in time anyway, for the reasons explained in chapter 9.

    Thank you, he is my favourite SW character overall. Adored him for quarter of a century this October. :D


    She doesn't have it fun with three teenage and young adult boys, that's for sure; it probably feels like talking to a wall.


    Kneesaa is just 16, close to 17 here. She is an idealist and has a lot to learn. Sure not everything can be ideal, especially not in the society as "primitive" as the Ewoks'.



    That is what I found in him, too; despite not being a dreamer. I think people can learn a lot for those who use their "me time" for creativity and introspection.


    Your review keeps on getting better and better with every next observation.


    If you decide to watch the cartoon, here's a cautionary note: he's like that throughout the second season and I kinda wanted to toss rotten tomatoes at him the first time I watched it. Latara is annoying in the second season too, but not as much as he is.


    Kazak's problem borders on god complex in this story. He doesn't even know what he has against the kids, but holding grudges for something that happened many snows ago is most certainly not normal. While others may be acting odd in the face of fear, he's not.

    Chyntuck called him a moron in a comment to chapter 23 and I don't think it's an overstatement, unless we use the literal meaning of the word.


    That is precisely what that scene was set for - to show how self-obsessed Wicket is, so he could learn things the hard way. He had so many opportunities to learn, throughout the cartoon series, but the combo of being really young and constantly admired is not a good thing.


    Of course. At this point, she is confusing many things, including her own sexuality, for boldness. And that's a red card!

    ;)

    Thanks. I was trying to mention any creature that could naturally fit into the course of this story and Endor's wildlife is very versatile.


    ...which is precisely what I wanted here. ;)


    I am so glad you noticed this. It's a very, very important point that I plan to address in each single piece I'm writing.

    When it comes to our men, as in humans in this galaxy, I mostly like them fragile, sensitive and I never cared about the muscular macho types. One's sense of self, whether it's called masculinity, femininity or something else should come from the inside, not the outside.

    In this case, I am turning a bunch of tropes on their heads as well. Somebody who does not know these characters well and is judging them solely from the way they look like (not even what they do) in Return of the Jedi, would assume that Teebo would be the alpha-male kind. It's a paradox, he was written as the more sensitive of the two original Ewoks elaborated on from the first drafts of then-Revenge of the Jedi and the one more likely to sacrifice himself. So, this is another thing that I hope is back in canon, since they don't even list him as a poet and a mystic yet. :(

    She will never be the stablest of the gang, on the contrary, but yes, she can get to the point where she is not like this.
     
  14. Ewok Poet

    Ewok Poet Force Ghost star 6

    Registered:
    Jul 31, 2014
    Yes. But it will be...scary!

    They have a long, long way to go, even after the end of this story. She is very physical and she is like the elements of fire and Earth. He is like air and water. That's tricky to get right, but it's one of my favourite things to write.

    I hope that reading about an abusive family member didn't trigger you. He was abusive in the cartoon, but given that it was intended for children, it was just implied that he's always grumpy, not respecting his daughter's music and little animals seem to be scared of him. I took it a step further and realised that, his wife could be young, from elsewhere and whatnot...but yup, he's a kriffslider.*

    * That's my own SW swear word - absolutely disgusting, but some characters deserve it applied to them. :p

    That one is broken beyond repair, I don't think there would have been a way to remove the curse, given how long it was in place, which I imply later in the story. :(

    Yup. She is a pathetic kind of a villain, not a villain who is neither black nor white.

    Paploo obviously has some odd tendencies as a defining part of his personality, hence his behaviour in ROTJ (in original scene from the draft, Teebo was the one riding the speeder and he didn't enjoy it and almost got killed...Paploo, however, is a kamikaze right there :p); but when he is not directly involved, he can obviously be stable.

    Empath, that's the word. :D You continue to impress me. The DVD and VHS releases of the Ewoks cartoon describe him as an "animal empath".

    And Batcheela may be the one who is immune to flattery, yes. :)

    It's always quiet before the storm.

    *thumbs up*

    That moment came as a surprise to pretty much everybody, so you're cunning. And it goes well with what I said about in comments to your comment on chapter 23 below, just on a small scale.

    Also refer to the comment to chapter 10 above.

    Aha.

    This was the moment when one of his personality flaws came to play. He is lazy, which is not dangerous; somewhat phlegmatic which isn't dangerous either...but such types tend to accept the most impossible challenges when pushed too far. In - in my opinion - the best episode of the Ewoks cartoon, Sunstar vs. Shadowstone he escapes unscratched and Logray decides not to punish him. That sort of stuff does not happen twice.


