InsaneJournal

Elemental Who. 040. Sight.
Title: A Personal Matter
Fandom: The Elemental Who
Characters: Keith and John
Prompt: 040. Sight.
Word Count: 361
Rating: PG (Fan rating K+)
Summary: Keith's taking their battles with Mara personally.



1980

Keith was starting to take this personally.

In the twelve years they’d been Elementals, they had battled the Dark Lady – Mara – and her supporters four times.

Each and every one of those battles but one had cost Keith his sight. Oh, granted, it had returned on its own every time, but STILL!

One early morning as he was pacing his room ranting about it – in a whisper, so as not to wake John – it hit him. “Mara…. Mar….MER…. HER element is water TOO!”

“So?” John rumbled sleepily.

Keith froze. “Sorry. Didn’t mean to wake you.”

Sitting up, John waved a hand dismissively even as he yawned. When he was done, he said, “You didn’t. Not like I could sleep anyway – not with you pacing like a caged animal.”

“Sorry,” Keith sighed as he sank onto his bed. “It’s just—“

“Mara again.” At Keith’s snort and nod, John sighed. “Keith, why are you so bothered by this? We ALL have to fight her. But you seem to be brooding over this!”

Keith glared at him. "Yeah, well, you're not the one she BLINDS every bloody time but one we fight, are you? Oh, yeah, and that time she didn't BLIND me -- she bloody KILLED ME!"

"Keith--"

"No! Pete said my heart STOPPED! She KILLED me! Just for a minute, till Pete got water to me and kick-started my heart again, but she KILLED me!"

John sighed again, rubbing the bridge of his nose and deciding to just let it drop. “And you’re trying to figure out why you.”

“I’ve FIGURED out why me,” Keith said. “I just haven’t figured out how to beat her yet.”

“Okay, why you?”

“Because I’m Water. Mara is Water, too. I’m the one most like her – as well as the leader of you three sods.”

John cocked an eyebrow. “So this IS personal.”

Keith nodded. “Oh, yeah – this is VERY personal. I just don’t know how to beat it yet.” A smile played on his lips. “But I will.”

“No, you won’t.” At Keith’s incredulous look, John grinned. “WE will.”

And while it was calculating and closed-mouthed, Keith’s answering smile was also very warm.

END