Disclaimer: Earth: Final Conflict Universe is from Gene Roddenberry.
Highlander is from...
No copyright infringement is intended. The idea is mine.
Author: Mithril (perretta@entelchile.net) March 2000.
Thanks: Thank you very much to Sand for editing the story :)
Note: This is an EFC/Highlander crossover, but I just use the show's idea of Immortality, not any regular character (no Duncan, no Methos, etc.)
Spoilers: Some spoilers to second season's episode "Heroes & Heartbreaks" and the third season's episode "The Cloister".
Summary: Da'an's gets an unexpected vision of Ma'el's time on Earth.
Title: Al'thelan
Rating: PG-13
Al'thelan
As the sun set over the city -bathing everything with a reddish light- and the stars began to twinkle in the sky, a shuttle appeared from interdimensional mode and immediately reached its destination: the Washington Taelon Embassy.
Major Liam Kincaid expertly landed the craft and, after shutting the energy off, he turned to address his serious and quiet passenger.
"We have arrived," he said unnecessarily. "Da'an?" Liam called him, when he realized the Taelon was not paying any attention to him. He got no answer. "Da'an?" he repeated, a little bit louder. The Taelon blinked and looked at him. "Are you all right?" The protector asked worriedly.
Da'an nodded and rose from his seat. "I am fine," the North American Companion answered with a slight smile. A second later, he descended from the ship.
Liam smiled back and hurried behind him. "Is it there anything I can do for you?" he asked.
The alien stopped, faced him and shook his head. "No, thank you. That would be all for today, Major," he answered and, without waiting for Liam's reply, he turned and continued walking.
Liam watched him leave and sighed, wondering why Da'an seemed to be so... sad...
Then, he shrugged. Well... what else could you expect after a meeting with Zo'or?
******
A couple of minutes later, Da'an entered his audience chamber and walked to the virtual glass window, just in time to catch the last glimpses of the sun disappearing behind the tall buildings. Once the beautiful spectacle was over, the Taelon bowed his head and a very tired and human sigh escaped from his mouth. He had just had one of those meetings with Zo'or and, again, all the ruthlessness and cruelty of the young Synod Leader had surprised him. How could one being be capable of such hate? Da'an blushed blue as the answer came to his mind. "You learned it from me," he whispered. "I am so sorry... my child."
He raised his eyes and smiled sadly. Had this been the same kind of pain he had inflicted to Ma'el, so many centuries ago? How perfect an example of poetic justice, as humans called it. "I am so sorry," he repeated, this time the apology directed to his own former mentor... and parent.
Shaking his head to vanish those painful thoughts, as Ma'el and probably Zo'or were lost to him now, Da'an went to the throne-like chair and activated the energy stream. Feeling the soothing energy surrounded him; he finally relaxed and allowed his mind to wander freely, beyond the barriers of the Commonality. It was then when a strange vision reached him...
In a quiet and green land, under a gray sky and a gentle wind, a woman stood before a group of stones. She was of average height and slender. She had long, red hair and an incredibly sad gaze. Slowly, she raised her hand and touched the biggest stone, one that was just about her size. After a moment, she withdrew her hand and sat on the grass. She wrapped her arms around her knees and bowed her head. The tremble of her shoulders indicated that she was crying.
Why did she seem to be in such deep pain if the place was so peaceful?
Suddenly, a man appeared. He was tall, dressed in a long black coat and he carried... a sword! He walked, menacingly, towards the woman.
Somehow she heard him, because she stiffened and raised her head. Then, she saw him... but she did not made any attempt to run. She just remained there, seated on the grass...
The man smiled evilly and, holding the sword with both hands, he raised it and--
"NO!" A desperate and disturbingly familiar voice yelled, abruptly ending the vision.
Da'an sat bolt upright, still in his true form. He had never experienced something like this. He took a hand to his chest, feeling the incredible need to save that woman... but... Who was she? And where was she? And that voice...
He forced himself to calm down and, only then, the Taelon recognized the place... Strandhill... and Ma'el's tomb!
Da'an recovered his façade and, without losing time, he activated the data stream and contacted Major Kincaid.
"Yes, Da'an?" Liam asked, a little bit surprised by the Taelon's clear distress.
"Meet me in the shuttle bay," he ordered seriously, his hands moving fast.
"Where are we going?" Liam asked with curiosity.
The alien blushed in a deep blue before answering. "Strandhill."