    Yes.

    I will be upset if they dare to kill him in The Force Awakens or in material before it. Honestly, somebody is going to feel my wrath if that happens!!!


    Patrash is a barbaric monster.

    Yes and yes. The Wanderer's evil can rival what some Sith lords did in the past.


    That's why he's been acting odd since the beginning. Maybe, just maybe, he should have shared his visions earlier.

    She realised that it goes together...right before it changes, forever. Some old fairy tale would probably call it "punishment", but I'm not; though I can't deny that such tales inspired me.


    I'm curious now!


    Warok's decision to go to the battle after this experience is juxtaposed against Lumat's decision to eventually search for his perfectly healthy daughter to punish her for nearly nothing instead. That's one of the rare things in the story nobody got; so I am hereby revealing it.

    And yes, Latara's finally got it. Sure, the moment they separate in the corridors below ground is the moment when she realises it, but now it's set in stone. :D


    They're not really gloating. Gorneesh is a coward and his tribesmen were hunting animals for fun in the past. Making them a bit scared and sort of shaming him could help him realise what he's like in eyes of the others...IF he is smart enough for that. :p

    There is a scene in the Ewoks episode Rampage of the Phlogs, where he clearly threatens Kneesaa with a club if she doesn't sing to him. Later in the story, he runs like hell at the first sign of danger. Sums him up perfectly.


    I absolutely agree with you about wars. In the stories set before the Battle of Endor, I'm pulling an Erich Maria Remarque - describing it to detail and then, showing how meaningless it is. Maybe you would like his books. They're heavy, but there is so much love in them, as well as a strong anti-war statement.

    And yup, many lessons were gained here!


    I would not even be able to write an AU where he doesn't. Just...can't! Love him too much to do that!



    Just like for the above two chapters: we know that, but do they? Logray probably sees the spiritual aspect of what Teebo did, the others still see him as an Ewok a head taller than most others, plus there is Chukha-Trok, who is even taller and a parody macho kind of a woodsman. They do what they know. And it may be a bad decision, too.

    When Teebo is pushed ahead of others in Return of the Jedi, where Han Solo eventually holds him at point blank range before Luke stops the madness; it likely happens because he's large. Now, I like to think that he was smart enough to know to check on that exact trap AND that Luke sensed that he had the Force. [face_love]

    A huge thank you for both the points that challenged me and the points that I hoped somebody would discuss using the frank approach you did. :) ^:)^




    Sticking this reply in as well, before I post the last chapter.

    Now I have to ask why you think that AND what you think he would say. I'm all ears.


    If it was the last three words, I get it. If not...I don't get the joke, and while there is absolutely nothing to be sorry about, I'm curious to know what I didn't get.
     
  15. Ewok Poet

    Ewok Poet Force Ghost star 6

    Registered:
    Jul 31, 2014
    Chapter 25

    Tags: @Findswoman (the Findsbeta) @glitteryboots




    The snow had melted and the mud dried. Happy Grove was echoing with the chirping of birds again. The sunlight was finding its way even through the densest treetops. Bright Tree Village was getting ready for yet another flower season.

    Wicket, Kneesaa and Paploo were gathering long sticks for the basket weavers on the edge of the forest, facing a large meadow. When their bags got heavy, they stopped by a hollowed tree trunk. The princess and her cousin were enjoying the weather, and were looking at a bunch of small critters running around. Wicket. however, was unusually quiet. He was just lying down, looking at the treetops for a while. Then he sat up and shook his head.

    "What’s wrong?" Kneesaa asked.

    "I’m just reflecting on the last couple of…snows. I cannot believe that I used to complain about running errands like this one. How could I have ever thought that helping others is something a great warrior would not do? Why didn’t any of you tell me to cut it out?"

    His friends had answers.

    "I told you, many times, but you were not listening. It was impossible to make you listen."

    "I wasn’t around during that…phase of yours. I don’t think I would’ve noticed either; I was too busy with my own reflection, how great I supposedly was and whatnot. So glad that this is over, for both of us!"

    Upon hearing what Paploo had to say, Wicket smiled. They hugged each other. Neither of them had been too keen on hugs in the past; they were so rough, so mature, and so important. At this point in time, all of that seemed ridiculous. Kneesaa looked on and then she remembered something.

    "So, know what I’m wondering about? That Ewok who came up the river two nights ago, Leektar…he says he’s seen some really unusual beings in the forest. By how he described them, they look a lot like those we saw when we were retrieving the Sunstar the last time around…all white, larger than a particularly bulky Dulok...maybe not as smelly. Kinda like the Zorbian space pirates."

