Rhole stopped paying attention when the dragon stopped breathing.
He has returned to the site where Rock was destroyed, searching the grass frantically while down on his knees. Frustration turns to panic, panic turns to despair, and then despair finally turns to resignation. After several minutes of fruitless searching, he reluctantly gives up and rolls over to collapse on his back.
“There’s nothing left. No remains. No trace. Nothing.”
The gnome takes hold of his trusty instrument, not out of a desire to play but for comfort. He is unusually quiet for a long time, seemingly content to stare up at the sky… and suppressing sniffles. At some point, he instinctively begins playing the dirge for Rock again.
“No. I refuse to accept it. I’ll do what it takes to immortalize Rock if I have to jam reality apart and back again.”
Somehow tapping into the Power of Denial, Rhole’s face becomes a mask of determination and he plays up a new tune. One that starts off simple enough, but soon picks up the pace and begins to stir fundamental forces around you. Eventually the air becomes vibrant with energy, pulsing in the rhythm set by the Great Ultra-Intense Thundering Audio Ripper. And at some point, a separate but distinctive low-frequency instrument jams into the song with renewed vigor.
[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1w7OgIMMRc4&feature=related"]Rise of Rock[/ame]
Rhole’s hair sets into motion and Rock rises out of it – fully reformed and backing up his friend to complete the song. Joyous reunion ensues.
“Rock!”
“Rock! You’re alive!”
Although you’ve never seen the critter able to truly communicate anything complex, it somehow musters a new height of eloquence. And the words it utters forever burns into your memory, as a truly prophetic statement.
“Rock reborn! World need Rock!”