******
She melancholically stood before the ancient stones and, feeling suddenly very cold, she wrapped her long coat around herself. After a little hesitation, she raised a trembling hand and lay it over the cold surface. She closed her eyes. When was the last time she had been here? "It has been too long, my friend," she said softly and a sad smile appeared on her face. Friend was such an inappropriate word... as he had meant -and would always mean- so much more to her...
A tear slid down her cheek. They had spent such a little time together... and ironically; time was all that she had.
"I am so tired," she whispered, withdrawing her hand and sitting on the grass. "...And so alone," she added, embracing her knees. She had always known that loneliness was the price on immortality, but that knowledge brought no comfort to her heart. Yes, she was an Immortal, one of the older ones, if not the oldest, and she was a warrior. She had been challenged unnumbered times and she had defeated her opponents, killing them or letting them go. In a few occasions, she had almost lost her head, but, fortunately for her, she had been able to escape. During her endless life, she had witnessed... the Earth's history: the first cities, amazing discoveries, the awakening of science, travels, means of transportation, countless wars, the conquer of the Moon and so many other things... even the arrival of aliens. The Taelons.
She sighed. No one would ever know how close she had been to one of them; how much she--
Suddenly, her musings were interrupted by a familiar and warning hum, alerting her of the presence of another Immortal. She stiffened and raised her head. Instinctively, she took her hand to her coat's pocket to grab the weapon he had specifically made for her, but then, she stopped and lowered her arm. Perhaps this was the reason she had come to visit this place, so dear to her heart. Perhaps the time to rest had arrived...
"I am so tired," she repeated, drying her eyes... and then, she remembered this was a sacred place. There would be no battle...
A few seconds later, she saw him. He was taller than her; strong built, all clad in black and, oh surprise, he had a sword.
He approached her with shining eyes, smiling evilly in anticipation. "Amalthea!" he shouted. "I am Arthur Kane."
Amalthea blinked and looked tiredly at him, as if saying 'oh, just shut up!' "Yes?" she asked in a bored tone.
Arthur became serious and narrowed his eyes. "I have wasted many years to find you. At first, I thought you were nothing but a myth... but now, you are here... and you are mine," he said in a harsh voice, viciously stroking the blade. "All those years will be rewarded when I claim your head!"
She shrugged. "Why don't you get a life?" she asked in the same tone as before. "Besides, this is a sacred place. You know the Rules."
He snorted. "For the stupid aliens perhaps, but it means nothing for us, nothing for the Rules," he replied mockingly.
Amalthea balled her hands into fists, her self-control slipping away. *NOTHING!* she yelled in her mind.
He didn't notice her slight change and continued. "And don't worry, dear Amalthea, I will get a life after taking yours!" he finished, giving her a look full of greed. He held his sword with both hands...
Amalthea closed her eyes and relaxed, all her anger disappearing to be replaced by an incredible tiredness. Nothing mattered now...
"I am pleased you have accepted your fate," he hissed, raising his arms. "I will do it quickly," he added and, uttering a yell of triumph, he was about to strike her, when a loud "NO!" made him stopped.
Startled, Amalthea opened her eyes wide and her heart began to beat crazily. Had it been her imagination? No. Somehow she knew it had been real... she had heard him! In her current grief-stricken mood, only one thing could have made her react... His voice... Slowly, her hand moved to her coat.
Annoyed by the interruption, Arthur looked around and once sure they were alone, he turned to finish his job. Gathering all his strength, he violently lowered his weapon to Amalthea's neck... to be stopped by a sparkling sword.
He blinked in surprise and went a couple of steps back. He stared at her. She was not a defeated woman anymore, now she was a warrior. He smiled darkly... and so was he. "So you decided to fight, after all," he said, taking a combat position, his legs spread to keep the equilibrium, his hands firmly holding his sword before him. "Interesting piece of technology," he added, indicating her weapon. The hilt seemed to be of a very ancient model, it was made of a shining metal, decorated with a beautiful emerald-like stone, but the blade was clearly of Taelon origin, sparkling and beautiful.
She smiled and rose from the ground. "A friend gave it to me," she said, raising her sword.
"Good, then I will gain more than your head today."
"I don't think so," she said seriously.
He shook his head and his grin widened. "Enough of talking!" he exclaimed and, without a warning, Arthur attacked her.
The mortal fight began. He tried to strike her on several occasions, but each time Amalthea expertly blocked his attacks.
"You are not so bad," he admitted after a while, encircling her like a predator.