    "Impossible. We chased those pirates away. I don't know where on Endor Zorbia is, but it's probably not close to the Happy Grove. Maybe it's close to the village Leektar came from. What did he say it was called? Red Bush?"

    "Maybe they wanted to pay us back for that one time we beat them and they mistook the Red Bush Ewoks for us?"

    "Chak. Maybe…maybe he’s just really sad and scared because his whole village perished in that forest fire, including his wife and three woklings. I wonder what he’ll tell us after he’s recovered."

    ...

    Back at the village, Batcheela put a pot of chicken stew on the table. Warok had just come back from the guard duty at the supply hut. He went straight to Teebo, who was carving a piece of wood at the window.

    "Son, I brought you something. Bozzie saw me, asked about you and told me to give you this. It’s from her and Paploo, they insist it will look good with your headdress. He kept these for a while and then she saw them..."

    It was a double-stranded necklace made of animal teeth. Teebo nodded, mumbled something that sounded like “thank you,” then picked the necklace up and put it on. It felt strange, just like his headdress did. He went back to the window and sat down to carve again. The piece of wood on the windowsill fell down and he could swear that there was a splashing sound.

    He reached out the window to take it back, solely to realise his hand was wet. Somebody placed a barrel of rainwater in front of their main chamber's window opening. He had to lean through the window to reach for the carving and, unexpectedly, came face to face with what he'd been afraid of seeing for a while – his own face. Staring back at him from the rippled surface of the water in the barrel was a large black and grey striped Ewok with somewhat bigger teeth, a gurreck headdress and now a gurreck teeth necklace.

    Suddenly, everything made sense to him.

    He remembered the scariest of the futures from his visions, the one where there was darkness followed by light and where the last picture that came to his mind was Latara, falling asleep on the shoulder of a dark striped Ewok, playing with a strange trinket. It was this very necklace.

    The darkness, the mean look, the new fur...it had been him all along.

    He looked outside again and started making animal noises. Warok was puzzled.

    "What is he doing, Batcheela?"

    "Probably nothing bad or wrong, that's all I know!"

    A couple of munyips flew in from the treetops. Teebo gestured to them. Then they disappeared as quickly as they came around and he returned to the table. His mother was giggling and his father was still confused.

    "What’s the matter? You don’t like the teeth necklace?"

    "I like it more than anything else in the world. Let’s eat; I’m so happy that everything is back to how it used to be."

    Warok shrugged. He was sure that the boar-wolf may change his coat, as the old saying went, but nothing else. His son was still a mystery.

    ...

    A little later, Latara was sitting in the sewing hut with Fashkaa, the head hoodmaker, making test hoods for the new generation of woklings. Earlier that day, Lumat had brought a basket full of little wooden ornaments, remaining from cutting roof beams and future furniture, and some hunters had just dropped off a barrel of raw leather.

    Latara was getting better and better at her craft and Fashkaa was particularly impressed with what she had done that day. Not one but three finished test hoods were folded on the large table.

    "You seem to be unstoppable these days, young one. I like it!"

    Latara smiled. "Thank you, Mistress. I’ve been trying to get my mind off some other things. I think I’ve never come up with hood ideas as unique as these last time around."

    "The better you are at this now, the better the hood you make for your sister next year will be, and for your brother the year after that."

    "I know. Isn’t it strange how the time flies by?" Latara put the large wooden needle asside and stroked her fringe. "I remember when I got my hood some ten snows ago…and how I angrily threw it away and said that it wasn’t pretty enough. Did you wish the Gorax would take me away back then?"

    "No. The next day I came up with something that barely resembled what anybody else was wearing and your dad had to get over the fact that his little girl talks back and wants everything her way. It was funny, come to think of it. But I never thought you would be here, working with me. You enjoy making hoods, don’t you? I can see you made a new one for yourself, with that dangling tail resembling your former braid."

    "Chak. It's more fun than making straps, belts and glider parts..." Latara heard a noise and turned around to see a small rodent on the window. "Hey, a munyip in our workshop. That's odd."

    She knelt down to pet the small animal. Then she noticed a long-stemmed white flower tied around its tiny waist.

    "Fashkaa, what kind of a flower is this?"

    The hoodmaker took the flower in her hands and smelled it.

    "Hmmm, can't miss it. These only grow on the cliff above the grove, facing the rocky hill where some Ewoks claim they saw a mantigrue. Can't remember the name on top of my head, but their scent is what stands out. And sunsets are quite beautiful on that cliff, too!"

