Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters from Prince of Persia. They all belong to Ubisoft.

I've changed the time span between Sands of Time and Warrior Within to three years.

Italic text is used for thoughts, dreams and flashbacks.

Only Time Knows

Chapter One: These Strange New Feelings

A year or so passed, and the Prince allowed Farah to help him in the only way she knew how: To be supportive and loving. He arranged for her to stay in the palace with him, much to the disapproval of his father, who was not keen on the idea of a woman living there when she was unmarried.

They kept their relationship secret for the time being, the Prince had insisted on it. Usually, it was just a couple nights a week, and every so often they'd spend a day together somewhere where no one could see them.

The Prince found that slowly, he was softening again. He was making more silly comments and he was generally happy more often.

But it was all short lived when the Prince began to return home later and later each night.

Farah began to worry, and one night, when dawn was only about an hour away, she decided to speak up.

The Prince returned exhausted, almost unable to stand up. Farah ran to his side and helped him sit down.

"Are you okay?" she asked.

"I'm fine," he lied.

"You're not fine," she said, "What's going on? Please tell me."

"It's just…" he decided to tell her. She needed to know. "For quite a while now, I've been… chased…by this unstoppable monster. There's nothing I can do to stop it. I tried speaking with the Old Man, and he told me, that this creature was called the Dahaka. It's the guardian of the Timeline."

"What does it want with you?" Farah asked, her voice edged with worry.

"It wants me dead. Apparently, when I released the Sands of Time, I was supposed to die. But I survived, and that created a rift in the Timeline. So now, the Dahaka pursues me, so it can fix this problem with my death."

"What will you do?"

"I…did have a plan. But you might not approve."

"What is it?"

He got up and went outside, letting the cool evening breeze cool him down. "I thought that perhaps if the Sands of Time never existed, the Dahaka will have no need to kill me. And the Old Man told me that when your father found the Sands, he also found portals that one could use to go back through time. So, maybe, if I go back in time and stop the creation of the Sands, I will, in turn, never open them and the problem will be fixed."

Farah didn't like the sound of this idea. It was too dangerous. But it seemed even more dangerous if he didn't do it. He was skilled, but even he couldn't stop something like the Dahaka: it sounded too powerful.

"You should go."

This wasn't the answer he'd been expecting. He'd thought up the perfect argument.

"What?"

"You should go," she repeated. "I can't lose you. At least this way…you've got a chance. What have we got to lose?"

"Wow, I didn't expect you to be so calm about it. And to think, I only want to do this for you."

"For me? What do I have to do with any of this?" she asked.

"When the Old Man told me that I was supposed to die, I began to think that maybe you were supposed to die too, when you…" he didn't really want to think about it. He opened his hand and looked at the scar that was still there after all this time. "let go of the Dagger. And if the Dahaka is after me, maybe it'll go after you. And I am not about to let you suffer for something I did."

Farah didn't reply. There really weren't words to describe how much love she felt for him after hearing that. She just closed her eyes and held him silently.

The next day, the Prince had a ship and crew ready. They were going to go to the Island of Time to stop the Empress of Time from creating the Sands of Time.

Farah came with him to the docks.

"I'll be back soon, I promise," the Prince said hugging her.

"I know. And I'll be right here waiting for you," she said. "But before you go, I want you to have something…"

She knelt down in front of him and took off her necklace. Taking the amulet off the chain, she inserted it into the chest plate of the Prince's armor.

"What are you doing?" he asked.

Getting up she said, "This amulet will serve as protection against anything you may encounter there. It has special powers you can use if you need. And also…it's a reminder of me."

"I'll always remember you, with or without an amulet."

The crew began to board and the Prince knew he would be leaving soon. He gave Farah one last kiss, and prayed that he would be able to kiss her again, that he would return victorious.

"I love you," he said.

"I love you too," she answered, allowing a few tears to fall from her eyes. "But while you're there… forget me. You need to focus on the task at hand, and that is stopping the Empress."

