The Promise

Disclaimer: Sisko is not mine. Star Trek is not mine. Bajor is not mine. The Prophets are not mine. They are Paramount's.

Also, enormous virtual cookies and hugs to Colbers for Beta-ing, and letting me use some of her lines!

I shot an arrow into the air,

"The time has come." Said the Prophet, now taking the form of Zare.

"Yes." Said the Sisko.

And suddenly, it was black. Benjamin's lungs filled with air. His pulse throbbed. He knew this place. He had left here, so long ago. Hundreds of years, it must have been. No, it was so short; it must have been a second. No, it was time beyond time. But he knew where he was. The Fire Caves. He got up off the ground, and moved to the mouth of the cave. He knew which way to go almost instinctively. He felt very foggy about his immediate surroundings, but very clear about greater things. He knew that here, in the corporeal world, a great length of time had passed. Bajor was doing well. Crops had been good for a while now, a very long while. All his time away had not been so good. There had been disease, there had been death, and there had been pain. But now things were alright. Things would continue that way for many, many years. He had learned a great deal from the prophets.

Finally, he reached the mouth of the cave, and looked at the rocky landscape. He glanced down at himself, and saw that he was wearing his Starfleet Uniform, the one he'd been wearing when he went with the Prophets. He knew nobody was aware of his arrival. He began his walk to the closest village.

Jijiji

He walked for about a day without resting. He found that he did not become weary, hungry or thirsty, but he had not expected those things. He reached the village by mid-day. It was a small, cozy rural village, isolated from the large cities that had popped up during his time away. But, there was still quite a bit of difference. It was laid out in the traditional bull's eye pattern of Bajoran towns, with one center circle of businesses and shops, one middle circle of homes, and one outer circle of farm lands, with two major roads cutting the whole circle into even quarters. But, the farming area was much smaller, and the living and commerce areas were much larger then he remembered. The farmlands were no longer dotted by people laboring in the fields, but now great, spindly machines were doing the harvesting. As he entered the living area, he saw that the small vegetable gardens of the Lower Class Section were still there, but replaced largely by flower beds. In both halves of the living section, the buildings looked sleeker, more stylized, showing that they were no longer built out of only necessity. There was an art to building again. The people too, seemed different. Gone was the look of pain, of fresh wounds on the Bajorans. Time had healed them. Their clothing sported more rich and vibrant colors than ever before. The Commerce Section was busy, filled with people, buying things not only because they needed them, but because they wanted them. It was not totally industrialized. The buildings had considerable space between taken up by trees and flower beds. Many people were selling things from carts and stands.

Benjamin walked over to a man selling kava nuts and roots from a stand, a portly man with a jovial expression.

"Hello." He said "I am Benjamin Sisko, and…"

The man laughed loudly.

"Yes, you're Benjamin Sisko, and I'm Kai Kalen." He said

"What?"

"Did you really think I would believe that? I mean, you've got the uniform, and you look kind of like him, but, really?"

"Yes. Really. I really am Benjamin Sisko."

"And I'm Kai Kalen. Would you like some kava roots?" The man said, still smiling.

"No, thank you. Could you please tell me where I could find a way to Jalanda City?"

"Sure. There's a Mass Transport Building about ten blocks that way." He said, pointing. "Only one around for a while."

"Thank you. Also, would you be kind enough to tell me what year it is?"

The salesman laughed again.

"It's 2472, Federation Standard."

"Ah. Thank you." And he left for the Transport Building.

"Hey! Are you really Benjamin Sisko?" The salesman called after him.

"Yes!" Sisko said, not turning around.

Jijiji

May the United Federation of Planets Standard Year 2472 be known on Bajor as the Year of the Return.

Jijiji

Okay, so there's an excellent chance this won't be updated for a long while, maybe not until September. Appy polly lodgies for that. But, there will be a time when I am not devoting my creative juices to other things, and will be able to update often, so bear with me please!