–- SEYRUUN HIGH JINX -- 10 year Reunion Story –-2004-11
"Affection is responsible for nine-tenths of whatever solid and durable happiness there is in our lives." – C. S. Lewis
Chapter Twenty-Two: On Chaos and Order
Theme Revisited: On Chaos and Order
It is said that a butterfly flapping its wings in Seyruun can cause a tornado in the Outer World. While this is an overstatement, it illustrates how small changes can have very unpredictable effects with major consequences on the world at large.
In real life situations, this is similar to a group of people coming together for a meeting, or in the case of the Seyruun High Jinx series, a convergence of a very special group of young people with the result of that impact altering and improving their world for all time.
Kiki rushed to greet Amelia first, towing a blushing, handsome Tombo. "This is all so exciting! I do not know who to kiss first!"
"Me! Me!" Xelloss cried out from over Amelia's head.
Filia smacked him on the back, and with a chuckle said, "I'm right next to you, you know!"
Zelgadiss had told him his reputation was that of a philanderer and that he owed Filia better behavior. He had told him that more than once, but it stuck this last time. Xelloss recognized immediately that he'd been out of line, even in jest, and apologized sincerely, "Sorry, Filly...really."
Joey had been hunting for a particular face in the crowd, luckily he was taller than most, and so, spotted the girl-of-choice the moment she entered the room. "Cary!" he shouted and leaped to action.
"Joey?" replied a gorgeous creature upon hearing her name.
"Yeah, ah...hi!" Joey's cheeks grew pink and there was no way that he could hide his interest and pleasure at her arrival. "I'm really glad you made it. Want me to introduce you around?"
Xelloss was 'charmed', Filia 'likewise'; Zel 'pleased', Amelia 'so happy to meet you'; Gourry and Sylphiel were both 'glad to see ya again.' Lina's eye's grew round like saucers while Val grinned, "Yo."
Joey was school-boy happy. "I know you know Cary. I really wanna thank you for introducing us, Val. It was the best day of my life. We have this mutual interest in...lots of things..."
"Like writing, right?" the striking girl saved young Joey from blubbering like an idiot.
Yes, Joey had met his match this time.
"Glad it all worked out for the both of ya," Val said.
"And to think, it all started with that letter, didn't it professor?" Cary aimed at Lina.
Lina nodded, "Ah, yeah...sure."
Joey and Cary then turned away to grab some snacks. Lina found her voice and said to Val, "You introduced Carol to Joey?"
"Yeah, heh...heh..." Val snickered. "Couldn't have some girl writin' me love letters with you readin' them over my shoulder, could I? Figured, it would solve a coupla problems at the same time if they'd latch on to one another. Worked, didn't it?"
Lina smiled. How clever of Val! He got rid of his temptress and competition in one act of kindness. "Sure did. You are just too good, ya know that?"
"Umm, that's sounds naughty!" Nahga spoke up from Lina's side. "Ohhhh, ho ho ho hoooo!"
"Oh, hi Nahga," Lina exhaled.
"Hi yerself. Listen, I just heard that Zelgadiss and my baby sister are gonna get married today, with Xelloss and Filia! They're over there asking if they would mind, right now."
But what Nahga had 'overheard' went more like this:
"But, Amelia," Zel shook his head. "I know that you've been dreaming of a huge wedding with all the...trimmings for years..."
"Since I was five. I know, but...that's not so important to me any more, I guess. Nahga was right, I'm old enough to do what I want, but sensitive enough to take you into consideration as well. Besides, this is far more romantic, don't you think? Mr. Xelloss and you getting married..."
"Ah...don't put it that way. Try... us and them getting married on the same day. Well, its fine with me, you know that... Even if it is one of your sister's craziest ideas, it makes sense with our complicated schedules to just take advantage of the fact that we're already gathered together today."
"I know you don't like big occasions with you front in center, so this will be short and sweet. Come on, let's see if Filia and Mr. Xelloss will mind, okay?" Amelia reminded her fiancée.
"Fine. I guess it would be more considerate that way," Zel agreed and together, he and Amelia wove their way through the crowd to their other friends.
Her part done with Zel and Amelia, had Nahga left to seek out Lina and Val, whom she consequently fed a similar line of reasoning, then waited nearby to see if it would take.
Val caught Lina's eyes a moment.
"What are you thinking?" Lina asked.
"It probably wouldn't work anyway," Val muttered and looked askance at his stepfather's back in the distance.
"Sure it would."
His eyes shifted back to Lina. "Yeah? You'd be okay with it and all?"
"I guess; that is, if we're talking about the same thing here," Lina replied. "We are, aren't we?"
Val plunged in, "Get married right now, with the others, right?"
She nodded, "Yeah. But...with one concession."
"Which is..?"
"I wanna reception party at the spa for all of us...when we got the time...say...in December at winter break, 'kay?"
Val kissed her on the mouth and sighed, "Anythin', Li..."
Lina broke away a tad breathless. "Ah...o...kay...then... We'd better see if the others are okay with it too."