He nodded and hesitated before boarding the large ship. As it left port, he glanced back at her and said quietly, "I will succeed and then you live happily ever after, as we were meant to…"

The Prince looked out at sea and let out a deep breath. Finally, he was returning home, to where Farah was waiting. He couldn't wait to hold her again, and tell her his story; of how he vanquished the Dahaka and now they had nothing to fear.

"Cyrus? Are you okay?" a voice asked, "You're kind of quiet."

The voice startled him and he turned to his companion. Kaileena, the former Empress of Time, sat behind him on a wooden bench they'd built into the ship.

"Yes, I'm alright. Just…thinking."

"About what?" she asked.

"What I'll do when we get home."

"Oh," she said, a bit sadly. She gazed over her shoulder in the direction they came from, where the Island of Time lay, hidden by thick blankets of fog.

"What's wrong?"

"Nothing…I guess I'm just a bit homesick," Kaileena replied. "The Island wasn't the best home, but it was still my home. It's the only place I've ever known. There I belonged, now…I feel so out of place."

The Prince sat down beside her and took her hand in his. "Don't worry. I'll give you a good home in Babylon. Like I said; you can begin a new life, and leave this evil one behind you. There's nothing for you back there."

"Well, considering you killed everyone who lived there," she pointed out.

"They weren't real!" he argued lightly, "They were like sand castles you made on the beach, only alive and much angrier. They were like angry, living sand castles wielding weapons."
Kaileena laughed and the Prince had to admit she had a nice laugh. Light and carefree, but odd. She must not have laughed much before.

"But that's beside the point. The point is here and now. Forget about that place, and look forward to the life that awaits you."

Kaileena smiled and said, "I'll try."

He got up and headed down the stairs that led to the cabin.

"Where are you going?" Kaileena asked.

"Just down to clean up. I left some stuff on the floor, ropes and extra wood," he replied.

Kaileena didn't follow. She enjoyed being out in the wide open air. It was relaxing. She got up and walked over to the edge of the ship and leaded over the railing. Ocean water sprayed in her face and she laughed with happiness.

Suddenly, from down below, the Prince heard a splash.

"Oh no! Kaileena!" he raced up the stairs and looked around the deck for her. "Kaileena!"

"Down here!" she called. But she did not sound alarmed, or scared. She sounded…happy?

He leaned over the edge and looked down into the water. With a wide grin on her face, Kaileena was treading water slowly.

"You scared me," the Prince said, "I thought you'd fallen over board."

"No. You're such a worry wart Cyrus. Learn to have some fun. C'mon!" she said and waved for him to join her.

"No thanks. You have your fun; I'm not much of a swimmer."

Kaileena shook her head, disappointed, but continued to swim alone, vanishing for moments beneath the surface.

He went back down to the cabin to finish putting the rest of the supplies away.

Kaileena grew bored and teleported herself back onto the ship. She headed down to the cabin as well.

"Kaileena," the Prince said, "Now look at you, you're soaking wet."

"Oh my god," she said, "You sound like a father."

"I'm just worried about you," he said.

"Why?"

"I… have my reasons," he replied, his hand briefly moving to the amulet in his armor. "Here, you need to get out of those clothes before you catch cold."

"Sorry, I hardly know you," she joked.

"Oh ha ha," he replied sarcastically. He tossed her a blanket and turned away, waiting for her to finish changing.

Kaileena let her dress drop to her feet and stepped out of it. At first, she felt a bit nervous, standing there naked with him in the room. But then, she felt something odd. A part of her was glad he was here. But quickly she shook her head and wrapped herself in the blanket and hung her dress up to dry.

"It's okay now, I'm covered," she said.

The Prince paused a moment, then turned. "When we reach land, I'll order some clothes made for you," he said.

Kaileena sat down on a bunk that she used as a bed for the passed three nights they'd been at sea. "Where did you get that amulet?" she asked. She'd always been curious. It gave him the powers of Time and yet, she had not made it. At least…not yet.

"It was given to me."

"Oh… by whom?"

"Just someone who is special to me. It's kind of like a reminder of her," he replied untangling a rope.

Kaileena felt her heart drop when he said "her". "You seem sad when you speak of her. Who is she?"

"She's a princess. I met her three years ago. I haven't seen her since I left for your Island."

