The Four Corners Cycle Feedback- Cherished and answered: Spookey247@msn.com Summary - Truths lurk in a dark place. Our friends descend and delve. Summary - Truths lurk in a dark place. Our friends descend and delve. Notes and Acknowledgments at the beginning of 1/9 More notes and thank-yous at the end of 9/9. Dana runs on the shore of the river, faster and faster, calling Mulder's name. The dead cry out to her, wailing and pleading. She begs them to tell her where he's gone. "Come in, come in," they sing to her. "Come in and we'll try to help you..." Dana takes a few steps forward. Their fingers brush her boots. "Dana, wait. The dead can be a tricky bunch. I wouldn't wade in before I knew where I was going." She starts, turning toward him. He strokes his white beard and smiles. "Water's good, don't you think?" "Where's Mulder?" she cries. "I've got to find him." "Yes, dear, yes. You do." "Help me, then. Where is he?" "He's in the earth." "What?" "Beneath the sky." "I don't know what that means..." "Behind the sun." "You're not making sense. Please help me." The old man leans closer. He chucks her under the chin. "He's under the water, brave girl." He gives her a knowing wink. "Under the water," he mouths, looking very pleased with himself. "Go ahead. He's waiting for you." "You mean..." "You were going to cross the river, weren't you? Look for him there, go ahead. Keep moving. Don't stop until the time is right." "How will I know when the time is right?" "Trust yourself. You'll know." Dana turns back toward the river and steps cautiously into the current. She picks her way across the treacherous river bottom. The water is amazingly easy to traverse. The dead swell around her like a school of fish, sighing with pleasure as they curl and slip over the contours of her body. Suddenly the current lifts her off her feet. She treads water, looking around for some sign to guide her forward. The sound of wings fluttering. A white owl wheels overhead. Dana's arms and legs stop moving. The greedy dead surround her body, pulling her toward the bottom. Sinking. Sinking. Sinking. Snap. She stands on the rim of the earth. She squints, lifting her hands to shield her eyes from the bright sun. The air dry and hot. She walks forward, across rocks, red soil and sparse vegetation. Her mouth is dry. Her heart races. She finds him standing on the edge of a precipice, staring out into the Canyon. "Mulder!" He turns. She catches her breath as he reaches toward her. He is beautiful. He is perfect. His face is dark and troubled. "Mulder, come with me, we've got to go back." He takes her in his arms. His body feels so real, so alive, the muscles taut and sure and strong. She presses against him, vowing not to let go. His eyes search her face. "Tunatya," he murmurs. "Do you remember what that means?" "Tunatya," she whispers fiercely, "it means 'hoping'." "That's right." A bittersweet smile. His mouth bending toward hers. "Remember that, my love." ~~~~ "Damn." Ben whispers. "Do you think we should stop this?" Will's body continues to shake, as if the ground beneath it were about to open and swallow his body whole. Yekaterina sways on her knees, trembling, her mouth locked to Will's mouth, fingers twined with Dana's fingers. A wail is rising inside her body. Dana is stirring, her head rolling from side to side, her lips moving, murmuring. Sam's chanting grows louder by the moment, his eyes rolling back into his head. "Are you kidding?" Dru answers, totally incredulous. "God, I've never seen anything like it. I'm scared to touch them." "It's holy," Kaya whispers, tears shining like crystal in her eyes. "There's a holy thing happening here..." ~~~~ His mouth is a portal, the kiss a twisted path into his soul. Dana streams inside him, coursing past a mosaic of memory and emotion: his life energy, dancing before her mind's eye. A white light burns. She clings to him. They rush down the tunnel together. Mountains of books and files rise around them. The quest that once consumed him. His sister's face, young and innocent. His father's, cruel and rigid. Purple terror. Black despair. His head in a vice. The drill, coming down. He screams. Drums. Firelight. A bitter drink in an earthen bowl. Newborn babies, drenched and screaming. Red passion, like a pool of blood. Scully. The fire that fuels me, he tells her. The heart of my heart, my love. Snap. He's gone. The light stabs at her eyes. She covers