In the near future, the High Imperium, Shantar Empire
The warrior stood outside the building with his daughter. This was his reward for outstanding service. He was going to see it. He had heard about it since the days of his youth. The practiced patience of the warrior could not hide his eager anticipation.
Present day, San Francisco, our Earth
Dr. Sandra Scott put down the clipboard. She had put in a long shift. She was ready to go home. That’s it. Another long day done. She looked across the counter. What a cute child! So sweet. She’s coming over here. Wonder what for?
The girl stopped just short of the counter. The girl caught sight of the nametag and smiled with relief.
“Hi! Dr. Scott, can I borrow you for just a minute? I need to ask you something.”
Dr. Scott smiled. Wouldn’t normally do this, but there’s just something a little special about her.
“Sure, why not! Let’s go to my office and we can talk.” Dr. Scott gestured down the hall.
In the office
She smiled at her tiny visitor.
“So, what can I do for you?”
The girl looked up earnestly.
“My sister asked me to invite you for dinner tonight. It’s a surprise for my Dad.”
Sandra Scott chuckled.
“What a coward! She sent you to do the dirty work?”
The girl seemed surprised.
“No, she’s here. She’s just a little more shy around here than I am. She doesn’t like to scare people. We both have the same problem. I just blend in a little better than she does.”
Sandra laughed.
“She must certainly be shy if she’s not willing to be seen at all.” She teased. I remember Harvey, the invisible six-foot tall rabbit. It sounds like Harvey has a sister! “If she’s not willing to be seen, why did it take both of you to get here?”
The girl answered earnestly.
“Because I’ve never been here before. I couldn’t find it alone.”
Sandra was amused. She really is cute. I can hardly wait to hear the rest!
“So why did she bring you along? Is she afraid to talk to me?”
The girl seemed puzzled.
“No, it’s because she can’t carry passengers. She can’t carry anything bigger than me! She finds things better than I do, but I’m a lot more powerful.”
Sandra laughed.
“Well, if you can carry me, I’ll go with you! What’s your father’s name? And what’s yours?”
Pleased, the girl answered her.
“I’m glad you’re coming. My Dad’s name is Alan Scott. I’m Linda.”
What? Then she’s not from this world. A daughter? Alanna, you put her up to this!
She heard familiar laughter behind her. No longer able to keep silent, Alanna Scott stepped out of the wall.
“Cousin Sandy, it is great to see you again! I see you’ve met my little sister, Linda.”
“Little sister Linda?” Sandy suspended her disbelief. ‘Curiouser and curiouser’ said Alice.
“Well,” Alanna explained, “she’s actually a demon from Hell. She’s just here because it takes a galaxy class Green Lantern to make the trip.”
Sandy looked at the girl. Linda had turned a beautiful shade of green. Her eyes burned with intelligence. Her left hand glowed brilliantly. Linda looked up to her.
“Don’t let Alanna scare you!” Linda laughed. “I haven’t been back to Hell in quite some time!” Sandy’s world turned green.
Alterverse Earth
“Alanna, you really could have found a better way to introduce me to Linda!” Sandy gave her another dirty look. “Not to mention the rest of this universe.”
Alanna Scott laughed.
“Probably! But without a little demonstration, you never would have appreciated what she is.”
Sandy grinned at her Uncle.
“Yeah, Uncle Len, my first trip across universes.” She delighted in teasing him. “I must admit the Shantar are an attractive people. I can see why you would take up with one.”
He turned red. His natural humor left him.
“Don’t even imply that. I love Elise. I’ve loved her from the moment I returned to this universe. I don’t know why.” He looked at her earnestly. “You’d think a relationship between peoples would not work at all, but ours works very well. It’s almost as if we were made for each other.”
Sandy considered his words. Something doesn’t seem right about this. I know Linda overheard us. Why did she frown so suddenly? She knows something she doesn’t want to. Elise acts so differently from the rest of her people. I wonder what Linda knows. I hope we never find out for sure.
The Command Assassin stood near the balcony of the command center. She gestured to Sandy. Sandy walked over. Elise pointed to the sky.
“See that little circle?” She stretched. “That’s the Andromeda Galaxy. That’s where many of my people are. New Oa is in the Andromeda Galaxy.”
