Disclaimer: I do not own the Fable universe; I am merely borrowing it for the purposes of this tale. Characters you do not recognize are mine however (Von, Azrael, Ezra, etc). This story contains scenes of an extremely mature nature, so expect dark and sexual themes.

I am so very sorry this update took as long as it did, dear readers! The craziness of life coupled with my constant re-arranging of how this chapter, as well as the one to follow, will play out is to blame. I've dedicated so much time to this fic I want to make sure I do it right, so that means no publishing half-hearted, sub-par chapters. There are only two chapters left after this (the big battle and an epilogue) and I hope I won't disappoint!

A million thanks to every silent reader and kind reviewer who has visited this story. Special thanks to Era-Age who lit the fire under my butt and got me writing this update! Every comment, critique and suggestion was very much appreciated :) All the best, - Fallon.

Chapter Forty-Eight

"Some say the world will end in fire, some say in ice. From what I've tasted of desire, I hold with those who favor fire. But if I had to perish twice, I think I know enough of hate, to say that for destruction ice is also great and would suffice." – "Fire & Ice" by Robert Frost

Maya was troubled.

She hadn't received word from any of the commanding officers she had stationed in Aurora, nor had Kalin checked in as she normally did. With the year Theresa had predicted coming to an end and the approach of the Crawler ever more imminent, Maya knew far worse news was to follow.

She poured through the papers Jasper had brought her; hoping one report bore some glimmer of hope, however small.

But from the darkness before her no light shone.

Her deal with Reaver had provided her with the funds needed to double the guard presence in the heavily populated areas under her charge. Brightwall's defences were fortified and space was made for Sabine and his Dwellers to remain there for the foreseeable future. The roads between cities, once bustling with merchants going to and fro, were as dead and silent as a graveyard; their only visitors being the odd unfortunate stray mutt that would whine as he searched for company and petty criminals in search of hapless fools passing by.

A soft tap on the door to her study pulled her mind from the papers and allowed her a brief moment to breathe.

"Come in." She said after a moment, once she was confident her voice would not waver and her nerve not give out.

Jasper was cautious at first and only cracked the door, unaware if she was alone or not, but upon confirming that she was indeed alone, stepped confidently inside and offered her a small bow. Under his arm was tucked more tightly bound rolls of parchment, all of which Maya had no doubt were meant for her.

"Good morning, Majesty. I trust you slept well?" Jasper asked in a kind voice as he sat in the chair opposite her and placed the bundle of reports between them.

"Well enough, Jasper. Thank you for asking. Have you notified my brother about the inspection I wish to see conducted on the city's defences?"

She added the reports and petitions he brought her to the pile she had yet to address. It frustrated her, but affairs other than preparing for the Crawler still demanded her attention. She felt like a court fool, juggling a dozen "emergencies" an hour, none of them as pressing as the approaching Darkness and yet all claiming to be so. Even after so long preparing and warning her people, she still feared most saw it as a farce. At the same time, she knew she wouldn't have believed it without seeing it either. She only wished her people would never have the proof she feared they required.

She would much rather be thought the fool than have Darkness touch the shores of Albion and sink into the hearts of her people.

"I have, Majesty. Lord Logan seemed to share your concerns about the state of the battlements and has agreed to meet you at the castle gates with a precession of guards as soon as you give the word."

"Excellent, thank you, Jasper." She neatly arranged the reports before filing them away in her desk, "Our year is coming to an end, my friend. We have to ensure that Albion lives to see many more."

"You have done more than anyone could have predicted, Your Grace." Jasper said, a smile on his lips, "And I for one have been proud to be allowed to witness it all, the good and the bad. You've risen above it all, my dear. And just look at who you've become! Your parents would be proud; I know I am."

Maya smiled despite her worries. To hear that, through it all, he remained entirely confident in her lifted her spirits.

"You've been a good friend, Jasper. I hope I do not let you down."

He reached across the desk and gently patted her hand.

"Darkness can be defeated, my dear. Of that I have no doubt. Do not lose faith in that, not now."


Maya walked beside her brother through the busy mid-day marketplace. On her other side strode Jasper, who brought with him summery reports Logan had provided for reference. Von and about a half dozen other guards walked behind them, hands on the hilts of their blades and eyes scanning the crowd, ready to spring into action in a moment's notice. While she didn't actually think anything would happen, she did feel considerably safer just knowing Von was behind her.

That alone was better than a dozen of Logan's elite soldiers.

As they neared the district's main wall, Logan nodded to a seasoned officer standing guard at the gates. The man looked to be in his late fifties and wore the red tunic of the Albion Army as well as the mark of Colonel on his sleeve. He spotted them nearing and upon recognizing who they were, stood at attention and saluted.

"Sister, this is Colonel Sinclair, of the Albion Army." Logan said sternly, hands folded behind his back, "He has been put in charge of the market's defence and is working with the city guard and the Army to coordinate the defence of the other districts."

Sinclair nodded curtly, "Your Majesty, Your Highness…gentlemen."

