Chapter 26: A Place to Call Home

Fraydon let the frightened guests out of the rooms, explaining the situation to them. The women raised their voices in lament while the men went out to help hunt down the rest of the vile traitors. Darren spoke in hushed voices off to the side with the chancellor while the rest of the group paid their respects to the dead king. The funeral was quickly arranged and elaborate. Every peasant in the kingdom wept in the street when they learned of what the king had done for them, the commoners. Exactly one hour later, the funeral began.

As the procession passed, each person fell to their knees in homage. Darren and three other people carried the coffin to the monument specially reserved for the royal lineage. The eulogy was delivered by the chancellor and was very moving. The rest of the evening was devoted to silent remembrance of Adytlan.

Sara and Darren headed to their room quietly. Darren went to the balcony window and slid it open, refreshing himself with a breeze and a drink of water from his bottle. Sara changed into her normal clothes quickly and lay on her bed without intending to sleep. “Darren, what happens now?” He didn’t turn around. “I suppose the chancellor would rule in his stead. The king dying is a tragic waste of a good bloodline…not to mention a good man. My guess is that the country will start to decline. Perhaps a search for a new king will begin.” He closed the window and walked towards the bed. “Whatever the case…we serve him if he is good, and…leave him if he is not.”

He lay down to her right, slipping his arm underneath her and holding her left hand. Sara turned her head to her right to face him. “Darren…” He turned to his left. “I said I wasn’t going to push the physical limits farther than you wanted. I meant it.” Sara smiled ashamedly. “Sorry, I know it sounds like I don’t trust you…but I know how powerful the emotions can be.” Darren nodded. “I know. I just…want to be close to you. I was torn between you and Adytlan today. I couldn’t leave the king, but I couldn’t leave you to be destroyed by the mob.” He turned his head away. “I’m sorry. I chose to try to protect the king over you.”

Sara reached over and turned his head to face her again. “You tried to save many people by saving the king. Just as you trusted me to do what was right, I trusted you to do what was right. Besides,” she poked one of his uniform buttons. “I could’ve handled them.” He smiled slightly. “Right. All you would’ve had to do is bend over and they’d have fallen over out of shock.” Sara sat up and swatted his hand away. “Look, I didn’t choose the dress, alright? It was a bit…small, I’ll admit that…but you,” she pointed in his face, “you are just as guilty as they are.” Darren grinned, grabbed her arm, and tossed her over near the balcony window. “You sure about that? You’re certain that it was your overwhelming beauty?”

Sara twisted in mid-air and landed on her hands and feet. “What else could influence such a handsome man?” She got up and edged closer to him. “Certainly not the fine quality of the dress, although you’re welcome to wear it.” Darren crouched on the bed and flipped to avoid Sara’s kick. “Ah, remember what I said about training when you’re tired?” Sara yawned. “I’m not tired.” Darren grinned, stepped off the bed and lay down on his blanket. “I am. The Stone took a lot out of me.” Sara sighed and did a few more twists in the air before she landed beside him and snuggled into his waiting arms. “You’re cute when you’re weary.” She felt his chest move as he chuckled. “Kind words from such a violent lady.”

Darren felt her stir slightly, then stop and mutter softly. “If I could move my arms, I’d hurt you.” He laughed quietly. “I hold to my previous statement.” They drifted off to sleep.

A knock on the door woke them. It appeared to be about noon or so, judging by the way the sun beat down and the heat outside. Darren was behind the doorway in a second, motioning for Sara to answer it. “Chancellor? What’s happened?” Sara didn’t know what to expect. Darren stepped out from behind the door. “Is there a problem?” The chancellor shook his head. “No, indeed, far from it. I’ve been going through the royal records and discovered something of particular interest. I’ve already woken the others. Please, come quickly.”

