Disclaimer- If I owned these characters, don't you think I would be rolling in money?
The song in this fic is from Xanadu, I've no idea who owns that.
The bits in italics in the *s are the lyrics, just in case you're one of those people who likes to skip them ;-)

Alive

She took a deep breath and thrilled at the feeling of the cool night air tickling her throat. Her face tilted up to the sky to see the stars that shone like beacons. Her arms stretched above her head towards them, as though she could catch hold of them, pull herself up to them, and run among them.

Every sense in her was aware, and every sound, sight, smell, was new and delightful. Everywhere she looked she saw beauty and joy. Everything she touched made her gasp at the subtle complexity of the texture, that was somehow so wondrously simplistic.


*I'm alive, and the dawn breaks across the sky,
I'm alive, suddenly I am here today,
Seems like forever (and a day)
Thought I could never (feel this way)
Is this really me, I'm alive, I'm alive*


She sat at the top of the hill she had been climbing and let her gaze wonder while her mind drifted away. A shiver ran through her as she remembered once again the feeling of warm lips pressed against hers, easily conveying the love that seemed to defy words.

Her eyes lit up as she saw once again the eyes of her lover light up at the sight of her. What had she done to deserve this? She had slipped easily in to the underworld, shamelessly lived the live of a whore. When had she done a deed so good as to lead to her being rewarded by love?

A slight sadness entered her eyes as she though of the number of times she had taken lust in love's stead, attempted to deceive her heart. But then the memory surfaced of a gentle caress, so tender and so filled with pure love that every other memory was banished. She focused instead on the emotions that were bubbling inside of her.


*I'm alive and the dawn breaks across the sky,
I'm alive and the sun rises up so high,
Lost in another world (far away)
Never another word (till this day)
But what can I say, I'm alive, I'm alive*


If she was aware of the passing of time, nothing about her reflected it. She was as motionless as a statue. She had tried to trick herself in to believing her heart was made of stone for so long, but now, finally, it had broken free of it's involuntarily imposed bindings. As the moon set and the sun began to rise, she felt her heart soaring up, free, carried on the crest of the ever increasing waves of emotion that were breaking gently over her.

She loved. She was loved. To love. To be loved.

To feel.


*Suddenly came the dawn (from the night)
Suddenly I was born (in to light)
How can it be real, I'm alive, I'm alive*


As the sun continued on it's immortal journey, feelings continued to well up inside her. Every memory she had of him was drawn out, coaxed in to replaying. Tenderness filled her being as she saw his eyes, shinning with the light that had guided lovers, young and old, for countless years. She knew full well that the same light shone in her eyes.

A light described as indistinguishable. A light no one could dim. A light she knew would always and only shine for him. A light she knew would last until the end of time.


*I'm alive, and the world shines for me today,
I'm alive, suddenly I am here today,
Seems like forever (and a day)
Thought I could never (feel this way)
Is this really me, I'm alive, I'm alive*


Time meant nothing to her now. People were irrelevant, occurrences incidental. The love she was being given was so strong she felt it would pull her through, no matter how many obstacles blocked her path.

Nobody could stand in the way of a love so strong. Nothing on Earth had the power to break a love so strong. There wasn't a thing she could think of that could ever break the bond of a love so strong.


*I'm alive,
I'm alive,
I'm alive,
I'm alive,
I'm alive*



A week after this nocturnal pilgrimage in to her self, a mere seven days after this long overdue stirring and release of her once tortured and crippled soul, Satine, as surrounded by love then as she was on this magical night, died.