The Day Before the Darkness:

[corps_of_death]

One of the Guardians has changed. Scarred by the Anti-Monitor, she has touched the spaces between the light of the universe. The deep black.

And she understands now more than she ever did. She knows how that blackness hungersShe shares that hunger

Comments

Philadelphia, the past:

[lanternslight]

"These are fantastic seats, Roy," Hal tells his companion. "Thanks for bringing us along."

The young Henry sits beside his father, carefully watching the hockey players glide across the ice before them.

"It helps me get out of the way of Carol while she's arranging the whole 'marriage' thing."

[aiminghigher]

"I felt like I was nothing but under Donna's feet too." Roy smirked, bouncing Aiden on his knee. The little guy was getting his feet under him. Wanted to walk walk walk everywhere for as long as daddy or mommy or big sister would hold his hands. Keeping him both stationary and amused was not the easiest of tasks, but today was going well so far.

"It's no problem. I'm glad you could come." He raised a brow at his friend. "How are you doing on the whole wedding thing anyway. No cold feet yet I hope."

[lanternslight]

Hal chuckles. "Don't worry about that. I'll be there. There won't be a wedding, but I'll be there. Carol's going to stand me up. You watch."

[aiminghigher]

"I don't know, man. She seems pretty serious to me. What are you gonna do if she DOESN'T stand you up?"

Under the ocean, the past:

[violeteyedmage]

"What's it... what's it like? Being dead, I mean?"

He doesn't understand how Tula can be here before him like this -- she's dead, and they both know it. He's not sure he can ever just move on from her.

Death is overpowering. It takes everything away in the end. Everything worthwhile, anyway.

Re: Under the ocean, the past:

[aqua_chic]

"Do you want to find out?"

She thinks she hates doing this to him, but she doesn't really feel anything anymore. The dead don't feel anything, neither pain nor joy; what she "feels" now is only a weak echo that will soon fade away entirely.

She thinks that this can save him, but she's fooling herself there, too. Everybody dies eventually.

Re: Under the ocean, the past:

[violeteyedmage]

He almost accepts her offer. He almost agrees to die with her. But life... it is tenacious. It doesn't want to let go without a fight.

True, Garth was mostly dead inside already, and he had been since Tula died in his arms. Since he wasn't fast enough to save her. But he has friends, and they hold him back from joining her.

[corps_of_death]

Love, friendship, connections. They're a weakness of life. Pull one strand down, and the rest are nearly pulled with it.

Scar looks over the story of the past, involving the living and the dead... and she learns what she must.

Blackest Night will help those eager for oblivion... and in the end, everyone is eager for it. Some just don't realize it yet.

[fanboy_power]

Sniffing, Eddie hugged his knees to his chest and leaned his head against the side of the dumpster he was huddled behind. He was cold, he was hurt, and he was trying his hardest not to cry. Sure, he'd gotten beaten up by those guys that caught him digging in that other dumpster but superheroes got hurt all the time and they didn't cry so Eddie didn't want to either. He wasn't doing a good job though, tears rolling down his face. He'd only been on the streets like this for about two weeks and it was not going anywhere nearly as well as he imagined it would

[corps_of_death]

Life is so fleeting. Even when people chose life over the sweet oblivion of death, it is temporary. The choice comes up again and again... and even the choice is eventually lost to all.

Death comes for all, someday.

And that day has finally come.

[second_arrow]

Nights like this try his considerable patience. It's nothing cosmic-level, nothing JLA level. It's just him and the Star City streets. Dime bags were shot out of dealers' hands. A few muggers found themselves chased right into the arms of Star's finest, but their victim had some nasty head injuries that might not be survivable

[princess_andr]

Midwinter is not her favorite season. Few things grow, San Francisco is cloaked in fog that lasts until April, and the sunlight wanes.

Today she won't fly alone, though. Luum has grown so big, and favors his father more with age. His solid blue eyes are bright as he darts though the air, doing loops and barrel rolls.

"Come on sey'la! I did three loops in a row! You can do four, I'll bet!"

"I certainly can," she says. She shoots straight up in the air and performs four tight circles. Luum cheers.

"That's so great. When I get bigger, you think I'll be able to do that?"

"That and more, my little one." She holds out her hand. "Come, Luum. Let's practice flying together so that we can learn to match one another in flight."

He grasps her hand and the pair maneuver through a complex series of dives, ascents, turns, and other aerial acrobatics over the Bay.

[nation_kids]

There's nothing like flying with his sey'la. He's laughing as she's pulling him along, and they leave contrails of bright orange and pink as they soar.

He'll be big enough to go to Okaara. Soon, sey'la says, he'll have to leave Earth - leave her - to go there.

He doesn't want to lose her. He already lost Papa. But it would make sey'la upset if he said he didn't wanna be a "sword and shield." He wanted to make movies and make people happy - like Papa did.

But Tamaranians - even half-breeds - are good about living in the present. He'll fly with her as long as he can.