them in agony. "Mulder! Where are you?" "It's okay, Dana." A soothing, familiar voice caresses her ears. You, she thinks. You were always with me. "I came to say good-bye to you. I'm going with Birch for a while. He's the only one who understands what I am. I need to find out what he knows." "Please don't go." "Someone has to keep an eye on him, Dana. Someone who knows what he's capable of." "But I haven't seen you in the light. We haven't talked. I haven't touched you." "I'll find you again." "Baby, please, stay. I want to know you." "Oh mama, you will. In time." Soft fingers stroke Dana's hair. The voice sings tunelessly. "The night keeps all her light inside She wonders at the stars In and out of time she sings A song that has no words The night keeps all her light inside She's naked in her shroud She knows the earth is hollow She knows her heart is gone..." "Yes..." Dana breathes. "The rest, please, Katya..." "The night keeps all her light inside To fill her empty womb Her breath comes quick and shallow Like a dying bird The night keeps all her light inside To fill the empty sky She knows the earth is hollow She knows her heart is gone..." "I'm going to go now. I'll see you soon." "Tunatyava," Dana whispers. "What does that mean?" "Coming true." Snap. They stand on a precipice in the blinding sun. Mulder lifts his face away from hers. Tears glitter in his eyes. "Mulder, please," Dana gasps, "Please. Come with me." He smiles. "I'll see you soon." "What do you mean? Come with me, Mulder..." He releases her, backing toward the edge, raising his arms toward the sky, leaning back... "Mulder no, come back, oh my god..." He allows himself to plunge over the edge. "No!" Dana screams as he drops from sight. She falls to her knees, mouth open, face wet in wonder. Snap. Ben's face hangs over hers, pale and worried. "God, Dana, are you all right?" "I saw him..." she murmurs. "Ben! Oh my god, Ben, you made it out..." She sits bolt upright, heart pounding, casting a desperate gaze around the camp. Sam is curled in a ball on the ground, his shoulders shaking. Kaya presses against Matthew at the edge of the circle of firelight, sobbing. "Ben, did you find her? Where's Katya?" "Katya's gone." Dru squats near her. "She said you'd understand." "Oh god, no. I didn't get to see her...god, why did she..." Ben bites his lip. "Katya made a deal with Birch, Dana. She goes with him, the rest of us leave the Canyon alive." "Alive..." Dana closes her eyes and shakes her head. It feels like it's splitting wide open. "Alive. Oh my god, is he alive? Where is he?" She scrambles across the blanket on her knees, snatching Mulder's hand up, pressing it to her cheek. Oh god. It's warm. "You've been screaming his name," Ben rasps. "Calling for him to come back..." "He's alive," she moans. "He's alive, he's alive..." Mulder's eyelids flutter. She gasps and presses her lips to his palm. "Holy..." Dru rushes to his father. "Oh my god..." Ben falls to his knees next to her. "Sam. Kaya." Sam rises from the ground on one elbow. "Will?" Mulder's eyes drift open. He tries to focus on Dana's face, fingers curling against her cheek, lips moving, saying something. "Mulder, I'm here. Don't try to talk. We're all here, shhhhhhh. Just rest." "Tunatya," he mouths at her, "Tunatyava." "Yes, yes," she tells him. "I remember, Mulder. I promise I'll always remember." Tunatya. Tunatyava. Hoping. Coming true. End of Book Four Epilogue August 22, 2036 Somewhere Near Tuba City, Arizona Dana is dozing in the purple light of early morning. She burrows into the bedclothes, savoring the brush of much-laundered cotton against the naked satin of her suntanned skin. She smiles, blissfully. Every day begins in silence. Her body is still humming. Every day begins with him. She reaches over and wraps her arms around his pillow, which lies askew near the edge of the bed. She breathes his essence, just as she does every morning, after he gives her one last kiss and leaves their bed to greet the sun. She's so, so comfortable...just a few more minutes... She's had a hard time getting up lately. But today sleeping in is not an option. Dana sits up with a sigh. Her feet find the floor. She takes a moment to make the bed, enjoying the musky aroma that floats up from the sheets as she straightens them. The smell of pleasure, she thinks. The smell of us. The bed is full-sized, almost brand new. It was a wedding present from Dru, salvaged