Not long after that, Zolf located his wife and asked, "Well, did it work?"
Nahga nodded to her handsome husband, "Easier than I thought. How did you know it would?"
Zolf laughed, "I know those guys and I know that as much as they like to perform on stage, they are terrified of standing in front of a wedding crowd."
"Yeah, and this way none of them will have time to over-think what's going on and back out or anything," Nahga smiled slyly. "We are so good together..." she purred.
Zolf swept her into a clinch and kissed her hungrily, "Ummm... yeah..."
And that is why, a few minutes later, Milgasia, Luna, and Nels Lahda were conducting a most unusual nuptial ceremony for three close, but distinctly separate couples. Not, I repeat, not because of what the rumors have said. It was not so that Xelloss and Val would have Zelgadiss to remind them of their anniversaries when the date would roll around. No!
Following the wedding ceremonies, the groups of friends and family coalesced by the buffet then found their ways over to the tables. Time to eat, drink, and be merry! And then, after a short time, it was also time for some speeches and discussion.
Mayor Philonel parted from Amelia and Zel's side and stepped up to a podium to speak. He raised an arm to silence the group, "Ladies and gentleman...thank you. It is my deepest pleasure to see you all. Today we have a very unusual gathering of old friends; at least I've come to think of all of you as my oldest and most treasured friends. It is good to see you all here for this momentous occasion. So, how do I begin? Milgasia, would you like to begin with a few words?"
Milgasia joined the mayor at the podium. "Thank you, Phil. Good afternoon, it is still afternoon, correct? Well, of late several of us have been doing some deep thinking, we think ground-breaking. It began with a conversation I once had with Xelloss and his good friend Zelgadiss about chaos theory, something, I understand, the late physicist Dr. Metallium had been studying. Then recent occurrences made me consider its application to a problem we were having, but I needed some experts in other areas to pull it all together. I'd like Professor Greywords to begin with some of his thoughts."
Rezo came foreword and began, "Chaos Theory. What is that man talking about?"
Chuckles. The professor was comfortable in this setting and quickly got down to the task of lecturing his rapt audience.
"Well, I can tell you all that 'Chaos often breeds life, while order breeds habit.' This observation by Henry Adams is profound for a number of reasons. On the one hand, it emphasizes the ability of complex structures (life) to be derived from simple ones (e.g. sperm and egg). The discovery of this truth in scientific terms earned Dr. Metallium a nomination for the Nobel Prize for Physics."
The mention of Xelloss' father for the second time in that many minutes caused a murmur of surprise. Rezo thought that everyone present, Xelloss included, should know this other side of the man a little better now that the passage of time had softened their memories of his evil activities, and so, pointed his next remarks in his general direction.
"Yes, your father was a very fine physicist, Xelloss, and we should try and recognize him for those achievements. You see, chaos is often thought of as utter confusion, pandemonium, havoc, or disarray. However, in mathematics, Chaos Theory deals with the unpredictable and apparently random behavior of systems, which are extremely sensitive to infinitesimal changes at the start. Chaos can thus lead to novelty, innovativeness, and uniqueness (the latter which implies value). In this way, we can think of Chaos as our friend, just as you may think of Xelloss, here, as your unpredictable and apparently random friend."
Again, the audience laughed lightly.
"But chaos and unpredictability make most of us uncomfortable. People tend to like stability, especially as we get older and especially as we establish institutions, like universities and shrines. We scientists prefer the comfort of determinism, where everything occurs as a result of immutable general laws. This, strangely enough, justified the Law of Karma (i.e. cause and effect), or the idea that our lives are the result of karma"
Lina broke into a raucous laugh and pounded her buddy, Zel, on the back, "Some of our lives are!"
Zel blushed and sighed under the gazes of so many people, "Lina..."
Rezo chuckled and continued, "But with spontaneous events occurring, it is inherently impossible to determine in advance the outcome of certain events. There are times in which 'causes' will not yield, even in principle, precise effects. That is to say, the Law of Karma is broken in the case of for instance… one very specific example would be forgiveness crime committed rather than the receipt of just punishment."
"Or in Zel's case, whenever Amelia walks into the room..." Xelloss interjected.
Rezo sighed, "I may never get this speech finished."
Xelloss gave him a lopsided smile he knew the man could feel even though he couldn't see it, "Sorry!"
"Nevertheless," Rezo went on relentlessly, "...science continues to plod on in its quest to determine all outcomes. It seeks a world which is repetitive and reversible, where universal laws always govern, and knowing those laws allows one to always predict what happens next. We want to control (or at least know) the outcome beforehand, but we just plain can't!"
Rezo turned toward where he'd last heard Xelloss and paused, as if awaiting some comment. Xelloss comically shook his head furiously back and forth mouthing, 'not me!'
