The scent of darkness is in the air, overcoming the gardens nearby as the Dark One walks upon the pavered walk……….

….yet even as the Dark One’s light shines brightest, the serpent that is darkness slithers at the edges of her reality hoping to strike at the very heart of her soul…..trying to bring her down to the level of its underworld existence….but she must fight against it and its mate until it is not a threat to her happiness any longer…..it is a battle of wills……darkness against light…..over and over………never ending………but she will overcome it with strength, courage and valor……..as the serpent has none of these to fight with…….its only weapons are that of ill will and underhanded ways……and they cannot overcome her no matter that her heart is bleeding with sadness for loss once again……the loss of a thousand nights knowing that one of her own blood is borne of hell and has refused redemption……she cannot save the serpent…….the serpent has chosen its own path of shadowed light…....shadows of guilt covered with lies and deceit………light beams down upon it and it hisses wildly burning in the heat…….but no one cares to hear its blackness…….and the Dark One is upon it wielding her Sword of Truth…..striking it down for the last time and not looking back……..moving forward to a life without the darkness of the serpent’s will……the serpent whose given name denotes that of a rose covered in thorns is banished forever from her life and cannot hurt her ever more……….the Dark One stands upon the hill where the gazebo rises toward the sky……..the sun sets and the moon rises and the stars appear……..gazing upon them she stands strong with her sword at her side…….slowly, she raises it toward the sky and vows that no one shall ever take from her ever again that which is most precious…….her happiness and her light……..forever they shall remain within her as she guards her magical harbor once again…………