Work Text:
Dakkar learned to live with the ache.
The glow of radiance within him was always some kind of innate feeling. It's a part of him. He has no idea where to even begin to describe the feeling. Like the blood that runs through his veins, like the oxygen flowing into his lungs. It's simply always there, like a flame burning brilliantly within his chest. He could draw on it whenever he needed to attack, defend, protect.
In the Blazing World, it was lit up brighter than any lighthouse. Fueled by every single inhabitant's own radiance. Everyone felt its warmth, everyone felt each other's warmth.
That flame is only a flicker now. Only Lincoln Island stands as the sole beacon. Only the few friends he held onto continue to shine. The— his spell took the rest away. Darkness and shadow swallowed them up until not even a glimmer of them remained. Seemingly forever lost in his illusion.
Even his sister is gone. What once shone the brightest of all has gone out. Right along with her memories. He is well aware it's for her own good, her own safety. Still that does not snuff the anger, the all consuming grief.
He hadn't been aware that that connection could be taken away. It was always another thing a part of him. Some kind of constant. Now it's like a gaping maw has opened up. A hollow where her light should be. There's no doubt he could drown in it, if he lets himself.
Dakkar won't. He cannot.
A truly exhausted sigh escapes him as he stares into the fireplace. The crackling embers and the distant sounds of waves, way down on the beach, are the only other noises filling the space. The quiet does little to silence his warring thoughts.
Once again, he's hardly gotten any sleep and he's not getting more any time soon. Addison is convinced his eye bags are going to become a permanent fixture on his face if his poor sleep schedule continues to hold.
He doesn't disagree.
Squeezing his eyes shut for a brief moment, he takes a deep settling breath. He opens them and slowly rises to his feet. He swipes a few loose strands away from his his face. He rolls back his shoulders. A crick, the same crick, announces itself in his neck.
No light passes through the opening that leads to the staircase. It's not even dawn yet. If he starts for his grotto, all he'll earn himself is a lecture. Even though all of them enjoy pushing themselves to their limits, they have little tolerance for when someone else does the same. Hypocrites, the lot of them. Still, Dakkar is in no mood to be on the end of one Ahlaam's disappointed faces. For someone usually so cheery, she can become quite scary.
Instead, he decides to step out and breathe in that sea air. Leaning a hip against the opening, his eyes shut as the breeze hits his face. For a brief moment he can imagine he's on his old ship. He can imagine the gentle sway akin to a cradle as it bobbed on the waves. When only the threat of an incoming storm kept him awake at night.
Almost begrudgingly, his eyes open and flick up to the moon. She's nearly full tonight. Not a cloud dots the sky to block it out. It never gets old, no matter how many times he looks at it. Silvery light travels down to him in shimmering bands.
The deepest ache somehow smarts.
Margaret would have loved this sight.
His teeth grit together. Can he have but one moment where he's not fighting against himself? Where it doesn't feel like he'll rip apart if he thinks too hard about it? His fingernails dig into his palms.
The exact moment before he decides to head back in to try to hopelessly grab more sleep, something alights in his chest. Like even the brief thought was enough to summon it. Like something finally listened.
A gasp rips out of him. He feels it.
He feels her. She's using her radiance. Somewhere, somehow she's using her radiance.
Like mast sails finally catching a strong wind, Dakkar’s lungs expand. It's like he's truly breathing in for the first time in eons.
The surge is nowhere near the level she was known to have in the past, but it's still strong. It's undoubtedly her. It could not be anyone else.
His knees buckle. A hand latches onto the stone to keep himself upright. The other clutches desperately at his chest, right over his heart. His nails dig into the fabric of his shirt, like he’ll finally fall apart if he lets go now. Like this glow will dim if he loses focus for a second.
Without an ounce of effort, he can feel her uncertainty, confusion, fear, and some kind of betrayal through this brief moment of connection. But, she's there. She's there!