Hearing mostly silence, the professor continued, "Let's say, Gourry's business reduces several buildings to piles of bricks. What will those bricks now become? Out of the same bricks we may construct a factory, a palace, or a cathedral. The building as a whole can be seen as a creature of time, as a product of a culture, a society, a style… something unique and specific. We can refer to this as: the cathedral versus the pile of bricks, the specific and unique versus the repetitive and the universal, the inner versus the outer, the abstract versus the concrete, perpetual movement (process) versus rest, quality versus quantity, timeless principles versus culture-bound, mental strife and self-transformation as a permanent condition of man versus the possibility of (or desire for) peace, order, final harmony and the satisfaction of all rational human wishes. Chaos versus order."
"Yes, chaos as opposed to order... Some scientist I am! Look at what I am responsible for, at least in part– my three 'sons' Valentine, Xelloss, and Zelgadiss. The only order to them is alphabetical!"
This earned Rezo a round of applause and outright laughter.
"Who'da guessed our dear 'dad' was a comedian?" Xelloss snickered to Zel behind his hand. "He's got the crowd behind him you can tell. I mean, his material is pretty dry, don't you think?"
Shaking with suppressed laughter, Zel needed both Amelia and Xelloss' to bolster him on either side so that he didn't double over with mirth. Zel was relieved. The day's outcome has surpassed his hopes. All his friends were jubilant and he was surrounded by their support and love. His father could tell 'knock-knock' jokes and he'd be laughing.
"All right, back to chaos theory," his father coughed for attention. "In a profoundly stunning concept, Prigogine and Stengers, both colleagues of your father, Xelloss, wrote: 'Systems are highly sensitive to fluctuations. This leads both to hope and a threat: hope, since even small fluctuations may grow and change the overall structure. As a result, individual activity is not doomed to insignificance. On the other hand, this is also a threat, since in our universe the security of stable, permanent rules seems gone forever.'
"I'm sure all present in this room can agree with me when I say that we are living in a dangerous and uncertain world that inspires no blind confidence. And--no one has found any way to escape this prediction. However, as nearly as one can estimate, these fluctuations give space a 'multiply connected' character. In other words, all things in the universe are connected."
Milgasia broke in, "That's right. And what I learned was that the natural world we see about us usually has an enormous number of interacting parts which inherently defy predictability."
"That's exactly right. And what's important to note, there is a world of difference between a random process and a chaotic process. In a random process there are no connecting links. Every event is completely isolated from every other event. No life can emerge from randomness. Chaos, although appearing very similar, is fundamentally different. In chaotic networks there are connections between the parts with several inherent characteristics which emerge from those connections and help us to understand the world about us and form the foundation of a vision that can greatly enhance human life."
"So...chaos is a good thing," Gourry surmised. "Hey, Xelloss, hear that?"
Xelloss shook his head and looked down shyly, "Maybe, but it's all pretty stressful."
Taking his cue from Xelloss' words, Rezo nodded, "Ah, yes, as when a complex system becomes stressed, it becomes unstable. Human beings experience this as anxiety, fear, and stress. As the stress increases, a human being at first compensates and attempts to reestablish reliability. These kinds of changes are gradual, predictable, moderate and incremental. Institutions may fight back, but over time they must adapt or grow stale and fail their purposes. Or, to look at it another way, it would be like entering the vortex of a tornado, the system experiences this movement as chaotic and, in human terms, terrifying while inside the cone but from outside, we can see that the vortex does have form and boundaries."
"Ha!" Lina piped up with enthusiasm. "I always thought of you as a dark storm cloud on our horizon, Xelloss!"
"A dark cone of swirling power, yeah, that about describes the inside of his head," Val poked Xelloss in the ribs.
"Why is everybody picking on me?" Xelloss whined, but ended with a chuckle at the friendly kidding.
"Because you are the cause of all the changes," Filia explained.
"Like that butterfly!" Sylphiel added.
Xelloss wrinkled up his nose, "Butterfly? Come on now...dark cones...butterflies..."
"Indeed!" Rezo's voice rose above the multitude. "And so... chaos is not really chaos, exactly. Unless," he smiled in the direction of where he had heard his kids' whisperings, "You ever visited my house eleven or so years ago…"
He paused to let the chuckles peter out. "But if these adjustments fail to work and the system does not re-stabilize, the continued perturbation will propel movement toward a decision point, a critical choice, Robert Frost's "two paths" diverging in a wood, for instance. There may be many possible options at each fork in the road and the consequence is that the future becomes unpredictable, although not random.
"Now, if turbulence continues, at a certain point, one fork in the road is chosen, and that fork leads to 'second order change' which is described as turbulent, chaotic, sudden, dramatic, 'transformative', and unpredictable , as seen in the work of Dr. McClure. Transit through this chaotic, turbulent process, may lead to increased complexity or to regression/disintegration: to life or to death. The change of a caterpillar into a butterfly is an example of this kind of change-- or, any one of my sons into a man."
Zelgadiss blushed as the others laughed, grumbling in an aside to Xelloss, "Thanks to him… and you…"
"So we were nasty caterpillars too?" Xelloss moaned amid the laughter.
