DISCLAIMER: Still not owning it.

A/N: Also none. Also enjoy! :)

Warrior of Light

River knew if she were to tell Shadow that she is a Warrior of Light, she would have earned a blank stare and a heartfelt declaration of the opposite.

Which is exactly what made Shadow a Warrior of Light in River's eyes. Like a true genius would never tell you that they are a genius.

After their first few hours, River was sure that she hadn't seen all of Shadow; she reckoned that she scratched the surface of everything just a little.

There was a determination in everything Shadow did. She looked at the situation at whole and acted for a long term goal even if it hurt her tremendously. She was kind and caring towards the ones she liked but unforgiving and ruthless towards her enemies.

Her heart was in the matter of getting everything just right with the timelines. And it seemed to put her under a great deal of stress sometimes. River could only imagine how hard it was to save the Doctor sometimes. She herself had gotten a taste of it on their occasional meetings. She counted marrying the Doctor now as a means to the ends on both sides. The Doctor wanted to save the universe and she wanted to save the Doctor. They compromised.

River had already given up so much for the safety of the Doctor; she couldn't even imagine what Shadow was willing to give up for his ensured safety. What kind of trials and tribulations she went through. It gave her an idea to what length Shadow was willing to go, when she told River that they had to part ways for an indeterminate amount of time. Her own heart broke, when she realized what it must be like for Shadow to give up the happiness she found in her. To give up everything of your own for the cause. Like a fanatic but never losing herself in the little fights, always having the great war in mind. Giving up as little as possibly necessary but what was left when everything was said and done at the end.

Would there anything left of the personality River had the fortune of getting to know?

Shadow had no fear of revealing faults in herself to River, or so it seemed. Her disposition for violence was something that made both of them a little unsure as to what it meant. Was it just a remnant of the past or something more?

But at the same time Shadow could also handle a situation with delicacy that would make any diplomat jealous, probably did.

When River had felt Shadow at a sunrise, it was as if, just for a moment, everything of the burden she carried fell away. The birth of a new day. Not that River had experienced many sunrises together with her, just a handful. But it was always an experience. And the serenity that encompassed Shadow always extended to River in those moments, too.

But for all moments in which Shadow could be calm, she could also be absolutely mad from time to time. Who would think of breaking into a high security prison? And then breaking out with a prisoner that could identify you? Well, Shadow had a legacy to uphold with the crazy schemes. And running was a prerequisite in the family, or so it seemed.

River could only imagine how Shadow had gotten on the good side of some of her contacts. A mobster who ruled almost the complete underworld of the greater London area was probably not someone you just casually walked up to and said hello. Shadow must have found something to make him malleable. And with Shadow's skills, that guy probably wanted her in his ranks. Probably tempted her with a lot of things, fame and fortune. River had seen, or rather felt, what Shadow was capable of. She had not seen what Shadow was fully capable of in terms of fighting. But if River had to guess how Shadow had gotten to Doyle, she'd say that the easiest, and most dangerous, solution was how she did it. Shadow probably knocked on, or rather knocked down, the front door and fought her way through everyone that stood in her way. That would probably have gotten her the attention and the respect of the underworld boss.

Shadow would probably be the first to admit that she wasn't above the methods of the ones she seemed to fight. She didn't seem to be a person that let others believe they were better than everyone else.

And that she forgave River for her past mistakes, for everything that she did, was unbelievable to River. Generally there were two reactions when people learned of what she did. One, they wanted to kill her. Two, they were scared shitless. Well, admittedly there was a third reaction, the ones that wanted River on their side, but usually these were scared, too, just too proud to admit it. With Shadow, River could be herself. All facets, all sides. The darkest and the lightest. And in turn, River let Shadow be who she really is. They were both damaged but breathing. But they set each other free.

Shadow knew her own limits well as it appeared but she still pushed herself over them when necessary. River had gained some knowledge about how to dress a wound when she was still under Kovarian's custody, but nothing could have prepared her for the kind of wound she had to treat with Shadow. An arrow wound to the shoulder was something only Shadow could come back with.

It had shocked her parents as well as herself to see it. But Shadow had kept her calm and guided everyone through it. She had probably been in excruciating pain. But nothing gave away the full extent of her pain.

But nothing could discourage Shadow from coming when River called. It had shocked River to what depth she held power over Shadow, but she had realized that Shadow let her have that power. Shadow was not forced to give it away, she had entrusted River with her heart and River didn't have any intention to let any harm come to it.

Shadow seemed to love even the smallest of moments that they spent with each other. One time they just bumped into each other on a busy market where the Doctor had dragged River. Granted, Shadow had bumped into her on purpose and had slipped her a note with some essential details for the trouble that lay ahead. Those details had saved their necks that day. Quite literally.

Shadow's belief in the entity, the Bad Wolf, was something that amazed River time and time again. River had experienced a little of it when it had bonded her with Shadow. Shadow's acceptance of it when she didn't even knew if what was between her and River should last was to be marveled at. Shadow always trusted the Wolf to make the right decision, to give the right tools to win the war in the end. River wasn't so sure of that herself, she had inquired a bit about what had happened in the year 200,100. Surveillance was something the Daleks didn't cut when they boarded the station. It appeared to River that the Wolf had basically also been guided by emotions in its protection of the Doctor. And then went a bit far with the extermination of the Daleks, not that River disagreed with it, they had had it coming. But wiping out all Daleks in one point of time was one thing, wiping out all Daleks in all of time and space was another.

But River didn't want to complain, after all it had brought on the events that lead to Shadow meeting River. Only the way there could have been a bit easier, for both of them.

The mattress beside River dipped and Shadow slipped in behind her, snuggling close.

"About what are you thinking at this late hour?" Shadow whispered.

"You." River whispered back.

"Should I be worried?" River turned around and faced Shadow, lightly stroking a strand of hair behind her ear, smiling.

"No." Shadow also smiled and leaned into the touch, fully aware that it was a sign of vulnerability, but not minding it with River. "I've just decided that you are a Warrior of Light."

And as expected, she earned a blank stare from Shadow. "I'm not. I'm really not a Warrior of Light. I don't know how you got that into your pretty head. What I've seen and done is nothing to qualify me for even a small position on the side of Good. -"

River just gently leaned over and kissed Shadow. "It's alright." A smile and a deep look passed between them. "Now let's sleep, I'm tired."

And River turned around again. When Shadow protectively wrapped her arms around her again, River just smiled to herself. No matter how much you deny it, you are one, my Warrior of Light.