from some far away place and brought in on the supply truck from Flagstaff. Dana can only imagine what Dru had to do to get it, how many palms he had to grease, how much free repair work he had to promise to his new boss, the supply man. She knows he's probably still paying for the bed; that bothers her sometimes. But he was so proud when he gave it to them that she could not possibly have refused it. She wonders if Dru will come home, today. When he left for work two weeks ago, headed to Phoenix and points beyond, he promised he would be home in time for the celebration. Today's a big day. An important day for the family. It's a day that's been a long time coming. She slips into a long cotton skirt and pulls a tank t-shirt over her head, wincing as the cotton chafes her sensitive nipples. Her breasts have been sore the last few days. She's not entirely sure why. Maybe he's kissed them too much, she thinks, smiling. She steps into the hallway, peering into Mulder's old room. The twins are a tangle of arms and legs, crushed against the wall amidst a heap of sheets and pillows. Last night the boys giggled and wrestled until well past midnight. Maybe they'll sleep late this morning. A few extra minutes of peace would certainly be helpful... Mato and Quinn have been difficult all week. Bouncing off the walls, testing every limit she and Mulder have set. But Dana understands. She's trying to be patient. They're excited. No one in the family has celebrated a birthday since the day that Maia died. This will be the first birthday party the twins have ever had. Dana pads toward the kitchen in bare feet, glancing into Kaya's bedroom as she passes. There are two bumps under the sheet. Kaya's eyes are half-open, gazing into the hallway over Matthew's arm. "Morning," she whispers. "Morning," Dana smiles. She's been noticing, the last few days, how much Kaya looks like her grandmother. She has her grandmother's spirit, too. Her loyalty. Her determination. "I'll be up in a minute, Dana. Stir the fire and I'll start breakfast." Maggie would be so proud of Kaya. She'd be proud of Katya, too. Someday, Dana thinks, I'll tell them both about their grandmother. After I find a way to tell Kaya the truth. Dana swallows the lump that boils up in her throat. She cries at the drop of a hat these days. Mulder keeps teasing her. Calling her 'weepy'. Grinning like an idiot, though she doesn't know why. Dana pauses near the sofa to pull on her boots. Throwing the door of the trailer open, she steps out into the dawn. ~~~~ Dana stirs the coals of the cooking fire. She throws a few sticks of kindling in the embers, blowing on them gently to bring them to life. She takes an old metal bucket and starts toward the spring, remembering a morning, not so long ago, when climbing this slope had been like some kind of Herculean challenge. She bends down by the cool, clear pool and lifts the ladle to get herself a drink. A few tendrils of sunlight spill over the hillside above her. She lifts her gaze to the top of the rise, knowing she'll find him there. He is standing, arms folded, looking out across the mesa. He is beautiful. He is perfect. Dana leaves the spring and climbs toward him. He turns for a moment when he hears her footsteps, reaching for her hand with a delighted smile. "Good Morning, again." He is damp and shirtless. He smells like soap. Dana snakes her arms around his waist, nuzzling his bare chest. He buries a soft kiss in her hair and sighs. "Let's forget the party and go back to bed..." "If only," she laughs. They stand holding each other, looking out at the sunrise. "I wonder if Sam and Ben will make it this afternoon," Dana wonders aloud. "What about it, Mulder? Can you see them out there somewhere?" He watches light creeping across the sky. "They're coming." "How do you know?" He shrugs. He smiles. Sam has been traveling with Ben since Matthew's wedding. They left about a month ago, headed for New Mexico, to visit Ben's friends in the Pueblos. "It's so far away. Do you think they even know what day it is, Mulder?" He looks down at her with a reassuring grin. "They'll be here after lunch." Dana reaches up and smoothes the wet hair away from his forehead. A red, angry scar dashes across it and disappears into his hairline. Another scar, she thinks, on a body that's already covered... She takes a moment to send her thanks heavenward again. He runs a finger over the crease in her brow. "Stop