Run Away Train...

[DoF Archive]

Date: 10/11/1997 11:53 PM Central Standard Time
From: TismanBRos

Tis yawned and rubed his eyes, still weary from the night before. He looked around the Outback for a few silent moments, no one in the rings, no one at the bar. He walked over to the bar and poured himself a Black and Blue, quite a reflection of his feelings. Tis looked at the scoreboard, the couch, and the rings while slowly sipping his ale. The events of the previous night ran through his mind like a derailed freight train. Tis had
struggled to remember what and who he was before the tragic and untimely demise of his former shell.
Ian had fought with all of his heart, and was shocked to see the results. He had never imagined that he would do so well against opponents that he both feared and reviled at times. The strangest part of the night had been in the final round. Tis had fought with everything he had against Jeffrey Oakenshield. During the match he had seen many people outside the ring cheer him on, and strangely enough he remembered all of them. It wasn't a
face or a sentence that he had remembered, but events, places, emotions...
Ian fled several times, thinking each time of Coy and the fabulous Run Away... He remembered Kelli and Stof talking of their child, and he knew that he was there for the proposal of marriage... He remembered Matt and Ginger, Sarah, his daughter, all the events that transpired down to the accident that left Matt confined to a wheelchair... He saw Nate in the crowd, a friend once known to him simply as DR, the one that had called his very first
match... Most of all, Ian whispered to himself "Happy Anniversary"...
Ian remembered leaping from the mat screaming "Punch 'em inna face!", a small reminder to himself of why he was competing in the first place. He fought with all of his heart for just one goal, to prove to the friends that he had made in the Duel of Fists that he was here to stay, to uphold the fine tradition that had been laid down before him. Tis remembered looking up into the eyes of the Half Dwarf that he faced with utmost respect, bowing
low on many occasions to show his respect for well struck blows.
Tis remembered a movie he had seen several years ago in his home on earth, one line rang true "There can be only one" he heard ring in his ears as he fell to the mat in defeat. He had fallen, yes. He had not however lost. Ian had won the most valuable prize of all, the prize of self respect and the knowledge that he could accomplish whatever he wanted to as long as he worked for it. Ian remembered bowing low to Jef before collapsing to the
canvas after the grueling 18 round bout.
Ian held nothing but the utmost respect towards Jeffrey Oakenshield. Every moment of the match that passed, the respect grew stronger. With these emotions flowing through his body, Tis looked around him at a pulsating white light. It seemed as though the entire room glowed at his very form, his black robes becoming blurry and fading away to nothingness as he looked at them. Then slowly, gradually, he looked at his sleeves diappear, followed
by the ends of the robes, his boots, and the attire under the robes being slowly erased and leaving nothing more than the 10' plus form that he aquired before only in rage. As Ian looked over himself it seemed as though a cocoon was sheding itself, the snow white fur that he had come to know in the past few weeks shedding itself...
Ian looked over himself in a cautious fear, although his heart calmed him. The white fur shed itself to show a motley of blacks, ruddys, and browns... His very height seemed to diminsh slightly... His hands formed themselves into the talons that he had used on many occasions throughout his life... Ian felt his face, his jowls drooping slowly, jagged teeth jutting into the fangs that he had known before... His ears drooped over from their
perky stance...
Ian felt a sensation run through him that was sheerly indescribable... almost as if he had been encased in a block of ice and was thawing after a long nap. The chrinos form seemed to swell slightly then fade into a smaller figure... The massive legs that had been covered by the motley fur began to show signs of plaid... the swirling colors of the plaid beoming more distinct... becoming Black Watch, the military regiment that was founded by
one of his decendants... his massive hands became covered in black leather, silver studs showing themselves at various points... his arms and chest faded from their massive fur covered shapes to a somewhat smaller arms, becoming covered in black cotton... the shapes on the cotton becoming letters, the letters becoming words, the words spelling out "Cheat Death" over the shape of a skull wearing a jester's cap... the smell of leather caught his
nostrils as the stiff, tight, silver studded leather jacket began to show itself...
Ian looked himself over and ran a gloved hand over the sides of his head, feeling the stubble before coming to the long black strands of hair that covered his shoulders and neck. He touched his face, and ran his fingers over the short goatee. Ian smiled slightly and looked up to see the white light diminishing itself. "Thank you sweet Gaia..." Tis whispered with a small tear in his eye. He looked down to his hands once more to see a large
silver knuckle ring housing a square cut emerald on his right hand, and a fresher, much smaller pinky ring housing a small opal. Ian nodded to himself before turning to see his reflection in the mirrors of the locker room.
Ian went home after posting a note on the board that hung on the wall of the Outback. He walked up the stairs to see his children, then turning to the bedroom to see Kadi still asleep. He lay the small opal ring on the pillow beside her head before kissing her cheek gently. He brushed his fingers through his beloved's hair and whispered...

"I'm back."