    Latara took the flower back in her hands. She had only one theory about where it come from and what it meant.

    "Thank you, Fashkaa. Can I, please, be excused? I need to go."

    "Sure." The Hoodmaker smiled and took over the folded hoods.

    ...

    Latara was heading to the glider launch site. Near the Royal Hut, she bumped into Malani.

    "Whoops, sorry!"

    "Latara, I..."

    "Not now, Malani, I need to hurry."

    "I was wondering if you have seen my brother...he was behaving so oddly..."

    "I'm almost certain that there is nothing to worry about. In fact, go to the leather workshop and tell Fashkaa that I sent you to help her out! You’ll love it there!"

    Malani shrugged. She ran the other way and got to the sewing hut. Fashkaa was not alone; a young male Ewok wearing a blue hood with a feather was helping her out. He spotted his friend, whom he had recognised as one of the two female woklings who had gotten their hoods the same night as he had, the night when the forest had almost burned down.

    "Goopa, Malani."

    "Goopa, Gwig. What are you doing here?"

    "Your brother sent me here. He said that Fashkaa is going to show me how to fix my belt!"

    Malani wasn’t sure why, but she smiled broadly, the same way she would smile whenever she saw Wicket.

    ...

    Latara was gliding on the spring breeze, heading towards the cliff Fashkaa mentioned earlier. It seemed farther away than she thought. She was feeling anxious. If this was not what she was hoping for, then the last couple of moons were not worth the wait. Or were they? She was slowly being taken over with the feeling of unconditional love, something nobody had ever believed her to be capable of.

    And neither had she, until now.

    Once her feet touched the ground again, she saw a patch of flowers underneath a dry tree, resembling the one she received earlier that afternoon. She smelled them and nodded – they were indeed the same kind.

    At this moment she was sure – it could be only Teebo.

    "Where are you? You're too big to hide...ooh."

    "Right behind you!" He whispered and put his arms around her waist from the back. "I was hoping you would get my message and figure it out, so I came here on my dad's glider..."

    "You lurdo, you! That was so sneaky...and romantic. I love these flowers!"

    "I love them too, and I don't care what the tough men from the warrior circle would say or how much would they mock me for that. I love them, but not as much as I love..."

    "I know." Latara winked and gently touched the tip of Teebo's nose. "And I've known it for years."

    "So you're not letting me say it out loud?"

    "I am. I just wanted to say it first. I love you. There has never been, there is not and there will never be another."

    "And I love you."

    They kissed, for the first time since the night that could have separated them forever.

    "I missed this." Latara raised herself up on her shoulders and put her head on Teebo's lap. He smiled and looked away, nodding. "And that...that is one lovely necklace you have, is it new?" She reached out for the nearest gurreck tooth.

    "Chak. And I will make one for you, too...out of these white flowers. Since I am still too weak to pick you up or carry you on my back..."

    "I would love it. And then we can kiss for a little more before we go back."



    The night was slowly falling and the sun was giving the way to a starry sky. The Sistermoon peeked out from under the clouds and it did not seem to be laughing at anybody anymore. Some birds flew in the direction of the burning red disk on the horizon.

    The futures had just come together.

    THE END





    Want to know what happens next? If you got this far, OF COURSE YOU DO. Read Shadows of Endor first (the summary on Wook will do just fine, after all, I wrote it :p) and then head over and subscribe to The Other Moon. Due to popular demand, a backstory for the main villain of this is coming up soon.


    Any questions? Anything that remained unclear to you? Feel free to ask.




    Footnotes
    Zorbian space pirates appear in the second Ewoks comic and their species will tell you everything you need to know about what Leektar saw.

    Don't remember Teebo's vision? Go back to chapter 9. SHAME ON YOU.

    Chak, Endorian chicken is a thing.

    Fashkaa is an OC I came up with. If Latara is the hoodmaker apprentice, somebody has to be the hoodmaker.

    Unlike her, Leektar appears in Return of the Jedi, he is the percussionist next to Teebo at the end of the film - Teebo plays a drum, Leektar plays some undefined percussion instruments and another Ewok is using Stormtrooper helmets. Leektar's story can be read on Wook and it's quite sad.

    We have not seen Teebo talk to animals before the very end, but he does that quite a lot in the Ewoks cartoon. It's his main "nature power".

    Shadows of Endor starts with Teebo and Latara on the cliff, and that is where I wanted the story leading up to it to end. Originally, the events in Shadows were supposed to follow my fic immediately, but since Teebo could not gain his strength that fast and jump off the glider on a freakin' condor dragon, I determined that Shadows instead happens right before my next fic.
     