Tears prick at his eyes, but he has no desire to wipe them away. He allows himself this release as all he can focus on is drawing in another breath. Each one is ragged and rough, but he’s still breathing. This is real. This is no trick. This is no lie.
This is no illusion.
She’s still out there. Her light didn't go out forever. It was foolish to even believe that for a millisecond. It's Margaret. Is there anything that could truly stop her?
He vaguely hears the thundering of footsteps, the whooshes of movement, the growing volume of chatter in the room behind him. However, all his focus is still drawn to the sky for one moment longer.
He smiles to the moon. A real smile. Not one meant to appease his worried friends. A real one.
Dakkar keeps looking until the glow fizzles out and the hollow takes it's place once more. But, it doesn't ache this same. The fires of the Blazing World feel to be reignited, reinvigorated within himself. He turns back inside to the others. They have a lot to discuss.
Dakkar starts awake, neck bent over at a strange angle. He ruffles a hand through his hair and runs it down his face. He lets loose a quiet groan before stretching out his back. It gives a few pops, but the soreness is already there, making itself eagerly known. One of these days he's got to stop falling asleep at his work table.
He knows he won't.
Drowsiness clings to his mind, dulling his thoughts. Why had he startled awake? A brief glance confirms no one was fumbling around or trying to snag his attention. It is only him in here.
Still, it feels like something is nagging at the back of his head, something he can't easily brush to the wayside. Perhaps it's the stress finally making him start to lose it. Wouldn't be the most surprising thing in the world.
Then it hits him.
Like a shot of adrenaline is cascading through his whole system, the biggest surge he's felt so far jolts him backwards. He nearly falls over in his chair.
Margaret has been slowly getting the hang of her radiance. Well…he assumes she's getting the hang of it. Small motes have pulsed through him pretty regularly, although none of them had come close to the strength she first showed weeks and weeks ago.
This one blows the rest far out of the water.
Movement. He has no idea how he could possibly know that, yet that doesn't stop the thought from materializing in his mind. She's moving something massive based solely on the power coming through on his end.
Once more, the emotions come freely. There's fear, rage, but also some kind of confidence. Before there was a constant grip of uncertainty, something weighing her down. Now, the anchor has been cut loose. He almost wishes he could see exactly what she's doing, but unfortunately…
Wait.
He does what would kindly be described as a mad scramble to the opening in the grotto, one that gives him a straight shot to the sky.
Sia's vision immediately shoots to the forefront of this thoughts. Could they really already be there? He hadn't even realized.
Sure enough, what looks like a small comet shoots upwards across the sky. A trail of radiant blue surrounds it. Nothing is stopping it from climbing higher and higher.
Margaret really is catapulting a brick satellite into the atmosphere. He knows that Sia said a brick satellite when she described her vision, but forgive him for having trouble believing in that specific detail. Though he should learn to shake that doubt, Margaret always has that bothersome trait of proving him wrong.
He stands in stunned silence, this time he doesn't need to latch onto anything to stay upright. The glow dissipates from the satellite exactly as the flicker within him fades out, expectedly. Not even someone as powerful as Margaret could move something that massive for long. Yet, even without her aid, it still keeps going.
Despite his focus locked upwards, he doesn't miss the brief breeze of wind and the person saddling up next to him. They stand in silence for a moment.
"It really is something isn't it?" Awe is clearly present in Sia's voice. She always got like that when Margaret learned some impressive new feat.
"It is."
There was no doubt that Sia had been counting down the minutes before the satellite launched. She has her part to play not too long from now.
"Are you looking forward to seeing her again? To meeting them all?"
She pauses and ignores the questions as she grasps the hidden meaning beneath his words. "So, you really believe me."
He sighs. "I never thought you untrustworthy, it was just and still is—"
"Hard to believe?"
"Yes," he admits. "It was difficult to imagine there was a way that Margaret could come home. That we'd all return home once more. That we could right what was wronged."
