Story

Jonothan Darke reclined in his seat, relaxing a bit, as the stewardess brought him his drink. He nodded from his magazine, barely acknowledging the lovely young woman. She smiled at him, as she placed his scotch and soda atop the napkin on his tray, but she could have been dancing naked in the aisle and failed to invoke a stronger reaction.A dark part of his being urged that image to the front of his thoughts. A touch of his power and she would strip naked and dance around first class, appalled to find herself begging tips, or offering her body for... but he had more important things on his mind.

Current tragedies plagued his thinking. By now, the Serpent and her coterie had faced the Dragon and perhaps even the Beast; the climatic battle would be long completed by the time he touched down.

He had no delusions about what he was going to Hong Kong for.

He was going to pick up the pieces.

"Disaster. You may never meet again; that was how you framed your question... Disaster in more senses than one. She fights against something that cannot be beaten."

Tapestry's words echoed endlessly in his head. He knew the prophecy as well as, or perhaps better than, most of the Others, and he had firsthand knowledge of how powerful and compelling the darkness that the Serpent was facing truly was.

When he arrived, would he find Jeanette destroyed: consumed by an unfathomable evil, ground to dust under the heel of a victorious Dragon? Or perhaps, if the gods so favored, Celestial Fu, slain, shattered, broken, and defeated, along with the Immortal Evil she had sought to raise? The very thought sickened him.

The memory of Jeanette's scented skin kept the foul taint of the River from slicing his senses now. But his fingertips hungered to touch the Serpent one last time. His groin distracted him with heat every time her face crossed his thoughts. Could he live if he found Jeanette was now Fu's plaything?

Darke longed to see the Serpent standing on the broken flesh of the Dragon.

It was an unlikely dream. A lover's dream. Jonothan drained his glass with one gulp, and buzzed the stewardess for another.

Until he arrived in Hong Kong, until he saw for himself, he would fuel that dream at the expense of logic

Shelley sipped from her glass, trading worried glances with Mary in the seat beside her. Jonothan had become increasingly quiet and introverted ever since they'd left the hospital. Knowing where they were going and why, she felt consumed with anxiety. On the one hand, she was traveling with her lover to find the woman that haunted his past, someone he obviously still cared for very much. On the other hand, they were knowingly flying into a war zone, a battle between several powerful Ancients. She was sure she had no defense against the powerful forces in play...

What would be worse, if Jonothan's beloved Jeanette was found dead, and defeated by the bad guys, or if she was alive, somehow overpowering the evil and standing triumphant? She shivered at the thought of it. What would Jeanette become then? What sort of monster could possibly defeat such evil? And what would Jonothan's intrusion bring down on them all?

Much of the dealings between Ancients were a mystery to her, but one thing she remembered quite well: Jonothan's clan, the Healers, had been feared by the other Ancients and hunted, wiped out by the Others, for fear of what they could do. That he had come out of hiding, as it were, to show himself to this Tapestry person, showed just how bad things were. Once this current crisis passed, when the big ta-do about the Dragon died down, the rest of the surviving Ancients would no doubt turn their attentions towards him. Surely it would mean his doom.

So, either he doesn't feel worried about the Others coming after him... or he doesn't expect to leave Hong Kong alive!

"Shit," Shelley cursed softly, clutching her glass of vodka, turning it up, and draining it dry.

"Huh? What is it?" Mary asked, glancing over at her best friend. "What's wrong?"

"It's nothing. Just nerves, I guess. Thinking about what we're going to find once we touch down in Hong Kong."

Mary nodded grimly. "I'm trying NOT to think about it. Shelley, what can we do anyway? Whether the fight is just starting, or whether it's already over, what can we, you and I, possibly do? We're just two regular gals! We won't be spitting fire, or shooting lasers from our eyes. What hope do we have of making a difference in this mess?"

Shelley sat back, thinking a moment. "I... I don't know. Probably none. If the fight is still going on, and I pray that it isn't, then we'll likely only be in the way. But what else could we do? That woman, D'Amber... her friends went with her, to support her. I couldn't sit still and let Jonothan face this alone, no matter what the cost."