They followed him out the door, still a bit sleepy. Darren and Sara were joined by the others, and they stumbled down the hallway into the throne room, flanked by guards. Darren looked around. “Chancellor, why are we here?” The chancellor reached into his robes and pulled out a book, showing the pages as he flipped through it. They appeared to be blank, until the last one was reached. There, on the last page, it seemed Sara was drawn in vivid detail.

Sara blinked. “Is that me?” The chancellor shook his head. “It’s not you.” Darren leaned forward and studied it. “He didn’t have time to have a sketch of you made, but here it is.” The chancellor kept shaking his head. “No, I’m afraid this woman is not Sara. This woman is Sara’s mother.” Now Sara shook her head. “My parents died in an accident in Silver Lake. Although this woman’s likeness is close to mine, how can she be my mother?” Darren looked thoughtful. “It would make sense.” Sara turned to him. “What? You know how my parents died!” Darren glanced at her. “Nobody actually saw any bodies. And how else to get your magic than to travel from Shirn to Silver Lake? I didn’t think there was anybody else that the cathedral transported…but maybe I was wrong.”

Sara turned back to the chancellor. “So where is this woman…my mother…now?” “We don’t know.” “So why are you telling me this? What good does it do?” The chancellor closed the book. “That woman was the mother of King Adytlan. She had two children, a boy and a girl. The boy, Adytlan, was the elder, and ruled as such. The young girl was kidnapped by a wandering band of mercenaries and held for ransom. The men were found dead later, and the girl was gone.” To Sara’s surprise, the chancellor knelt in front of her. “You are that girl. You are the rightful heir to the throne of Shirn, and you will rule over us as Queen Sara.” Everyone in the room dropped to their knees.

Sara looked around herself in astonishment. “Stand up! I can’t be royalty…it’s not possible.” They stood up as the chancellor spoke firmly. “You are the queen, and you must rule. No other has the qualities, and Shirn cannot survive without royal blood in power.” Sara walked over to the throne and ran her hand over the soft velvet, heated by the sun’s rays. She sat and put her head down. At length she looked up. “Do I have to rule? Is there no other way?” The chancellor looked at the ground. “I’m sorry, my queen. There is no alternative.”

Sara sat up. “Then I will rule the people of Shirn as best I can.” The chancellor nodded. “I will help; you will not have to bear the entire burden.” Darren turned and left the room. The others stared after him, confused. Sara glanced at the chancellor. “When do I start to learn?” “Now.”

The lessons began simply. Learning to walk properly, basic manners, and speech adjustment came first. As the learning became more and more complex, Sara yearned more and more for the simple life of a traveler, or even a peasant. Finally, the lessons were done and she was shown to her new room in a different location. Female guards accompanied her inside her room, waiting until she was asleep, then going outside and standing guard the entire night.

As soon as the guards left, Sara jumped out of her bed and threw on her cloak. She looked around for a window, only finding a very high skylight. They didn’t want to take any more chances in case another assassin came. Sara floated up, noticing the window wasn’t meant to open. She sighed. They’re really making this difficult. The window shook slightly and tore away from the stone roof as Sara went through the small space. She made a mental note to put it back in place when she got back.

She ran quietly on the roof of the palace, locating the private bedrooms and making her way towards them. She floated down to the room she and Darren had shared, eyes adjusting to the sudden change of light. Darren would have been visible from miles away if he wasn’t in the room.

He sat in mid-air with the rocks again, probably taken from around the castle grounds. A pile of a dozen or so were still on the floor, and about twice that spun around him, almost completely hiding him from view. He didn’t smash any, just kept them spinning.

Sara opened the window. “Darren?” As if answering, a sphere of flame appeared around him and the rocks, further concealing him. “Darren, talk to me.” His hand shot out and a rock exploded. “Darren…” Another rock disappeared. When all the rocks around him were gone, he pulled up the twelve on the floor and transferred the sphere of fire to the rocks, canceling them both out and watching them fade to nothing.