worrying so much," he jokes. "It's a birthday party, not brain surgery." "I want this day to be perfect for the boys. I want them to feel special." He looks down at the ground, wryly. "No worries there. They're special, all right." "Mulder..." "I've got some news," he murmurs, lifting his gaze to her face. "When I went to the exchange yesterday afternoon there was a message from Moenkopi...Last night you were so busy with the boys there wasn't time to tell you." They've been waiting two months for this message. Soon after their return from the Canyon, Mulder went to Moenkopi to plead their case, to ask the elders there to acknowledge the fact that their offspring were normal, and to ask the tribal council to accept their marriage. The Elders asked for time to consider the matter. Since then it's been like waiting for the other shoe to fall. Dana catches her breath. "What did the message say?" He gives her an odd little smile. "It said that Maia's uncle Edward was coming with two of her cousins to join us for the party." "I'm confused, Mulder. That's good, right?" "Well, aside from the fact that it means we're going to be spending the day with an incredibly obnoxious and senile old man, yes, Scully, it's good. It's a sign. It means they've accepted us." "That's wonderful news," she says with a brilliant smile. "It means they've accepted Quinn and Mato, too. Although I'm not really sure why." She lays her hand on his cheek. "They accepted them because there's nothing wrong with them, Mulder. We don't know if what you saw in your vision was the truth. Right now the only thing we know with any certainty is that the twins are normal, healthy children. And this party, this attention, it's what they need. They need us, Mulder. They need you." He closes his eyes. "I'm trying," he mutters huskily. She stands on tiptoe to kiss him. "I know you are." Grief swells, subsides. They ride the wave. "Mulder, I keep thinking about Katya." "I know." She lays her palm on his chest. "Do you still feel her?" "Yes, I always do." He pulls her closer. "We'll see her soon." He bends and runs his lips over the curve of her neck, tightening his grip, pressing her body against his own. Dana gasps as her tender breasts crush against his chest. He stops. He smiles. "Are they still tender?" "Yes. It doesn't let up." His smile gets bigger. "You haven't bled, have you?" "I don't even know if I do that anymore." His face lights like the rising sun. He kneels, lifting the hem of her t-shirt and pressing his lips against the bare flesh of her belly. "Another miracle, Scully," he whispers. "Mulder, you're not thinking...no, no matter how much we might want it, it's simply not possible. My womb has been scarred, there's no way I could conceive..." Tears appear as if by magic. Mulder gazes up at her, grinning like an idiot. "Weepy..." he croons. "Stop teasing me, Mulder. I'm serious. There's got to be another explanation for this." Mulder rises to his feet. He takes her in his arms. He kisses the tears away. "I feel her heartbeat when I'm inside of you." Dana clings to him weakly. "You're not saying..." "I'm saying I'm certain, Scully. I've been certain for days. We're going to have another daughter." Tears like a river. Miracles rushing. Another wish coming true.
Author's Notes: The references to Hopi ritual and mythology found in this story were taken from two books: The Book of the Hopi, by Frank Waters, and American Indian Myths and Legends, edited by Richard Erdoes and Alfonso Ortiz. Both books are fascinating. I highly recommend them. Another good read that served as source material for Four Corners is Dreamtime and Inner Space: The World of the Shaman, by Holger Kalweit. This book rocks. Seriously. Rocks. <G> I have to give a nod to Ursula K. Le Guin, principle goddess of my literary pantheon. Her book, Always Coming Home, dreams of a post-apocalyptic culture based loosely on Hopi culture. Although I didn't borrow anything deliberately from that work, I'm sure bits of its world can be found in the world of Four Corners. Thanks to everyone who supported me while I was writing this, especially Amanda, and my family, who, for four months, had to put up with a neglectful mother who spent too much time in front of the computer. <g> If you liked the Four Corners World, please let me know! There may be other adventures waiting to be written...
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