“Elise, where did you meet my Uncle?”
The Shantar woman’s eyes glazed over.
“We went to school together. Then Mary fixed us up. She thinks I don’t know.” Her eyes cleared. “I’m sorry! Did you ask me a question? Let me show you something else. We found Batgirl down over there!” Elise pointed into the valley.
Later that evening
“I was honored to meet your niece. She would make an excellent warrior.” Elise stood before Alan, impassive. “She has the discipline necessary to bring honor to her people.”
What the hell is she on about? Alan wondered. She’s as cold as ice!
“Elise, is there something wrong?”
“Yes, Alan.” She seemed confused. “I don’t know how to protect our little girl.”
“Little girl?”
“Molly.”
Alan cringed.
The Rock of Eternity
They were reading in bed when they heard a knock on the door.
“Who the Hell would be knocking on our bedroom door, Kent?”
He growled.
“Diana, I don’t know. Anything that could get through my defenses has to be pretty dangerous.” He grabbed a robe. “On the other hand, it’s got manners. Let’s find out.”
“Fair enough.” She grabbed her robe and followed. They approached the door. Prepared for battle, they opened the door. To their surprise, they had to look down to find it.
“Mr. Nelson,” Jade pleaded urgently, “I have to talk to you.”
His mood lightened.
“Diana, could you bring our favorite youngster something warm to drink?” She nodded. He walked Linda into the library. “Linda, any thing that’s important to you gets our undivided attention. Ah! Here comes the light of my life!”
Diana entered with three steaming mugs of coffee. She tried to lighten the mood.
“Shazam’s lightning adds new meaning to the words instant coffee!”
Jade barely acknowledged the quip. Kent and Diana exchanged a glance.
“Sweetheart, we’re here for you as long as you need us.”
Jade stared at the floor.
“It’s about my Mom.”
The Sentinel’s Lair
“Something is wrong and we don’t know what.” Alanna shared concerned glances with Alan Scott, Sandy Scott, and Garja Jenna. Jerik joined them. “Jerik, something is wrong with Elise.
The Shantar warrior nodded.
“She’s been a little peculiar for years. At first I attributed it to a harmless obsession with the Champion of the Green Flame. She’s been more obsessed since the first death of Alan Scott.” He grimaced. “No, that’s not actually when it started.”
The Rock of Eternity
Jade struggled to find words.
“See, I don’t really know how to explain this. You’re a real sorcerer and you’ve probably got the right words. Mr. Nelson, I’m just a former denizen of Hell who got a second chance.”
‘Just a’? Little one, you’re not ‘Just a’ anything! Kent and Diana reached for her hands.
“Call me Kent, Sweetheart. ‘Mr. Nelson’ only gets used by people I don’t believe in. Now tell me what you saw and I’ll provide the lingo. Then you can do what I do. Use big words to make people think I’m smarter than I am!”
Diana rewarded him with a brilliant smile.
Jade brightened.
The Sentinel’s Lair
Alanna frowned.
“Dad, remember that conversation I had when I first met Zoldar? Where he told me to let him know if I worried for Elise?” (Elf note: Terra’s Revenge – Chapter 5). “I think this is it.”
Alan nodded his head.
“I’m curious about something else. Just before the power rings went out, Elise told the Demoness that she was an abomination.” (Elf note: The Guardian Gambit – Chapter 1). “The Demoness told Elise that she was one, too, but that she was remarkably stable. Linda’s been watching Elise like a hawk all evening.”
“Dad, there’s Dr. Fate. Let’s see if Linda has talked to him. He’s the resident sorcerer.” Alanna signaled Dr. Fate.
Dr. Fate stepped into the room.
“Linda? She just took off for the Rock of Eternity. Said she needed some advice from someone who knew something about souls. She seemed very worried.”
The tension in the room escalated.
Jerik spoke first.
“Sir, I don’t know about you, but if it worries Jade, it terrifies me.”
Alan leaned against the wall.
“I don’t know how to feel right now.” His face reflected his tension. “Something is happening. I don’t know what it is. I know it’s not good. On the other hand, we have options open to us.”
Sandy sighed.
“Talk to us, Uncle.”
