The Power of Love: Rune Stones Well, what is a rune stone? It is something fortune tellers use to tell the future. What do my rune stones say about P/T? Well, I'll tell you, and I have a little book and am not sure If all the names of stones are correct.. note: I am using the exact terms from the book, and am using the three stone draw method. Gyfu = A gift, opportunity, partnership, teamwork Ken = Warmth, celebration, love, success Ing = Fertility, family, good results Sound like good signs huh?   Torres slowly wandered into the Sickbay of Deep Space Nine Space Station. She had been letting of steam in her quarters when she punched a bulkhead, and both heard and felt a crack in her wrist. She thought it was nothing serious, but figured it was safer to see the Doctor. "Hello. How may I help you Miss?" The Doctor was fairly young, and had some accent she couldn't distinguish. "Torres. B'Elanna Torres. And you are?" "I'm Doctor Julian Bashier. What is wrong with you?" Torres paused for a moment before bending the truth a touch, "I...uh.. hurt my wrist." "Oh. Let's see, I'll need some information about you first, since you are a new patient." "Okay." "Name?" "B'Elanna Torres." "Age?" She told him, this time not lying. "Species?" "Half-human," she paused for a second, "Half-Klingon." "Interesting. Where do you live?" "Um.. well, I have temporary quarters on this station, but I don't have a permanent place to live. I just got back from Voyager a few days ago." "You were on Voyager?" "Yeah." "Okay.. I can get the rest from other scans, this is all I need to make a record of you. Now, let me see that wrist." The doctor carefully touched her wrist, then looked it over, scanning it at all times. B'Elanna felt a great deal of pain, but kept silent. "Well Miss Torres, you've managed to break your wrist. I need to know what you were doing when you first felt the pain." "Well, I was... I uh... punched a bulkhead." "That would do it," he ran a device over her fractured wrist, "there, all better, now, if you wouldn't mind, I have other business to attend to... you can go now." "Thanks," Torres said, and dragged herself out of Sickbay. B'Elanna was going to head back to her quarters, but decided to take a walk around the Promenade. She saw many things, restaurants, a bustling bar, a Bajoran religious something she didn't know anything about. One thing caught her eyes, a small woman, a child was standing outside of a small room. Torres didn't know what she was selling or doing, but walked over any way. "Hello B'Elanna, I've been expecting you," she girl couldn't be more than 14 years old, if that much. She had dark brown hair pulled into a ponytail, showing off her golden earrings, and her human face covered with freckles. She didn't seem young, she seemed older, wiser beyond her years. "How do you know my name?" "Come with me," she turned and headed into the small shop. Torres followed behind the girl, who was around 5 feet, 3 inches, eager to learn what this * child * knew. The room was dark, lit only by a small beacon in the center of the room on a table surrounded by two chairs. "Sit," the girl said, pointing at the vacant seat, for she was already in one.  "Who are you? What's your name?" Now Torres got a closer look at the girl. Her cheeks were a pale pink, and her eerie yellowish-green eyes had dark circles under them. "Name's are irrelevant, they have no meaning here." "What should I call you?" "Call me The Era, for I know all about the eras, past, present and future." "Well... The Era.... why did you take me here?" "I didn't take you anywhere, you have brought yourself. Now, I know you want to know something, but can you admit it, do tell." "I want to know when, if, Tom will come back." The Era pulled put a small drawstring bag and pulled out a white stone. "What is that?" Torres asked. "A rune stone." B'Elanna looked closer at it, there was a small symbol engraved in it. It looked like an "R" from the ancient Earth language, English. The Era spoke, "Rad. Change, a journey, movement." "What will happen?" "Only the stones know," she said as she pulled out another stone. This one resembled the "B" of the same language. "Beorc. Growth, beginnings, good news." "Please continue." "I will, I have three more.... my fives will tell all... more than the others threes." Torres knew better than to ask what she meant, so B'Elanna just watched as she pulled out the next white rock. It's symbol looked like a child's drawing of DNA. ><><. "Ing. Family, good results." B'Elanna nodded as The Era chose again. This stone had no symbol. "The Blank. Destiny may take it's actions." Torres grew stiff, she didn't like those words, but watched quietly once more.  The next stone looked like a less-than sign she learned in school, <.  "Ken. Partnership, the gift, teamwork." "Thank you." "Do not thank me, thank fate, for it has been kind." "I don't understand." "Don't try to," and with that remark, The Era vanished. "B'Elanna?" She felt something, someone tap her shoulder. "What?" She snapped to turn and face him, Chakotay. "You looked like you were in a trance, are you okay?" "I'll tell you later." "Is this about Tom, because Kathryn told me about that." "No Chakotay, it's more than that, much more." To  Be Continued :+)   I love doing this to you!  Legal junk. Viacom owns characters, I own story. Comments on my second section of my first real series go to Eraalpert@aol.com.