*Alone*

Deep within the darkness, a boy sat alone.

The boy glowed, his silvery hair beaming like moonlit wisps and curling at the ends. But his brilliant light was locked away, his condemned and broken body confined to an ancient cage hundreds of feet above the ground. The black of the iron bars contrasted in an eerily beautiful way with his natural glow, confining his light to the darkness. He wore traditional armor of the moon, a beautiful white. He held in his arms the remains of a tree branch staff, the spearhead long gone. He cradled the broken staff for a moment, his thin frame bent in uncomfortable pain and fatigue. Then suddenly, his body shook with a tremendous tremor, and his light flickered, leaving himself in darkness once again. Then, with a small grunt of effort, he began to glow once more. But not as brilliantly as before.

Even deeper within the darkness, a girl watched alone.

She had a long regal gown, a beautiful white. But the ends were tinted with the blacksand that surrounded her, and the olden day lace trim dirtied as well. Her hair, what once was a beautiful raven black, was now a shocking white, only a few black strands remaining. She clutched her necklace around her neck like a security blanket. She watched the world threw a blurry window, catching strange images and flashes of familiar faces around her. She gazed up at the lonely boy's cage with a strange look of longing, curiosity, and fear. She dared not fly anymore; the ground was where she belonged. And she dared not venture into the boy's light; she knew nothing good could come from the light. But after a long while of waiting her curiosity overcame her. She allowed herself to fly a few yards up from the ground, hovering as a harmless spectator. The boy fascinated her. She had a strange urge to set him free, he looked so familiar; his young face and skinny build reminded her of someone she had seen before. Then the spectral boy opened his eyes, his light green orbs resting on her frame. There seemed to be a glimmer in his eyes, like starlight tears. Then he surprised her. He raised his weary hand, reaching down to her.

She stood in the air, her emotions clashing in her mind and making it hard for her to think. Then, timidly and slowly, she floated up to him. She stretched her fingers out in front of her, fascinated and fearful of the boy like a moth to flame.

Much deeper within the darkness, a man reached out alone.

An ice-cold grip caught the girl's other hand, forgotten by her side. She froze, turning to face the hand's owner. She was met with a golden pair of eyes, bent in concern and sadness. The man was cloaked in darkness, standing on a large pile of nightmare sand. Suddenly she felt very embarrassed, and childlike. What was she doing?

She relaxed her body, letting the man softly pull her back to the ground. They touched the ground and he started walking her away from the light, away from the boy, as quickly as possible. She glanced behind her shoulder as they excited the cavern, looking back at the darkness's prisoner. The boy's hand was still outstretched to her, his sad eyes pleading in the darkness. His light was fading.

But what could she do about it anyway?

The man pulled her past his golden globe, and the glowing boy's glow suddenly disappeared as he lead her through his tunnels. The girl's eyes became droopy as he guided her through the halls, her head bobbing as she tried to stay awake. She slowed so much that the man just decided to pick her up, scooping her into his arms easily. Her gown dragged as he carried her through the halls, past empty and abandoned rooms. Then they entered yet another cavern room, a grand hall with a high ceiling, and a hint of roman architecture all around them. In the middle end of the room sat a tall chair, a throne of darkness. He laid the girl's unconscious body onto the seat, draping her arms on to armrest and her head on top of them, like a pillow.

He stroked a piece of white hair away from her face fondly. That encounter had been close, far too close. He couldn't loose her to the light, not now. Not when the plan was falling so perfectly into place.

He bent down to her level, examining her closely. Seeing her like this, asleep and venerable, reminded him of someone. Some child, some time long ago.

"I knew a girl like you once," The man said softly.

"But I cant remember her name."