A ray of light so pure streams down and casts a shadow on the pavered walkway of the Dark One herself.....

….and she gazes downward at the armored profile wondering…wanting…..wishing….hoping for another shadow to join her among the bricks engraved with memories of day’s past……..someone new, someone with a heart that feels her own……a man or immortal who will feel as she does about her beloved harbor and will walk with her……..not against her…….as so many have…….someone of truth……..not one who holds back……..but one that gives all in passion of thought, feeling and belief……..not like the others who surround her who ignore the reality of existence……..what good can a life without truth be…..the Dark One knows it is nothing that she desires……her strongest desire is that of knowing truth from lie……..and to walk with someone who knows the same……who believes the same……but where is he……..hidden from her eyes for this time……but he shall appear from the shadows when her heart is free…….when that day comes is a mystery to her……..one she feels ripping at her very soul…..she desires light more than anything within her heart to free her from the sadness that has taken joy from her on far too many star-filled nights…….her only peace that of the glowing moon………but, soon, the Harvest Moon will be upon her and she hopes with her entire being that it will be on that night that love fills her heart more than ever………..forever………

Ever as she wanders, the Dark One seeks the light within….

….yet the demons that lurk by day continue to rip at her heart and soul……their intent is to bury it beyond her grasp…..each time the Dark One reaches out for hope she is forced backward toward the cliff’s edge where darkness seeks to take her last breath for its own….she holds on for one more day with strength of will……..fighting against the evil that threatens to take control……within herself she fights against the ghosts that threaten to throw her from her chosen path……one given to her by fate……a fate that has long eluded her…….a fate that she holds close to her heart…….hoping, seeking, wishing for what she has waited for so long to know……to feel…….to live another day…….to have love and music and laughter invade her life once again to stay with her until the end……………

As the heat of the sun warms her, the Dark One sits overlooking her beloved harbor gazing at the bluest of waters…….and her mind wanders….

….she seeks within her heart a way to move forward to new light and new hope……..at once she sees the musical one make his presence known within the harbor and her peace is taken from her……but an illusion is what she needs at this moment to be free of her thoughts if even for a short time…….he moves with the crowds among the seekers of fame……with words for all……the Dark One sits studying the scene before her and wondering……..wishing………hoping…….for a life that holds within it magic, music and peace….things she has fought for so long to have…….when shall they come to her……will they ever come…….thoughts race within her mind…..she remembers the first who brought her childhood dreams to life…….then Blackbeard who showed her places and brought music to her heart…..and then the Angel with Wings who brought laughter and fun, if even for a short time….so few……so rare……..how can there be anyone else she wonders…..someone who can bring all to her…….a childlike view of life, beautiful music and laughter………where is he……within her heart she hopes for such a Prince or Pirate or Immortal who will bring a smile to her face once again and breathe life and love back into her heart….one who will make her believe again that all is possible…..she must find just a glimmer of belief within her soul….within her heart……and, perhaps, he will appear…..one who she can give her love to……one she can share her life with…...she wonders if he does exist……..

As the Dark One sits upon the carved stone near the water’s edge, she remembers the love she once had, yet lost for so long….

….and, yet, never can be ever again but she feels the warmth of love from moments past that lit within her heart a love that shall forever be with her…..for her lost Prince shall always be a part of her heart and of her soul even though he is gone…..gratitude fills her heart for the time that they once had as they played within their castle in the magical field surrounded by a forest, dreaming of the life they would have forever…….wildlife played upon the grasses nearby and beneath a winter moon star-lit eyes shone above the snowy field……that of a stag and its mate watching them……as the Dark One and her Prince of Scots gazed upon their beauty…..magic filled the air……yet, one day, it was gone and sadness ruled over the Kingdom…..leaving the Dark One in deep despair at the loss of her Prince as she sat looking out at the heart shaped pond from her tower windows……the one who held her heart….her whole life…..in his hands……he chose to take another path away, far away from their love and in that moment a great love was lost…..forever……..as the Dark One searched her heart she found her way with tears and sadness……sadness so deep that it broke her heart so deeply that no one could enter…..she wondered if ever anyone could ever touch her heart again……..and her journey began to the place where magic filled her heart…..her beloved harbor……the place where she felt she belonged more than ever she had felt before…….

Out of her memories, a duck appears as she sits on the stones……..and tears fall down upon the ground beneath her remembering the loss but feeling love in her heart for what once she had…..and knowing that it will always be with her until the end of time…….rising from her seat she holds the silver ring within her palm feeling the heat of the love that once existed…..within its band the words “all I refuse and thee I chuse”………with strength, she throws it into the water far beyond vowing to give her love to this place forever……knowing that what once held her heart can no longer be but that she can carry the love within her…...as their love shall always exist in life and in death…….

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…………

Sunlight bursts over the horizon as the Dark One stands strong, feeling the outline of the embedded stones beneath her feet....

…..behind her is the gazebo and before her eyes is the magical harbor……..she feels no weight upon her shoulders any longer………light builds within her heart……she is free, free of the pain that has haunted her for so long……no demons from the past shall come to her in this moment of bliss or ever again……..knowing who she is and what she desires most…..her future…….one filled with peace…….finally, she knows peace within her heart…..the demons that have existed are gone…….she vows to not ever allow them into her heart again……the warmth of the sun glows upon her face and shines upon her armor……..it is no longer hard as steel, but soft, beautiful leather studded with shining stars…....transformed with the magic of love………

Moonlight streams upon the brick pathways lighting the Dark One’s path as she walks in peace…….

…….as she breathes in the pure air of light, a scent not unfamiliar to her is again there on the edge of night….once again she frees her dagger from its silver hilt and holds her arm out waiting…..watching……as the last few vipers leer at her, she challenges them to fight…..they encircle her and she is unafraid…….with strength, the Dark One slashes their throats and they lay at her feet as they are meant to be…..lifeless turning into ashes as she watches their yellow blood seep into the ground of her place of peace. And, she knows that no matter that light has come to her she will forever be watching and waiting for those that try to take joy and life from her…..but they will not win…...they will not rule over the Dark One of Light……not ever……..