He knows her vision by heart, just as any resident of Lincoln Island does, but sometimes, it was easier to believe it was a story. He never objected to any actions made to adhere to it, but he never could bring himself to completely believe.
"It is a lot."
Right. She would know better than anyone.
Dakkar crosses his arms and starts tapping out a beat with his index finger. "It couldn't be my sole lifeline. Again, I trust you, I trust your visions, I always have. They have never steered us wrong. But, for the infinitely small chance this one didn't work out, and I staked everything on it…
"I don't… I don't know if I could survive that." His voice drops nearly to a whisper. Moisture starts gathering on his eyes. "I can't afford to lose all my hope."
She steps closer, leaning slightly against his shoulder. She stays quiet.
He blinks his eyes and clears his throat. "But, you got this right. A brick satellite is in Earth's orbit, exactly as you described. So…I think I can afford to believe a little more."
They return to complete quiet, only looking at the sky as the satellite gleams far above them.
Sia returns to his initial questions. "I am excited. To see everyone. I've only had the image of her and her companions. I still haven't wrapped my mind around the fact that they'll be in front of me." She shakes her head a little. "Of course, I'm happy to see Margaret, to see how she was progressed with her magic ways resurfacing. To see what she's already remembered."
Her voice becomes softer. "I can't wait to see if she's okay. If she's…happy."
He's dying to know as well. It's one of the rare moments where he desperately wishes he had movement. He never held any envy or jealousy towards those that had that magic. He's satisfied with what he has… it is enough. Still, his sister is right up there, she could be in his sights right this moment.
But, he can be patient. Out of everyone, Sia is one he completely trusts to do this job well and to be there for his sister.
Her piercing eyes turn and stare into his own. One of the underlying reasons for this moment makes itself known. "Are you going to be okay?"
Dakkar knows what she's getting at. This wait will be twice the length they've already suffered through. There's no reason to suspect this time around will be any easier.
He gives her a reassuring smile and then looks outward. "I'll be fine. I'll be too busy not to be. I'll have the Nautilus to prepare. I'll have the island to look after. I'll have Rose to get up to speed when she arrives right before your return. We have precious little time to figure out how she connects to this."
"I don't envy you at all. I feel like I get the easy part." He can see the pinched expression even without looking
"Time travel is no small feat." He pauses before looking back over at her. "You know we're all going to miss you, right?"
She's already looking at him with a bittersweet grin. She nods.
"See you soon, Nemo."
"Safe travels."
Dakkar's eyes stay locked on the sky as Sia disappears from his side and into the space above. He continues to stare as the sun rises higher and higher.
The pulse of Sia transmuting the interior of the satellite passes through his internal radar, following him as he heads back into the heart of the island.
A day later he senses the instance both Sia and Margaret go dark simultaneously. This time, luckily, he knows the exact date they'll return. Thirty nine years and they'll be back. In the meantime, he's got work to do.
Once again, it surprises him. It's not the powerful pulse that startled him at his workbench. It's hardly a spark. Yet, like waves lapping on the sand, it washes over him. It's an ember burning warmly in his chest, in tandem with his own.
Dakkar hopelessly missed it.
He'll never say the years without it once more were easy, it never is. But, it's not a complete and utter shock to his system when her radiance refills the hole within him. It's simply comforting.
“What are you smiling about?”
Dakkar jumps from where he sits, again almost falling out of his chair. He turns and finds that Rose is not nose deep in her book, like he thought she was. Narrowed eyes, glinted with playful suspicion peer over at him.
“Am I not allowed to smile?” he deadpans back.
“No…but you’ve had a massive furrow between your brows all day, on top of acting like a complete sourpuss! Which, to be fair is normal for you, but still, what changed?” Some kind of intrigue is blatantly painted on her face.
He fiddles with his scanner for a moment, letting her wait a bit for his response. “It’s nothing.”
She rolls her eyes. "Fine, don't tell me." She returns to her book, but he doubts she's actually reading it with her continued grumbling under her breath.
