“Are you ready, Surya?” Alexis asked the Queen as she pulled on the sleek suit she wore while fighting and tested her sword's strength. She turned and smiled at him and he nodded, readying his spell book.

On the other side of the room were Raka and Frewin, going over battle techniques. Raka was readying himself, for it was the plan for him to take over as Lord of the Shapeshifters once more when the battle was over. Siran and Nora sat quietly on the window seat. They would not be participating in the war.

Surya had ordered Wynne, Leilani and Samdhya sequestered for the fight. She did not want them out in the open. As she stretched her muscles, she felt arms slip around her from behind and leaned back against Shahla's chest with pleasure.

“Hello, love. You are ready?”

He kissed the side of her face and took her hands, drawing her into the next room. Surya looked at him questioningly and he grinned at her, his eyes happy and light.

Lowering himself to one knee, he took her hand. She gasped, realizing his intention, and laughed a little as he drew a large ring from his pocket. The band was the purest gold and the stone a lovely, rare pink diamond. “Will you marry me, Surya?” he asked simply.

She felt tears slip down her cheeks and nodded, smiling with pure and utter joy. “Yes, I will,” she said softly, and he slipped the ring on her finger, his face alight with love. Rising, he caught her into his embrace and she pressed against his heart, their lips melting together in a sweet kiss of promise.

“Why did you ask me now?” she cried, giggling, “You evil beast…I'm going to go into battle without any concentration. All I'll be able to think of is you.”

He smiled and leaned down to kiss her again, his lips whispering over her's. “You will be careful, adora?”

She arched one perfectly shaped brow and grinned. “I am always careful, love. Do not worry. Are you going to be such a nag when we are married?”