"She seems to mean a lot to you," Kaileena said. She got up and sat next to him.

"She does. She was there when I released the Sands of Time. We were two of the only three survivors. At first we couldn't stand each other. But then, over time, I realized that I cared. I cared since the moment I met her, but I didn't admit it to myself. But once, I heard her say that she loved me, when she thought I couldn't hear. I couldn't stop thinking about what she said."

"Did you ever tell her how you felt? And did she tell you?" Kaileena asked.

"No, not really. We'd gotten trapped in a tomb when I made a mistake, one that now; I wish I could take back. We got separated and I found her again a little while later. She died to help me and when I finally undid everything, she didn't remember me or what we'd had. Now, she's back, and she wants to remember, but I don't think she truly believes, and I don't think she ever really will." He decided to keep their first night together to himself.

"Wow, I've never heard such a tragic story," Kaileena said. How much he must've loved her. It amazed Kaileena. Would anyone ever love her like that? Would she ever love anyone like that herself?

You already do, a voice inside her said. She glanced over at the Prince and wondered if the voice was right. Did she love this man? The one who had set out to destroy her and who she, in her own way, wanted him dead as badly? She'd never felt love for anyone before. She felt desire, it was true, but that was easily fed by being pleasured by her minions, usually the executioners who resided in the prisons, sometimes by her keepers and rarely by raiders, since they were quite stupid and not very good when it came to that.

But what she felt now, was not lust. It was something different. The physical attraction she felt for the one who'd saved her from the hell she lived was almost unimportant. She wanted to feel what this princess felt, to be loved so much by someone that they'd die for you.

Silently, Kaileena returned to her own bed and decided to rest. All these new thoughts were splitting her head.

Babylon, during Warrior Within

Farah tossed in her bed but found that sleep was not going to come to her. She sat up and swung her legs over the side of the bed. Getting up she walked outside onto the balcony into the night air. The smell of lilacs hung low in the humid air and Farah gazed out in the direction of the sea. He'd been gone an awfully long time, she hoped he was okay.

There was a sudden knock at the door. Farah opened the door and saw a young servant standing on the other side, red faced and gasping for air.

"M'lady, the King wishes to see you. It's urgent. There has been a devastating discovery," the young boy said.

Grabbing a robe to cover herself better, Farah followed the young servant down to the courtyard outside. There a group of soldiers were waiting to accompany her down to the docks.

King Sharaman was waiting for her there. There was a sad look on his face.

"What's going on Your Highness?" she asked completely confused.

"I have some…terrible news," he replied. He led her down to the beach where some debris had been washed ashore along with some dead bodies. The stench was horrible, smelling of both corpses and fish.

Farah gasped when she realized what she was seeing. This was the Prince's ship, and the bodies were his crew. She froze, unable to comprehend it all.

"No one survived. One man washed up on shore alive, but died a few minutes ago. He said they were attacked by raiders. Dog looking men lead by a female warrior," Sharaman explained. Though the story sounded far fetched, he as well as Farah believed it.

"And Cyrus?" she asked emotionlessly.

"He said he saw Cyrus fighting the woman, but she threw him over board and no one saw him since. So far we haven't found his body. It must have vanished in the water like many of the others."

"No…" she said, "He can't be dead. Not like that."

"I know you two were close, so I thought you had the right to know," the King said.

Suddenly, she couldn't breathe. Her head was swimming and she could no longer stand on her own. Before Sharaman realized what happened, she collapsed. Before blacking out, she could hear him shout, "I need some medical help over here now!"

Present time, aboard the ship

"You gave her up, let her go. And I have come to reclaim what has always been mine," he sneered.

"No! I love her. You don't know what you're talking about. I didn't give her up."

"You did! And you know it. You gave her up for this little whore. But I know what she's really worth. I'll make her happy. I'll be the man you never could!"

"Let her go please!" he begged, "I promised I'd never let any harm come to her…and I've failed. Like so many times before, I've failed her…"

The rocking of the ship kept Kaileena from sleep. She was not used to it. It also made her a little nauseous. She heard the rustling of sheets, and the sound of soft moaning. Squinting in the darkness of the cabin, she saw that the Prince was tossing and turning in his bed, his lips moving and emanating pained moans. He was having a nightmare.

