ΔV Pt. 16

All she would...for a long time now.

Vidya felt very alone -- but then the brush of a hand along her back was joined by Mohammad. He squeezed her hand. "The Indian government isn't about to abandon that kind of research," he said, gently. Then, smiling, he added. "And you happen to know someone who is quite well liked among the United Nations -- or at least...their pet."

Vidya nodded. "Yeah!" she realized, then, what Hua would think if she reached out to him. Then she realized what would shortly follow. Her cheeks heated -- but then she felt Sukhdeep's palm gently pushing against her rump. Almost inaudibly, she heard a whisper in her ear.

Have fun...

Vidya smiled, tears pricking at the corners of her eyes.

Maybe she would.

***

Annie and the Dark Lord stood together on Stark for one last time, in the empty warehouse that had been their home for what felt like a lifetime. Though they hadn't gotten much chance to talk to anyone but one another or the people they had raised, no one had stopped them from watching the news feeds and listening to Dan Chaps. They knew the shape of the world -- and they could smile grimly at one another.

"I can still ask for you to s-" Dale started.

Annie bit his finger, gently. He winced and laughed. "You have fami-"

She bit her finger again, then whispered. "They won't even talk to me." She closed her eyes. "I'll miss them. But they won't miss me." She leaned her head forward, leaning into him. "What matters is, in the end...we won."

Dale nodded.

They held one another -- and let the magic within them flow through their bodies again. The power. The ability to make the world their own, to change it at their whims. Dale let the power fade first, breathing out a slow sigh. "It'll be nice," he said, softly, looking at his hand. "To not have to make the decisions that power gives you, you know?" Annie nodded, mutely. Their hands squeezed together and together, they started for the door.

Outside, the Elven Council -- the same elves that had banished him before -- were gathered together. Dale and Annie walked together, hand in hand, to the center of the circle and before the news cameras that would be recording their banishment. The whole world watched, with a bitter melange of feelings. History would judge them in time. For now, the memories of the war and the death, the rebirth and the ressurections, were too closely intermingled, too confusing.

The magic began to rise and fall.

The light grew.

Dale smiled at Annie.

The light flared.

And they were gone.

But the change in velocity -- the change in history -- the ΔV they had imparted...

That remained.

THE END