AN: This might be continued, or it might not, which is why I put it up separate from the drabbles. As for all my other stories, I'm sorry, but I don't have nearly as much time to work on them right now. I have college to worry about, and I'm thinking of rewriting some stories and just scrapping others. The drabbles don't need changing, but I'm not happy with the further material I have for Chasing Shadows. I have two really big stories I'm working on in my spare time right now, but I'm going to get them finished before I think of posting them. Oh, by big, I mean the first chapter alone, of either story, averages around 12 000 words. These won't be up for months yet, and they are both wildly AU. No slash in either so far, so sorry Dave/Rush shippers. No pairing really, now that I think about it… Anyway, this one-shot was inspired by the thought, what would change if events happened differently.
Changes
It happened in the seventh path. They had been making their way through the dark winding passages, when a group of harpylia shimmered into view directly in front of them, and one of the creatures had blasted Rush's union with a strong permafrost spell, temporarily blinding them. While they had been distracted by the deadly flying ice shards, one of the harpylia had taken a swipe at Rush, sharp claws raking across the protective leather of his vest. It hadn't done much damage, but it's claws had snagged the cord securing the talisman around Rush's neck, ripping it off. No one noticed at the time, the harpylia soundly defeated and forgotten, the feeble glint of metal and crystal going unnoticed in the shadow of a crumbling wall where it had fallen.
It was against Wagram that Rush next felt the need to use his power, three of the five unions accompanying them down, suffering from extensive burns due to the acid rain attack of the icy idol. With only his and Dave's unions still standing, things were looking bleak, and right now Dave needed to conserve his strength for the fight with the Conqueror. Feeling his power stir in response to his need, Rush reached up to grab the talisman, ready to channel his power through it like he always did now, only to find nothing but torn leather. Looking down in shock, Rush could only stare at the place where his talisman should have been, all too aware of the building power of the icy idols maelstrom insignia above their heads. Glancing around frantically, he scanned the ground, as though expecting the familiar shape of his Remnant to appear, but the deceptively small and innocuous pendant was nowhere in sight.
Knowing he had to do something as he was buffeted by the fierce winds the building attack created, Rush reached for his power, and let it run freely through him, in a way he hadn't done since the time Irina was first kidnapped. Ever since that first time, he had subconsciously channelled his power through the talisman, which had served to regulate it, allowing only the power that he needed to the surface to be used. Without it, it was like opening a floodgate. The power all surged to the surface, making his blood feel as though it was on fire as he struggled to direct the energy outwards, and away from his friends.
Opening his eyes to a green tinted view, Rush felt the world around him slow to a crawl as the power crackled over his skin, head pounding at the intense pressure that seemed to be growing as each second passed. Locking eyes on the icy idol, frozen just as it was unleashing it's attack, he leapt at it, power coiling around his hands. When his fists collided with the hovering idol, the energy exploded outward, each hit dealing more damage than a full powered shot from the Ex Machina. Crumpling under the hail of blows, the idol shattered, the shards falling like glittering rain as time returned to normal speed.
Twisting in mid-air to land, cat-like, on both feet, Rush got a glimpse of the startled faces of his friends, and the outright shocked look on Wagram's, who he was facing, before the power drained away, leaving him feeling frighteningly cold and empty. Shivering violently, Rush looked down at his hands, staring uncomprehendingly at the tiny ice crystals forming on the edge of his sleeve, and creeping up his arm with every breath. Hearing his name, he turned to look behind him, and everything began to spin alarmingly, causing him to stagger. Just as his knees gave out, he felt strong arms catch his crumpling form, their warmth doing little against the chill that seemed to seep from his very bones. Trying to focus his suddenly blurry sight, Rush thought he could make out Dave and Irina's worried faces hovering over his. Their lips were moving in speech, but they were not making any sound that he could hear, the ringing in his head drowning out all other noises. As black spots danced across his vision, one disturbingly clear though crossed his mind.
'Something went wrong, something's changed. This wasn't supposed to happen…'