“Can you stay for a while, Sandy?”
“60 hours. Then I’ve got to be back at the hospital. I can arrange time, but not from here.”
“Thanks, Kid. We’ll get you back.” Alan breathed a little easier. “Here’s what we do. I’ll head to New Oa and drag the truth out of Zoldar. We’ve got to know what he knows. Sandy, I need you to understand what you can about Assassin psychology. I know you don’t have the time to be an expert, but Garja Jenna will get you the people and the resources we need. The third thing we do is to keep an eye on Elise. Alanna, you’ll have to coordinate that while I’m gone.”
“Dad, I don’t think I’m the best for that. I’d rather take the trip to New Oa.”
“Noted, but I think I’m best to make the trip. The final thing is to hope Linda turns something up.” He sighed. “When are we ever going to just let her grow up? Don’t answer that. I don’t need to feel any more guilty than I already do.”
He looked up. A woman stood in the doorway.
“Well Cousin, you’ve got this all planned out.” Captain Marvel appeared less than pleased. “You need to remember a couple of things. The first is that you are my responsibility. The second is that you and Alanna are not the only people around here that can stand on the Warlord’s desk. I’m going to New Oa. The two of you are staying whether you want to or not. Ciao.” She disappeared.
The Rock of Eternity
“Jade, the tale you tell is incredible.” Kent Nelson reacted. “This sounds like a fairy tale. More than one soul inhabiting the same body? I can’t understand how such a thing could be possible.”
“I know it sounds impossible, sir, but I know what I sense. I have a few remaining abilities from my time in Hell. That’s one of them.”
“Jade, if you are going to tell me a tale like that, it can mean only one thing.”
She frowned.
“What’s that, sir?”
“It means Diana and I have a lot of work ahead of us. Come on, Squirt, we could use your help.”
New Oa
“Zoldar, we don’t know what’s going on.” Captain Marvel sat by the Warlord’s desk. “She turns hot and cold. Sometimes she doesn’t remember who she is. She doesn’t remember the incidents after they occur.”
Zoldar’s brow creased with worry.
“That doesn’t sound right. Assassins are somewhat psychotic. That’s not how they break down. Those that break down lose all semblance of humanity. That’s the opposite of what’s happening here. Her humanity has become much more expressive in the last several months, especially since Alan’s return. Bring her to New Oa. We have the facilities to help her here, if anyone can. If nothing else, it will give her mother an opportunity to hover over her.”
“Her mother? Elise almost never talks about her mother.”
“Elise has not spoken to her mother since she became an assassin. I can’t force her to. It’s been hard on Zandra. Of course, Elise had not spoken to me for the 65 years before Alan reentered the picture. Something seemed to change in her when he did. Her soul seemed to strengthen. She went from an emotionally remote assassin to a woman with a backbone of steel.”
That sounds too damn familiar. I just got another piece of the puzzle. I just don’t know what it is. I feel like I’m responsible for this, somehow. I think I have enough. The woman I know as Elise isn’t the one he knew. Something is going on.
We’ve done it again. We dismissed something Jade said and it’s biting us in the ass. I hope she knows what she’s doing. Mary sighed. She may not be the brightest being in the Cosmos, but she’s got the best instincts I’ve ever seen. She’s probably telling Kent she’s sorry she’s not smart. Then she’ll clean his clock with some stroke of absolute brilliance. Mary almost smiled at the thought.
“Mary, are you all right?”
She sighed.
“I hope so. I think I’m going to head back. You owe me the rest of Elise’s story. I will collect it. In the meantime, start making arrangements. We won’t know what goes down until it does. I just know it’s not going to be good.”
Zoldar nodded.
“I understand. Just watch out for them. Take care of my Granddaughter?”
“I’ll try. It just doesn’t usually work out that way.”
Hell
“Daimon, it’s coming unraveled. I don’t know how to stop it.”
“You, father? I thought I made the bargain.”
“You did. She would not have accepted it from me. It was necessary, regardless.”
“But the damage is too great.”
“Yes. For this bargain to continue, yes.”
The Rock of Eternity
Jade shook herself awake. She watched the ongoing research.
Kent Nelson fumed.
“This doesn’t make sense. Two souls attached to the same body?”
