Where Do We Go From Here?
Chapter 1—Aftermath
They all stood on the balcony of the tower, eight people seemingly frozen in time, watching the suns move out from behind the moon. The lines of light moved swiftly, unveiling the majesty and splendor, as diminished as it was, of the Outer Zone. Mountains and valleys stood in sharp relief in the pseudo-dusk, and Central City gleamed, as if reminding the people of its former glory and the glory it could again hold. It was simply breath-taking…and she was seeing it all as if for the first time.
She did not notice the passage of time, nor the fact that all but one of the others had moved away from the railing. She simply enjoyed the beauty of the sights before her. Soon, the suns were out full, and their light beaming down upon the O.Z. Sighing deeply, she turned to her right, and was startled to find Cain still there, the only one left in the room besides herself.
"Mr. Cain!" she exclaimed, her brow creasing with worry.
"What's wrong, kiddo?"
"You've been hurt." DG pointed at his shoulder, where a gaping hole had been torn in his coat. The blood was still wet, but the wound itself was no longer bleeding.
"Don't worry about it. The bullet went clean through, and Raw is more than just a talented Viewer. He took care of the worst of it."
"Oh…good." her voice trailed off. They stood there, slightly awkward, neither quite sure of what to say to the other. She knew what she wanted to say, what she wanted to hear, but she also knew that it was impossible. She was just a kid to him, as he made obvious with his familiar term of endearment. Perhaps that was all she should ever be.
Footsteps echoed through the hall, and DG turned to find Glitch coming through the door. Out of the corner of her eye, she thought she caught a shadow of an annoyed grimace cross Cain's face, but she didn't point it out, nor did she think Glitch noticed. He drew up short, stopping just inside the door.
"Oh, I didn't know you were here, too, Cain." He smiled good-naturedly. "But, DG, your mother and father would like you to join them. Azkedellia is preparing to deal with the Longcoats, and they want you to be there…and you, Cain. Jeb's asking for you."
"Well, this should be fun…" said DG. "What is she going to say, I wonder? How do you explain being possessed by a witch?"
"I guess it's time to see," said Cain as he followed her through the door.
The left the room, and walked down a tight spiral stair. At the base of the tower, they walked out onto a broad porch that stood up a shorter flight of steps from the ground. The resistance fighters, what few had actually been present for and survived the attack on the tower, had weapons trained on the remaining Longcoats, about fifty in all.
"So very few…" whispered DG, saddened at the high mortality rate of the day, despite what the Longcoats had done during their service to Azkedellia. They were still her people.
Azkedellia herself had changed in both her raiment and her demeanor. She was wearing a softer gown, flowing and elegant, in a soft cream. It stood in stark contrast to her raven hair, which was dressed in a simple braid draped over her shoulder. Her face, though firm, had softened, and no longer carried the malice and wickedness of the witch that had held sway over her for so long. She stood at the edge of the porch and looked down at what remained of her army.
"You will stand down. The Witch is gone. The Sorceress is thrown down. You will submit and be taken into custody. If you do not resist, and if you swear fealty to the Queen of the Realm, you will be allowed your freedom." She nodded, and the resistance fighters forced the Longcoats into ranks and marched them into the dungeons of the tower.
The Queen approached her elder daughter, placing her hand on Azkedellia's shoulder. Az turned and stepped into her mother's embrace, unable to hold back the tears any longer. The Queen stroked her daughter's hair as she held her tightly, showing her all the love and forgiveness that she had been denied for so long. Azkedellia's sobs slowly subsided, and the Queen led her back into the tower, up the stairs, to find a place for her daughter to rest her weary soul.
Ahamo followed his wife and child, lost in thought. They had to get Az to a place where she could rest, far away from the prying eyes of the people of the Outer Zone…and far away from their fear and judgment. Finaqua might suffice, if not for its proximity to the Cave. The palace on the Northern Island also had its merits, but also its dark memories. He doubted that any of his family would ever be able to live there again in peace. Regardless, Azkedellia simply could not stay at the Tower, nor should she.
He sighed deeply. They would think of something. Surely somewhere would be suitable.
As he walked through the corridors, trailing the Queen and Azkedellia, he passed Glitch and Raw on their way back to the "Brain Room."
"Going to consult your better half, Ambrose?"
"We're going to try! I almost wish the Alchemist was still alive so he could reinstall my marbles."
"Good luck," said Ahamo, chuckling warmly. He sincerely hoped that Ambrose's reunion with his brain would not ruin that earnest personality that made Glitch so endearing. Sometimes, Ambrose could be a pain in the ass. "Oh, have either of you seen Tutor?" When they both shook their heads, Ahamo said, "Oh well...I guess he's around here somewhere. Probably off licking his wounds, as it were."
Glitch and Raw entered the "Brain Room" reverently, as if they were loathe to disturb the silent reverie of the gods. They slowly approached the tank, and Glitch reached out and caressed the glass.
"Alright, Raw," he said, "Connect me to it. It's time to see if I know how to get me back to normal."
Raw stretched his hand out and touched the glass, then gently touched his other hand to Glitch's temple…
Author's Notes: Please review if you like the story or if you have any construtctive criticism. I know this is a completed work, but I'm still open to suggestions that would improve its quality.
Disclaimer for entire piece: I don't own Tin Man, its characters, or its settings. If I did, the miniseries would have actually had an ending. There are a few original characters in this piece, but I'm not going to claim rights to them as they belong in the context of the Tin Man fandom. I'm just playing around in Sci-Fi's toy box. And I must say...Wyatt Cain is a very pretty toy. ;-)