OK, I'm gonna put my notes up here, so you're gonna have to read it. I'm sorry for such a short part last time, but I was WAY overdue in working on my novel. Yes, that's right, I am working on a novel!! Yea!! I'm not gonna say any more. Well, enjoy! PS -- The shadow demon will now be referred to simply as Shadow. Also, this part is rated PG-13, for violence Chapter 9 "Shadow, I want you to assume my identity." "What?" Shadow asked, slightly confused. "You heard me. Assume my identity." "Anton, what do you mean, assume your identity?" Anton smirked at that comment. "Not real bright, are you?" Anton muttered under his breath. "What I mean, is for you to look like me. I want the White Knight to think that you are me. You will battle him, and weaken him. Then, I will finish him off, and use the magic of the Sword of Darkness to destroy the Sword of Light. Understand?" Anton narrowed his eyes, and raised his eyebrows. "Yes, master," Shadow said as he bowed slightly. _____________________________________________________________________ "D...Darien?" Serena asked, wide eyed. "Darien does not exist now," said the form that looked like Prince Darien, dressed in white body armor. "Only the White Knight exists." The voice was deeper, more dark. "I am the defender of Earth. I am the wielder of the Sword of Light. I take only the side of the carrier of the Love Star, which is where I and the Sword of Light are kept." The White Knight looked at Serena. "You are the owner of the Love Star, correct?" "Y...Yes..." "Then my mission is what you tell me it is." Serena tried to think of what to say. She just couldn't get over that Darien was the White Knight, more or less. "W--Well, um..." "Serena, can I see you for a minute?" Buffy asked. Serena walked over to Buffy. "What is it?" "What the hell is going on?" "I--I wish...I knew..." "Well, I just thought you'd like to know something. The really, really ugly one's name is Antrosis, and the other one is called Anton." "The really, really ugly one has been killed." "Then you're dealing with Anton." "H--How do you know their names?" "Well when you're a captive, you hear things. Like conversations." Buffy grinned. Serena turned to the White Knight. She told him his mission. _____________________________________________________________________ The White Knight appeared from the portal as Anton stepped forward. They looked at each other for a brief moment. "Ah, White Knight. We meet at last. Welcome to my humble abode. I trust you had a pleasant trip." "Cut the chat. I'm here on a mission." "So it would seem. Tell me, what is your mission?" "To destroy the holder of the Sword of Darkness, and all who side with him." "Well, you've come to the right place. Enguard!" Anton drew out a sword, and got into a battle position. Anton leaped forward, slashing at the White Knight. Their swords, met, and the two were locked in combat. Anton spun around, and brought his sword down, and the White Knight defended with his own sword. The White Knight spun around, and slashed Anton's stomach. "Touché!" Anton quickly stabbed at the White Knight, who dodged easily. The White Knight then stabbed Anton in the chest. Anton quickly transformed, and revealed that he was not Anton, but rather, Shadow. "Gotcha!" "No. I got you." A brilliant light came from the Sword of Light, and Shadow started to disintegrate. He was gone in an instant. He had been sent back to hell. Then, the real Anton stepped out from the shadows. "He was always a bit of an underachiever. He never reached his potential." "Who are you?" "My name is Anton, and I am the holder of the Sword of Darkness. But enough about me. Who are you?" "I am the White Knight. And I am the wielder of the Sword of Light." Anton smiled. "So good of you to come. I hope you're prepared to die, because I am gonna kill you." Anton spun around, and slashed at the White Knight, who dodged effortlessly. "You're going to have to better than that." "I'm just getting warmed up." Anton jabbed twice, the first time being a fake, and the second being the real one. The White Knight was hit in the stomach. It did not seem to matter. The White Knight slashed at Anton, hitting him across the face. Blood started to flow. "Really, you are pathetic," the White Knight said. Anton responded by using the magic of the Sword of Darkness. A beam of pure dark energy blasted the White Knight, smashing him against a wall. The White Knight's head bashed into the wall, and then he fell to the floor. "Unnhh..." "Now who's the pathetic one?" Anton moved closer to the groaning mass. "No friends, no hope, and no way out. Is there anything you have?" The White Knight felt a sudden adrenaline rush surge through him. "Yes," he said. "Myself." The White Knight flipped up, and kicked the Sword of Darkness out of Anton's hand. It flew across the cavern, and lodged into the ground. The White Knight kicked Anton in the stomach, then the head, sending him to the ground. Anton quickly got back up, and ran at the White Knight, tackling him. The Sword of Light flew across the cavern. Anton and the White Knight were locked in true hand-to-hand combat. Anton punched the White Knight across the face, and the White Knight retaliated by grabbing Anton's head, and shoving it downward to his rising