Always alert, she never took her gaze away from his sword. "I have practiced a lot," she said. At the same time she stopped one of his brutal blows, however, he managed to cut her arm.
"First blood!" he exclaimed, excited, licking his lips.
Amalthea took her hand to her injured arm and shook her head. "It will take more than that," she said dryly and, for the first time, it was she who attacked him. In a quick movement, she ducked and kicked his legs, causing him to fall.
He rolled on his side, just in time to avoid Amalthea's blow. He stood up and only then he realized she had cut him too. One of his legs was bleeding. He screamed in anger.
She looked at his eyes and stiffened slightly. All his confidence and -dark- humor were gone. Now he was angry... and truly dangerous.
"You will pay for this!" he shouted. With renewed strength, given by his hate and wrath, he just ran to her, his sword always raised before him.
The redheaded Immortal blinked and, realizing it would be stupid to try to block him, she quickly dropped her weapon, ducked, grabbed his arms and, using his own strength and speed against him, she managed to throw him to the ground. Then, gasping for air, she picked up her sword and was about to kill him, but abruptly stopped. He had released his blade and... he was crying.
"Please... don't... kill me," he begged between sobs, raising his arms in a protective manner. "Please, forgive...me. I will never... seek you again... I..."
"Oh, just stop it," she said, rolling her eyes and lowering her sword. "The next time I will not change my mind," she added, matter-of-factly and, deactivating her weapon, she put the hilt in her pocket and turned to leave. She had walked a few steps, when she heard a 'CLICK'. She stopped dead in her tracks and turned. She went white. How in the world she could have been so stupid?
Arthur was on his feet again, a deadly look in his eyes... and a gun in his hand. "I told you I wasted many years to find you. Did you believe I would let you go so easily?" he asked. Without another word, he fired.
Amalthea stiffened and fell to her knees. She took her hands to her bleeding stomach.
"I wonder," he began to say, walking towards her, this time the sword in his hand, "how someone so stupid could have lived for so long. You should have never fought me. Now, I want more than your head... I want your pain!" he added and, grabbing her hair to bend her head back, he rudely buried his sword on her stomach.
Yes, they were Immortals, but that didn't make them immune to physical pain. Amalthea screamed. Pleased, Arthur released her and she fell on her back. He smiled evilly and prepared himself to give the final blow -and inherit her amazing power- when a strange noise caught his attention. At first, it was barely audible, but then it went louder, until, to his annoyance and disbelief, a Taelon shuttle appeared out of nowhere. Cursing his bad luck, he hid his sword under his coat and ran away, leaving a 'dying' Amalthea lying on the grass...
******
As soon as they left interdimensional mode, Da'an realized they had arrived too late.
"Look," Liam said worriedly, indicating the running man and the unconscious woman.
"She needs our assistance," the alien stated, blushing blue.
Liam nodded and landed the craft a few meters away from her. They descended from the ship and approached her, Liam carrying an emergency medical kit. They knelt by her side and immediately the Major began to tend her wounds. He removed part of her blood soaked clothes and widened his eyes when he saw how badly she had been hurt. He looked helplessly at Da'an and shook his head. "I am afraid I can't do anything for her. She received a shot and the bigger wound was made by some kind of blade..."
"A sword," Da'an said and carefully removed a strand of red hair out of her pale face. To their surprise and relief, she moved her head and weakly opened her eyes. She looked directly at the Taelon and Da'an suddenly found himself lost in her deep green stare. He lost his disguise for a second. "Stay still," he said softly.
She managed a smile, her eyes filled with tears. "Will... you take... me with you... this time... Al'thelan?" she asked in a barely audible voice.
Shocked, Da'an lost his façade and ignored Liam's questions. He just could not believe what she had said. Al'thelan was an ancient word, long ago lost by the Commonality. It was impossible for a human to know it... It was impossible for a human to know the Taelon word for... beloved. Shaking his head and, after assuring himself he had not heard her correctly, he kindly held one of her hands. "Please, do not speak," he told her, placing his free hand on her forehead.
Her smile widened. "Ma'el," she whispered and, before a startled and sparkling Da'an could say a word, she attempt to link her mind with his.
Feeling an unbearable yearning and an incredible love, Da'an could not and did not want to resist. He mentally embraced her exhausted mind and initiated a sharing.
"Ma'el," she repeated sweetly and opened herself completely.
Da'an sparkled brighter... and witnessed... her life...
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