"Beneath the stains of time,

The feelings disappear,

You are someone else,

I am still right here."

-Nine Inch Nails, Hurt

The dagger dragged across the stone floor, the horrible scraping noise which it created tore through the prince's ears overcome only by the pain of his heart. He rushed to her aid, the girl was falling. He called her name, the piercing cry of "Farah" echoing throughout the large room. Sandbeasts roared in delight at the scene of anguish. The girl wailed slightly as the dagger with which she clung to the ledge slipped the final few inches and out into the abyss. Her fall was cut short, as his hand flew out and caught the blade. She heard a whimper as his blood ran over her fingers. She gazed up at him, and in his eyes she could see his pain, both from the weapon's cruel edge and the truth he had come to realize. Despite all he had done, all he had overcome, he could not save her.

"My love…" She murmured, rubbing a fingertip against his injured hand, a tragically short lover's last caress…

Tears formed in his eyes, not from agony of the flesh but of the heart. "This isn't how it ends…." He whispered disbelievingly down at her, tightening his grip on the dagger's razor sharp blade, grimacing as horribly anguish shot up his arm. " I won't let it end like this…"he managed through gritted teeth…

She smiled at him knowingly despite the situation, allowing her own tears to fall. "I'm sorry…" Farah murmured softly, "Remember that I loved you…" With those last words, she released the handle and plummeted down to the hard stone below…

There was a sickening crack as she landed. The sound rang in his ears as the prince replayed her selfless act in his mind, watching her fall over and over... The tears flowed freely now for there was nothing left of the sense of duty he had forced himself to maintain, a low moan built him his chest as he fell forward, his blood and tears mixing in a small pool at the opening's edge, some of which began to dribble over…. The droplets of pain fell into the chasm blessing his love's still warm face. Without raising his head, he allowed himself to speak, his voice dark, echoing his unimaginable suffering "I will find you again, if it takes me a thousand lifetimes… I swear it."

A nearby monstrosity chuckled in amusement, drinking in this moment of weakness. The young noble's blood boiled grief fueling his rage, and with an animal roar he launched himself at the beast. Above the sounds of his sword, he could hear screams… it took him a moment to realize they were his own.

The boy called prince stepped off his dusty motorcycle and walked into the Diner. Without a glance at anyone, he walked over to an abandoned corner booth and allowed his head to fall into his hands. The waitress wandered over to him, "Rough night Sugar?"

"I suppose that's one way to look at it…" He said, allowing his bloodshot eyes to peer up at her from beneath a veil of unwashed long black hair. "Coffee, doesn't matter what kind…" As she walked off to fetch his order, he allowed himself to reflect, for a rough night was putting it lightly. He'd had the dream again, it was always the same one, the same vision that had plagued his mind for as long as he could remember. He'd fight sleep as long as possible, just to keep the nightmares at bay, but even that wasn't enough. His body's mortal needs began to make themselves known. He could feel it in his tired muscles. He could see it in his dulling eyes. He was slowly killing himself.

Often had he considered shortening the process, it seemed so easy now; just a moment's pain in comparison to this seeming eternity of horrors that were his alone to bear. It was times like these when he was sure he would do anything to rid himself of the voices… of the memories… and the face.

The last particularly he had decided. That accursed angel had tormented him long enough. She was always with him, although he did not know her. The prince shook his head, "No, that's not true…." He'd never met her, but he knew everything about her. The way her eyes glimmered under torchlight, the way her skin trembled under his fingertips, the way her lips had felt against his own…. and the way she had screamed in the end… but above all else, and perhaps this was the most terrible, he knew that he loved her so much that it hurt…

He shook his head violently to rid himself of the residual pain of a life he did not remember, of one that was not his own. He looked up from his palms to see the steaming cup of coffee before him. He reached for the cream as he added sweetener to the hot liquid, stirring the concoction lightly with his thumb. "Although," he mused, "If not for her, I'd never have come this far."

What seemed like an eternity ago, he had promised himself to keep his word to the girl in his dreams… He would find her… He had traveled for months, moving from city to city, from state to state, searching anywhere he could think of that his phantasm could be hiding. He was growing weary of it.

He'd made a decision:

This would be the last city, his final attempt… it was now or never. He would not allow himself to take it anymore, it simply wasn't worth it. He would end it all right now, he would finish his drink, and go find some dark secluded place to silence the memories forever. No more would she mock him, no more would the voice tell it's tale of redemption. What of his redemption? He looked down at his undernourished reflection on the polished tabletop… Who could love what he had become? What had he done to deserve such torture? To spend his life trying to find someone who would cringe in disgust at the shadow he was now the embodiment of…

He was no longer human, merely an empty shade… an cheap mockery of life… an abomination to even exist …. 'It is better to be all dead, when one is half dead, to neither mock beauty or scorn the inevitable…' he murmured glumly into his cup as he sipped, mentally kicking himself for his past's stupidity. Regardless he would allow himself to endure no more of this pain. Farah had waited 1000 lifetimes for him to find her, what was one more? He stopped his pondering, when it occurred to him he had been inhaling steam alone for several minutes. He raised his hand to call the waitress to bring his check, and was surprised with her answer.

"It's already been paid for dear." She smiled, her southern drawl not covering her obvious amusement.

"By who?" The young man gawked.

"That would be me…" Came a soft voice to his side. He turned and found himself looking into the laughing chocolate eyes that he had seen only in his head. Her smile was just as he had dreamed it, absolutely flawless, and her ebony hair shone brilliantly even in the dimly lit restaurant. " Would you mind if I sat down?" She questioned, eyes not leaving his own.

"Not at all…" He murmured softly, "Not at all…" as she moved to sit before him, he began to recall words that had never seemed truer…

At first you will know not what they mean,

And you may never know,

And we may never tell you:--

These sudden flashes in your soul,

Like lambent lightning on snowy clouds

At midnight when the moon is full.

They come in solitude, or perhaps

You sit with your friend, and all at once

A silence falls on speech, and her eyes

Without a flicker glow at you:--

You two have seen the secret together,

She sees it in you, and you in her.

And there you sit thrilling lest the

Mystery Stand before you and strike you dead

With a splendor like the sun's.

Be brave, all souls who have such visions

As your body's alive as mine is dead,

You're catching a little whiff of the ether

Reserved for God Himself.

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A/N- I was recently studying the Spoon River Anthology, a truly fantastic book of poems/monologues written by Edgar Lee Masters, when I stumbled upon the last bit of prose, I wanted so badly to include it, plus I'd reread this and gotten new Ideas for lines that I was dying to add, so I rewrote it. Thanks for reading…