Disclaimer: Thomas belongs to Disney.
A/N: This is the first of two Thomas-centric fics of mine. I had another idea for him, but thought it was too similar to a Lost fic I've been working on.
It's all over now, Thomas said to himself, looking across at the natives with their bows lowered. His hands finally relaxed their tight grip on the rifle. They don't want to fight. He signed with relief, as he watched John being cut loose and embrace the woman he loved.
Then-"Now's our chance! Fire!" came the order from the governor.
For too long he felt like a character in one of those Italian puppet plays that John had described to him , able to move, yes, but only pulled by strings in the direction others wanted. It made him angrier than he'd ever been before to realize that he'd been used ever since he got here - to dig for gold that wasn't there, to build a fort while being exhausted and hungry, and now, to murder. He had been so eager to prove himself to be a man, and of course the governor had used it to his own advantage. If John Smith - famous murderer of countless various natives -and the chief and his daughter (both showing more wisdom and compassion than he would have deemed possible) could stand up for what they believed in, then why shouldn't he?
It had to stop. It would stop - here - now.
"No.'
Thomas found himself stepping out of the battle formation as he spoke (he wasn't entirely sure for an instant that it had been him, such was the force of the declaration), not caring anymore what would happen to him, whether he would be hanged for treason, his corpse later swaying on a gibbet as a forewarning to others, while his family would be forced to bear the ignominy. He was taking a stand against the person he feared most in order to do what was right no matter what it cost him. He felt freer now, his burden lifted, as though he could face anything, and it was in that first act of defiance with such a little word, when Thomas knew he had become a man.