Curious, Jade caught his attention.
“Sir, right now I really wish I understood this better. Why do they both have to be attached to the body? Maybe the second soul keeps something awful from happening to the first?” She looked at him earnestly.
Damn it! That’s it! Kent Nelson sighed. Can’t say Mary didn’t warn me.
“Sir?”
“I’m starting to have an ugly suspicion. How much do you know about Hell?”
Her eyes glowed red.
“A lot more than I want to.”
The Sentinel’s Lair
Sandy Scott read from a monitor in a conference room. Suddenly, the room seemed to go dark. She looked into a large Green Lantern symbol. Then, she looked up to a gigantic, hairless head. Okay . . . the Shantar were cute. This is just big. I think it’s a Green Lantern.
“Umm, am I in your chair?”
The huge creature looked down kindly. Concern radiated from his eyes.
“Has ya seen Linda? I just gots back from da Green Lantern Express run. She ain’t wearing her ring. She sometimes forgets. Da Guardians doesn’t like to lose track of her.” He stepped back slightly. “Oops, I gotta apologize. I’m Kilowog. I try ta watch after her.”
Sandy sputtered.
“Guardians of the Universe? I thought she was Starheart powered?”
“O dat. Yeah, she wuz a member of da Green Lantern Corps first. Den da Guardians got stupid and kicked her out cause her first cause is preserving life in da universe. Da Sentinel, he got her da power she got now. Dat’s why she wears da Starheart like da Sentinel.”
“They kicked her out?”
“Yeah, den Hal Jordan tried ta take over da Central Power Battery.”
“Parallax?”
“Da Sentinel called it da Parallax incident. Don’t know why. I get a weird feeling when he does dat.” He shook his huge head. “Anyway, Linda done cleaned his clock at da battery. She took da rings off his hands. Bunches a dem.”
Sandy stared, speechless.
“Hal, he come around. He researched da Order a Oa as a gift for Linda. Since she won da Order a Oa, da Guardians couldn’t kick her out. Couldn’t accept her resignation, eider.”
“Order of Oa?”
“Yeah, back when she almost died saving all dem hundreds a’ worlds. Dey can’t take da award back, so she belongs ta us, too.” He grinned. “If ya wants da truth, it’s da Corps dat don’t want ta lose track of her. She fusses at da Guardians and dey listen to her. We love ta watch.”
He realized her eyes had lost focus.
“Miss? Are ya okay, Miss?”
Hell
“Do you understand Daimon? The Commander’s prophecy rides on it.” (Elf note: Way back in Terra’s Revenge – Chapter 2.)
“I understand. No, I do not understand, but I believe. That I don’t understand.
He heard laughter.
The Sentinel’s Lair
“Sentinel, are you alone?” Alan heard the call over his comms.
“Yes, Kent. What’s up? Usually you send Diana.”
“She and Jade are occupied. Don’t leave Elise alone. If anything happens, put her in stasis immediately. Keep her physical form alive and get her to her people’s planet. I need the rest of the story. I’m on my way.”
The Sentinel’s Lair Command Center
Elise looked over his shoulder.
“Jerik, keep track of that set of coordinates. We may want to send Supergirl out there. Her telescopic vision ought to be able to get us the information we need pretty quickly.”
“Yes Ma’am.”
Her eyes glazed.
“Have you seen Alan? Have you seen Molly? Something happened to Alan, didn’t it?”
Jerik moved.
“Sentinel! It’s begun! She’s losing it!”
Elise smiled.
“Mary thinks she’s so smart, but I know she set me up with Alan!”
She weaved. As she dropped, the Green Flame took her.
Hell
The Shantar warrior’s soul found its eternal torment. Demons attacked. It screamed in agony.
New Oa
“Warlord, they are here. We have her in the infirmary. We can stabilize her, but then what?”
Zoldar put his head in his hands. He spoke thickly.
“Tell them I am coming.”
The infirmary
Alan Scott sat beside the bed, unaware of anything but the small woman staring at the ceiling. He felt a gentle touch behind him.
An older Shantar woman looked down at him.
“So my daughter found the Champion of the Green Flame not once, but twice. I see your soul. The flame burns within.”
