Work Text:
Email: printerone@rogers.com, slasher_143@hotmail.com or fanficreader143@gmail.com
Website: http://thezone.slashcity.org
Permission to archive: yes no problem
Rating: FRT ?
Disclaimer: Well I certainly don’t own them. If I did, they’d have a lot more fun. Everybody you recognize from the shows belongs to the suits; everyone you don’t belongs to me. This story is written hopefully for the entertainment of fans, certainly not for any money; therefore no copyright infringement is intended. Like anyone would pay me for my writing.
Date: October 2007
Warnings: none that I can think of per se, except for maybe my writing.
Acknowledgments: Thanks to Third Charm for interesting the muse and the look over. TC battled to make sure this fic was worthy of posting to the list. The muse has even hung around for a visit and woke a few of the rabbits under the bed, one of which resulted in this fic. The Minbari words are courtesy of Hightower's dictionary.
"I was wondering when you were going to show up," the softly accented, trembling tones spoke into the otherwise deep silence of the darkest part of the night. "I knew it wasn't just co-incidence, or timing that I had dreamt of the Denn'sha for the last three nights. It had been years since that last time I'd dreamed of it. Years since I last thought of how I acquired some of these pains that never seem to leave this old man's body these days."
"Indeed, Anla'Shok," the deep voice offered from the dark shadowed corner of Marcus' quarters. "You did well to remember and to heed the message your dreams held. You were well trained in our ways. Much better trained then some of our own young were and honored those teachings more faithfully then many of our young."
"No longer Anla'Shok, Neroon. I retired three cycles ago from active duty," Marcus interrupted, "and these days I only teach one course at the Training facility and very poorly at that, considering who taught me."
"I do not believe that Sech Durhan would agree. You were the very best of all of his Torrbari students and better then a great many of the Minbari ones as well. He was very proud of you and your accomplishments. Proud enough that he gave you the Denn'bok you still carry to this day. That very one you were bold enough to challenge Denn'sha with."
"It wasn't until after Sheridan passed through the veil that I learned from Delenn's family archives the exact history of that pike. No wonder you were so angry at my boldness. Not only did a lowly human dare challenge an Alyt, a Satai as I was even later to learn, to Denn'sha, but also with a pike that had originally been one of your ancestor's most prize possessions. A gift from Valen himself and I dared raised it in battle against one of the Ier'ma Valen. I wondered often, once I learned that, why you didn't take it when you left me there in the tunnel." Marcus asked as he slowly turned to face the darkened corner. "And why you didn't finish off the job?"
"As for the Denn'bok, Durhan gifted you with it. It was his to pass on to whomever he thought fit enough to carry it with honor; it was not mine to take it from you. You certainly proved your honor that day, but it was after you called upon Valen and was prepared to die for one of my kind. As willing as I was to kill a Minbari, breaking Valen's thousand year ban as I later explained, the rightness of my cause evaporated before my eyes," Neroon paused as the shadows lightened around him, finally allowing the aged green gaze to see him clearly. "Valen gifted two Denn'boks to my family. The one you received from Durhan and the one I carried with me into the Fi Ahael Ir and into death. It was fitting that you, as Sinclair's protégé would keep it, and as the clan elders would say, complete the Ir Ni'tee. "
Smiling gently in reminiscence of the man who was both his mentor and his idol, Marcus turned again to the window he'd been looking out of when Neroon's ghost or spirit joined him. "The suns will be rising soon," he said leaning back into soft chair. "I'll not see the dawn of the new day will I?"
"No Marcus, you will not," Neroon replied.
"How long then?"
"A little while longer if you wish, but we can not tarry much longer. It must be done before the suns rise. If you wish to leave a last message for anyone, now is the time, for soon enough there will be no more time here."
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"Neroon?"
"Yes."
"I'm glad it's you that came for me," Marcus sighed softly as his body sank deeper into the chair, his breaths shallower and slower. "I could not have asked for a better guide or a more honorable companion in what's yet to come."
"And there is more to come Marcus, much more. As much as you choose to have."
"As much as I want…"
"Release your spirit, Anla'Shok, your mortal work here is done," Neroon spoke into the soft silence as the last breath ended.
Extending his hand out Neroon spoke softly just as the first glow of the suns rising began, "Come Marcus, it is time for us to leave, to go to that place were no shadows fall."
Clasping the Minbari warrior's hand, Marcus Cole stood again, young and vital, much as he was the first time he and Neroon met. And for an instant in that room that had housed the ancient Marcus Cole, there was a bright shining glow and the two figures moved forward into the next adventure that awaited them.
The End and Happy Halloween.
And the promised glossary:
Ier'ma Valen: male child of Valen (in my case used to denote a descendant of Valen)
Fi Ahael Ir: Star Fire circle (the closest I could come to Starfire wheel)
Ir Ni'tee: the circle of life.
Torrbari: human/humans