Rezo, amused by the kid's banter, quipped, "Only you. To continue... We know intimately about the power of applying stress to a system, while watching that system – individual, family or group – attempt to re-stabilize itself using tried and true methods, or defenses, only to become overwhelmed and enter a period of chaos out of which may or may not come positive change and growth. Zelgadiss, You were telling me just the other night about the building tension in the psychiatric field, between those who favor doing whatever it takes to stabilize a patient – drugs, restraint, punishment – and those who see strategic and creative possibilities within the chaos. Maybe you'd like to illuminate everyone here with those thoughts?"
Zel's head turned. Amelia urged and Xelloss pushed him to his feet. "All right, guys... That's... let's see... Right. I'll try and put this into the terminology you've been using today. Some say that the proper role for therapy is to be a safe container for the chaos of the patient's experience, despite the disruptions of ordinary life events. The therapy would alternate between provoking enough anxiety to propel the person into the vortex of change while soothing anxiety that is threatening to overwhelm them. The intent being to force regressive solutions. I believe, however, that a better solution is one in which there is enough turbulence to edge people toward change, toward that critical turning point, while providing a safe enough container so that the choices are somewhat constrained. This would deter a deterioration of the patient into chaos. We promote that turbulence through the work of psychotherapy, through the everyday friction of social interaction, and through planned interventions. And then we try and contain the turbulence by presenting a clear value system and a coherent practice, based on the principles that we all agree to share as a way of life."
"So you try and con-tain Xelloss enough so that he continues to play drums in the band but doesn't get out of hand or become a druggie? That whatcha mean?" Val chuckled.
"I am so not the sole origin of chaos in our small circle of friends," Xelloss poked Val in the arm.
Milgasia chuckled, "That's right; it's not all about you, Xelloss, just mostly."
Rezo cleared his throat to go on, "As I was saying, about connections… and how they affect the changes imposed upon a system and differentiate chaos from randomness... Because there are links between the parts of a large system, they will be attracted together. Imagine a flying saucer hovering over the city of Seyruun. The travelers within the craft would see chaos. People, cars, buses, bicycles and even airplanes would be moving seemingly unpredictably in all directions, crossing paths without any apparent patterns. In fact there is enormous organization within the seeming chaos. There are many attractors. People are drawn to schools, shrines, clans, work places, clubs and much more. They are all drawn to the attractor but the way that happens is not predictable."
"If we take the Great White Shrine as an example, we find it has existed as a stable entity for many years. They own a building, have a leader, secretary, treasurer and committee, organize regular gatherings and speakers and other events. But, the history of the shrine is far from predictable. There have been alterations to the building, a succession of different people on the committee and those holding office, differing speakers and events. The membership of the society has waxed and waned over those years, sometimes being more successful than at others."
"Strange attractors need a flow of energy through them, in order to maintain an ongoing stability, but that stability changes over time and indeed the attractor can disappear, often very abruptly. There is no certainty that the Great White Shrine of Seyruun will still be functioning in a week's time."
"Although I for one do hope so," Nels Lahda remarked with a laugh.
"Sounds like Lina is one of those attractors you're talking about," Gourry remarked to the professor. "I mean, besides Xelloss."
"I think you're right, Gourry. Although Xelloss is the strangest one."
Milgasia rose again and added, "Indeed, there are strange attractors all around us, I've discovered. If we look at water running over rocks in a stream, we see a constant flow of water past the rocks. The water takes a shape, determined by the interactions of the water as it flows around the obstacles caused by the rocks. Provided the water flow is constant and the rocks are not moved, the shape of the water flow remains stable. As soon as the water flow or rocks are changed, the shape of the attractor changes."
"So, if you got this room full of dudes and chicks and nobody does anything, then nothin's going down," Val summed it up. "That's obvious."
"Well, unless you walk in," Xelloss piped up. "Then we's gots us a repeller in action."
He and Val exchanged good-natured punches while their friends laughed.
"What Xelloss has pointed out," Rezo broke in, "is that a repeller is the opposite of an attractor. Rather than drawing-in anything nearby, it repels them. If a person acts obnoxiously and selfishly, other people will tend to avoid them. They will become isolated and less able to interact with other people who could help them. A repeller reduces the likelihood of self organization happening, for instance."
Val pushed Xelloss, "Yeah chaos-dude, and if it wasn't for me an' Gourry and Zel over there, the whole band idea would never have happened. I ain't no 're-pel-ler!"
Rezo tried to take back his floor, "Right, also if an attractor loses its ability to attract, a system will reach a point where there is a choice of keeping the existing attractor or moving to a new one. This point is the point of bifurcation– that fork-in-the-road I spoke of before– which can force change very suddenly and dramatically."
"Your lives have been buffeted by the harsh winds of change numerous times. Luckily, you have always found your ways back to the calm. And from there, somehow, you kids have found the keys to happiness in the end– the loves of your lives," Milgasia put in.
Rezo nodded his head, "Ah, keys...yes...I was telling Milgasia about the Edge of Chaos, when he told me a story. It's very illustrative. Would you retell it now?"