“A lot of good that does for us now.” He sighed. “I wish. I wish.” He put his head in his hands and closed his eyes. “I don’t know what I wish.”
She drew a long breath.
“Alan, at least you knew her. She has not spoken to me in over a hundred years. Not since her daughter died.”
“Her daughter?”
“My husband keeps too damned many secrets. Alan, this is what I know.”
1850
She cried.
“Elise, sweetheart, I’m so sorry. But you have to come out of this. You have to stop grieving. We can have other children.”
“Kenzan, I don’t care if it’s been three years. I still miss her so.”
“I know, sweetheart, I know. But we have to carry on. We can only hope our lives and all the good we can do will reflect her light and gentle touch.”
1862
The Kayzik massacred the little world. Its colony of researchers and artists never stood a chance.
Elise Kenzan had been an artist whose work reflected the special quality of her soul. Her psychic sensitivity captured nuances that any other artist would miss.
She stared down into the rubble for the last time. She cursed her origin. She had never been more aware of the curse of her family’s power. Her Andromedan heritage and the old gift had saved her from harm when the Kayzik attacked.
The Shantar had originated under a blue sun world. That origin granted the first Shantar limited invulnerability, enhanced strength, and enhanced senses under a yellow sun. Through the years, those gifts had mostly been lost to time. Only the Andromedan Shantar and a few other strains retained the original power. Even fewer strains had the old gift – the psychic gift that enabled the bearer to size up any enemy.
Elise Kenzan had been born to two Andromedan Shantar. Her husband and friends had no such advantage.
Kenzan, I love you and you’ve been taken from me! I’ve lost my art, my home, and all of our friends. There is nothing left for me. I will never love again. I will have my revenge on the damned Kayzik. I am Andromedan Shantar. I will ram myself down their throats. I will take on the role of Assassin. I will reclaim my father’s name. I must become Elise Zoldar again.
1863
“Zoldar, we’ve located your daughter. She wasn’t killed. She became an assassin. She isn’t as stable as we would like, but she is Command material. Congratulations, there is another hero in your family!”
He waited until they were gone to start screaming.
1932 - Earth
“Congratulations, Commander. Welcome to your first command. By the way, do you remember the legend of the Starheart? You might be interested in this.”
Present day – Rock of Eternity
The Amazon princess relayed the signal. A preset spell activated. The traveler reached an impossible destination.
New Oa, the Infirmary
Kent, Mary, and Alanna quietly backed out of the infirmary room. Kent Nelson whispered to his companions.
“Jade thought she saw another soul attached to the Commander. A soul that was not dark like the Commander’s original soul. She just had no way to identify it. There’s a strong tie to the Sentinel’s family.”
Captain Marvel nodded.
“Now I understand. I wish I didn’t.”
“Understand?” Kent asked Mary.
“This is about mothers and children. In this case, it’s about mothers and daughters. And it’s still about mothers and daughters, isn’t it Kent?”
“Yes. And you know who the mother is.”
“One of them. Daria Lane Scott. Now it all depends on a daughter.”
“Yes.”
Hell
“Daimon, what did you do? This stinks of your handiwork.”
“How can you be here, Linda Danvers? You were cast out!”
She almost felt sympathy. Her anger left scant room for it.
“Daimon, that construct was my mother. What devil’s deal did you make?”
“I had no choice. I had to preserve the Commander’s prophecy and there was only one way to do it. There was only one person who could do it.”
“Who?”
“Daria Lane Scott.”
“Who?”
“Alanna’s grandmother.”
1942
She saw her body burning in the flames. I have protected my daughter. I have guarded the secret of her birth. They will not chase Molly. Her spirit lifted towards the heavens.
“Hold.” Daimon Hellstrom floated in front of her. “I must offer a final temptation. Not a bargain for you. A request for assistance from one who wishes to see humanity continue.”
“I have lived my life and I have given my life.” Daria’s spirit whispered. “My husband is gone, but my child will survive.”
“The Green Lantern is the spawn of the Starheart. In a future time he will return.”
“What?” Daria’s spirit wavered.
“In the meantime, your daughter’s protector has been felled by the corruption in her own soul.” He showed Elise Zoldar trembling on the ground, far out of sight of her troops. “Unless her soul is tied to her body, she will be lost to the darkness.”