Darren floated to the floor and bowed to Sara. “My lady, you should be sleeping. You have a long day tomorrow, or so the chancellor tells us. Come, I’ll call the guards and have them escort you back.” Sara stepped forward. “No need, Darren. I came a different way. You left the hall the throne room a bit early. Why?” His voice was almost a monotone. “The code of the Guild states that when one cannot contain his emotion in front of royalty, he should leave immediately, apologizing later.”

Sara took another step. “Why couldn’t you contain your emotion?” Darren’s face remained still. “My lady, you must be off to bed. Shall I call the guards, or will you take the way you came in?” “Darren…” He bowed low. “Goodnight, my queen.” Sara turned and left, hurt. Darren stood staring at the wall until long after she had gone.

Sara replaced the hole in the roof with the window and floated down onto her bed. She buried her face in her pillow as she thought of the countless days ahead, always the same problems, and never sharing the closeness she and Darren had…ever again.

Nightmares came unbidden and would not leave. She saw Darren die a thousand deaths, herself die soon after, everything she held dear was destroyed. Morning took forever to come. One of the guards spoke softly, pulling her out of the dreams. She sat up, looking around with red eyes. They helped her get dressed and ready for another day of being taught how to smile, how to greet nobility and peasants, while every second wishing she was somewhere else.

Fraydon knocked on Darren’s door. No answer. She turned to Milar with a questioning look on her face. He shrugged. “Try again.” She did, and there was still no answer. Milar reached past her and opened the door slowly, calling Darren’s name inside. Fraydon pushed past him, noticing the empty room. The curtains floated gently in the breeze from the open window. A note on the floor read “Gone to town.” Milar sighed. “Come on.”

They walked through the worst part of town, hands on their weapons and ready for whatever would come. A man stood on a dusty street corner, hawking his worthless baubles. They found a bar and looked inside. No Darren. So they kept on going. Fraydon turned to Milar. “How do you know he’s here, and in a bar?” Milar kept walking with a concerned look on his face. “Whenever he has to hold emotions inside, he goes to the worst possible places for two reasons. He feels slightly better seeing those lower than him, but that also makes him feel bad for doing that.” Fraydon nodded. “And the second one?” Milar shook his head. “He never told us the second one.” They came to a run-down old brothel and looked inside.

Darren sat at the end of the bar, drinking a murky liquid out of an old mug. Fraydon and Milar stepped inside and headed to a dark corner farthest away from him. He finished his drink and didn’t get another. A couple men a few tables over eyed him with some greed, as he didn’t seem to be of the lower class. They knew there had to be a reason he was there, and they thought it was some kind of deal, perhaps in gnib.

One got up and started towards Darren, accidentally bumping into a stranger. Both of them were quite drunk, and naturally they started shoving each other. One grabbed a chair, the other grabbed a small iron bar he found on the floor, and they went at it. Darren rubbed his temples at the noise and pulled his hood lower over his head. More people joined in, and the bar became chaos as mugs began to fly.

Darren threw some gold on the counter and started to walk out. A man who, in all likelihood, couldn’t see straight threw a drunken punch, and Darren stopped it, gritting his teeth and moving on. The man kept at him, raining down weak blows on his back as Darren continued walking towards the entrance. A couple men blocked his path. “Ey, wot’s the deal, eh? You clearin’ out already? Fun’s just begun!” They advanced, brandishing makeshift weapons.

Darren spoke with a slight hint of humor in his voice. “You’re right. The fun’s just getting started.” The floor rumbled ominously. The men paid it little heed and kept coming. The ground shook more, sending some of the more inebriated patrons to the floor. Still the men came. Darren maintained his composure as he knocked their weapons aside, leaving his sword in his sheathe. He grabbed a couple chairs from the hands of random brawlers and threw them out of the bar. Soon, everyone had a problem with Darren. Fraydon and Milar stayed in their corner, still fingering their weapons.