"Certainly, thank you," the tall blonde leader of the clan smiled slightly and took the floor. "There is an old Sufi ,or tasawwuf as it is called in Arabic, story. Ah, Sufism is generally understood by scholars and Sufis to be the inner, mystical, or psycho-spiritual dimension of Islam. Well, they have a story that goes like this:
There was a person who came across a man looking around under a streetlight. The person asked what he was looking for and was told it was a key.
'So, did you lose it somewhere near this light?' the person asked.
'No, I lost it by the fence, but it's too dark over there.'
Rezo paused to let the story sink in and sip at his cup of water. "I'll grant you that this sounds very silly as we tell it, but in actual fact we all act like this every day. Because the keys to life we seek are in the dark, unknown, chaotic parts of our world, we tend to remain in the light, comfortable ordered parts of the world we already know. In actual fact, we seek not one key but many keys to life. To seek keys under the light where we are already proficient is not an effective strategy. We will only find what we have already found. To go off into the total darkness in search of keys is also not effective. But, there is an edge where there is just enough darkness that we have not been there before, and just enough light to still make out the shape of a key. This is the Edge of Chaos. It is the most effective and productive place for us to be. As we find the key in the half light, half dark regions, the lamp grows stronger shifting the Edge of Chaos further and further into the dark chaos. This tells us that the keys to life we seek are to be found in the dark unknown chaos of our lives, or as it is stated in 'When the Dragon Stirs' (MacGill 1995): 'The dragon is the pathway to peace.'"
Rezo started again, "This does not mean that the chaos becomes increasingly ordered, so finally all is order. Rather the chaos moves from being fear, denied and demonized, to being integrated into everyday life."
"Indeed," Mayor Philonel now entered the discussion. "There seems to be a connection between the Chinese concept of Yin and Yang and that of order and chaos. If a system has too much Yin, it will develop more Yang and if it has too much Yang, it will develop Yin. Similarly a system that has become too clogged with order and organization will develop chaos and in a system that is too chaotic, order and organization will emerge.
"It is said that a butterfly flapping its wings in Seyruun can cause a tornado in the Outer World. While this is an overstatement it clearly demonstrates how small changes can have very unpredictable effects that have a major effect on the system. In real life situations, this is similar to a group of people coming together to meet."
Rezo nodded, "That is correct, mayor, but if there were not enough connections, not enough information being shared, then the system does not work at its maximum effectiveness. Similarly, if there are too many connections, then too much time becomes spent maintaining the connections and much irrelevant information is collected. That's what always has impressed me about these kids. There is a proportion of connections between the individuals of this group which makes it optimally effective."
"The band's always best when we get just the right mix," Gourry pointed out. "Least, I always thought so."
"Yeah, ya got that straight!" Lina agreed. "Nothing scientific about that."
"Perhaps you're right, Lina," Rezo acknowledged, "but Dr. Metallium showed that a mathematically calculated proportion was the same proportion as that of neurons to neuron links in our brain and the same as the proportion that produced the optimal effectiveness in group work. At this critical level, systems become self adapting and higher orders of organization appear as if by magic."
"I always thought there was something magical about us," Amelia said to Zel, then kissed his hand which she'd been holding in a secure grip.
Rezo smiled at the warmth of affection he'd heard in his daughter-in-law's voice. His son was a lucky man, all his 'sons' were to have found and secured such perfect life-mates. He took a deep breath and continued his lecture, determined to make all his points before the meal was over and the kids too restless to listen any longer. "Dr. Metallium discovered that networks operating at this critical point had the inherent ability to generate a whole new set of dynamics not previously predictable. Self organization would occur when feedback loops caused the dynamical energies to begin a swirling pattern, forming a vortex of swirling energy. The self organization would then flow out of the quiet center. That which would emerge could not have been previously predicted. In social situations immense creativity and inspiration can be released."
Nels Lahda stepped to the front."That's right. Chaos and complexity allows us to accept the harsh realities of life with all its catastrophes, and yet still have hope for the future and a sense of meaning in our lives. We can see the gods as the dynamic interchange of order and chaos producing all the wonders we see about us. Chaos and complexity leave the future open and unknown, maintaining our free will and ability to create our own future while moving in harmony with the gods as the underlying strange attractor linking all life."
"Perfect example," Rezo said. "Which brings us to: The Lesson of the Vortex."
"I hope this brings us to the end. I want to move around some before I go on stage," Lina commented under her breath.
Rezo was relentless, however. "When water in a turbulent stream hits an object, it leaves a vortex in its wake. The vortex is a self-organized order in the midst of chaos. The lesson of the vortex teaches that in times of great turbulence, there are places of stability, order, and safety. Effective leadership in a time of turbulent change creates a vortex, adapting to shifting conditions and providing stability and order. Rigid, unyielding systems cannot adapt to turbulent change, and they get swept away. Self-organizing systems are flexible and responsive, allowing the vortex to emerge."
Zelgadiss looked at his watch, "This vortex is ready to get on with the party..."
At this point Nels Lahda took up the lecture. "I was fascinated by how elements of chaos theory could help explain what has been going on these past years. Give me a moment to have my say, and then you can go party on, okay?"