He sighs. There is no interest in sharing his complete past, but he knows he can't simply leave her in the dark at this moment. "Your past self is currently on the Sargasso sea."
"I know that!" She huffs. "I thought for a moment something exciting had happened…"
Then the lightheartedness fades as her own furrow finds its way between her brows. "But, it's just that my friends and past self are at sea and we still haven't figured anything out. We've practically wasted the ten days that I've been here. We have nothing to show for it. All this work, all this time and we're not even close to an answer. We still have no idea how I'm the solution to all your problems!"
Dakkar grimaces, but Rose isn't looking to catch it. It isn't her fault, of course. They hardly know what Rose being the key could possibly mean, so how could they expect her to know? He won't ever blame her. Though it is beyond frustrating when each scan returns nothing new, when each test comes up negative.
Still, sitting here, worrying and fretting about it, won't bring them any closer to finding that answer. They just have to complete the next test. Take the next step forward. Exactly what he's always done.
"Rose," he says as he grabs back her attention. "We still have time and your companions will be here soon. Perhaps they could be of some help in this conundrum."
That returns a tentative smile. “Right. Yeah, you're right. What am I doing, there's still time left." Her typical spark of determination returns. Then some softness creeps into her words. "It’s felt like it’s been forever since I've seen them. We’ve hardly been apart for more than a day as of late. I’ve missed them so terribly.”
Margaret's glow recedes once more like the tide ebbing away.
“I know the feeling.”
The sun continues to dip below the horizon line. Shades of orange and pink coat the sky, making the blasts of blue stick out even more. Dakkar wipes away the sweat gathered on his forehead. The trek up the mountain is never a fun one, but this can wait not a moment longer.
He’s done his time.
The flood of relief that surrounded him when the Ellen Austin landed safely on their shore is nearly indescribable.
Agony is the best descriptor for what he felt as he waited along the shore for Sia and Ahlaam to accomplish their mission. The comfort of Ahlaam efficiently rescuing the sailors reassured him, but the battle Sia and Margaret faced did quite the opposite.
Through the many powerful blasts of radiance, he sensed a massive undercurrent of fear and confusion from Margaret. The same desperation clawed through him, however, it is still impossible to miraculously gain the ability of movement. So, he had to wait and believe they'd be okay. And, they were. Spotting the group of four safe and sound was a breath of fresh air for everyone involved on the island, especially for Rose.
However, as they waited for their direct approach, tension had flitted within him, alongside a particular annoying bit of antsiness and anxiety. A part of him longed to finally, finally see her for himself. Another was petrified she'd have zero recollection. Sia had warned him that she remembered less on the Brick Satellite than she initially anticipated.
He was right to worry.
Margaret looked nearly the same. The magic ways that thrummed within her felt the same even if her new experiences on Earth had changed her.
But, the bright eyes that took in their welcome showed no recognition when they met Dakkar's. They just flitted right away to the next. He could tell she felt some familiarity to Lincoln Island, to the travelers, but nothing of their history.
Nothing of her brother.
He cannot blame her. She has no part in deciding when and what she remembers. Yet this knot within him continues to pull taught. The pressure continues to build.
He was content to wait for her mind to catch up on its own. To let it take its time. Sia believed that was best as eventually, as her vision dictates, her memory would fully return. It must. That reassurance hardly lasted an hour after their arrival, even with the distractions from their new visitors.
As the day had drawn to nearly a close, Margaret begged Sia for some proper training. Surges of radiance grew and grew, growing Dakkar's antsiness. They eventually broke the camel's back.
At last, with a pant, he crests to the top of the mountain and immediately cuts into their session. Sia's explanation of the events on the ship had been bouncing around his head all afternoon. He became more and more sure that there was a way to quickly restore her memories. If she could remember her and Sia's attack, he is sure she'll remember this.
Margaret has that stubborn confidence burning in her eyes he knows all too well. The same look she has when she wants to push herself. When she wants to learn everything she can. When she wants to perfect her magic ways.