"I thought colonels typically didn't enter the field of battle, Colonel Sinclair?" Jasper asked as he made notes, his quill working rapidly across the parchment.

He turned to the butler but did not at all seem surprised by his question.

"Under normal circumstances, yes, good sir." Sinclair looked to Maya, his entire demeanor to her radiating the respect years in the military had instilled in him, "But these are not normal circumstances, aren't they, Your Grace? I for one believe your reports whole heartedly, ma'am, and I intend to do my part and get my hands dirty to ensure whatever beast appears at our doorstep gets kicked back to whatever crevasse of hell it climbed out of…Your Majesty."

Maya could tell the man was speaking the truth and was relieved to hear someone who wasn't so close to her speak with such confidence.

"Your faith and trust is appreciated, Colonel," Maya said with a smile and a polite nod, "As are your efforts."

Sinclair bowed.

Maya looked beyond the Colonel to assess the state of the wall. Being just a small section of the primary wall that surrounded the city, it was imperative that no matter what the Crawler threw at them, it remained standing.

In her push to claim the throne, some sections had been damaged. And even though she had set out almost immediately to repair them after her coronation, she still secretly feared it wasn't good enough.

But could it ever be?

She knew in her heart that no matter how high she had it built the Crawler would still decimate her city. It would find a crack, no matter how small, and exploit it perfectly. People would die, families would be broken and lives would forever be altered.

No amount of preparation and warning could deflect the blow of the Crawler; all she could do was fight to lessen the blow as much as she could. Still, Maya was scared. Her heroic blood couldn't make that go away.

But she had to put on a brave, confident face for those around her. If more people believed her, more like Colonel Sinclair, she wasn't going to be the one to crush their faith.

"What improvements have been made to the foundations, Colonel?"

"With the funds you've allocated, Your Grace, our laborers have rebuilt large portions of the wall and reinforced the base." He gestured to the arch of the gate he guarded, "As well as structural weak points like gates and sewers."

"The gates into each district of the city from the countryside," Logan pondered out loud as he looked up at the battlements, "What has been done there?"

"Each entrance has had the number of guards stationed there doubled. Those guards have been well armed, Your Highness, I assure you. Barricades have been erected outside every gate and the city's blacksmiths have reinforced all portcullises. Along the battlements you will notice a dramatic increase in riflemen," Sinclair gestured to those just above them, "The men are stationed every five feet apart and mortars every ten."

Maya saw her brother frown.

He knew as well as she did that while the additions to the city's defense might repel a normal foe, they were likely only going to do superficial damage to the Crawler and maybe take down some of its spawns. At best, they were going to be a distraction while Maya and her allies made for the real enemy – the Crawler itself.

Logan hit the Colonel with a barrage of questions and she tried her hardest to listen and hang on to every answer as she knew she should, but her doubts remained regardless of Sinclair's answer.

Just as she felt the beginnings of fatigue, emotional and physical, slithering into her pores, Maya felt Von's presence close behind her. She risked a glance over her shoulder and saw him exactly where she had felt he would be – as close to her as station and protocol would allow. He was looking forward, his face just as stern and solemn as those of his fellow soldiers, but he had put the toe of his booted foot on the hem of her dress and turned it, tugging the fabric ever so slightly as if to remind her that he was there.

You can't get rid of me that easily, Amaythea.

The tightening in her chest lessened.

"Do you have any more questions, Your Majesty?" Logan asked her, seemingly satisfied with the answers he had gotten from the Colonel.

"No," she sighed, "no, I don't, Colonel. Thank you for your time and for all the work you've done. Keep the men ready and alert, I fear the time to test their skills might be closer at hand than any of us realize."

"Yes, Your Majesty."

Just as they were turning to leave, a young courier approached the Colonel in a panic. He was panting heavily, like he had run from the other side of the city at full speed, and seemed oblivious to Maya's presence in his haste to deliver his message.

She stopped and grabbed her brother's shoulder to stop him as well. She felt something shift in the air around them. And judging by the horrified look on Logan's face when he turned around, he had felt it too.

They locked eyes.

Something was stirring, nearing.

"Sir! Sir!"

Sinclair glanced over to the boy, who had come to a stop and was hunched over with his hands on his knees, gasping for breath.

"Boy!" Sinclair shouted, gesturing to Maya and her group, "show some respect!"

The boy gasped in surprise and gave a hurried bow, during which he nearly fell over.

Maya stepped forward. "It's fine, dear boy. Tell me; tell us, what's got you so winded?"

He nodded quickly, his eyes wide. "Mister Crowe, on the Industrial gatehouse?"

Sinclair crossed his arms. "That's Captain Crowe, boy."

"Yes, sir, sorry sir." The boy shifted nervously, eyeing Maya with caution, "Captain Crowe told me to tell the Colonel here that there's a problem with some of the bricks along the foundation of the wall."

"Spit it out, boy!" Sinclair snapped impatiently.