“Worse,” he assured her, and laughing, grabbed her again, and they kissed, their hearts over-flowing with a contentment neither had ever felt before.

~~~

Surya entered the forest warily, her keen senses alert to any possible dangers. With a steady hand on the sword in her belt, she crept into the undergrowth, her eyes not on the army that tread behind her, but on the woods ahead.

With a shout, the battle began. A wolf-like creature had attacked one of her men, and soon they were everywhere. The Shapeshifters were in full form and obviously had been expecting them. Surya swore under her breath, and entered the battle. It was a mess of blood and screams, and worries. She rammed her sword through another Shapeshifter, and the blood spurted over the front of her suit.

Surya fought and fought, her strength never lagging. She could see some of her fallen army through a haze of sweat and tears in her eyes, but she could also make out that the Shapeshifters were dwindling. Shahla was nowhere to be found, but Surya knew he was all right. She would able to feel it if he was dead.

Her sword clashed with another's and she fought again. Battle was so confusing, and she hated it. Although she liked the fight itself, the over all atmosphere was one of horrible fear and terror, of death and destruction. The air smelled like blood and she wondered how many had been killed. Using her sword, she sliced open another, and it went down snarling like a rabid beast.

Wiping her eyes, she glanced around, and could not find another opponent. The battle had been going on for…well, she didn't know quite how long…but she was sure it could not be over so quickly. Had they won? Or were the Shapeshifters hatching a plan somewhere in the woods? Stepping over the fallen wolf-like creatures, she found Frewin, and he smiled at her, his eyes weary.

“We have won, Queen.”

She gaped at him, and her shoulders slumped. “Are you certain, my old friend? It did not seem like that long a battle.”

His eyes widened with astonishment. “Goddess…we have been fighting for three full hours.”

Surya was surprised, but not overly so. She had a tendency to lose herself when she fought, and obviously tonight was no exception. “Where is Shahla?” she asked her bodyguard and Frewin motioned to his left.

Turning, Surya gazed upon her fiancé with tender eyes. He stood a good distance away, surveying the wreckage the battle had left behind.

She was so glad this was all over. Finally they could be together, without demons haunting them, without any shadows cloaking their light. Smiling wearily, she waved at him, and the diamond from her engagement ring glinted in the night. He reached out a hand to her, his lips curving in a smile of tenderness and she began to walk toward him; the way slow because of so many bodies strewn over the forest floor.

Out of the corner of her eye, she could see two figures moving quickly toward Shahla. Squinting, she could make out that one was dressed in purple and had long, flowing white blonde hair. The other was tall, spindly and had hair as black as night. Who were they? She watched as they approached Shahla and realized they were chanting to him. Chanting what?

Surya listened as closely as she could, and suddenly it dawned on her that it was a spell, and that Shahla looked terrified, his eyes darting, his feet moving. He was trying to get away from them, but they held onto his arms with hands that looked like pale fish in the moonlight, and the dark haired one was singing.

Surya started to run. Tripping, cursing, she felt the wind rush by her ears. Just as the black haired woman finished her song, and a slow smile curled her lips, Surya's eyes met and locked with Shahla's. His were agonized and…what was that? He was begging…for what? Forgiveness…that was it. But what could he want her to forgive him for?

That was when she saw him take out the sword. Surya's lips opened, and she wanted to scream. But she couldn't. It was as if she was rooted to the spot, as if the ground held her prisoner, as she watched and stared…Shahla closed his eyes and rammed the sword through his own body, collapsing on the ground with a sigh.

Badria and Iona stared at him as if they could not comprehend what they were seeing. As they glanced over at Surya, they saw that their fates would not be kind unless they ran. Fleeing, both women disappeared into the maze of trees that made up the forest.

Surya started to run again. She was not sure how she managed to make her legs move but she did, and as she ran, she wondered if she was too late. And she also wondered if maybe the Gods would be kind, and let her die. For she could not live without—NO! She wouldn't think it. He was fine. He was. He could not leave her. He said he would never leave her.

“Shahla…” she murmured, as she felt to the ground beside her lover, and desperately cupped his face. His eyes opened, and gazed into her's. With one hand, he removed the sword from his body, groaning with pain as he did so.

“NO…” she moaned and cupped her hands around the wound, trying to staunch the flow of thick blood. It ran over her fingers, staining them red, and she knew then. He would die, and there was nothing she could do to stop it. Surya's mouth gasped wide with a sob so huge it wracked her body. She wanted to throw up from the pain, and gagging, sobbing she lay down, her face pressed against his chest. She couldn't stay still, her body shook, and she wanted to climb out of her own skin. How could she stay in this body? It wanted her dead. She wanted it dead. It was being killed by this indescribable poisonous anguish.

He caught her hands, so she would look into his eyes. “Love you…adora…” he choked out, and she leaned down, kissing him, their lips burning with tears.

“Please…don't leave me… don't leave me alone,” she whispered, her cheek against his, but he kissed her forehead, the light beginning to die from his eyes.

“I'm sorry…adora…she said spell was irreversible…did it for you…could never hurt you..” he panted, his breathing laboured, and she wanted to scream at him, to not leave her, that the knowledge that he was alive would have sustained her even if he was evil. But she did none of those things. Instead she smiled at him and pressed a sweet kiss to his mouth.

“I love you…” she cried softly and he looked up at her, his eyes shining with tenderness.

“We'll meet again…adora…remember me…when I see you again…” his voice got fainter and she leaned down to smooth his cheeks with her hands, trying to imprint the memory of his alive flesh in her mind.

“I won't forget…I won't ever forget…wait for me…up there in the stars…” she murmured, tears choking and filling her throat. He glanced upwards, his motions listless. “Go now…my love. Go where it's light,” she said gently, wanting to double over with the force of her pain. It was crushing her lungs and ribs, trying to smother her. But she had to be strong for him. She wanted him to take that memory with him. Wherever he was going. Without her.

“I'll be up there,” his voice was weak, but he pointed to the stars they had studied only a week before, “ I'll hold you at night…Surya…watch for me…adora…I love you…forever and beyond…”

And then he was gone. Surya, Highest Goddess of all Gwenhwyvar, was alone. There she lay, with the lifeless body of her fiancé at her side, and the stars whispered to her. It was just a moment in time. She would never forget. If she lived to be a hundred, she would never love another.

Surya raised her head and stared up at the sky. She imagined his face in the stars. “I will see you again…” she murmured, and then leaned down, pressing one last kiss to her lover's lips. They breathed no more.

~~~

Buffy Summers awoke with tears on her face. Stunned, she sat up and looked around the room. It was still the same. The same as it had been since she moved in. There were no plush pillows on her bed, no curtains billowing by a balcony…

The dream…pressing a hand to her forehead, she felt fresh tears fill her green eyes and got out of bed, walking over to the window and gazing up at the stars. “Shahla…Angel…” she murmured, and wondered how a dream could be so vivid. Wiping the salt from her cheeks, she pulled on pants and a T-shirt.

She needed to talk to Giles…

end

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