Darren backed up against the wall, letting himself be surrounded. “Leave me alone.” The crowd laughed and one large man stepped forward. “Hear that, lads? He thinks we should let him leave, after all this!” The crowd laughed again. The man stepped forward, showing Darren his weapon of choice: a long sharp piece of wood. “Lad, we just want to rob you, is all. No pain involved as long as you cooperate, alright?”

Darren smiled darkly. “I never was good at taking advice from others. Come and take the money yourself.” The man shrugged and took a step forward. Darren’s hand shot out and grabbed him by the throat. He turned around and lifting the burly drunk up off the ground and against the wall, shoving him higher. “The first person to move seals this man’s death, and then his own.” Deafening silence settled over the bar. “I’ll only say this once. Let me leave.” A path opened up quickly, and Darren walked out, holding the man off the ground in front of him. Milar and Fraydon looked at each other and slipped through the crowd after him.

Darren put the man down outside. “Go back to your drinking.” He handed the man gold. “If anyone else tries to follow me, stop them.” The man nodded in disbelief, staring at the gold. He roused himself from his stupor and called after Darren, “Why didn’t you kill me?” Darren answered without turning around. “You were drunk. You didn’t know any better, and it’s hardly fair to kill you for my problems.”

Fraydon dropped off an overhanging clothesline and landed in front of him. “Darren! What do you think you’re doing?” Darren sighed. “I can’t stay here any longer. I’m leaving as soon as I get clearance from the queen.” Milar came up from behind him. “She has a name, you know.” Darren whirled on him. “Not anymore.” He stepped past Fraydon and kept walking.

Fraydon glanced at Milar in alarm and caught up with Darren. “’Not anymore?’ What do you mean by that? She’s still Sara.” He spoke between clenched teeth. “No. She’s not Sara anymore. She’d like to be, and I’d like her to be, but…the country comes first. She’s the queen now, and the queen cannot marry anyone who isn’t royalty.” He turned away and bowed his head. “Sara is, for all intents and purposes, dead.”

Milar stepped forward, annoyed. “You’re just giving up? Saying that you can’t do anything?” Darren jerked his head up, eyes blazing. “Don’t ever say that again. Don’t ever say that I gave up. You think I haven’t thought this out? I’ve spent more time in thought because of this than I have in centuries. The hundreds and thousands of other people in this country come before two people who can’t be together.”

Fraydon laid a hand on his shoulder. “You really believe that?” Darren trembled with the strain of containing so many different emotions. “It doesn’t matter what I believe anymore. I finally found someone I could call my equal, someone I could laugh with and talk to and care about…and it turns out she’s even higher than I am.” He laughed bitterly. “The irony would be hilarious if it weren’t so painful.”

The three resumed walking to nowhere in particular. Fraydon spoke slowly. “We could…kidnap her and hold her for ransom…and you two could run off somewhere.” Darren shook his head. “Remember, I thought through everything. Sara thought it through in the little time she had to think about it as well. She knew that she could do something like that, and she chose to help all the people of Shirn rather than leave a mess of a country. If I were in her place…” He closed his eyes. “I would have done the same thing.”

Milar spoke up. “So what are you going to do now? I mean…you’re still in her service as a Guild Guide, and…” He trailed off as Thendat came running and stopped in front of them, panting. “I had to search…every single spot in town…” Darren started to walk around him. “Darren! This…is important…” Darren glanced back at Thendat and kept walking. “Nothing’s important anymore.”

Thendat grimaced. “Not even the life of Sara? The people are revolting again. They don’t want a queen; they want a king, and they’re planning to mob the royal palace again."

Darren stood stock still. “...What?” Thendat nodded. “Yes, they’re already on their way.” Darren slowly clenched his fists until the other three heard his knuckles pop. “You mean to tell me…they don’t appreciate the royal blood, they don’t care that she’s a kind and fair ruler, and they want…a king, just because they think he’d rule better?” Thendat nodded again. "Sad, isn't it?"