Mary's hand clutched hers, stroking it gently, raising goosebumps of pleasure. "Love, I feel the same way," she murmured softly. "I guess we're just along for moral support, then. Lot of bloody good it'll do."

"Oh, I don't know," Shelley replied, huskily, sliding a hand along Mary's, gratified at the soft sigh of pleasure she provoked. She leaned forward and kissed her gently on the lips. "I'm thinking a little moral support might go a long way."

The plane landed without incident. Nevertheless, Darke continued to constantly feel on guard, as if something nasty was coming, and coming soon. His feeling of complete unease tripled the moment he stepped off the plane, and nearly sank to his knees from the sheer magnitude of the corruption everywhere. Mary and Shelley were at his side in an instant, fearing the worst, but he merely shrugged them aside, and stood by his own power.

This is worse than anything I could have imagined. I had expected there to be a lot of corruption and evil here... but this? It's like standing in the middle of sewage. I don't think I can restore the River alone... not without some help. I only hope someone survived the fight and is in a condition to aid me.

"Jonothan?" Mary prompted, glancing up into his face.

Darke took a breath to steady himself and nodded. "I'm fine. Just a little... overwhelmed. This will be more difficult than I thought."

Shelley placed a small slender hand to his cheek. "If anyone can do this, you can." Darke smiled a bit, touching her hand with his own, before walking towards the baggage claim. She felt her groin moisten at his touch, at the same time her heart went to her throat in sympathy for him. She wished more than anything to be able to help him, to somehow take this burden from him.

We all have our burdens to carry, he had told her once. This is merely mine.

"The hotel reservations can wait, I think," he said, moving to the exit. "I want to go straight to the battle site."

"No big hurry," Shelley said, pointing to a newspaper machine. "Look at the headline. 'Massacre at Po Lin Temple.' If this is in the papers, then it must be over. I can't see any of those guys letting reporters roam around in the middle of a fight... not and live to send in the story."

Darke frowned, taking the paper from Mary, as she handed it to him. "You're probably right. Still, I'd feel better about this if I went and saw the temple for myself. We'll need to go there anyway to perform the ceremony."

At the busy 'Arrivals' area, Shelley managed to find a taxi across to Landau Island. The driver was reading the paper and eating fish in an 'off-duty' zone, but she waved a large bill under his nose, knowing it would save them twenty minutes of standing around. During the drive, the girls glanced about at the beautiful landscape, the buildings both ancient and modern, the droves of people, all passing by in a blur. "It's a beautiful country," Mary remarked. "I wish I had bothered to travel before now."

"Perhaps you will," Darke commented, leaning back in the cab, closing his eyes, trying to center himself. "Once all this unpleasantness is over and done with, I'm sure you'll have both the time and the means to see the world."

"Still feeling the contamination," Shelley asked, worriedly.

Darke nodded. "It's hard to tune it out this close to the source. Hand me the CD player, will you?" He slipped his headphones on, connecting it to the Discman Shelley gave him. He glanced through the extensive file of CD's and selected a jazz/blues instrumental, and handed the rest back to Shelley. "Ah. Better," he said after a moment, letting the upbeat sounds of Yoko Kanno soothe his troubled mind. "The music helps a little."

The driver glanced back at them through the mirror. "He okay?" he asked in broken English.

Shelley put on a fake smile, despite her own misgivings, and replied in the affirmative. "Yes, he's okay. Just tired. We've had a long trip."

"Ah, hah," he replied. "Not that I mind, but I wonder, why you wish to go to Po Lin? Is not good place for tourists go right now."

"We know," Mary replied, holding up the newspaper she'd brought from the airport. She gave a weary sigh. "Just call us morbidly curious."

"Curious? Ah. No need explain to me," he said, focusing again on the road. "People like to see death up close. You not the first people I take to see cursed temple. You probably not the last."

