A Dark, Distorted Mirror. Volume 4. A Future, Born in Pain

'It needn't be this way,' she whispered.

'What else is there?' John asked. 'I only wanted to let you know.... to remember us. We have done so much evil, but some of us have done good as well. Please.... if you can remember us at all.... remember the good and the bad.'

'I will never forget you,' she said, unsure to whom she was talking. The Shadow.... or the memory of the John she had once loved?

'Oh, one last thing.' John was gone, but the voice came from everywhere. 'The others of us have sent another message.... one based on revenge. We have left behind a weapon to strike down our greatest enemies. A terrible weapon. The message has not been received yet. If it is.... make sure he knows what you now know as well. We have poisoned the past and the present. Do not let us destroy the future as well.'

'Who was this message to?' Delenn whispered, a sinking feeling in her heart.

'I think you know that,' came the last faint echoes before the voice was gone, and the light returned.

* * *

They bent over her body, looking for some sign of life, but there was nothing.

'She is dead,' one of them whispered.

'Yes,' another agreed. 'But she has been dead before. She will die and live and die and live.... until all is done, until Droshalla welcomes her home.'

Delenn's eyes flickered, and opened. 'Help is coming,' she whispered.

At that moment, jump points opened and blazing sparks of light screamed into view.

* * *

Corwin took in everything in an instant. He could see the dark cloud that had consumed so many of the Alliance ships. He could see it moving slowly, inexorably towards the planet itself. He could see Shadow warships at the jump gate, and he could see them moving forward to meet these gatecrashers, those who had dared to arrive without an invitation.

Corwin saw all these things with eyes that were not his, sensed them all with senses that were not his.

'Carolyn, are you there?'

I am here. Someone is trying to reach us, to talk to us.

'Who?'

Power. He is power.

'Can you help us? Can the rest of you help us?'

We will fight. What else are we here for? But.... will the fighting ever be over?

'I hope so. Believe me, I hope so.'

David Corwin.

The voice came from nowhere, from everywhere. It subsumed Carolyn's voice and spoke with a power and authority Corwin had rarely heard before.

'Who are you?' he asked. None of his crew reacted to him talking to no one. Peculiar events were commonplace on this ship.

A friend. Not a friend of yours, but just a friend in general. I can help you destroy that thing.

'Whoever you are, help me do that and you can be my friend for life. What do we do?'

Enter it. A warning. This will not be easy.

'Nothing worthwhile ever is.'

* * *

Why am I still here?

Ambassador Lethke zum Bartrando looked up at the skies. He could see the cloud falling over the planet, a dark cloud that blotted out the suns.

Why am I still here?

He could have fled. Hasty evacuations had been organised. Some of the Ambassadors had chosen to leave, but none of those who had been here from the start. Vizhak and Taan Churok had gone to their ships. G'Kael had done likewise. Delenn was with the fleet.

Lethke was on the surface, waiting for the end.

Why am I still here?

The answer was simple.

Because I believe.

He continued to wait.

* * *

Delenn jumped to her feet. She could feel the Dark Stars coming. She could feel the intelligence within the cloud sense this, and reach out. She could feel the hatred, the dark and terrible rejection of all that the younger races were.

We tried to show you the stars, and you rejected us. We tried to give you heaven, and you cast us down. Then, if you will not see heaven, we will show you hell.

'It doesn't have to be this way!' she screamed. There was no answer.

* * *

It was cold, and dark, and he was alone.

No, he was not alone. Carolyn was with him. In some strange way he could not explain, so was Lyta.

And this strange man, who spoke to him from nowhere. He was here as well.

'Trust me, all of you,' Corwin told his crew as the Agamemnon swept into the heart of the cloud. 'I know what I'm doing. I hope.'

Outside the cloud, Daro and Kulomani were fighting off the Shadow warships, adopting defensive positions, buying time.

'I hope you know what you're doing,' Corwin said.

Of course I do. The Fist of Darkness is alive. There is intelligence. There is power and there is hatred. As with any living thing, find the brain and destroy it. Then the cloud will die.

'Fine, so where's the brain?'

There.

Corwin looked, and moved forward. Something burst through the darkness, a spear of rock and poison and anger. It barely missed the Agamemnon, so close, but silent in space.

'Carolyn, can you hear me?'

Pain, pain. It hurts!

'Carolyn, we need your help. All of us do.'

Hurts!

'Carolyn, billions of people drown in blood if we fail. We will not fail. We need your help.'

What.... what must I do?

'Protect us. Take us forward, and keep us safe. We'll do the rest.'

'Captain!' cried a voice, and Corwin turned. He did not need to hear the tech's warning to realise that another spear had been launched. This one would not miss.

'Carolyn!' Corwin cried.

A shield of light rose up around the ship, and the spear struck it directly. The whole ship rocked, and Corwin stumbled. They had been hit, but they were still alive.

'Carolyn,' he whispered.

I'm still here. Do what you must.

Corwin smiled. 'Take us forward.'

* * *

Vejar hummed as the smoke moved around him. He could feel it, feel the cloud rushing around him, feel the presence within it, feel the light and the pain that was Carolyn Sanderson, and a million like her.

'There you are,' he whispered, seeing with eyes that were not his own. 'I can feel you. I am not afraid.'

He prepared an incantation.

* * *