"Fine...Sir," Zel said with a self-conscious blush.
"Thank you," Nels smiled and began, "In churches where the structures and processes are rigid and tightly controlled, there is little adaptability. When change comes, it is threatening, frightening, and sometimes destructive. When churches are flexible and responsive, change simply motivates self-organization to a new, more appropriate form. The key is learning how to see through the turbulence to the place of greatest potential for the vortex to occur.
"This brings me to a re-visitation of The Lesson of Subtle Influence. As you heard from our science friend, we now realize that influences as subtle as a butterfly flapping its wings in Seyruun may result in significant shifts in weather patterns halfway around the world, which implies that there is no such thing as an 'insignificant act.' The smallest cause may yield the most incredible effect. This is the lesson of subtle influences. Subtle influences are unpredictable, small, often unintended acts that move us to new places. When we are aware of subtle influences, unexpected change ceases to be unexpected. Change is natural, and we are better able to respond to every new contingency.
"Subtle influences in the church may take the form of a misunderstood word or phrase, a simple change in a pattern or process, the loss or gain of a single member, a need within the community, or any of a thousand other factors. Leaders in the church gain much when they remember that there is no such thing as a casual comment or an insignificant act.
"This, you'll be happy to know, kids, brings me to my last point: The Lesson about Collective Creativity and Renewal. Dealing with chaos and turbulent change is more than most individuals can handle. Collaboration, cooperation, and the pooling of intellectual and material resources are essential for navigating our chaotic world. Adaptability depends on a deep well of experience, creativity, and variety from which to draw.
"Collectively, we possess much more than any one individual. As we share thinking, feelings, visions, and ideas, we generate the kind of creativity needed to adapt to chaotic change. Better yet, creativity breeds creativity. When collective creativity is at the center of our organizations, then we create self-renewing systems.
"Chaos demands continuous improvement and renewal, which is impossible without dynamic creativity. Leaders play a dual role in creating an environment that supports collective creativity and renewal. First, leaders identify the constraints that hinder creative thought; and second, they establish processes that promote idea sharing and collective vision.
"In the church, it is important to challenge continuously the "we've never done it that way before" and/or the "we've always done it this way" thinking that is often so pervasive. Set patterns and rigid rules are the primary impediment to creativity. It is also helpful to create "what if?" exercises to use in our meetings, classes, fellowship, and worship experiences. Merely asking, "What if money were no object?" or "What if we had all the time we needed?"" or "What if we were a brand new church in this community?" can open the way to a wealth of collective creativity."
"So, you see," Nels broke into a warm smile and gazed upon each of the smiling couples, "You have all changed the White Shrine, the Cephied and Volphied clans, destroyed the syndicate... you have changed the world and everyone in it owes you a debt of gratitude. And, starting with Milgasia, Luna, Mayor Phil, Professor Rezo, we took our new approach to thinking to the Supreme elder and the clan council. I think they understood and had a change of heart."
"Yeah, but I think there were come other considerations pressuring them as well," Val said.
"Oh yes! I don't think that they were expecting the loss of Wolfpack Island and their financial footing in the Ancient clan holdings to be the cost of holding out a vendetta against Xelloss, our friend here."
Nels approached Filia first. "I hope you'll reconsider your acts against your clan?" He caught Val's eye, "And your threat also."
"I got what I wanted. Wolfpack belongs with my clan, and so do I, now that my husband can be a part of it with me," Filia said.
Luna and Milgasia exchanged relieved looks, "Thanks."
"Oh, yeah...same goes for us," Val said. "Long as they all took the appropriate action when presented with the facts. I can share the wealth."
"Oh, my gods!" Sylphiel shrieked. "It's almost time for us to go onstage!"
In a rush and flurry of activity, the Slayers thanked everyone for coming and hoped they would all enjoy the concert. Security agents were called to escort the family and friends in the room to their box seat accommodations, while Lina et al flew to the basement dressing rooms to get into their costumes.
"Geez...and on my wedding day, too!" Lina sighed, but then laughed, "But I wouldn't have it any other way!"
And it was a grand concert
and a grand party
and the Slayers were blessed with a grand life, as it turned out.
The End. SHJ Ten Year Reunion -- Chapter 21
SHJ Ten Year Reunion – Epilogue– Post 10 year reunion
What follows are some recollection from a few of the Slayers, some of which I found in my mom's notes, but the last I gathered later myself from my father to be appended here at the end. See, I've finished your story, mom, like I promised.
Love,
Lon Inverse Agares
Early years:
Xelloss related this story:
Filia and I were at Val's spa, Filia stretched out alongside a steaming pool in her shorts and a very thin blouse. Although it was winter, the rising heat from the hot springs was enough to keep her comfortable. I was in the water, admiring her. It was always a wonder to me that Filia, that gorgeous creature, had married me. I remember clearly, reaching out and putting my hand on her abdomen. It struck me how hugely lucky I was. This lovely woman was carrying my child and united to me in love and marriage. "My wife..." I whispered, "Your last," she reminded me, and she was, of course, right.
