And Forever

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This is the alternate ending for chapter three. The *happy* ending version.

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Filia rested her head against his chest and sighed deeply. "I'm afraid, Xellos."

"What for?" Xellos asked, bending to kiss her hair. "Oh. About what your people will think? Filia, your happiness is more important than your reputation, isn't it?"

"That's not it," she said quietly, looking up at the bright green leaves that hid patches of the sky.

"Then what are you afraid of?" He closed his eyes again.

"I'm afraid that we may have made a horrible mistake." She shivered against his chest.

He wrapped his arms about her. "What mistake is that?"

"This. All of it." Her voice quivered.

He lifted her gently off his chest into a sitting position and met her eyes. "Why do you say that, Filia?"

"Because I'm afraid that it's true." Her smile was sad as she said it.

"Why would something so wonderful be a mistake?" He caressed her cheek. "You love me. I love you, too, Filia. I don't care about anything else, so long as I have you."

"Is that enough?" she whispered. "Xellos, I don't know if it's enough. I don't know if it can work."

"Why wouldn't it work, Filia?" he asked softly.

"Because. . . ." She looked at him desperately. "I don't know. A dragon, a mazoku. How can it work?"

"If we love each other enough, I think we can make it work." He smiled an entirely different smile now, nothing mocking in it. "Darkness and light were meant to be together, weren't they?"

She shook her head. "I don't know. Humans say that love conquers all. But does it really?. Will you still love me in a thousand years? Or will you be bored and tired of me? Will I be bored and tired of you? Will we be split apart by too long together?"

"A thousand years, hmm?" He reached out to touch her face. "I think we would only scratch the surface of our love in a thousand years, Filia. We may be angry with each other sometimes, but with all the differences between us, how could we ever be bored? A thousand years is not very long for either of us."

"But we're too different," she said simply. "You were right earlier. I didn't ask to be born a dragon, dedicated to goodness. You didn't ask to be created a mazoku, the very essence of the darkest emotions that humans can have. We didn't ask for these things, but we are what we are, Xellos. You know that. Light and darkness must coexist in this world, but . . . but . . . ."

"It doesn't have to be that way, Filia."

"Doesn't it?!" she asked him. "I'm afraid, Xellos. Afraid that we'll just wind up hurting each other, maybe even destroying each other. I'd rather give up love now than have it ruined later. I don't want to hurt you."

"I don't want to hurt you either! I love you!"

"I know," she whispered. "I do know. Please, Xellos. Will it work? Be honest with me. I promised not to lie to you anymore. You must do the same."

"I promise," he said. "No lies for you, my love. It can work. We just have to learn how to balance it."

She relaxed then, as if an immense tension had left her body. "How?"

He wiped the tears from her eyes. "Well, we both will have to make some sacrifices. Do you mind?"

"What kinds of sacrifices?"

He chuckled softly. "To begin with, you should probably give up that mace. Or at least promise not to hit me with it. In return, I leave the service of Xelas Metallium."

"You can do that?" Filia looked astonished. "You will? For me?"

"Easily." He leaned backwards against the tree again. "Oh, she'll be very annoyed with me, I'm sure, but I doubt she'll take the trouble to kill me. She'll just make it clear that if I ever come into her sight again, unless it is on my knees begging to be taken back, that she will tear me into nine hundred small pieces. Then she'll say congratulations and send me china as a wedding present."

"I always wondered where you got your sense of humor." Filia leaned back against him. You really believe we can do this?

he said. Filia, whenever two people come together in love, they must make allowances for the different people that they are . . . for us, the only difference is that the allowances, the challenges, are greater. Will you face this challenge with me?

She smiled and stared up at the blue of the sky, seeing now the blue, not the leaves that obscured it. Yes, Xellos. Yes, I will.

He pulled her around to face him. "That's good, because I'm not finished with you."

"Oh?"

I never will be. Then he was kissing her, and they spiraled downward into a repeat performance of that afternoon's passion.