For a moment, he feels much younger. The shadows start to recede. Their desires are aligned once more. She wants her memories back just as much as he does.
Sia protested as hard as Ahlaam once did when they begged her to help test out this coordinated move. But, she knew, as much as anyone, that it is nearly impossible to dissuade them when they had their minds made up.
She fell in line and quickly got herself into a readied stance, ready on their count. Dakkar nods and her beam fires on a direct collision course towards them.
Neither Dakkar nor Margaret have to give it a thought. Their radiance ignites to swirl and dance together. No longer acting separately, no longer worlds apart, no longer only him desperately reaching out to her. He feels a response this time. They twirl in sync, in harmony. Sia’s powerful blast continues to surge, but Dakkar feels no fear. Surety thrums within his chest.
He's done being afraid.
The memory that Sia's brief resistance triggered resurfaces as his protection magic continues to grow. This method was forged and mastered over a very long time. They were told such a thing was impossible, but they were so sure they could crack it. They were so sure that if anyone could do it, it'd be them. However, the overinflated confidence they had in their youth allowed Ahlaam to knock both of them out cold simultaneously. They had been just a tad bit too slow.
He can still hear their mother’s scolding and feel the pounding headache he had when they woke up. Ahlaam still likes to brag that she managed to take down two royals in one single blow.
Their hands no longer move in that clumsy childlike fashion. Those times are now a thing of the past.
All he sees is bright blue as Sia’s radiance blast surrounds them before it is neutralized, fizzling out to power the strengthened barrier emanating from him and his sister. Just like he believed with everything he had, it went off without a hitch.
He steps out of the ending position to look at his sister. She's already there is meet his gaze. Her eyes become red rimmed and finally, finally, he sees recognition.
"Dakkar...Brother..." She hesitantly reaches a hand out.
"Sister...You found me." Nothing could ever stop him from reaching back towards her and gathering her into an embrace.
Margaret cries into his shoulder and he is not that far behind. She keeps repeating, "I know you, I know you."
The only thing cinching tight right now is their arms around each other. For once, the knot unwinds, the raw grief no longer jabs as fiercely. The anger is not there.
Even though they're far from done, even though this is only the beginning, for the smallest moment, he feels like he's home. No more will her spark ever go dark again.
Even as both of their magic ways start to wane from overexertion, her radiance glows like an everlasting beam within him. It’s nice to feel it so close. No distance keeps them apart.
The sun set a long while ago, but the successful block had energized both of them. Sia traded off training to Dakkar almost immediately after they eventually managed to let go of each other. She recognized they'd want some time with only the two of them.
As soon as Margaret got a taste for protection, she needed to perfect it. The drive so similar to the borderline scary one she had in their youth. His cheeks have begun starting to hurt from being stretched in a smile for so long.
He thought he knew how much he missed this. He was light-years away.
It started off a bit odd, having to teach Margaret of all people, the basics, but they soon found their rhythm. The pieces began clicking together easier and easier, her memories returning faster and faster. Not everything is back yet, but, for right now, what's back is enough.
Her brow furrows in concentration as she traces out ward patterns perfectly with her hands. A brief shield holds true before it dissipates as she lowers her hands.
“Not too bad. You may rival me one day if you keep that up,” he lightly teases.
Margaret doesn't respond or raise her hands back up to try another, the blue glow surrounding her fingers diminishes. The furrow does not leave.
With something seemingly now on her mind, she moves away to sit along the cliff edge. Her attention is immediately drawn upwards. The moon is there is look back.
Dakkar, of course, joins her. They sit shoulder to shoulder in silence. He thinks he needed the break as well.
Suddenly, she turns and takes a beat to stare at Dakkar. A pinched expression crosses her face.
“I’m sorry.”
Dakkar is taken aback at the absurdity of that statement. What is there to apologize for?
