A couple of lines from the song:

More than a story
More than words on a page of history"

How will Riker and Troi's history be told? What will
make their road to bliss as timeless as it is to all
of us?

--
this is a very simple, trite, short and silly response
toan imazdi challenge. warning: this has not
been beta read.. so.. read at your own risk! May cause
damage to your mental health! ;-)

Title: And Yet They Are Imzadi
Rating: G
Author: none.. err.. wait.. Zipp.

Although the classroom appeared silent, the
expressions on the faces of the young participants
were filled with emotions. The two observers watched
carefully, as the silent discussion continued around
them, feeling the current of the convictions of the
debaters. One of the observers would wince and frown
as the other held fast to his forced calm, just
awaiting the time when the two of them would address
the crowded room of young people.

All eyes fixed upon a young woman, her curled short
red hair bouncing as her head moved between the two
main debaters.< Prove it. Prove your point one way or
the other. You can't simply stomp on tradition without
even a solid theory.> She addressed the lead speaker,
a tall square faced young man, nicknamed "Specs" from
the way he would brazenly glare into his opponent's
eyes during debates.

<And you can only find romance in these silly tales
that came at a time when Betazed needed romance,
needed hope and needed a knight in shining armour.
There is no proof that any such bond existed between
an off worlder and any Betazoid, let alone someone
without pure Betazed DNA. It's time Jenna, that you,
stepped out into the real world and got a date.> He
turned to smile smugly at the young man beside him.

The young girl glared back at him, not once taking her
eyes off him as she let her thoughts be known: <Specs,
you are going to have to use more than your talent to
argue to win this one. You've just set back the pride
of the people of Betazed about a million years. I
thought we were known as an intellectual people,
you've just established that we are also not beyond
using petty ignorant comments to thwart a discussion.
You have yet to establish a true basis for your
point.>

She took a deep breath before addressing the opposing
side of the argument, <Lemeke, address the subject not
the debater. You're letting Specs walk all over your
premise, but you do have to come up with a stronger
theory to prove that this is no piece of fiction or
folk tale as Specs is presenting.> Her tone was much
more relaxed indicating her strong sense of empathy
with anyone opposing Specs.

Of the two observers one would expect Taima to be the
quiet more studious, that is if you went by
appearances. She said very little but what was said
either vocally or otherwise held all the candor, verve
and eloquence that can not mimicked by a debate team.
Her younger brother Andrew, although at times more
expressive with his thoughts, he tended to be more
sympathetic to another's point of view. They stood in
unison and approached the center of the room where the
debaters had paused for refreshments. At their
approach the young spitfire you had challenged both
sides to prove their theories grinned knowingly and
made the introduction vocally.

"Let me introduce the evidence of the imzadi bond in
question, Taima and Andrew Troi-Riker. The
grandchildren of Deanna Troi and William Riker." Taima
and Andrew each embraced Jenna and stood to face the
quiet group.

Taima took time to slowly scrutinize the group letting
the settling silence elevate her words, :"<You
question my heritage and I am here before you now to
answer your questioning. As you can see I am able to
speak to you as a full blooded Betazoid, even though
my DNA will prove that I am not. You know what it is
to be imzadi do you? How do you know the bond that
could have existed between my grandparents. I have
seen it and I can tell you I believe it although I
don't understand it. I have seen that they are
kindred spirits, which is more than just a deep
devotion to each other. Specs looks at his opponents
as one sizes down his adversary, his goal is to
intimidate. My grandmother can look into my
grandfather's eyes and together they see not only
their past, but how together they will play out their
future. It is a look that totally vacates all other
life for that one second. How can I expect to make
Specs *see* what I have seen. I'm not sure I could
because you can only see when your eyes are open to
understand."> Taima then stood quietly holding Specs
glare with her own watchfulness until it was Specs
that lowered his eyes.

"My grandfather took time to weigh this new
relationship he found with my grandmother. It took
them years to fully understand what they had. I can
understand how it could be impossible for some of you
to hear of it second or third hand, to have it handed
down to you as though it were a fable or fairytale. I
can only say that to see them, even now as they
approach the end of their years, to me it is what
imzadi is. They convey so much by a look, remember
that my grandfather is from Earth, with no emapthic or
telepathic skills, my grandmother is empathic. My
grandfather willingly put himself in danger many times
for not only my grandmother but her way of life.. the
Betazoid way of life. Singularly they are entirely
two different people, they have their own way of doing
things, their own likes and dislikes, sometimes to the
extremes of each other when it comes to material
things." Andrew paused, his eyes seeking that of his
sister's before he continued. "And yet they are
imzadi. They are together and have been for many
years. They know when each other is hurting, it seems
before the hurt has registered in the mind of the
injured one. If you are sure that imzadi doesn't exist
.. then it doesn't. No one can make you see what I
have seen. What we have seen." Andrew wrapped his
arm around his sister, as they turned to leave, they
clearly heard one, then two, then three voices call
out.. "I believe"

End