  16. Cushing's Admirer

    Cushing's Admirer Chosen One star 7

    Registered:
    Jun 8, 2006
    =D= Well done, Poet. Thanks for inviting Cushy on this ride. :) Glad my thoughts were along the lines of what you sought. Now, hopefully I can get my Words to start flowing...
     
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  17. glitteryboots

    glitteryboots Jedi Knight

    Registered:
    Feb 18, 2015
    Chapter 24

    Ahh, I'm so happy to see Teebo getting better and that his magic is unaffected. It's sweet that Malani is learning to read for the first time as her brother is learning an alternate way. A nice bonding moment. :)

    Whilst I'm glad to see Latara being the loving and respectful one in this situation, it's sad to see the roles reversed because of how much this has and will obviously affect Teebo. :( Him receiving the headdress is bittersweet, too, since it almost represents losing his old self. However, I still love that you've given his otherwise unexplained change of appearance so much meaning, and I hope one day he's able to feel proud of the headdress without any negative emotions attached. I also hope that he'll return to his magic one day, since even though I know he eventually makes a great warrior I still see him as much more of a shaman at heart.

    Chapter 25

    Perfect opening sentence for the final chapter. It's uplifting and feels like the forest is reflecting Teebo's recovery. :)

    I've commented on this a lot, but I'm glad Wicket's realisation of his previous arrogance wasn't just a temporary thing and that he can really see it now. I'm also glad to see Paploo soften up a bit, even if he will return to his macho man ways later.

    This mention of unusual beings is ominous, especially when we can be pretty sure of who they are and what they're doing but the Ewoks are unaware. An intriguing hint to throw into the otherwise happy ending, though.

    I was initially glad to see Teebo well enough to be carving wood, but then he sees his reflection for the first time... :( Still, at least it's made easier by his realisation about the visions. So there are two positive things about his appearance change - that he knows the visions are positive and that we can be sure that Latara truly loves him, since she of all people (well, Ewoks) wouldn't remain in that relationship otherwise.

    I assumed Fashkaa was canon and that I'd somehow missed her in the cartoon, since she fits in so well, so you did something right there. :D Also, could this be a budding Malani and Gwig romance? :p

    Finally, in this particular situation I get the impression that Teebo has managed to temporarily forget his body images issues, at least enough to enjoy the romantic evening with Latara. What a lovely and touching ending for our favourite Ewok couple. [face_love]
     
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  18. Admiral Volshe

    Admiral Volshe Chosen One star 10

    Registered:
    Sep 2, 2012
    Ahhh! Perfect, lovely ending to such a wonderful story. Thank you so much for this Poet :D [face_love]
     
  19. Findswoman

    Findswoman Fanfic and Pancakes and Waffles Mod (in Pink) star 5 Staff Member Manager

    Registered:
    Feb 27, 2014
    There are so many nice and satisfying things about this final chapter, it's hard to know where to start. At the same time, there is a tantalizing hint of danger and foreboding to come with the news of the strange, tall, all-white beings spotted by Leektar (three guesses!).

    The heart of the chapter, of course, is Teebo's rain-barrel revelation. He’s been afraid for
    so long about seeing his new look that he forgot to entertain the idea that it maybe wouldn’t be as bad as he thought. And the reason it's not so bad after all is because he's able to connect it to a vision he's had—to his gift of "seeing what others cannot." An especially wonderful moment given that that particular vision is one that, at the time, he had considered one of the scariest of all.

    And how fitting that his beloved Latara is the first to know that he's feeling A-OK in his new skin, even complimenting his new jewelry. Such a lovely little love scene between them at the end—worlds apart from L's half-drunken flirtations of much earlier in the story. The homage to A Certain Famous Han Solo Line was as pricelessly perfect in the mouth of Latara as it was in that of Mr. Scoundrel Pants. They deserve a few kisses in the flower field before facing the new, weird dangers that no doubt face them in the sequel.

    Not to neglect the other friends, of course. Very encouraging to see Wicket coming to some realizations about the meaning of true friendship. There's another little couple potentially being brought together here, Malani and Gwig... very adorable the way their friends and sibs arranged their rendezvous outside Fashkaa's hut. And I enjoyed meeting Fashkaa and getting a glimpse of Latara at work in her beautiful trade of hoodmaking.

    That last couple paragraphs and last sentence... just way cool goosebumps. So much is packed into the idea of "The futures [coming] together"—it's not just Teebo and Latara's futures, of course. That in combination with the description of the nightfall and the heavenly bodies (which I know is a favorite EP motif)—ominous in all sorts of cool ways and also very you.

