okay, well here is my first officially pendragon story. I wrote the beginning of the prologue a long time ago, when we all had no idea about ibara I still haven't read Rayne!! and when we were all under the impression the Eli was the new Traveller for Ibara. There is a lot, especially here, that is so wrong, but it is my mind after all, so this is what you all get. Not to mention, this prologue is really sticky. I didn't really want to write all of it, but I had to get a sense of closure over MacHale's series before I could start in on my own story.

.disclaimers. I don't own any of MacHale's characters, and nor do I lay claim to anything from his imagination. Pretty much, nothing yet in this story is mine.

.warning. OMG!! Pretty much nothing. Not even swears. Angsty emo-ness over character death.

The Pendragon Chronicles : A New Generation

Prologue

The fire burned brightly, proof that the horrors that had plagued them all for so long had finally come to an end. Peace could be found in everyone's heart now that they could rest without the fear of Halla being destroyed hanging over their heads. However, such solace had not come without its price.

Yes, Saint Dane had met his demise, Bobby Pendragon was sure to see to that. As promised, the Lead Traveller let nothing stop him in his quest to destroy the demon. Not even death.

Travellers, acolytes and even those who wouldn't have otherwise had anything else to do with the battle for Halla had it not come to Second Earth stood there, honouring their fallen leader.

There had been other sacrifices made by others, not only trivial freedoms, but lives as well. Pendragon had not been the only one to perish in this war, and the ones who were lucky enough to live to see these days were here to remember, and to honour all who were lost.

Mark Dimond and Courtney Chetwynde were two standing at the front of the group, both refusing to break down into hysterics, but neither wanted to stem the flow of their tears either. Bobby deserved at least that much. It was fresh in both of their minds the day that they learned their best friend left their lives to travel the universe to stop the monster known as Saint Dane. The real battle for them came on the day the two of them were to graduate high school, where Saint Dane had shown up to crash the party. A year later, it was over and the battle for Second Earth had been won, the war for Halla finished and victorious.

From Zadaa, the Ghee Warrior, Loor, had come to assist Pendragon in his quest to save his home just as he had come to help her save hers all those years ago. Wounds still adorned her body from the great battle that had ended only mere hours ago. Minor scrapes and bruises adorned most of her body, but it was all nothing in comparison to what she felt inside. The pain radiating from her shattered arm and fractured collar bone hardly registered compared to the heartache she felt from losing Pendragon so soon. She hadn't known him for long, but she had felt something deep for him, something she hadn't really felt for anyone else. It was hard for a weathered fighter such as herself to describe, let alone cope, with the gaping loss that gnawed away painfully at her heart.

Beside her, Alder, the Bedoowan Soldier traveller from Denduron, stood solemnly, as a hardened warrior should. Though his heart wept, he kept his tears at bay as he best paid his respects to a great Traveller, and friend.

Aja Killian, of Veelox, stood behind them, in the second row with Patrick of the Third Earth, both forcing their cool composures to stay. In the late stages of the war, they had combined their intellects to bring down Saint Dane. While the others fought the physical battle, the two of them took the tools they had to give their side the extra edge Saint Dane did not have. Aja could not hold however. She was by no means Bobby's greatest friend, but he had done so much for her especially, there was a certain respect she held for him that no one else had yet managed to receive from her. The composure she had tried so valiantly to keep suddenly broke, and the tears came from as she receded into a bought of sobs. Patrick put his arm around her to comfort her.

Gunny Van Dyke didn't react. He couldn't react. If there was one thing the Great War – both First Earth's and the Travellers' – had taught him, it was to hide tears. In all honest, he didn't really know if he could cry, even if he wanted to. There was too much weighing in on his shoulders.

The same could not be said for the woman in his arms. Elli Winter cried her heart out. The monster, Saint Dane, had taken so much from these worlds, it couldn't be fair exchange, not even the peace that now encompassed them all. Not only had her daughter's allegiance been stolen in this war, but her life as well. Her new found views had stayed with her almost until the end, her vision clearing only moments before her death. That was what hurt Elli most of all.

He stood alone.

The others stood around him, but he was totally alone, honouring his friend by himself. Before him, was the death of more than just a friend. Bobby was like his brother, he was his brother. And he had lost him. And all of Halla was now safe. For ever.

Everything could return to normal, life could continue on untouched. For those who didn't know.

Normal was not something that existed to them anymore; for everything that they had ever considered to be normal had never really existed in the first place. Any ounce of normal, any ounce of purpose that had once existed to any of them, was now burning away with Bobby, in front of their eyes.

Life as Travellers, life as Acolytes had now come to an end. Halla was safe, Saint Dane was gone, and peace was restored.

He stood alone.

And Spader knew just how alone and empty his future life would now be.

--oOo--

They had all gone their separate ways when it was done. There was no surprise in that fact. No matter how impossible it might have been for them, everyone wanted to at least try and get their lives back to what they once were. They all had to; for themselves.

Spader would have been more than happy to, himself. To go back to his old life; how simple it used to be. How happy it used to be. Now it was nothing. A large, dark hole. It consumed him. The despair, of no longer being bound by anyone direction. He was cut loose, free to find his way out on his own.

He stood alone.

Staring down the dark tunnel. The flume. The gateway to the other worlds. He was free. And so alone.

Oh, ick! That was such a gross start to a story. Lords, I'm so sorry for putting you through that, but like I said, I really didn't want to right that. Next one gets right into the story, and it is LOADS better. At least, in my mind at any rate. Any way, ya, review and that. No flames. LOVE suggestions though!

--katt.je--