He shakes his head “Don’t be. You’re already picking it up quickly. I doubt it’ll take long before it’s all under control, before it's all back.”
She fiddles with her skirt. “That’s not what I meant.”
“Then what could you be sorry about?”
Tears prick at her eyes. “I left you alone.”
Oh.
He slowly takes her hand and holds her stare to make sure she hears this. “I was never alone, Margaret. I had Lincoln Island, I had the travelers. You were the one, out of all of us, that was alone.”
“But, I didn’t know what I was missing." Even more sorrow eclipses her expression. "It was not easy, I’ll admit that, but…if I had known, remembered the home I left behind, the family I was apart from…” She shakes her head. “Brother, I cannot imagine the ache.”
He sighs as he looks down at the waves. “It was difficult. It still is. Some days were worse than others, but…beyond everything else I had the prophecy. Sia's vision. I knew there was a chance we could fix everything and a chance to get you back. I could hold onto that.
"But, all that hardly matters anymore. Sister, you’re here. That’s all in the past. Yes, we were apart, but now we're together.”
“I’m still sorry.”
“And, I forgive you. There is nothing that could make me blame you. Any anger I had was never directed at you. Do not hold onto that guilt.” He looks back to the moon. “And…even apart, I still felt you.”
“What do you mean?”
“The magic ways keep us all connected. The fire from the Blazing World binds us together. When you had to leave, you went dark, for a long time. But, the moment you began unlocking your radiance, we all felt you again. Every time you used it, I knew you were closer to coming back to us.”
“I never knew that.” She holds a hand to her own chest, seemingly now putting to words the feeling she must have been having as well.
Her steely determination returns as she squeezes his hand tighter, locking their eyes. “I promise, we'll never split up ever again. I’ll make sure of it.”
He can only manage a nod in response. He's already lost far too much. He'll do anything to guarantee it as well.
Dakkar’s fingers curl into the sand, desperately trying to remain grounded. Sweat gathers at his temples, pouring down in buckets. Smoke from cannon fire burns his eyes. Matched with the dizziness, it's become extremely difficult to make out the ships in front of him.
Never has he felt so depleted until now. Like the very fire of radiance burning within him was being snuffed out.
When the wards were shattered, the blast of radiance had taken the meager amount of magic he still clutched to. The radiance, mingled with fog and darkness, felt as if it seared him to his core. His father always knew to hit where it hurt. He should have anticipated this, he should have not let Kal foolishly distract him. But, any blame for anything slips away. Followed swiftly by the burning pain turning numb. Neither of those things are what's important right now.
He knows his radiance must be screaming out, sounding like a fog horn across still water. He knows that Margaret and his friends feel it. Just as he knows they're exhausted. Just as he feels their own fear as they try to save who they can.
He trusts Sia to keep Margaret, Rose, John, and Samuel safe. He trusts Ahlaam to grab the orrery. He trusts Addison to pilot the Nautilus and fly them to the first gate. He'd never not trust them. It's impossible
Dakkar will take this. If he must play martyr to return their homeland, he will. He meant it, if he must die to hold this beach, so be it. There is no possibility he could survive another blast.
Even as exhaustion threatens to pull him under, there is only one thing causing a streak of fear to run straight through him. His three magic ways could not get him to the fights he hopelessly wanted to be a part of.
But, hers can.
They’re all so important for the prophecy, for restoring what was lost. And, right now, they’re safe. She's safe. They should be on the Nautilus about to make their departure. She should remain there and follow along with the vision, to save them all.
He knows she won't.
Even with his heartbeat pounding in his ears, the cacophonous ringing of cannons, he doesn’t even need to hear the sound of teleportation. He doesn’t even have to look up to know she’s there. He feels it the instant she lands on the beach several paces ahead.
"Hang in there, brother, I'm here!" The protection magic that once looked unsteady not too long ago perfectly deflects the next blast.
Her radiance always burns bright and steady. There is nothing, no miles, no years, that would cause him to forget that.
"Yes! You are."