Darren took several deep breaths. Fraydon ran up behind him. “Darren, are you alright?” He took another breath. “It will take…every ounce of control in my body…to not destroy…every last one of the fools.” He ran forward and leaped into the sky, blazing towards the palace throne room. Thendat looked at the others. “What…” They shook their heads and ran after Darren. “We’ll explain later.”
~
Sara sat in her throne, listening to some ambassador drone on about how taxation was too heavy on the rich when the news reached her. She sat up straight and looked at the chancellor. “I can abdicate, right? I can let them set up their own king?” The chancellor shook his head sadly. “I’m afraid not. They don’t just want you off the throne…they want you dead.” Sara stood and dismissed all those present as the chancellor kept speaking. “I suggest you go to the private bedrooms. There are trees near the windows, and you may be able to climb down.” Sara shook her head. “Can they be reasoned with?"

The chancellor's reply was lost as the newly-built doors shuddered twice and fell inward, a crowd of torch-and-sword wielding people storming inside and stopping about a dozen feet from her. She raised her hands to speak. “Why do you do this? Have I not been fair and just?” The crowd responded as one. “We want a man on the throne! We want to be ruled by a courageous leader!” Sara kept her hands raised. “Then will you let me step down and hand the crown over to who you choose king?” The crowd emphatically called for her blood, and she took a step back.

A masked figure watching from the shadows smiled and left, unnoticed by all. The crowd surged forward until they stood not five feet from the throne where Sara stood. As one body, they unsheathed their swords and raised them. Sara prepared her defense, wondering how she could stop so many without killing them.

The wall to her right collapsed inward and the crowd turned, shielding their eyes from the dust. Darren landed in front of Sara and advanced towards the crowd. Someone near the back cried out “Make him our king,” and they began to chant it. Darren’s eyes narrowed slightly and the roof flew off the building. The chant slowed, but didn’t stop completely until every wall was blown away from the room.

Darren spoke furiously. “Ingrates! Every last one of you is a gullible fool, a puppet for whoever pulls the strings! Even now, you listen to the traitors in your midst and attempt to pacify the one who could wipe you all from the face of Shirn!” He took another step forward. “The Kre’path exists still, and they hide amongst you as friends.”

With the walls gone, there were no more shadows to hide in, and no way to leave without being called a traitor. Darren raised his hands and shattered the last of the Dark Brothers’ weak illusions. They were set upon for the second time that week and completely destroyed. Darren lowered his hands and stared at the crowd. “I ask you again. Will you accept this woman as your queen, or will you continue in this foolishness?” The crowd looked at the ground quietly, but general seeds of malcontent were still visible.

Darren sighed and turned to the chancellor. “They obviously don’t understand or care about the sacrifice made for them. Can you take over the duties?” The chancellor nodded slowly. “Yes…but only if they accept me without the royal blood.” The crowd roared their approval.

Darren turned to Sara. “You are released from your duties.” He gently took the crown from her head and set it on the chancellor’s. The chancellor sat in the throne as the crowd dropped to one knee. Darren and Sara knelt too. Some time passed as the chancellor made a short speech and accepted questions, answering them well.

When the last of the crowd had filed out, the new king turned to the pair. “It’s not over yet, Sara.” The king reached under the throne and pressed a hidden button, opening a stairway directly behind the throne. He went down, motioning for the others to come. Darren shrugged and followed.

They went deep underground, from natural caverns to ones carved out long ago. They stopped in front of a small steel door. The king motioned to a small metal plate next to the door. “Sara, please place your hand on it.” She must have looked nervous, because he quickly said “It won’t hurt, it’s just…you’ll see.” She placed her hand on the cold metal and waited.

A tinny voice floated out of nowhere. “User accessing panel. Confirming user status……status confirmed as alive, female, and ruler. Opening door.” Darren turned to the chancellor. “Why is this kind of technology kept hidden and not used for the people?” The king frowned. “That will be explained to you. Please, come.” The door slid open and the three walked through.

