¥ Disclaimer: I don't own Babylon 5 nor the characters. They belong to JMS. Cassandra Sinclair/Darelis, Lavenn and Ryond, the plot and everything else you don't recognise are mine, though.
Summary: Before the beginning of the Shadow War a young Human Ranger arrives at Babylon 5. She has secrets to keep and secrets to reveal - and yet - she's unaware of a prophecy that could change more than her future...
A vision of silenceby Starsorceress
Prologue
–Dark angel–
"…never thought a conversation like this could be possible," the dark, shadowy form hissed in a voice that was able to send showers of panic through the bones of each living being. Its skin shimmered bluish on the surface when touched by light and showed various shades of blackness floating around a core of the most dark, deep onyx imaginable. This play of –no– colours was impressive in its own way, but it was the uprising gloom of threatening redness in the creature's eyes that made the image really terrifying.
The words echoed hollow from the walls of what seemed to be a vast, tremendous cave. Its high ceiling was hidden in deep darkness and just some blurred, pale twilight –without any perceivable source– surrounded the two beings standing amid the cavern.
"Nor did I," the Vorlon said and its usual calm voice betrayed none of its feelings. If the thought crossed its mind that it had been a risk to come here, to meet and to talk to the old enemy, there was no possibility for the Shadow to sense it.
But now that the first step had been done there was no backing away and the Vorlon knew it was just the beginning.
Kosh was wrong. There had to be another answer, another way…
"We are not as different from you as you might suppose us to be," it added. "We're both old…"
"So you finally understand…" the Shadow said, its voice no longer a rough hissing but a more chiseled whispering now. Its long, spider-like legs were restlessly moving and switching at its every word, giving away a state of unrest that could possibly be considered as –nerves.
"…we always hoped this day would come… and finally it has…"
"Yes…The day of decision isn't far now," the Vorlon said. It was refreshing to communicate with the Shadow. Humans usually had problems to understand the Vorlons' cryptic way of speech. But these two opponent races always understood each other. Perhaps too well. Knowing the others' reasons was of no help in this special case.
"…but it wouldn't be our decision…" the black, shadowy entity shifted and spoke after a long silence filled with visions of war and chaos.
"Nor would it be ours," the Vorlon replied, with an air of order and stagnation behind its words. "This is what the others of my kind are too proud to accept. They'll never understand."
After the words were spoken it was more than an abstract truth. It was something the speaker himself could finally accept.
"We have…" the Shadow started, carefully watching the opponent's reaction. The yet unspoken idea hanging in the air was too unimaginable, too daring and too far beyond anything these two species used to expect from one another…
It seemed impossible, but still… Couldn't they succeed –in spite of their different shape and origin? The Vorlon just tilted its head to look at the dark, nearly invisible being. It were just its movements that gave a rough outline of the Shadow.
Was it truly possible?
"…we have to show them," the Vorlon completed the sentence.
Three pairs of blood-red shimmering eyes met a single, bright green one. For a long time they stared at each other and somewhere in the space between them, within the silence, their minds came to a kind of acceptance of what would be their destiny.
There was no need to exchange more words or thoughts.
Without a further comment the Vorlon stepped a few yards backwards, shedding itself of its shield. With a hissing noise the encounter suit sprang up, revealing the Vorlon's pure, but vulnerable energetic form to the Shadow.
Neither of them spoke, but there was something what could be a trace of approval in the Shadow's eyes, a commendation of the opponent's confidence and willingness to give up control which it used to wear round itself not unlike the protecting shield of its encounter suit -to accept the possibility of chaos breaking through once the unthinkable was achieved, washing away what was ever known to the Vorlon.
Silently the Shadow rose to its hind legs, stretching its massive spider-like body to full height and it was difficult to tell whether the well known attacking position was meant to strike at the now exposed enemy –or rather to come face to face with the bright shining energetic form that was the Vorlon's real appearance.
The piercing dagger-like ends of the Shadow's front legs were positioned in just the right way to stab the opponent. But despite the threatening gesture the light entity didn't back away. It kept floating in mid air, right above the empty encounter suit.
When only a few inches separated the two adversaries the Shadow stopped. Its black skin started to lose its gloomy shimmer as if there was not enough energy to keep it up, and the dimming light of its eyes faded to a dark, lifeless red.
"I won't hurt you," the dark being declared reassuringly, in a voice that was far smoother than usual.
"I know," the light one replied. "And I won't hurt you, either."
One more step, one last gap to close, one last breath to take and the unthinkable would be done.
Just one step.
Both ancient beings moved at the same moment and, with that last step, they streamed into one another like two rivers would do –rays of brightness cut through the shadows reaching out for them, while darkness began to absorb and extinguish the light like the never ending battle of dusk and dawn to which there was no winner– until with a dark lightning flaming up they were gone.
A being, on whose silvery black skin tiny, thin flashes danced between order and chaos, stood in their place.
There was no sound to whirl up the cavern's silence as the being slowly slid back into the so strange, so familiar tightness of the encounter suit. Originated of two different species… it was both, and yet neither of them.
Very well aware of the fact that there wouldn't be a chance to survive if the others, which happened to be both species now, were to find out about this, the being turned to leave.
It didn't glance back at the spot, where a stain of white-shimmering blood remained on the cold, misty lit floor –as well as the faded shadow of an erstwhile deep black skin.
A/N: That's it for now. Please give me some comments, I'm curious to know what you think of this.