The New Day... was made by Spaztic Chyld on 4/10/2003 at 12:45:00 AM.
The early dawning sky brings a little light to Statue Park. The sun's warm rays turn this place into a thick, foggy, bog filled park, with still apparitions of superheroes scattered between the trees. It'd been raining for the last few days, and so the foot traffic has been slow. In the center of the park, sitting on a bench next to a six foot-eleven inch tall statue, is Indiana Gnome. He is a gnome out of place in this world. His people long gone, their fate unknown, Indiana is the last of his kind on earth. Today, as with every day since his decision to stay, is spent with his sleepless friend, Gunthar; a half gargoyle, half human, immortal being. Two immortals, both weighed down by the degredation of one of the many societies they've witnessed in their lifetime... But, Indiana has had something more weighty to the heart on his mind....
"I had the dream again..." Indiana says, breaking the deathly silence of the morning. He looks down at his hands and holds the one that Tiarra had pulled so long ago.
"I am sorry Indie..." Gunthar says just loud enough for Indaina's sensitive ears to hear. "You should have gone..."
"NO!" Indiana turns, looking to his friend with tears in his eyes. "You saved my life! I cannot and will not leave you! I would be dishonored if I did!" He slumps over on the bench and puts his face between his hands. "Besides... friends don't leave friends behind..."
"And a truer friend one could never ask for." Gunthar says, placing his solid hand on Indiana's shoulder. "It is I who owes you..." reflecting on the past, he continues, "More times than I can count, you have helped me."
"Yeah... we've had some fun, haven't we?" Indiana grins, remembering the same 'rescues', as Gunthar would call them. To Indiana, it was all a big game. Humans are no match for gnomes, in speed or wit. Gnomes are, after all, known for their practical jokes, not to mention their ability to 'tinker', as they call it.
Suddenly, Indiana's ears perk up. "Shh... Someone's coming." Gunthar poses and Indiana pretends he's enjoying the morning air. Through the fog, some minutes later, a figure appears. It is a familiar face, and he's carrying two steaming cups.
"Top O' tha mornin' to ya, Indiana!" the officer says, handing one of the cups to him and taking a place on the bench. "I don' know how ya stay dry out here with all tha rain we've had lately," he says in a thick Irish accent that makes Indiana feel a little more at home, "but I shoor know tha wi-out me comin' out here, you'd be the loneliest soul aroun'."
Indiana grins and sips his cup. "Mmmm... just like I like it..."
"Extra-thick an' a small dap o' whipped cream."
"Thanks for the hot chocolate Michael." he says, taking another sip. "Your a good man. Not many like you around anymore."
Michael looks over at his little friend with a look of concern. "Wha I don' get, Indiana, is why ya insist on stayin' in a park instaed o' comin' wi' me to tha shelter I told ya about. At least there you'd have three meals... an'.... an occaisional pint." He grins and bumps Indiana with his elbow in a friendly manner.
"I belong here Michael. You know that." he says, finishing up his hot chocolate.
"Aye..." he agrees, and finishes his traditonal 'Irish coffee', spiked with a little whiskey. "Ev'ry park needs a 'little one' ta watch o'er it." He takes Indiana's empty cup, as he gets up from the bench. Indiana's eyes follow Michael to the trash can. He throws away their cups and turns, to face his little friend. Seeing the disbelief in his eyes, Michael continues, grinning, "Ya think you're tha first little person I've met?" he asks.
Trying to hide his facial expressions, Indiana looks at Michael more curiously than the first time they met a few weeks ago. "What do you mean by 'little people'?"
Michael walks back over to the bench and sits down, putting his arm on the back rest. "Ya know... tha wee little ones... tha tricksters.... tha faerie folk... Call yourselves wha' ya want, I can see ya a mile away."
Getting even more curious, Indiana looks at Michael, "What do you mean?" Michael smiles at Indiana. "You some sort of hunter?"
"HA! HA! HA!" Michael puts his hand to his gut as he laughs. Both Indiana and Gunthar are a little wonderous over this new turn.
"If he knew all along, why didn't he say anything?" Gunthar thinks logically to himself.
"Ahh, Indiana, yur people have always been able ta make me laugh." he says, patting him on the back. "No lad, I'm no hunter." Reaching into his pocket, he pulls out a coat of arms Indiana hasn't seen in seeming aeons. It is the arms of McFahy, a clan that was known for it's closeness to most all faerie folk. "Michael McFahy's ma name, young Indie. Or should I say 'old Indie'?"
"You mean to tell me, all this time..." pausing for a moment in reflection. "Wait a minute?! Did you say I'm not the first you've seen?" he asks, grabbing him by the lapels of his uniform.
"Aye, tha' I did." he answers a little unsure and gently removing Indiana's hands from his uniform.
"Where? When? How can this be?!"
"Wha' do ya mean?" Michael gets his turn to ask. "Don' ya know where ta find each other?" He asks a bit puzzled.
Indiana turns to Michael and tells of the long story about the faerie folk he knew. He told him about the rapid growth of the human species, and the problem they were facing of the fear of overpopulation. Then, in great detail, he told a captive Michael about the faeries' decision to move to another planet to let the humans have room to grow and develope. When he was through with that, he told him about his 'gift' from Zeus and why he was in Parodopolis- excluding Gunthar from the tale for his protection.
"Wow... You're older than the ancients I've met... They haven't told me about the move, though..." he stops as if he's remembering something. "There was one o' you, a female... like ya described, lookin' for a lone male like you..."
"That's impossible! Tiarra is long since dead." he says shaking his head.
Michael gets up from his seat and turns, smiling as he walks away. Then, he stops and turns back to his little friend, "Ya think Zeus is tha only god out there?" He winks at Indiana and continues, "B'sides... love conquors all boundaries... ev'n time." He turns and walks into the now thinning fog. Indiana is left with lots to think of.
"Perhaps..." Gunthar breaks the few moments of silence, "...the dreams are happening because she's near." Lost in thought and disbelief, Indiana lets somone get closer than he usually does.
"Shh... someone else is coming."
Through the fainting fog, the familiar figure of so long ago returns. Her scent the exact same as he rememberd it before. Tears stream their cheeks as they run up and embrace each other. "I never forgot you Indie..." she cries, muffling her sobs in his hair. The two never notice the tall Gunthar slip off, deeper still into the park. Their hearts are blinded to all but each other. At long last, they are reunited. At last.... they can rest in peace...
As they hug, another shadow moves through the trees, watching. It is not Gunthar though, and neither of these gnomes know it's there......
Hmmmm...............