“And when her time is done?”
“You may move onward, conscious that you have served life with the thanks of the creatures of Hell and Heaven.”
“Why should I listen to you?”
“Because you know I have nothing to offer you. I do not seek to bargain. I beg for assistance. You are not bound.”
The spirit considered. It made its decision.
Present day, another part of Hell
Failed my family! Failed my daughter! Failed my husband. Failed everyone. Failed myself. Failed the Champion. Failed the rider. Deserve torment. No reason to live! Nothing matters except the emptiness. Love only belongs to the rider, the one who stayed so I would not leave! Not worthy.
She screamed in torment.
As she lay writhing, she heard desperate footsteps approach.
“Mom! Help me, Mom! Help me!” Linda Danvers ran past her. “Help!”
“You were foolish!” The Demoness chased after her. “I have the power here! You lost your defenses when you gave up me and your place here!” The Demoness fired.
Nothing matters. Daughter of the rider. Daughter of the one who loves. Nothing matters.
“Mom! Please! I love you! Help me!” Linda somersaulted as the Demoness fired again.
The Demoness backed Linda into a corner.
“I will have you and then I will have the rest who love you. You are mine!”
“Mom! Remember us! Help!” Linda’s voice disappeared under the onslaught of Hellfire.
Failed her. Fail again tomorrow. No one escapes. No one but my child. My child. My child. My child who has came back for me. No hope.
“Help!” She heard the whispered scream.
My child. MY CHILD! Not even in my blackest night will I leave you to this! SWORD!
The spirit sprang towards the Demoness.
“You may take me, but you have no claim on my child!” She sliced into the Demoness’ legs.
The Demoness howled.
“Foolish mortal! Do you think there is escape from me?”
“I do not care!” The spirit flamed with rage. “This is not about me! You will not hurt my child!” The spirit charged again.
“She is not the daughter of your flesh!” The demoness howled. “She belongs to me!”
“I do not care who birthed her! She is mine!” The spirit charged again. Her deadly instincts returned with each swing of the sword.
The warrior felt herself return. She attacked again and again. Her rage burned through her.
Finally, She ceased her attack. She spoke to the Demoness.
“Linda, you can stop this any time you want to. I’m ready to go back home.”
The Demoness disappeared. Jade floated in front of her.
“Bad acting?”
The Shantar warrior smiled.
“Not at all. I do have the old gift. Once I came back to myself, I could feel what was happening around me. All I felt was the love of a child for her mother. There was none of the hatred a true child of Hell would feel. How did you do this?”
Jade grinned.
“I have some rather unusual friends. One of them started this mess. He wants to help us fix it.”
A man with red hair and a pitchfork appeared.
“I am Daimon Hellstrom. I asked Daria Scott to help bind your soul.”
The warrior nodded.
“I’m ready to share my life with the rider. Her selfless courage held my darkness in check for so very long. My final departure shattered her soul. I will take her back. We will complete our journey together.” She brightened. “It will take both of us to keep up with our child!”
“Mom!”
The spirit laughed.
New Oa
Zandra Zoldar sat with Alan Scott.
“I don’t know whether to pray for a miracle or just accept the inevitable. My poor child.”
“Zandra, my miracles don’t always come from above. Sometimes the other kind matter more. In either case, it’s the purity of the soul that makes the difference.”
“Alan Scott, you confuse me.”
He smiled.
“I confuse me, too. I have had a strange life. My youngest daughter’s life is even stranger.”
“Jade?” Zandra questioned. She looked up. “Look!” She gestured towards a green glow.
He almost smiled.
“Jade. Welcome, little one.”
Jade smiled sincerely.
“I’m sorry Dad, but you have to leave now.”
Alan nodded. He looked longingly at Elise’s form. Trusting Jade, he escorted Zandra out of the room.
Jade sealed the door. She turned to her friend.
“Daimon, let’s get this done.”
Daimon gathered the shreds of Daria Scott’s soul. The warrior claimed the shreds into herself. The warrior slid into the sleeping form on the bed.
Jade turned to the Son of Satan.
“Thank you, Daimon. I appreciate what you’ve done for us. Both now and more than sixty years ago. You kept hope alive.”
