And the power of the people shall come to believe they do rule

[mickey-cops.livejournal.com]

((Continuing from this post.))

In the passageways beneath the park, where a group had gathered to break down a long-closed door, a laser beam was widening, and a broad circle began to blacken the surface of the wood, the locks melting and streaming down in shining rivulets, to puddle at the doorstep. The room was getting hot, now.

Outside, all at once, the rides all stopped. Animatronic figures jolted still; boats bumped each other confusedly; rollercoasters fell to the bottom of their tracks and did not continue up. The lights inside the buildings flickered off; the perpetual background noise of music and soundeffects went silent.

Below, the hole in the door began to crackle and spark around the edges, and for just a moment all the eyes trained on the door could see through it a fathomless darkness. An odd, organic silence filled the air; everyone's breathing and small movements were audible, but so too was a new absence of sound, as though the walls were all holding their breath.

And then the air around the door began to shimmer.

Comments

[caycep]

Cayce had been standing silently throughout, heedless of the silent tears on her face, unable to come up with words.

She'd never gotten the chance to say goodbye to Win Pollard. Now it looked like she was going to have to say goodbye to almost everyone who meant everything to her here, all at once.

And when she turned and saw Aeryn, some wrenching emotion crossed her face and she stooed with her hands over her face for a long moment.

"I've got to go back," she said at last, her voice ragged. "For a while, I mean. I have to ... I have to tell people. And I have to say goodbye." She managed a crooked smile that only made her look sadder. "I know Psyche's got that link to the Doctor, but ... I've got to spread the word. It's what I do. I, uh, I don't suppose the powers that be could at least be persuaded to turn the radio system back on?"

[caycep]

"I will," she whispered. After a moment's hesitation, she grabbed Kira in one arm and Setsuna in the other and gave them both a fierce hug.

"I'm gonna miss you guys," she said, voice shaking. "Take care of yourselves, or I'll find some way to kick your asses."

[swordandchalice.livejournal.com]

When Setsuna was hugged, he hugged back, whimpered a little, then said, "Just tell Rukia bye for me. She's the only other one that's not here, I think. Aside from Crowley and Mr. Fell."

As for taking care of himself, Setsuna gave Cayce a cheeky grin. "Don't worry. If I don't take care of myself, Senpai'll kick my ass for you. You better take care of yourself, too, though."

[caycep]

"You got it. And I will. Don't worry about me."

She swallowed hard and took a step back, then looked to John and Aeryn.

[always-confuzed.livejournal.com]

Gilina, Stark, Zhaan, Linfer, Jack the Ancient, Crais, Talyn, Elack and his Pilot, Jool...

D'Argo.

Cayce.

Sometimes John wished, more than anything, that he could be like other people.

"You gotta go do your thing," he said, would-be lightly in that tone that said, 'of course I understand, no worries' when that really couldn't be further from the truth. He stepped to her, putting both hands on her shoulders. "When you're out of here, out in the world doing big things, you make sure you think of me once in a while. Because I'll be thinking of you." He smirked. "'Course you know, if we don't end up vanishing right away, it'll be all weird having to say goodbye again." And he would never object to getting the chance. He kissed her temple and hugged her hard. "Something put us here for a reason. Knowing you sure wasn't an accident."

It took him another moment to let her go.

[caycep]

That did it.

She could keep a brave face on for Kira and Setsuna, but John's words pretty much wrecked Cayce; it didn't matter how many times they'd talked it out before. "What you said," she managed with a faint, quavery smile, and then she started weeping in earnest when he hugged her.

She clung a bit herself, it was true, and when she finally felt she could manage it, she let go. Through her tears, she said to Aeryn, "You keep this big lug in line now, okay?"

[ruined-mylife.livejournal.com]

Aeryn tilted her chin up slightly in a certain understated gesture of understanding and camaraderie. John... had this effect on pretty much everyone. And somehow he'd made her love him for it.

"Oh, I will. And thank you. You know, for keeping him in line all this time." Her tone and the accompanying smile indicated clearly the unspoken it takes so much added on the end of that.

She transferred her pulse pistol to her opposite hand in order to reach up and place it against John's back. A man like him didn't deserve so many goodbyes.

[caycep]

"I was glad to do it," Cayce grinned. She dragged her sleeve across her face and, after a moment's hesitation, hugged Aeryn as well. They hadn't gotten to know each other as well as Cayce would have liked, perhaps, but Cayce realized that she loved her all the same, because she loved John.

"You guys be happy now, okay?"

[ruined-mylife.livejournal.com]

Not so long ago, Aeryn probably wouldn't have allowed the hug. But now she simply wrapped an arm around the other woman and squeezed-back. Hugs. Another John-induced trait.

"It's a promise," she said fiercely.

[always-confuzed.livejournal.com]

"That goes just as much for you," John told Cayce. He was thinking similarly to Cayce; it was too bad she and Aeryn hadn't gotten the chance to know each other better. Aeryn had lost just as many as he had, more really when he remembered to allow for all that time spent on Talyn with another him and her mother chasing her. She deserved those friendships she could find so much more than he did.

All the same, there was a wonderous kind of unspoken affection there, and John yet again found himself thinking that it was only ever about people, no matter how vast and spectacular the Universe was. Any of them were.

So maybe, despite all the heartache, he was the luckiest man he knew.