It was a huge silo. A large ship of some kind aimed upward towards a concealed exit. The gray ship wasn’t large at all; it was only about fifty feet long, and half as wide. The wings were curved inward, tipped with some unknown metal. The others ran down the stairs and came through the door, questions on their lips. Darren stopped them with a hand.

The king sat down in a small nearby chair and motioned for them to do the same. The group of seven faced him as he began to speak.

“We have always lied about our origins. We do know that Shirn is the only continent on this planet, and we got here from a planet far away. And ever since we landed, we’ve been surrounded by some alien fleet. The whole reason we don’t use more technology on Shirn is because the aliens can control our electronics, except for the ones we spend years developing.”

He gestured to the spaceship. “We spent fifty years on this ship, only to find that we needed a more powerful engine and better shielding to fight the aliens. We do, of course, want to make the peasant lives easier, so we must drive the aliens off and bring back technology. Thus, the search for the Stone of Naugan as a catalyst for the engine and power for the shields.”

Thendat stirred uneasily. “Why are you telling us this?” The king smiled sadly. “Only people of royal blood can open the door, and take the ship up to fight the aliens. And since Sara is of royal blood, she has a special ability that counteracts the aliens’ powerful fleet. Once the ship takes Sara up, it’ll dock with the other people fighting the aliens. We’ve established a base up there…but we need more fighters.” He glanced at the stunned travelers. “You should probably leave quickly. The base was expecting the shuttle yesterday.”

One by one they said their goodbyes, ranging from Acerin’s one word to Fraydon’s mini-speech of comfort. They left after they were done talking, climbing the stairs to the throne room to watch the launch. Soon only Darren and the king were left. Darren stepped forward. “I’m sorry, Darren. I’m so sorry… Shirn needs me again.” Darren nodded slowly. “I understand.” He gave her a quick hug and walked up the stairs to the throne room.

Sara turned so the king wouldn’t see her face. “I’m ready.” The king bowed and led her over to another metal panel, which she palmed open. He showed her where to place the Stone, handed it to her, and exited, leaving her a small letter for the commander of the space station. He closed the door in the ship and the small steel door leading into the silo, climbed the stairs, and shut the trapdoor behind the throne. The king sat and waited for the launch.

Sara placed the Stone in the container and sat down. The container retracted and lit up. The ship was ready to launch. The chair was large and comfortable, and could easily seat two…she shook her head and tried to see the controls through blurred vision. Wiping her eyes, she noticed the simplistic design. Apparently they didn’t expect all royalty to have high intelligence if they needed a big red button to launch the thing.

She buckled the seat belt and pushed the button, experiencing a slight dizziness as old engines rumbled to life. The two large panels in front of her slid shut and the rumbling increased. A small screen came from the side of the chair, proclaiming her ship to be the Transporter. The destination was preset and unchangeable. She familiarized herself with as much as she could before the full realization of what was happening hit her. Sara buried her face in her hands and blacked out.
~
Darren walked to the corner of the now wall-and-roofless throne room and stared at the ship taking off. Fraydon spoke hesitantly. “That was a really short goodbye.” A patch of earth folded out of the way and revealed a circular hole of metal. The Transporter appeared, engines glowing as it sped up. The spaceship was out of sight in seconds and the patch of earth closed, concealing the silo once more. Darren turned and walked towards the doorway out of the room. Milar glanced at him. “What are you going to do now?” Darren looked back, face devoid of all feeling. “I’m going to go drink until I forget who I am.” Legerra took a step forward. “You’re going to what? Darren, don’t you care?”

Darren walked back to the group and stood nose-to-nose with Legerra. “Don’t question me. Of course I care. But what good will showing emotions do?” Fraydon looked up where the ship had gone. “Why keep it inside?” Darren walked to the corner again and looked up with her. “Because if I had shown my emotions…I would have prevented her from going.” He knelt down and bowed his head.