Kaileena got out of bed and, clutching her makeshift clothes in her hand, ran over to him. She sat on the edge of his bed and leaned over him.

"Wake up, Cyrus, wake up!"

He was crying now, tears streaming down his face, which was a portrait of pain.

"Leave her alone…please don't harm her…please…I promised…" he cried.

Kaileena shook him until he woke up with a jolt.

In the darkness, the Prince thought Kaileena was Farah. "Farah…?"

"No…It's me, Kaileena," she said.

"Kaileena?" he was so glad it was only a dream that he sat up quickly and hugged Kaileena. She was startled at first but returned the hug, feeling his shaking body against hers.

"It was horrible," he was saying, crying into her hair.

"Shh. It's over, it was only a dream," she soothed.

The Prince pulled away from her slightly, wiping away the tears. He looked embarrassed. "I'm sorry if I woke you," he apologized.

"You didn't, I was awake already," she replied. They sat there in silence for a moment when Kaileena began to wonder what it would be like to kiss him. Holding him had felt so right and she wanted more now.

"Are you going to be okay now?" she asked.

The Prince nodded, "Yes. I think so. And thanks."

"For what?"

"For just being here. Having someone to talk to or to see everyday makes everything okay. I really don't know what I'd do without you Kaileena," he said.

"I'm glad," Kaileena said, "I don't know what I'd do without you either." And she decided to go for it. Leaning in she pressed her lips against his.

The act came as a surprise to the Prince. He pulled away from her and said, "I'm sorry Kaileena, but I can't do this."

"Why not?" she asked in a whisper.

"I'm already in love with someone, and I don't have those feelings for you."

"But…what you just said and what you've been saying ever since we left the Island," she said.

"I didn't mean for you to think I was coming onto you. I do love you Kaileena, but as a friend," he said backing away so he made it clear.

"Oh…" she said disappointed, "I'm sorry I did that then."

"You have no reason to be sorry. I shouldn't have said what I did. I guess I didn't realize I was giving the wrong impression," the Prince said.

Kaileena got up and headed back to her bed.

Suddenly, she felt dizzy. She'd had this feeling before: it meant she was having a vision of the future.

She let out a tiny cry and her knees buckled, causing her to fall. The Prince was quick to his feet and caught her. "Kaileena!"

She clutched him as the pain grew. She began to cry out.

"What's happening?" he asked to no one in particular.

Gasping for air, Kaileena said, "I'm…having a vision…of the future."

Now he understood why she was in pain. As a young man, when he was in the Sultan's palace, he'd gotten visions every so often, seeing what dangers lay ahead, waiting for him. They'd been painful and took a lot out of him.

In her mind's eye, Kaileena saw fire, so much fire. A whole city was burning. And she saw death. Soldiers fighting and dying, cries of pain filled the air and she heard the sound of metal banging. She could see a crown tumbling down a flight of stone steps until it came to a halt at someone's foot. A mysterious man picked up the crown and said in a familiar voice, "All that is yours is rightfully mine…and mine…it will be!" He moved aside and Kaileena saw a body hanging from a plank of wood that was being held by two men.

She realized that this vision was not intended for her, but for the Prince.

"What did you see?" he asked her.

Should she tell him? What good would it do other than upsetting him? To have to tell him his home was going to be destroyed, and all the people he cared about were going to die. She couldn't.

"I just saw…us returning to Babylon," she answered. It wasn't really a lie. Surely if this man was speaking to the Prince he had returned home.

The Prince helped Kaileena to her feet and sighed in relief, "I'm glad you're okay."

He made sure she wasn't going to fall again and returned to his bed. "Goodnight Kaileena. I hope you feel better. I know visions have a way of making you feel ill. But don't worry; we'll be reaching port any day now."

"Yeah…goodnight Cyrus," she said.

Kaileena closed her eyes. He sounded so happy to be returning home. Yeah, you're happy now Cyrus. But soon, I'm afraid, you're world is going to come crashing down, and I fear there is nothing you or I can do to stop it.