Shelley jerked in her seat. "Who else did you take to see the temple?" she suddenly asked. For some unknown reason, she felt that the answer was very important.

"Oh, many different people. Just yesterday, I take couple from Siam. Very nice people. They tip big!" He chuckled a bit at that. "Then there was local fisherman. He terrible tipper. Only pay price of cab ride, then complain on trip back that temple not even worth time to go see."

There was something else, another visitor. Of that, Shelley was suddenly sure. "Who else did you take to the temple?" she asked.

The cabbie blushed slightly, rubbing the back of his neck idly. "Well, there was one other... fare was to temple day before police find dead bodies, in fact. Hmmm. Wonder why me just now remember?"

Darke clicked off his CD player, suddenly interested as well. "Really? What did she look like? Think hard and try to remember."

"Oh, that easy. I DEFINITELY remember this one. Girl, tall, slender, short cut muddy red-brown hair. She wear only in a long red scarf, coiled around her like long, scarlet scaled---"

"Serpent!" Darke hissed loudly. Without a thought to the fast moving cab, he placed a hand to the back of the driver's head. Shelley and Mary let out a cry as the cab weaved back and forth across each lane for several moments before resuming its straighter course once more.

Darke sat back in his seat, breathing deeply, rubbing away the long trickles of blood flowing freely from his nose at his latest contact with the Tainted River. The driver, blinking to clear his head, merely drove on as if nothing had happened.

Shelley glanced meaningfully at Darke for a long moment, but his silence told her all she needed to know on the subject.

"How are you feeling?" Evelyn asked, tenderly. Doris groaned softly, moving her severely bandaged leg and arm gently a few times. "It still hurts, but I think I'll live. I probably won't be playing tennis for a good while." She forced a weak smile on her lips. "I think I'm as ready to fly back home as I'll ever be."

Evelyn nodded, hiding her sorrow at the thought of Doris spending the rest of her life as a cripple. "Don't worry, we're just staying here long enough to get you stabilized enough to move. Once we get back to the States, I'll get the best doctors to look at your wounds..."

Doris smiled a real smile then, placing her uninjured hand to Evelyn's face. "Thanks. But except for maybe having Suzie Adler look me over, I don't want you go to too much trouble." She stroked Evelyn's neck, causing tingles of pleasure.

Evelyn sighed softly.

"It's okay, my love," Doris whispered softly. "We've all suffered for what happened at the temple. We lost..." he voice broke, failing her for a moment at the memory of Miyu's sacrifice. "We lost... so much," she finished. "If a mangled leg is my price to pay, so be it. All things considered, we all got off pretty light."

"Doris..." Evelyn said, her voice heavy with emotion.

"So, how is Candy doing?" Doris asked, changing the subject.

"Candy," she replied, dabbing at her shining eyes. "The doctors say that that bright flash burned her retinas. They think she'll recover fully in time, but they can't say for sure. The other girls are okay, just a few cuts and scrapes. You and Candy took the brunt of the real damage."

Doris nodded. They sat in uncomfortable silence for a moment, reflecting on everything that had happened. They had indeed lost much, yet at the same time, they had gained something immeasurable. Fiona was alive, and well, and would return to them one day. Evelyn and Doris had finally admitted their love for each other. And they had made three new friends, three members of their close-knit group, linked together by their love for Fiona. Despite the terror of the past few days, they all had hope for the future.

"Well, well, well. Small world, isn't it?"

Turning as one, they noticed the familiar form standing in the doorway, watching them. Darke strode into the room, standing in front of Doris' bed.

"YOU?!?" Evelyn gasped, stepping protectively in front of Doris. "BALLS! What are you doing here?"

Darke merely cocked an eyebrow. "I suppose I could ask YOU that question, but, then again, I already know what you're doing here. Does it still hurt?" he asked, gesturing to Doris' bandages.

"Never mind that," Evelyn snarled, wishing she had a gun, knife, or something to defend herself with. "What do you want from us? Remember your promise! Don't even THINK of touching her!"