knee. Anton's head started bleeding more. Blood was now all over both combatants. They rolled around the floor, hitting each other over and over. _____________________________________________________________________ "That's it!" Buffy shouted. "I can't wait anymore!" She ran out the door, and headed down the hall. "Where's she going?" Serena asked. "I think I know," Angel said as he headed after Buffy. _____________________________________________________________________ Anton and the White Knight stood, facing each other's bleeding forms. Hatred was in Anton's eyes. No emotion could be seen in the eyes of the White Knight. "Give it up!" Anton said. "You'll never win." "Then I guess I'll have to make sure we tie." Anton and the White Knight both ran to their swords, and grabbed them. They started fighting again. Neither one noticed Buffy and Angel emerge from the portal. Their swords met over and over, each time a spark of lightning shooting out as the energies countered each other. The White Knight found himself on the defensive more than once, as Anton slashed away at him. "I've got to do something," Buffy whispered. "No," Angel whispered back. "Stay here. They have to finish this fight on their own." Angel had heard the prophecy more times than he could count. He knew how accurate those prophecies were, especially in Sunnydale. He already knew the outcome of this battle... Anton raised the Sword of Darkness over his head, drawing negative energy into the sword. He then thrust at the White Knight, letting the energy fly at him at a rocketing speed. The White Knight thrust back, sending purepositive energy at Anton. They two energies met, and exploded in an array of bright colors, sending shock-waves all throughout the cavern. When the dust settled, Buffy and Angel stood from their hiding place. They looked around. Anton was no more, just a pile of dust on the ground. The Sword of Darkness had been shattered, and disintegrated into nothingness. "He did it!" Buffy exclaimed. "He won!" Angel looked over at the White Knight, and walked out of the cavern, into the portal. Buffy then saw what he saw. A limp body, lying on the ground. It was Darien, no longer in the form of the White Knight. Only a blood-deprived Darien. "Oh my God..." Buffy rushed over to him, and picked him up. She then walked into the portal. It closed behind her, and the cavern began to collapse... _____________________________________________________________________ Angel walked into the library, with the look of depression on his face. Serena immediately jumped up. "What is it?" Her eyes were starting to water; she had a gut feeling that something terrible had happened. "Well..." Angel did not get to finish. Buffy burst in the library,holding Darien. His blood was on her clothes. "I-I'm sorry. He's..." "No!" Serena cried. "He can't be!" Serena rushed over to Buffy, and took Darien from her. She laid him down, his head on her lap. She was sobbing uncontrollably. "Dar...i...en... You...can't...die..." Serena choked. "You...just...can't..." She started sobbing more and more. Her tears were streaming down her wet cheeks, and falling onto Darien. "Don't...leave...me..." Her sobs were more audible now. All of the Soldiers found themselves crying, too. Slowly, the Silver Crystal began to glow. It's soft light grew and grew, until it faded back. Darien coughed. His eyes opened. "D...Darien...?" Serena asked. He smiled slightly. He raised his blood stained hand up to Serena's face, and wiped some tears away, to make room for her tears of joy. She hugged him, and kissed his head. He raised himself up, still in pain. A bright light suddenly appeared, with Queen Serenity in the middle. She floated down. "Princess Serena, you have used the power of the Silver Crystal to heal Darien. You're love for him, and desire to heal him, was detected by it, and so he is healed. He will still have a few bruises, and some pain, as the power of the Silver Crystal has limitations. But he is healed. I am so proud of you. You have true feelings of love for him, as he does for you." Queen Serenity smiled. "Mother... Is it...is it over?" "It will never be over. You must continue to fight evil whenever it threatens you, or the ones you love. But I believe you can do it. I have faith in you. Goodbye, Serena." Queen Serenity faded into the light, as it faded away. "Come on," Serena said. "Let's go home." All of the Soldiers, including Darien, joined hands. They used the power of the planets to teleport back home. Buffy took a deep breath. "Now I've seen everything." ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ The End ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Hey, it's over! No more story! I'd like to take a moment and clear my mind...that didn't take long! :) Well, a thousand thank-yous to... Gabino Lopez Sanches, Princess Serenity, Phillip Scott, Tiga Shadow (for being such a great writer, and inspiring me to write), FernieK86, Mars4rei, and anybody else whose name I may have forgotten. You're all wonderful!! I would like to give a big special thanks to Hino Rei and Jupiter Knight for posting my stories. You guys are the best! Anyone who read this, email me at cowboys@wwd.net with all your praises, comments, flames, anything else, etc. etc.