Roger tried to fend off the flurry of images and thoughts and feelings, few his 
own. Or maybe all, or none. It was hard to tell. 

He moved through the shifting, chaotic landscape. The valley in front of him 
shifted into a cathedral, which fragmented into a forest before igniting in 
flames and becoming a volcano in the midst of eruption. He could *feel* the 
Others, but he couldn't see them. It was a little like when Trace was asleep 
while in control, to know that they're there but not quite seeing them, as they 
danced in and out of his line of sight...but the only times it was exactly like 
this was right before-- 

...it's too late. Someone beat him to it. All he could do was hope it wasn't 
someone too dangerous, or at least someone who the others around him could tell 
was an imposter... 

*** 

Ace Diamond's eyes opened. Cool air, pain in the chest, stiffness in the 
muscles...but he was alive, gloriously alive, and he could finally show people 
what beauty *really* meant...