"The mortar between the bricks be coming loose," he spit out quickly as he cowered in the shadow of the Colonel. "Captain says there is sand coming through the cracks, lots of it! Looks like it's from a beach, its real hot too! Crowe wants orders."

Maya felt her heart plummet into her stomach.

She tried to maintain her façade of calm, but when she looked over at Logan a shiver of unease broke her resolve.

His eyes were wide, the dark circles around them profound. His skin, already pale by nature, looked as white as the snow of the Mistpeak Valley and already had broken out in a cold, clammy sweat.

"Logan?" Maya whispered cautiously.

Sinclair had excused himself and set off with the courier to deal with the situation, unaware that the sand was in fact the sign Maya had been waiting for.

Logan gripped her arm, "To the castle, sister."

As much as she knew in her heart that the sand was there, that it was forcing its way through the very walls themselves, some part of her needed to see it to be sure.

"But, Logan –

"We're out of time," he turned to Von, "Get her back to the castle now! I'll see if there is any truth to this claim. Now go!"

She felt Von's hand grab her own and he jerked her back to be surrounded by her guards. She opened her mouth to speak, but Von stopped her, silencing her protests with a stern glare of his own.

She'd have to trust Logan to investigate the report.

She already knew what he'd find, and she knew he did too. Fear and disbelief compelled them to make certain, but she knew.

Time really had run out.


Maya reclined in the lounge before the grand window in the bedchambers which looked out over the Old quarter and the market. She tried to relax, as she had promised Jasper and Walter she would, but no matter how much she tried she just couldn't get the tension to leave her body.

She sighed and pinched the bridge of her nose, trying to will the approaching migraine away.

With all of the unknown looming around her, what she was certain of was that she was looking out over her city during the last few moments of calm it would experience, possibly ever. There had been more strange reports of vast amounts of warm, desert sand slipping into the city, almost as if it had a mind of its own. The wind picked it up and brought it over the walls, making it fall from the sky like snow. There was now a thin layer of sand on every street and Maya knew come morning it would be much worse.

She opened her eyes, expecting to be faced with what could be her last sunset but instead finding Von standing before her. Despite the worries wracking her mind, seeing him still caused a smile to form on her lips.

She wasn't surprised he had slipped into her room so quietly; even fully armored his balverine blood ensured his step would be light. What did surprise her was the depth of the sadness etched upon his face. He cast an imposing shadow over her with his armor, but his eyes showed her exactly how he felt. No armor could conceal that.

"V-Von…"

Her voice trailed off. Tomorrow marked the exact end of the one year she was told she had and she had no doubt tomorrow the Crawler would reveal itself. Theresa had predicted it perfectly and the sand had confirmed it, as had Logan.

But she wanted more time. To prepare yes, but the selfish side of her just wanted more time with Von. A life with him, children, peace…that was all she wanted.

Hearing the pain in her voice caused his heart to ache.

"Oh, Maya, my love…"

"After Aurora…after the caves…I prayed I'd never see the Darkness again." She admitted with a heavy heart, "And now I must. Not only that but I'm expected to kill it!" She shook her head, overwhelmed by the enormity of what was just around the corner, "I don't know how…or if I can."

Von knelt before her and took her hand in his. He kissed the top of her hand, then her palm.

"Do you know why I'm still beside you?" He asked softly, his voice barely above a whisper.

Maya looked at him sadly, but said nothing. Her chin quivered as she fought to keep her emotions at bay.

Tomorrow was the day she had been preparing for, the day that history would judge her on. She couldn't fail, and yet she had no idea how she was going to pull it off.

"Why?" She asked as tears fell lazily down her cheeks and neck.

"Because I believe in you," Von squeezed her hand, holding it to his chest, "I always have, Maya. It's why I'm here and it's why everyone else is. Walter, Jasper, Kalin –

"Kalin is likely dead," Maya insisted, "along with everyone else in Aurora…it's been too long."

Von shook his head, certain she was wrong, "No. Kalin and her people have the outpost you built them, the soldiers you sent them. They're fighting, Maya. You've rallied them, shown them they're not alone." He slowly, softly kissed her lips, "And neither are you, my love."

Maya managed a light chuckle and rubbed her fallen tears aside. She reached out and cupped his face with her hands, pulling him in closer and kissing him deeply.

She feared this would be her last moment like this with Von, their last kiss. She fervently prayed inwardly to Avo that he grant her at least a small mercy and not take Von away from her a second time. There was no way she could bear it again.

Slowly their lips parted, neither wanting to break it but both needing to breathe.

Von pressed his forehead to hers and smiled and she felt him lean into him. He closed his eyes, content just being so close to her and breathing in that scent he loved so much.

"In Aurora you faced the Darkness alone," he whispered, trailing his fingers along her jawline and down her neck, "this time you've got an army at your back, ready to fight the Darkness in every city in Albion."

Maya smiled weakly, "And I've got you…"

Von laughed softly, brushing aside an errant strand of her hair as he looked at her with overwhelming love and admiration in his eyes, "My dear, you always have."