Rudy: (whispering through her tears) "Brad, don’t you dare leave me. Not now. Not like this."

Brad: (his voice a fragile whisper) "Rudy… it’s over. Meteorn is gone… I can rest...for a little while..."

Rudy: (sobbing, clutching him tighter) "Then rest in my arms. But you’re not leaving me. You hear me? You’re not alone anymore."

Brad: (a faint, almost peaceful smile crosses his lips) "Not alone… not anymore. Thank you, Rudy… for everything...let me rest for...some time...."

[His breathing slows as he slips into the first true rest of his eternal life. Rudy holds him close, the warmth of her embrace shielding him from the cold world as tears streak down her face.]

Rudy: (whispering, resolute) "I’ll stay. I’ll always stay. You’ll never be alone again."

[The snow falls silently, as the warrior who bore the weight of the cosmos finally gets his rest...but only for a moment....]