Amelia related:
My saddest moment occurred when Zelgadiss came home early to tell me that we'd never be able to have children. It wasn't that news that saddened me so much as his telling of it. He was in misery as he told me that his chemical accident had sterilized him, that there was nothing wrong with me, just him. I could tell that he felt he had let me down beyond forgiveness. I told him that that wouldn't stop us from having children, only me from having to bear them and that it would free us from the confines of birth control forever. He just shook his head. I was trying too hard to cheer him up.
The turnaround happened a day or two later. He was looking over a list of children, handicapped by misfortune, disfigured by accident or abuse, all cast aside, rejected. I suggested that we help them. He told me that he was, he was a doctor and he visited them at the orphanage where they lived. I asked to go with him the next time. And that was how we found our cause, and our first child. Eventually we adopted eight, but we were foster parents for...oh, I don't know...50 or more children over the years. So, I guess you could say that my saddest time led to my best and most rewarding phase of my life.
In Val's words:
When Lina and I first learned that she was pregnant, I was angry. I considered it to be the biggest mistake of our lives and figured that it threatened our happiness. I almost walked out on her that day. I'm really glad... I've been thankful ever since for the grace of the gods that gave me the strength to only get as far as the old pool hall. There, I called my friends, and they came. Gourry, what a rock that guy... He assured me I'd do fine as a father. Xelloss said he'd help and so did Zel. They all promised to do everything possible, as long as I went back home that night.
Course I did. I couldn't leave Lina alone. Not after having her mother walk out on her. Lina couldn't deal with rejection, I knew that and besides... I needed to prove that I could get past my problems with the ghost of Gaav. I would not be the father he had been.
I know I haven't been a great one. I've made lots of mistakes my son will tell me about when he gets older, but I really tried. And my son's got the best uncles for examples, when his old man falls through. Oh, and Li too. She's the best. She's the caretaker of my heart.
Sylphiel recalled:
I have been so blessed with a wonderful extended family, including both Gourry's and mine, to help me. Three children were so much more than two! I had been an only child and had no idea how tired, torn, and traumatized I would feel at the end of the day. But my mother-in-law was so experienced! I learned how to run a busy household from her. Gourry's younger brothers Alfie and Chuckie were great babysitters, until they became too busy in high school. Then Quentin, Filia's young brother would come into town with Xelloss and stay with us, becoming a frequent babysitter. Xelloss was always willing to take any or all of our kids, although I think they had too much unruly fun with him. Xelly...was not big on discipline, let's just say. Nor was Lina. Her boy was the wildest kid...
Middle years:
Filia had this to say:
One of the funniest scenes I came home to, and there were lots of them as you can imagine with two sets of twins and Xelly-pod as their daddy, went like this... "Hey, I'm home...Xelly? Where are you?"
"In the dining room, honey!" I heard his muffled voice call out.
I'd been at the Mace and Vase all day. My feet hurt and I was ready to kick back and have a glass of wine, so when I heard 'dining room' I was pretty excited thinking that he had dinner all laid out on the table for us. Ha! Like that would happen! When I dumped my briefcase and shoes at the door, I followed the giggles and squeals of our children to the dining room. There under the table was my husband. The infant twin girls were laid out on his chest, while the twin two year old boys had tied Xelly's arms and legs to the table legs.
"Fil! Hi! Say, could you give me a hand?"
Well, okay, so you had to be there to see how totally ridiculous he looked, but you get the general idea, right?
Amelia laughed when she recalled:
I never imagined myself being a mother to so many children. I always pictured myself a lawyer bringing criminals to justice with my handsome husband. I was that, but then I became much more. Zelgadiss and I championed to bring affordable plastic surgery and counseling to children disfigured by abuse or accident. We didn't need a huge income, so I offered free law services for those children needing support and Zelgadiss provided psychological counseling for all the underprivileged children in need. He never wanted any child to suffer as he had. My heart still swells to think of his commitment and achievements, his biggest being becoming a father.
Zelgadiss has been a great father. His boys love and respect him and his girls love and dote on him. I think they all want to play in a band together just to emulate him! Of course, Zelgadiss hopes that they will all go to college and make something of themselves and not become musicians, but we will see.
Gourry wanted to say this:
My proudest moment was when I raised the sign over my wife's Japanese fabric import business. It was the start of something big, I knew it. She is such a capable woman. I've never thought that anyone gave her enough credit, so constructing the office attached to the refurbished warehouse was my way of supporting her dream. I think when she received the Seyruun business woman of the year award five years later may have been her proudest moment, but for me it was knowing I'd done something for the woman who'd given me every happiness in world. I could never hope to give her as much back, but I try.
Val wanted to say:
Li and I have had our ups and downs. At the worst point we separated for nearly a year. She liked traveling and often Xelloss or another friend offered to accompany her, but just as often she set out on her own, alone. That year apart was really terrible. I started up with the smoking and drinking again. All the vices I could come up with. Gourry came over to the house and told me to look in the mirror, and gods...I saw the old man glaring back at me. I went into detox for a month while Gourry, Xelloss, and Zel shared my son.
