Date: Sat, 20 Oct 2001 15:12:05 -0400 (EDT)
From: Rune Therain <mist_dark@yahoo.ca>
Subject: Shadows of the Past: epilogue

And this is it.  The last instalment of Shadows of the Past.  It's been fun
writing it, but I think I'm kinda glad it's over.  I won't have as many
distractions from my schoolwork.  Actually, it won't matter; I'll just find
something else to distract myself with.  Anyway, I'll try to keep this
short.  I'd like to know what you thought of my tale now that it's
finished.  Send your comments to Mist_dark@hotmail.com or
Mist_dark@yahoo.ca I check both, so it should work out nicely.

The usual disclaimer still applies.  The content of it hasn't changed since
I started this story.  This is all fiction, I don't know them, and I
probably never will.  There are homosexual themes herein so you should
leave if that upsets you.  If you're too young or it's illegal in your area
to read this, I'd leave as well.

Until next time, Rune





EPILOGUE


	The anchorman on the screen shuffled his papers before looking at
the camera.  "In recent news, the police have stopped investigation of the
bizarre string of deaths that plagued our city the past few weeks.  The
case is still open, but not as many officers will be working on it.  No new
bodies have been found and no leads have been uncovered.  As mentioned
before, if you have any information about this case, or the victims, please
contact your local authorities.  Any help will be appreciated."




Six months had passed since Atlantis had sunk beneath the waves once more.
Never to see the light of day again.  Six months and Chris still hadn't
given up hope that Cody could have been saved.  That somehow his love might
have survived.  The guys had given him space for a few days and then slowly
began working their way back into his life.  He never discussed his hopes
and fears with any of the others; they wouldn't have been able to
understand.

	Josh took some time to himself to deal with what had happened.
He'd never been attracted to a man before.  And the first one he had been
attracted to, had died.  Or more accurately followed his fate.  Before
their former bodyguards had replaced Deana and Sean they'd explained
something about the legends surrounding Jason's sudden increase in power.
The Oracle could call upon all the Fey to wield power, but only if Fate had
decided that the situation demanded it.  There had only been six other
Oracles that had done what Jason had.  All of them had died.  It was the
price of wielding that power.  According to the legends each of those
Oracles had known they were going to die, and knew that they had no other
choice.  Everyone had reacted strongly when they realized that Jason had
not only gone to his death in sinking Atlantis, but he had known how and
when he was going to die the day he became the Oracle.




Chris sighed and set the pen down.  He'd been trying to get his thoughts
down in his journal.  But it wasn't working.  He was trying to hard he
guessed.  About half the page was filled, but it didn't even cover his
meeting with Cody.  It had taken this long just to be able to write this
much.  It didn't hurt as much as it had before, but he couldn't put it
down.  He wanted to and he knew he needed to, but he couldn't.  The guys
had given him the day alone.  Joey had gone shopping with Lance and Justin.
He had the apartment all to himself.  A knock at the door pulled him from
his brooding.  He pushed himself out of his chair and padded to the door.

His breath was sucked out of his lungs when he opened the door.  "Cody?"
He whispered.  "But you died."

"The Oracle came for me after you guys left," Cody said.  "Can I come in?"

Chris shook himself out of his stupor.  He lightly touched the man standing
at his door to see if he was real.  He stepped aside when he was satisfied.
"Sure.  You have a lot of explaining to do."

"I know," Cody said.  He sat down on the couch and patted the seat next to
him.  Chris took the offered place with the grace of a man that doesn't
truly believe what's happening.  "Where to begin?"







The pain in Cody's legs was incredible.  He'd never felt anything like this
before.  The block had barely missed his upper body.  But he would still
die from the haemorrhaging in his legs; it'd just take longer.  He knew
he'd accomplished what had to be done, the world was safe.  More
importantly, Chris was safe.  It was strange to him that he knew he could
die with the knowledge that his lover was safe.

'Besides,' he thought to himself.  'At least I'm spared her fate.'

Mara was still screaming, though it sounded hollow and far away now.  Cody
didn't think it was his hearing that was being effected.  More likely she
was trapped between worlds.  Sometimes she appeared as a screaming skeleton
and others she appeared as she had before Cody stabbed her.  The screaming
never stopped, and he doubted it ever would.