"What? Aren't you happy to see me?" he smirked, sensing her fear. "Oh, yes, I remember now. When last we met, you mentioned something about... 'ripping off my balls and eating them while I watched.'"

He took a step forward, and to her credit, she didn't flinch. Darke grudgingly admired her poise. "Somehow, you don't seem very hungry at the moment. Then again, you don't have me locked in one of your ingenious little inventions this time, either."

"Alright!" Doris hissed, struggling to sit up. "You've made your point. You have us right where you want us. So quit taunting us! Go ahead and take your revenge, we can't stop you!"

"No." Evelyn didn't take her eyes from his. "Be quiet, Doris. This is between Darke and I."

Darke sighed softly, sitting down on Doris' bed, next to Evelyn. "I suppose I DID give you that impression. Evelyn, I don't hold what you did against you. You did what you felt you had to, to protect your people." He looked towards Doris. "And to be honest, I didn't know you two were still in Hong Kong. I'd just returned from the Po Lin Temple, without much of a picture of what had happened, when one of my girls remembered that the newspaper mentioned some survivors being taken to the hospital. I came here to see if any of those survivors held any memories of the battle, or knew of the Serpent's whereabouts. Unfortunately, most of them were just mindless zombies, their minds burned out somehow during the melee. I'd just passed by on the floor below when I felt a familiar presence calling out to me. Imagine my surprise when it turned out to be you, Ms. Conner."

"Calling out to you?" Doris frowned.

Darke nodded. "Yes. Your pain. I could hear your body's pain in my head, like a softly whispered tune, played in a minor chord." He paused a moment, as if carefully choosing his words. "I'm the last of my Clan. The Healing Clan. I can heal your friends' injuries, fully, completely. The Asian girl's eyesight will return, and your arm and leg will be fully restored." His left hand hovered inches from Doris' gauze-covered arm. "In return, I need you and Evelyn to help me."

"Oh?" Evelyn said blithely, staring down at him. "Do you, now?"

"I see," Doris replied coldly. "You show up just after everything is settled, after the fight is over, and offer to heal Candy and I, but ONLY if we agree to your terms. No thank you. We can deal with this ourselves."

Evelyn shifted her gaze to her love. "Doris. In this you don't speak for---"

His hand grasped Evelyn's and Doris' before either could make a move. His grip was like iron, and they couldn't pull free. After a few seconds, neither girl wanted to. "Oh, I'm sorry," Darke replied, letting his Touch work its magic on the two women. "I think I've given you the wrong impression again. I'm going to heal Doris, and your little Asian friend, because that is what I do. But make no mistake, your help is required, and I'll have it, willingly or not."

Unable to pull away, losing herself in the warm pleasure pulsing through her, Evelyn managed to moan, "You... bastard... what about... your word? You... you swore... never to do this!"

"Calm yourselves," he said as he withdrew his Touch. "That was just to calm you both down enough to hear me out. You know I could very well force you both to do as I wish. But I wish to appeal to your sense of honor first."

Seeing that neither woman seemed intent of trying to run away for the moment, he continued. "The Serpent may have stopped the Beast, but it is not dead. It cannot be destroyed, only contained. And as it feeds off the fear and pain, all the pollution sent into the Great River by that madwoman, it is only a matter of time before it emerges once more. The River is still tainted, and it continues to poisons us all."

He put his handkerchief against his eyes and nose, then held up the scarlet stained cloth before him.

"See this? My momentary use of my Touch to calm you makes me weep blood. But this is only an outward sign. Doris will not get better without my help, she will grow steadily weaker and weaker, because the Great River poisons her. Slowly, bit by bit, every Ancient and Kinspawn that has a link to the Great River will sicken, in mind and body. Some will die, some will go mad. In the end, another will rise to release the Beast once more, and there will be no one left to stop it!" He leaned close, staring directly in Evelyn's eyes. "Unless you help me to cleanse the Great River, your friend will have died for nothing."