News must have made it to Lina, because when she returned, she visited me at the facility and vowed never to leave without me...ever again. I told her it was okay. I told her as long as I knew that she still loved me, it was all right. But she said, no. She had shocked herself at how callous her treatment of our son and me had been, just like her mother. She hated that about herself.
We agreed to family counseling and that was a big help. Now we travel together, even our son whether or not he wants to leave his buds; he always tells us those are the best times, once we get back. And they are, nearly. The best for me are when we are together, wherever we are.
Xelloss had this to relate:
I remember the day one of my boys thought he'd like to take dancing lessons. His twin brother ran to tell me, hoping I'd talk him out of it. He didn't want his brother's 'affliction' to rub off on him. We had a long discussion about choices in life. I told them both that I wanted them to explore all their interests, since they would never know what would be their life's focus unless they tried. They agreed and the matter was settled. I thought. Turns out the dancing lessons were only to get him closer to a particular girl, which the other twin thought wouldn't be such a bad idea for him either. There were lots of girls in the class and just a handful of very 'in demand' boys.
I am most thankful to have achieved this point in life. I have a wonderful, beautiful wife and four truly amazing kids. And you know what's really great? None of the kids got my ADD affliction! It never went away for me, but I have been very lucky not to have to keep to any schedules; not for work or anything. I walk and work out at the Dojo at times, play drums, and dance and I must say I have a most satisfying life. I would like to see my kids all married and settled into happy lives, but I don't think I'll have the chance. My headaches reoccur and get worse. I know that something is wrong, and so does Zelgadiss. I'm a lucky man to just be alive and to have lived this most remarkable life.
Later years:
Filia:
I feel blessed in life for sure. I never really believed that Xelloss would live to see his children grow up. For the longest time I had this fear in the back of my mind that some old enemy from his past, the syndicate, would pop out of the wood work and kill him. There were one or two close calls, so it wasn't paranoia on my part. But, Xelly did. He was able to watch them grow up into wonderful young adults before his sudden and tragically young death. Zel was with him to give him the terrible diagnosis, brain tumor. The next day, my beautiful, wonderfully loving and gentle husband collapsed for the third time in a week, and never rose again. Yes, I miss him terribly, but then I had the most wonderful life with him. I have no regrets. I have his beautiful children as living memories.
Amelia added this:
I know that dear Zelgadiss had this special link with Xelloss all his life. When Xelloss died, a bit of Zelgadiss died too. Actually, the stress on his body after fighting the poisoning from the chemical burns as a youth for so many years, was just too much. That's what the doctor's said. But I know that when his 'brother' died, a piece of his heart died and that was what caused it to give out two years later.
I know Zelgadiss died a happy man. He was so proud to see all his children do so well for themselves, even the youngest. Our baby chose not to go to college, but to a music school where he became a masterful guitar player, just like his dad.
I miss him everyday. Without my other friends and my children, I don't know how I could have dealt with his loss. I thought I was the strong one, and maybe I was. I don't think he could have survived had I gone first.
Sylphiel wanted to say:
Val was the only man from our band to attend Gourry-dear's funeral. Even Zangalus and Zolf had past away the year before. Joey had died so tragically in that accident that took his wife and child, and of course, others told about Zelgadiss and Xelloss. The worst part of growing old is burying your friends, because with them go the memories of all those times, the past you had together. Children are of the future. And even as they enjoy to hear us relate some of our old tales, I don't think they relate to them as real, as our lives when we were growing up. And to the grandchildren, it's become myth. No, only Val, Lina, Amelia, and Filia and I can really understand what we all went through.
And to close, Val said:
Who'da thought I'd be the one to outlive all the others? My prospects as a teenager gave me a life span of about 25 years. Well, I beat all the odds and now at 110 I'm still going strong– at least I think I am. Could be my mind's shot and none of this is true. I often wake up in the morning and think they're all still alive and my Li is making us breakfast. "Val, get up and eat. We got band practice in an hour!" I can hear her say. Yes, those are the best mornings. I often dream about building forts with the other dudes on the beach, playing concerts to capacity crowds, and just hanging out with Li up at our cabin. Those times occupy my thoughts most of the time now. I'm not ready to give them up just yet.
A final note from the authors:
And that's the end of the Seyruun High Jinx series of stories. Rat and I (and all of the minor contributors to the writing team) would like to thank you, our lovely readers for contributing your ideas, posting your opinions, keeping us on our toes, and inspiring us to greater heights over these past five or so years. We have had a blast using the Slayers characters and their anime and manga stories and incorporating them into this tome of adventure, mystery, fun, and romance. Although this story is complete now, we will continue writing others ones as our ideas form new horrific situations for these guys to fight through; these guys, the ones we all love and know as the Slayers.
Thanks again for all you've shared with us each time you have read and reviewed the many chapters,
Kaeru Shisho
The End. SHJ Ten Year Reunion