    Bravissima on a wonderful wrapup to a wonderful story! =D=
     
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  20. Kahara

    Kahara FFoF Hostess Extraordinaire star 4 VIP - Game Host

    Registered:
    Mar 3, 2001
    Ch 23

    For some reason, I was impressed by the detail about the water tank. Go figure! :p But it gives the village the feel of a real place, when events have been so chaotic (and in some cases, otherworldly). It’s also a nice reminder, along with the gliders and so on, that the Ewoks are actually a bit “steampunk” as I think you’ve mentioned elsewhere.

    Poor Latara, hiding with the ponies. I’d probably do the same in her place. :( Nice to see her friends coming to give her the news and Kneesaa’s offer of a haven. That Bozzie described as the guardian dragon of the household seems fitting somehow -- she gets so much dismissal for her gossipy and gullible ways earlier on that it’s nice to see there’s something in which they do kind of rely on her.

    Spot on, there. Given the ending here, I can maybe hold out some hope that Lumat begins to understand that some day. (Then again, old habits die hard and I’m not too confident about it.)



    [face_laugh] I can just picture this, and the sucking-on-lemons expression that results from Kazak having to endure all of this celebration for those reckless young upstarts. He’s such a Grinch.

    I like how this part of Chirpa’s spiel could easily apply to all of the protagonists at some point in this story.


    Aww, this was wonderful! [face_love] It’s a real tribute to how much Wicket has matured throughout the story that he’s thinking of his friends here. And in a way this is the lesson that the whole village perhaps had to learn or remember through these events.

    Loved that Latara and Warok got recognized, and that Kneesaa did the intro/speech for Latara. I’m pretty sure that that new official recognition of female Ewoks as warrior material will have significance in the sequel. [face_thinking] While being a warrior isn’t the pinnacle of existence (being a decent Ewok/human being/whatever matters much more, of course), there’s no denying that in societies where it’s the status thing -- well, whoever isn’t allowed tends to be unsupported if not outright abused. And there is no telling what might have happened without Asha, Kneesaa, and Latara in this tale.

    I was glad that Chirpa apologized for the past treatment of Teebo in the village council. It means a lot for a leader to be able to recognize when they have made or allowed others to make mistaken judgments. Some might see that as an admission of weakness or something, but being able to deal fairly, honestly, and with empathy is so important -- no community like the Bright Tree Village could be healthy without it.

    Logray’s speech for Teebo was likewise excellent, and it’s nice to see that he not only recognizes Teebo’s talents and courage but knows that there are multiple paths that might lead to his future. Very interesting to know that Logray himself started as a warrior and I wonder whether that is typical or very unusual. [face_thinking]

    The surprising reconciliation between Latara and Lumat was emotionally charged, though I can’t help doubting that it will work out. I don’t question Lumat’s honesty (that is, I don’t think he believes that he intends to break his word), but he’s got a history of abusive behavior and that’s troubling. Still, in the face of Kazak’s total inability to budge on anything it’s nice to see one of the “crusty” types show a more complex side.

    Latara and Teebo’s first meeting since his injuries is painful, of course, but they’re also very sweet to each other here -- Teebo worrying about her braid, and Latara being so openly caring. It’s a great contrast from where they started. :)
     
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  21. Ewok Poet

    Ewok Poet Force Ghost star 6

    Registered:
    Jul 31, 2014
    I did not realise that I forgot to reply. I know at least one person wants to comment on 25 and another on 24 and 25, so I am never going to write "final replies" or anything. If you like it, if you read it, just be my guest.

    Also, I will address Kahara 's replies once they're complete - not ignoring her, by any means.


    From what I have seen, you did. :) If this helped in any way, I'm flattered.

    They had a couple of extremely sweet brother and sister moments in season 1, but none in the comic, season 2 and Shadows of Endor; so it had to happen.

    He doesn't always walk on the same ground as the others do, so in some way, becoming aware of his physical self can only help a gentle soul like him survive in the cruel, cruel world. The price that came with "ugliness" is tough, but at the same time, looking threatening and being mistaken for a bully, manic, evil creature, may give him some shelter from those who want to exploit him.

    Thank you! I was afraid that it would be a cliché. [face_blush]

    They both will...growing up is two steps forward, one steps back. Even in one's thirties!


    It's NEVER over. [face_whistling]

    All of that..and he carved Latara's flute (as stated in Tragic Flute), after he broke the previous one (onscreen in Sunstar vs. Shadowstone). Now, how does it all sound?