"Balls," Evelyn cursed softly after a long moment. "I knew our troubles weren't over yet. Damn. Okay. We'll help you, because we have to. I don't want to have to go through something like this ever again."

And for you, Miyu. We'll do this for you.

"Balls," Evelyn whispered after a long moment. "You're just a different flavor of trouble." She watched his quiet brown eyes for several moments silently.

Evelyn took a long breath and let it out.

"All right, Darke, we'll help you. As good as you think you are, I've just lost a friend worth more than you and I and your entire Clan put together. I don't want to have to go through something like this ever again." Never again, Miyu. If one day helping this arrogant dick will change things, I'll do this.

Deep within the memories of her loss, she didn't see Darke's eyes flash at the mention of his lost Clan.

Evelyn gave Doris a significant look and there was no further objection from that quarter. Turning back to Dark, she frowned. "Can you really heal her? If just 'calming' us into listening caused you to bleed---"

"I can do it," he said curtly. "I will need to link my essence to yours for a while, but neither of us will be harmed. We're much stronger together than apart." He held out a hand, and biting her lips, Evelyn took it. Darke placed the other hand against Doris' chest and closed his eyes, as a soft glowing warmth begin to envelop both women. They gasped aloud.

Darke chuckled softly. "This may feel a little strange at first. Don't worry, just go with it, and try to enjoy it."

Doris came to several minutes later, opening her eyes to find Evelyn's staring deep into her own. Her heart surged with love, and they both leaned forward at the same time, joining in a kiss. A deep voice clearing its throat brought them out of their fog, as they remembered where they were. Doris sat up, glancing at her now naked body. As she had guessed, her bandages and her gown had literally burnt up, falling away to ashes on her body, yet her flesh was not marked in the least. She flexed her arm cautiously, and wiggled the toes of her injured leg, to find herself weak but completely restored.

"Not bad," she said after a moment. "I feel great! Thank you."

"You're welcome," he replied after a moment, then turned his gaze to Evelyn. "And you? How do YOU feel?"

"A little bit drained, but otherwise, fine." She noticed Darke staring at her intently. "Why? Is there something specific you wanted to know?"

"Oh, nothing. I just wondered if your INNER pain had lessened."

Evelyn started to respond, when she felt it. The pain, the loss. It was still there, but it was... less. No longer raw, no longer threatening to bring her to tears at the memory. Miyu would forever be a part of her, and she missed him terribly, but the pain of his loss was muted, now. Tolerable.

Watching her closely, Darke merely nodded, breathing deeply, as he sank down gratefully into a nearby chair.

Evelyn noticed and frowned. "Are you okay? I thought you said doing this wouldn't affect you?"

The Ancient Healer smiled grimly at her. "I lied. But it did hurt me much less than my previous Healing attempt. I also Healed your friend's eyes while you two were asleep. She'll be fine, but her two friends and she will need to rest for a while to regain their strength, just as you will." With an effort, he got to his feet. "I made reservations at the Chek Lap Kok Hotel. You can stay there, since you're all healed now. Hopefully, I'll be back in a few days."

"Back? Where are you going?" Evelyn's frown appeared to say she already knew she wouldn't like the answer.

"Looking for the Serpent, where else?" he replied. "When I joined with you two, I went through your most recent memories of what happened. The Serpent was as injured and hurt as the rest of you, probably more so, from everything she has gone through these past few years. Worse, with the Great River as it is now, she is slowly succumbing to the poison. I have to reach her and heal her soon, before it is too late." He turned to go.

"But, how will you find her?" Evelyn asked. "She didn't say where she was going."

"Yes, in a way, she did," Darke replied softly, his voice deepened beyond weariness to a level that suggested he was already far from the room. "Some place I already looked for her once, and never thought to check again. Her final words to you were, 'I belong nowhere, or somewhere far from all of you, whom I love.' I know where she's going. The one place where she still truly does belong."

"And where is that?" Doris asked.

Darke looked up, drawing himself back to the moment. "Where else? Home."

Story: Ancient Requiem--- Veemente

by J. Darksong

{{End.}}