The rain slashes down upon the Dark One......

.....and her armor gleams wet as she hears the bitter words of the most evil of the demons that have taken so much of her life from her upon this earth……after so long and he still lurks upon the edges of her world…..hoping to tear her into pieces but he cannot…….she is stronger than he and always has been…..a green glow emanates from his very soul, evil as it is and full of true and bidden darkness…..his heart one full of unrequited anger at himself…..for he fears the Dark One as her love protects her from his black intentions…..he knows he must run as he always has…..for he has tried to take her happiness and joy again even for one day….but she prevails despite his lashing words…..and the Dark One knows he cannot ever take what she holds most dear…..her love of the pirates and angels that have come into her life…….the ones who truly know her heart, her soul…….the ones who believe in her……the ones who have true hearts borne of love…..not evil…..not evil as the coward that sits upon the edges of the forest…..she raises her dagger to the sky and the stars swirl and the wind comes up and he runs into the forest once again knowing he has no chance at survival if he attacks again….so he escapes to the black hole of loathing that engulfs his soul…..the place where he shall live for the rest of his days…….the Dark One places her silver dagger within its hilt and walks onward over the brick pathway to her seat near the harbor and watches as the ship comes upon the horizon…….and knows he is here……the one she loves…..the one she has been waiting for……he is on his way…….and she will be waiting………

So long it has been.............

….so long it has been since the Dark One has appeared upon the pathway with her silver sword in its hilt covered in shimmering stars and her body gloved in dark armor…….but here….now…..she walks even though she feels pain of heart, soul and body……..nothing will stop her……not even the demons who watch her from the edges of the dark forest not far away……her heart breaks for the thousandth time with thoughts of the one who has instilled great strength within her mind and heart who could at any moment leave her…......alone in this world yet again……..her mind shifts to the evil ones who hope to take from her all that she loves and she vows within her heart to fight to the end no matter.....for no one will take her hope.......her dreams.........her life...........no one........and she walks onward with her hand on the hilt of her sacred sword of light............

Lights shine in the darkness.......

........as the Dark One stands on the brick path........before her is the brilliance of hope.......lights upon the tree that touch the sky glow and she feels happiness within her heart for one moment........a moment that longs for so much more........and she thinks of the ones who have come into her life and given her the strength to survive even for just one more hour......or day........and she longs for new love and light........

Silence.........

.........in the darkness.......which path to take........she hears no answers.........but waits again and again......hoping......but for what........more darkness..........where is the light.........the Dark One screams within for the light.........

……..the Dark One feels as though time has taken itself from her……that there is no time left….

….how shall she continue to protect her sacred harbor…..who will continue the constant vigil over her magical place if she must leave once again……forever……her mind races not knowing her path……or where she belongs……her heart says she belongs in her place of peace but her mind takes over and in that moment she feels so much pain……her heart breaks for the thousandth time…….she has fought battles beyond what she thought imaginable…..and survived beasts and demons that she never knew existed……but for what……..still, she stands alone hoping for something…….for someone…….to care for her as she is…….not perfect……but as the loving heart and soul……her heart beats with memories hoping for them to remain forever within her…….and her thoughts wander to that pirate with the sparkling eyes who captured her heart when she first came to this perfect place…..her sadness this night envelopes her in its cloak of darkness and light…..for always they are one…….the Dark One remembers and hopes for all to come together as it is meant…….this night…..and always………

……..as the beasts move against the edge of the forest she feels more demons move toward her trying to sway her path……

……one very loud demon who thinks only of her own self…….and others who push her from her given place…….but she draws her sword and lashes out as they attempt to prey upon her territory………the large demon’s mouth large enough to swallow a king cobra………and the others, just fiends passing through with no care but to their coffers of gold coins made from the unwitting eyes of people blind to their offerings……….”Be Gone”, she says…………and they close their arms closer around their takings and turn……riding off on their sad, neglected ponies……and yet, still, there is the loud demon to deal with………the Dark One draws from her power and a lightning bolt erupts from her sword and the loud Demon cowers at her feet……”Go, before I take your head! Leave this place and do not ever return! You are not welcome here and if you do not go at my bequest, the others shall rip you to pieces…..”……..the loud demon scurries away in the woods and is gone……the Dark One returns her sword to its gilded hilt with stars sparkling on her belt…….she hopes for peace and no more demons but knows that they shall appear as time passes….and she will be ready with heart, soul and love to conquer them……..whatever it shall take to protect her place of peace…………..

Freedom…..it is what she feels as she sits and gazes at the lights dancing upon the soft waves before her…..

........music drifts across the water and she breathes in the serenity and the sweet, warm air....for she is free of the demons...sleep comes to her now without fight...and words swim within her mind waiting for her to unleash them upon paper for all to know....for her dreams will be born and live to be shared with those who choose to be at her side...the search for love no longer holds her prisoner....she knows within her heart that if it is meant...it will happen in its own time...but for now she can be at peace with her own self...yet silently aware of the beasts that may exist upon the fringe of the forest....and is ready to prove herself....to anyone who challenges her...for she will not let her place of peace be preyed upon by the demons of the past that have stalked her for so long.....nor the demons that have existed in her life as she searched for love.....no more....she is a woman in love with life.....and that love within her heart shall bring to her more than she can imagine at this moment....for even now there is hope....if she continues on her path...one so long in coming but one that will be what she has always wished for.........