    Thanks. :) She seems to understand young people in general. How cool that both Teebo and Latara are apprentices to such masters. And yeah, that will matter someday. ;)

    Malani and Gwig - they're too young for that, but for the start...why not have some puppy love and genuine friendship? He's of the same age as her and awkward in ways different from her, they are a contrast to her brother and his girlfriend.


    Thank you. And they're my #OTP [face_love]


    You're welcome, I am glad that you enjoyed binging on it. :D

    1. You are right.

    2. Leektar's story is fanon that became canon!

    Thank you. Now I can tell you that this scene was a late addition. Originally, he was supposed just to remember the necklace, but I felt that something was missing. He totally had to be an anti-narcissus here.

    Glad you caught the reference. :D

    Had they done more than kissing and holding each other in chapter three, there would be so many unfortunate implications that I cannot even imagine it, not to mention that Teebo was sober (not that one can guess it, especially not Lumat who apparently thinks he's stoned most of the time) and Latara wasn't.

    This way, they can give each other all the time they need to work on their differences and appreciate their similarities. :)


    Heavenly Bodies was, despite that, a yucky, yucky buttercream. :p

    And yes, I love the stars and the planets.

    Grazie mile per aver letto tutto da capo al fine. <3
     
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  22. Chyntuck

    Chyntuck Force Ghost star 5

    Registered:
    Jul 11, 2014
    Well, I'm only, ahem, two months late, but I finally got there [face_blush]

    This last chapter started with an :eek: moment. Unusual beings, "all white, larger than a particularly bulky Dulok" on the Forest Moon? I think I know who that is and I don't like the idea (although of course, I knew they were bound to come).

    I loved in earlier chapters how you explained Teebo's transformation from the cute, fluffy-looking little Ewok of the cartoon to his fierce appearance in the film, and I loved even more how you flawlessly inserted the animal teeth necklace in your story -- not only as an element of his new outlook but as a part of the plot. That's the kind of detail that makes me squee out loud!

    And then, I couldn't stop squeeing. Teebo!! Latara!! the munyip!! the flower!!!! Mushy-mush, melty-melt and everything. And then, the cherry on the cake...





    (drumroll)






    (drumroll)






    Gwig/Malani??? OTP!!! :D *heads off to the OTP thread*


    I'm going to read Shadows of Endor first, and I need to catch up on The Black Star (word has it that there's a fancy Hutt in there :p) but The Other Moon is definitely on my reading list!
     
  23. Ewok Poet

    Ewok Poet Force Ghost star 6

    Registered:
    Jul 31, 2014
    Goopa! :)

    This is an appropriate picture for this belated reply.

    [​IMG]

    :yoda: Three things to tell you, I have! :yoda:

    1. There's an e-book of the whole story and you can download it at http://ewokpoet.ewoksfan.com/. Should the link to the download page itself change, since it's the front page now, I will remember to update this. The version there is the same as here, TOS-compilant and blabla, but you folks know that.

    2. There are two comments I didn't respond to - one because I had a lot going on when it was posted, and the other because I waited for the commenter to comment on the last two chapters. Both were stupid things in the first place and I'm sorry to both commenters. Responses are below and I hope I'm giving your wonderful reviews the justice they deserve. ^:)^[face_blush]

    3. I wanted to thank you. I hope that the following does not sound pathetic. I don't know how to sugar-coat, lie or be pathetic, but people often assume I'm doing it.

    Long Version:

    Snowed In was the first long form I have managed to finish in my entire life. I did write novel-length stuff in the past, but...

    a) They were either the super-short things I wrote as a child; or things with beginning in the end and no middle.​

    b) After 2002-2003 or so, the longest I managed was about 12K.​

    c) After my experience elsewhere and being a kid bullied by adults, I was scared of fanfiction for more than a decade. I had this idea that all people writing it were three-headed dragons out to get me. I'm a hypersensitive person (this was actually confirmed by a health professional) and things that would not scare anybody or make anybody cry will provoke one or both such reactions from me.​

    Therefore, I am extremely grateful that people on here accepted me and my writing, despite my idiosyncrasies and the extremely weird topics I choose to write about. I was mortified to start posting in the first place, because "mortified" is my default state of mind, I was freaked out when the person whose writing I was recommended as the holy grail was the first person to comment, I likely ran to the bathroom when people actually said they liked it. To see that my story got two nominations (Teebo and Latara for Best Canon Relationship and the Wanderer for the Best Villain) is a huge compliment and, in case of this particular story, it means more because it was my return to fanfic, my first completed novel-thing and Teebo and Latara mean a lot to me in general. THANK YOU. <3​

    tl;dr version:

    Thanks for nominating Teebo and Latara for Best Canon Relationship and the Wanderer for the Best Villain! And thanks for any nomination that may have not gone to the voting round, too! Thanks for reading and commenting! Thanks for ending up watching Star Wars: Ewoks and reading Shadows of Endor and the old comics. Thanks for giving a chance to Ewoks in general and not chasing me away the moment I started this! Just plain thank you, thank you, thank you. <3​




    I'm six months late responding to the comment where you were two months late, so we're eight months late, complete with cafe late. #makingsenseisnotmystrongsuit

    *nods* Nothing to add there.

