A/N: So, I came up with this idea after I read the Search for Sam (probably while I was reading Last Days of Lorien), mainly because of One and Adam and utter angst. And we're going to pretend Eight never died because it makes me sad and would screw up this story because...well, you'll see in a sec. Maybe Marina's healing works through the ice, and the ice preserved him and was somehow brought back to life through that. I don't know.
(Why does everyone die in these books?)
I wanted to post the other LL fic I've been working on before this, since I started it first, but it's taking forever. So here, have a thing before it collects dust.
Four rips the necklaces from Setrákus Ra's neck. "These don't belong to you," He growls.
Setrákus Ra smiles. It's hard to see him in front of me. I didn't fully believe in him until now, and I still don't understand what inspired him to write a bible for my people that involves conquering everything in sight and never backing down from a fight, even if you know you'll lose.
It's how they lost.
"I won them," Ra replies cooly. He grabs Four's arm, and stone spreads on his skin.
"By killing our people," Four snarls back.
"You didn't even kill them yourself," I hiss, because I watched them all die and not one was by his hand. And one of those pendants belonged to One. "You sent out everyone else to do your dirty work and bring you the trophies." One, killed by a soldier whose name I still don't know; Two, by Ivan; Three, by my father.
"For Lorien!" Four howls, and he stabs.
Setrákus Ra's body dissipates.
We all exhale, panting hard. I didn't think that would be all it took, that one stab, but it was a long and hard fight to get here. We're all bleeding and panting and Nine is clutching his hand and Sam is leaning on Six. The stone on Four's arm fades.
"What is this place?" Six finally asks, after ages of silence when we catch our breath, too tired to run.
I study the room.
It is pretty bizarre. The room is circular and mostly empty, with metal walls and floors. There's three short pedestals that look like the bottoms of cylinders. They're almost silver, and it looks like they have symbols on the flat parts. I take a step closer.
One.
The first cylinder is emblazoned with her symbol. It's a dull gray, like it was carved from the pedestal, even though its lines are too clean and precise.
Two.
Three.
There's six flat circles beyond that, but they look like they could open and raise six more pedestals.
A graveyard?
I know their bodies aren't in there. One's is rotting under the mansion. I can't remember what happened to the others, if I ever found out.
I take a step back. Around the nine spots there's a circle carved into the ground, and there are two more circles placed across from each other on this circle. But instead of a light, shimmery grey, these are green. And they're glowing.
"Guys?"
My head jerks towards Four. He's holding up the three pendants and they're glowing.
And suddenly I know.
But, no, it can't be possible. It can't. There's no way, as much as I hope.
"Four," My voice is weak and timid. I clear my throat. "Try going near the pedestals," I say, and my voice is small.
Four hesitates, but takes a step forward. They glow brighter.
He stares at me. Sam is staring at me too, and I think he gets it, too.
The ashes that were once Setrákus Ra blow off the ground, swirling like there's a wind.
There isn't.
The ashes tremble before they hit the wall behind me, and it looks like a language I can't read is spattered across it, in clean lines too perfect to be anything but supernatural.
"Loric," Six whispers, and Marina steps towards it -slowly, hesitantly, like she's walking in a minefield.
She traces a letter with her finger, and turns to look at me. She knows what I know, and she knows that I know.
"We can only bring back one," She whispers, and in my mind that one is capitalized.
I squeeze my eyes shut and pretend I'm not that selfish.
I am.
Tactics. Tactical thinking, Adam. Who would help us the most? There's still hundreds of Mogs. Come on, Adam.
"Adam?" Four is confused, but he knows the decision I have to make. "You met them all. You decide." Who helps us the most, is what he doesn't say.
One: earthquakes. But I have that Legacy, too. Two: nothing. No Legacies, yet. Variables. Three: super speed, maybe? No, they all have that. What were his Legacies?
Am I doing this on purpose? Am I sabotaging Two and Three because I want One back?
I'm selfish.
I'm that selfish.
"One," I choke out, because I knew from the start that I couldn't choose anyone but her.
I screw my eyes shut tighter. I'm sorry. Forgive me.
I don't know if I'm apologizing to Two and Three or all of them. Would One even want to be brought back?
Marina exhales shakily. "Okay, Four. Put One's pendant on her pedestal, and then go stand on that green circle." She points to the far one, and consults the writing on the wall before stepping towards hers.
"I- which one is hers?"
I swallow, but the lump doesn't go away. Because it's a lump in my chest, not my throat. "The middle one." Now there's a lump in my throat, too. I don't know how I know, I just know.
Four's brow wrinkles, but he walks over and hands it to me, smiling softly. "I think you should do it."
I stare down at her pendant, laying in my palm, pulsing with light. I glance back up. "But I'm not Loric."
He pats my shoulder, staring straight into my eyes. "It's okay, Adam. But it should be you."
Then he goes and stands on the other circle, shooting me a thumbs up.
Sam shoots me a concerned look.
"Okay, John. We have to use our healing Legacies." Marina says. "Just, use it through your feet, maybe? I'm not exactly sure."
He nods, and then the pedestals light up. I swallow again, looking to Marina for direction. Her eyes are closed.
"Go drop it in, Adam."
The lights are blinding the closer you get to them, but I go to One's. I breathe in slow and it hurts. I want to say something, but what am I going to say? I'm sorry, One? Goodbye? Goodbye to what, Adam?
"I- I love you, One."
What? Why would-
It's true, though. I've said it before, and I'll love her no matter what happens.
I hold the pendant in the light and drop it, but it doesn't fall. It gets sucked to the center of the column of light like a magnet, and it hangs there when I retract my hand. It stops pulsing and glows steadily. One.
I shield my eyes against the blinding light.
It's going to be okay. It's going to be okay. It's going to be okay.
I repeat it over and over, a mantra.
There are noises outside of my head, noises I don't understand; but they make me think of pulsing light and veins and alien planets.
Lorien.
There's another pulse noise, louder, and I open my eyes and she falls into my arms.
OneOneOneOneOne
Her head pulls away from my chest and she stares at me and I'm holding my breath. One. One. One. Her name is my heartbeat.
She smiles. "Adam."