He felt a calming presence wash over him.  He lay his head down on his
arms, ready to welcome Death's embrace.  A rustling caused him to open his
eyes.  He looked up and saw the Oracle's white robes.

"Child," the young man said.  "You have done well."

"I know," he said softly.  "I'm ready to die.  Tell Chris I love him."

A sad look crossed the Oracle's face.  "Do you love him, Cody?"

"Of course, you know that."

"I know the answer, but do you?"  The Oracle knelt next to him to look him
in the eye.  "Do you truly know what it means to love a human, Cody?"

"I know the stories, Oracle," Cody said as softly.  "And I don't care.  All
I know is that I want to spend as much time with him as possible.  Even if
we can't live our lives out together.  I'm going to die, but I love him.
More then anything else in life."

"Your fate was to fight Mara, Cody," the young man said softly.  "Not to
die here.  You have succeeded.  There is no need for any more to die here
then is necessary.  You can live, Cody.  Live to love Chris.  But there is
a price."  He locked eyes with Cody.  "Are you willing to pay that price?"

Without a moment's hesitation.  "Yes."

"Very well."  The Oracle stood and effortlessly lifted the several tons of
stone off Cody's legs.  He gave the block a slight shove and it toppled
over the edge into the blackness beyond.  One look was all he spared at the
man's mangled legs.  He brought his hands together and then spread them as
a priest would give a blessing.  The pain left Cody's legs and the damage
done by the stone was healed.

"Thank you," Cody said.  He slowly got to his feet.

"You may curse my name some day, Cody," the Oracle said softly.  "But
remember this is what you wanted."

The younger man lay his open palm on the bodyguard's forehead.  A faint
blue aura surrounded the older man.  It intensified and then moved out so
there was a tiny crack of colourless air around Cody's body.  The Oracle
pulled his hand away.  As he did so the blue light followed his movement.
It was absorbed into his hand.

"You will take time to adjust, Cody," the Oracle said.  "But you will
adjust.  They Fey are a dying race.  Soon we will be nothing but shadows.
Long forgotten in the past."  He reached out and grabbed the air as if
holding a lever.  He pulled down sharply and a portal opened.  "Now go.
Atlantis is to return to its shadowy place in the past."

	"Where are we going?"

	"We are going nowhere, Cody."  The Oracle said softly.  "Your fate
may not be to die here.  But it is mine.  Tell Chris that I am sorry for
the pain I caused him.  But he had to know how much he loves you.  Now go,
child."  The younger man gave him a soft push through the portal.




	"He really did know," Chris said.  A tear rolled down his cheek.
"All the things I said about him.  How much I hated him for taking you away
from me."  He rested his head on Cody's chest and cried.  "I'm so sorry.  I
didn't know."

	"You couldn't have," Cody said.  "He was doing what he felt best."

	"I don't know how he did it," Chris said softly.  "To know you're
going to die and to still think of another's happiness.  I don't know if I
could do that."

	"People surprise themselves.  I don't think he knew he could until
he did it."

	"What did he do to you?"  Chris asked.  "What did do when he
touched your forehead?"

	Cody lifted the edge of his shirt and pulled down the waist of his
pants.  There was nothing above his left hip.  Just a slightly ligher patch
of skin then the tanned area around it.  "He took that."

	"I thought that was your mark as a Fey," Chris said.

	"It was.  Only Fey can have that mark."

	"You mean you're..."

	"Human?" Cody filled in.  "Yes, I am.  I'm no longer one of the
Fey."

	"Why?"

	"Humans and Fey can't truly love each other," was all Cody said.
He leaned down and gave Chris a kiss.  It lasted for a few minutes.

	A silence fell over the room.  Neither one of them wanted to break
the beauty of the moment.  They held one another as if they never intended
to let go.  Both of them had experienced pain, and they would go far with
each other.  Maybe not into forever, but long enough to make both of them
happy.


The End

There, it's all over now.  I'm not sure when I'll write another story, but
when I do I'll let you guys know.

Rune