Chapter Text
Ianto woke long before the coming dawn and lay there wondering why.
The darkness was broken with the moonlight filtering through the net curtains blowing in the breeze, creating patterns on the white walls. He could hear a frog croaking softly somewhere and knew the world around him in this little bubble were all asleep bar those on duty. Maybe it was that.
Someone walking past accidentally crunched gravel on the path or something, enough to wake him from the silence he had grown used to here in Utopia. Jack muttered softly rolling and hugging his pillow in that endearing way that always made Ianto smile.
Jack's lips pouted and Ianto leaned in, stealing a kiss with glee before he settled back down and told himself ot let it go. Go to sleep. Too early. Big day. Blah blah. You know, the usual stuff that doesn't work.
Then he heard it.
Someone was calling his name, a soft whisper on the breeze and he rose, checking all were asleep before he pulled pants and a tunic on and slipped from the house to look around. No patrol was near them, a tiger cough in the distant tree line told him the night life was not bothered or concerned about anything.
There is was again.
Like a sigh.
Ianto
He sighed too, then decided if he was up he should at least do as he was bid and he padded through the rocks into the receiving village where he nodded to a guard who looked at him with surprise before bowing slightly and continuing on his way with the monkey on his shoulder seemingly no big deal as it waved back at Ianto.
Ianto slipped off his shoes and walked to the water's edge. He waited until she rose and turned to face him, her hair flowing over her body like a cloak in the darkness, the moonlight making her skin glow in the moonlight that seemed a golden hue.
"What is it?" he whispered.
She didn't answer, but she rarely did, merely turning and looking towards the mainland where a distant glow showed burning. Ianto could not see them but felt those passing through the mists and he shuddered as he felt soul after soul pass.
"By the water's kiss … what is it?" he whispered, watching as the glow suddenly flared and the sky seemed to be too bright to see for a moment. "Oh my gods … was that ….was that a power plant?"
She turned back to him and he had seconds to prepare before the blast hit that almost took him off his feet, his clothing flapping as he screamed into the roar of the storm. It was not the blast from the fire … no … it was the sudden onslaught of life … loss … passing over.
Ianto closed his eyes, unable to watch as those passing looked for one another in the mists, hands reaching and clasping one another. Families. Gods. It was not a town … it was a city. A city of people were just incinerated and he felt ill even as he ws comforted knowing they were going to a place where they would be renewed.
Ianto looked at her as she dripped in the water, her face mirroring his own with sorrow.
"How long?" he asked "If they are cleansing the world now … clearing out the humans or herding them or whatever this plan seems to be …. My love … do you know how long it will take before they reach here?"
She shook her head and her hair moved like she was still underwater, her eyes swirling with their golden glow as she whispered softly "they are already here."
Ianto took a deep breath as dawn started to peek around the dark curtains of night, then the turned for the village.
He ran.