He smiled.
“Even if you are an idiot sometimes!” She giggled.
He growled in frustration.
“Sorry, couldn’t resist.” She sparkled. She grabbed his hands. “Thank you.”
The next day
“I remember it all, Alan.” She smiled easily. “I remember both lives. It’s an odd effect. I’m both Daria Scott and Elise Zoldar. You’re a bigamist, Bub. We both love you!”
He helped her out of bed.
“You know, Alan, the thing that I found the most amazing was just how much my daughter loves me. The part of me that is Elise Zoldar never dreamed that anyone truly loved her. Yet Linda braved Hell itself to find her and to bring us back together. I will treasure that memory forever.”
They turned a corner. They heard voices. Elise smiled at the familiar sound of Kilowog’s voice.
“Linda, dat wuz an incredible story.”
Linda almost whispered her response.
“You know, Kilowog, all my life I’ve only dreamed of one thing. I just wanted to have a place in a loving home.” She put her tiny hand on his gigantic arm. “That’s all I ever wanted.”
Her voice strengthened.
“She made a place for me. She claimed me as her own. She didn’t have to.”
Her voice filled with wonder.
“Kilowog, I was there and I saw it happen, but I still can’t believe it. The most alien part of my mother loved me so much she gave up her eternity for me. How could anyone love me that much?”
Alan held Elise closely while she cried herself out.
Epilogue
She’s been spending a lot of time in that room lately. Mary followed Elise down the hall. She tapped on the door.
“I know I’m being rude, Elise, but I have to admit I’m curious.”
Elise smiled.
“and probably not just a little worried. You know Elise Zoldar and Daria Scott, but you’ve never met Elise Kenzan. It’s taken me a while to come back to my art. Come see. Just promise you won’t laugh. I’m a little sensitive.”
Mary walked over to an oil painting. Still smiling, Elise watched her.
“Jerik found the supplies for me and Alan retrieved them. I’ve had to improvise a little. I hope I can still deliver a message.”
Mary stood in front of the painting. At first it made no sense to her. She began to pick out subtle clues. Then she felt the painting call to her.
Oh my! She’s captured a soul on canvas. This is a spirit who has risen from the darkness to find the light. This is a child of kindness, and of wisdom. A soul of everlasting innocence, but never blind innocence. The spirit is driven by its powerful intuition and its understanding of the needs of others. There is the edge of a quick temper and an invincible force of will. This is someone who does what has to be done without regard for itself. This is a spirit of substance who commands respect, but never expects it.
Mary felt herself drawn into the painting.
And her gentle soul guides an almost infinite power. It is sheer, unrelenting, raw power – the power of living mystic flame. It surrounds her, protects her, and heeds her call. It seeks nothing but to be part of her. It has lost itself in the warmth of her soul.
There was moisture on Mary’s cheek. I don’t know whether to be more in awe of the artist or the subject. Mothers and daughters, once again. She hugged the artist.
“I think you should title it ‘The Candle.’” Mary dabbed the tears from her eyes. “She has turned the blackest of nights into the brightest of days for so many.”
In my deepest hell, in my blackest night, she came for me: my candle. Elise smiled. Mary, you do understand. I’m so glad you are my friend.
The High Imperium, Shantar Empire
They stood behind the ropes, grateful it was finally their turn. They marveled at the single piece of art in front of them. It was sealed and protected from the ravages of time.
“I can’t believe we actually got the tickets to see this! This is one of the most treasured works of art in the Empire!”
“Dad, it feels like it’s calling me! I feel so much when I look at it. I feel terror, tragedy, and happiness all at the same time!”
He played with her daughter’s hair.
“This is very rare. The artist was an Andromedan Shantar with the old gift. She could see the inside of a soul and she could share what she saw with the rest of us. Almost all of her art was lost when the Kayzik destroyed her world. Many have tried to imitate her work, but none have succeeded.”
He sighed.
“Her life was far too short, but at least we have this reminder of her special talent. This one extraordinary piece alone puts most of the Empire galleries to shame.”
They lost themselves in the experience of her art. Their allotted time expired. He took one last wistful look at the signature.
Elise Kenzan.