Acerin snorted. “You call yourself a leader? One of the people under your command goes away, and you don’t throw a pity party.” Darren raised his head slowly. “Acerin, listen well.” In the time it took Acerin to blink, Darren was in front of him, lifting him by his cloak and screaming “I never asked to be a leader! Not once did I order you all to follow me! Not once! The decision to follow me was yours, so don’t claim I should act like the heartless leader that I’m not!” He flung Acerin across the room, breathing heavily.

Thendat laid a hand on Darren’s shoulder. “I release you from the burden of leadership.” He stepped back and sat cross-legged on the floor. Darren blinked twice. “What good does that do?” Fraydon laid a hand on his other shoulder. “She needs you, Darren.” He bowed his head again. “Don’t you think I know this? I can’t help her anymore. She’s on her own.” He went back to the corner a third time as a messenger ran into the throne room.

“I have a message for the chancel-the king!” The king stood up. “What is it?” “The people regret their mistake, and wish to apologize formally to the former queen.” Darren stiffened and lowered his head further. The king glanced at him and spoke quietly. “The former queen has left secretly, and wishes to live a life in peace. I will pass on the formal apology.” The messenger bowed and left.

{Darren…} He didn’t move his head. {Sara?} {It’s unhealthy to hold emotions inside, Darren. You taught me that, remember?} {I remember. But my emotions would have held you back…and I know it’s better to save many than stay with one.} Sara mentally shook her head. {Darren…as selfish as it may be…I don’t think I made the right choice. I never should have set foot in the ship. I don’t want to save other people if it means…I can’t be…with…} Raw emotion overcame her and she couldn’t finish.

Darren’s eyes widened. I forgot about the link. He could feel every nerve in his body tingling with the same raw emotion that had stopped her voice. All I was given was pain. The group stepped back anxiously. Even here…even now…it stays the same…unless I CHANGE IT! He threw his head back and screamed until it sounded like an inhuman roar, the dark light pulsing into existence. His eyes turned black. I will not give in again. He raised his right hand and the red stone flared to life. The wild energy stopped growing and froze. Slowly, it flashed white and changed, light splitting into fragments and scattering around the room

Darren turned to the stunned group, his eyes still black but his aura pure. “I will deliver the apology of the people myself.” He jumped up and flew after the Transporter, cloak flapping in the wind. His eyes flashed as he drew closer, the speed at which he traveled shaking his body powerfully. The aura changed to shield him from the wind and brought him even closer to the spaceship, which was now in sight. He closed his eyes and propelled himself with a final burst of speed until he was just above the ship.

Gripping the top with his hands, he concentrated until his body glowed so bright that it was visible to all below. He slowly passed through the roof of the Transporter and became solid again, dropping to the floor as his eyes changed back to brown. He looked around the somewhat small room and saw Sara, passed out in a chair from the force of the take-off. He gripped the back of the chair and steadied himself until they were in space, and gravity was gone.

He pulled himself around to the front of the chair, unbuckled the seat belt, and sat down beside her, buckling himself in beside her so they wouldn’t float away. He leaned over, brushing her hair from her face. She stirred but didn’t wake. Darren leaned closer to her ear, softly whistling the tune from the cathedral and monastery. Sara’s eyes flew open instantly and he stopped whistling.

She reached up to touch his face. “It must be a dream…” He shook his head and blinked back tears. {It’s not a dream, Sara. I’m here.} She unbuckled the belt in a second and threw her arms around him, pressing her head into his chest as they floated up to the ceiling. “Darren…” He wrapped her in a tight embrace, whispering into her ear. “I lost you once, and I swore that if I ever found you…I would never lose you again.” A shining trail ran down his cheek. They floated in the ship for hours, truly content.

- posted by Nick @ 5/19/2004 11:46:00 AM