    The earlier was the reason this story ended up being written, therefore, the fact that the transformation is noticed and acknowledged is a big deal. :) I may have gone more shoehorn than usual, but it was a great challenge, putting all those little things in there.

    I didn't know I could mush to begin with. [face_blush]

    That one was for you, actually! And then it sent so many three-eared plot bunnies my way that they pooped all over my bedroom and then my dog ate their poop and...yeah, this will pop up at some point in future. Gwig/Malani, not poop.

    If this ever happens, I'll welcome it. :) If not, thanks for having given a chance to this one! You encouraged me to start posting it in the first place, welcomed me to the forum and I am not forgetting it or dismissing it, nor I ever would.

    This is the kind of a comment that makes me draw sketches, try to figure out how stuff works, read manuals for how stuff works etc. And since I did acknowledge it back in August, yes, I have some badass stick and stone machinery in works for upcoming stories. :D Thanks!

    Bozzie is like all those chubby-booby auntie types - there's good to her, but it won't be radiating out of her all the time. :) Also, she was always protective of girls, it's the boys she never gave the benefit of doubt to (Seriously, what happened to Paploo's father? Who is he? Where is he?). She understands Latara for many, many reasons. @};-

    You and I both love repeated failures, right? That's all I'm going to say here....for now. [face_whistling]

    You're being too nice. He's a MORON. An absolute mean old man moron kind of a moron. :p A sheevy sheev in his own little way!

    Chirpa's also a great orator, the dramatic speaker kind of a guy, the "they need to do way instain mother" caveman from How is babby formed...but yes, he meant every single word of that. :)

    I did intend him to be the voice of the people in this scene, to a certain extent, thanks for noticing. :)

    Yes, it will! ;) But...[face_whistling]

    And the Ewok society isn't necessarily warrior-centric, it's just that they have to defend themselves. They're sentient, but they're small and they have not discovered ways to deal with metal yet. Appreciation of warriors is appreciation of what makes them survive in the state of civilisation they're in!

    *nods*

    Teebo himself was surprised when he learned about this in Sunstar vs. Shadowstone and so was Wicket. Chirpa told the kids and adolescents this story about the warrior who attempted to defeat Morag the Tulgah witch and was then kept as her servant, until he beat her and the Sunstar Shadowstone broke in two. That was Logray!

    Now, Teebo's duality, struggles etc are something I could probably write a PhD dissertation on, so I'd better stop here. There will be opportunities to discuss it in comments of the sequel. :)

    (refer to what I said previously about each of them)

    It's a big step for her to be without that braid and to be openly caring as opposed to being the mean little girl who pushes the awkward little boy in the sandbox and has him, well, eat sand. Not to mention the fact that she feels genuine love and not pity in a situation where he's almost bare in terms of fur on his body and almost definitely isn't the absolute cutie we know from the cartoon.

    It's a big step for him to be that open with his feelings in a situation that is not of "now or never" kind; and to acknowledge senses other than sight when dealing with her. He may have been too bashful to recognise her by smell or sound before, unless we're talking about the sound of her flute playing. He's slowly descending to the physical world.

    Once again - thanks, all!
     
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  24. Findswoman

    Findswoman Fanfic and Pancakes and Waffles Mod (in Pink) star 5 Staff Member Manager

    Registered:
    Feb 27, 2014
    That's fantastic news about your two nominations, both of which are extremely well deserved. Bravissima! =D=
     
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  25. Ewok Poet

    Ewok Poet Force Ghost star 6

    Registered:
    Jul 31, 2014
    Thanks to everybody who gave my OTP a chance and voted Latara and Teebo the best canon relationship in the 2016 Awards. They were the first Star Wars couple on TV, I don't recall that an alien pairing won this one before and, yeah, I love them and I love writing them!

    Also, immensely proud to be tied with Kahara and her beautiful Can't Look Away! She was the first person to comment on this fic, the stories feed into one another in certain places and it couldn't have got better than this!
     
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