Author's Note: Based on the mini-series.
light
Recognition sweeps through the crowd almost instantly after Karl throws back the tarp to reveal his cart is full of sunstones. Dinotopians cheer and David is caught up in the crowd, surfing on people's shoulders. He grins and laughs, throwing his hands into the air. He feels accepted. Following after him, carried by Dinotopians in a similar fashion, is Zippo.
The Mayor is talking to Mr. Scott, shaking his hand and chatting with him. Rosemary interrupts her husband occasionally, correcting him fondly. Everything and everyone is practically glowing; and not just because of the sunstones.
People are shouting, yelling out in celebration. Everywhere there are people embracing, crying, and rejoicing in simply being alive. Word spreads quickly throughout the citizens of Waterfall City and the refugees. Soon the majority, if not all, of Dinotopians in Waterfall City know about everything. They know of the bravery of Karl and David Scott, of new supply of sunstones, of Marion, of Zippo, and of everything else. The new arrivals, and their father, are heroes.
And yet, somewhere in the mess of things, Marion stands.
She stands on her toes, trying to catch a glimpse of someone familiar in the crowd. She tells herself she isn't looking for Karl or David. Her feelings on the two half brothers are mixed up enough as it is. But when Karl appears in front of her, Marion smiles so wide it almost hurts.
"Hello," she murmurs. Her voice is unintentionally soft. She wonders if Karl has even heard her over the shouts and din of the seething crowd of joyous Dinotopians.
But Karl grins at her and nods. He says something Marion can't hear and she frowns, confused.
Karl seems to understand, because he leans forward. He whispers into her ear, "This is yours."
She is breathing too heavily, but Marion attributes that to the close quarters of the crowd; not at all because of Karl's close proximity to her (she thinks of swimming, and moonlight, and the feel of his lips on hers, everything soft and gentle in the night). Marion is so concentrated on his warm breath tickling her ear that at first she does not notice Karl has placed something in her hands.
Then Karl steps away, his grin turning into a smile, growing more intimate somehow. Their eyes gaze at each other for a long moment, and then Karl is swallowed up by the crowd. Marion looks after him, but knows it is no use. The crowd is seething, a mess of people rejoicing, and Karl has disappeared within it. Marion will just have to look for Karl later, to berate him for not explaining himself properly.
Marion looks down at her clasped hands, still warm from where Karl's had touched them, and sees light peeking through the gaps. She opens up her hands, and the light of her grandmother's almost-flawless sunstones streams into the air, surrounding Marion, who smiles.
Marion basks in the glow of the sunstone, closing her eyes briefly, enjoying the peace sweeping through her. The sunstone shines and Marion feels like she's absorbing the rays. She wonders how he'd managed to obtain it, but finds she's more focused on why he'd gotten it, why he'd bothered to get it and give it back to her.
For a moment, Marion opens her eyes and looks over to where she had last seen Karl. The image of him lingers in her mind, his quick smile and dark eyes.
It's a fleeting glance, one that Marion doesn't even understand the importance of yet, but it's enough. It's the beginning of something that feels a lot like a decision. She slips the sunstone into her pocket, feeling like she could fly or run a hundred miles. There's a strange new energy bubbling inside her, not unlike how she imagines sunstone energy is like. She doesn't dare name this feeling, not yet. But Marion...
She's found her light.