Author's Notes: Just a short character drabble written when I should've been working on something else. But the plot bunny kept poking me in the back until I wrote it. It's not even a page long, but it was meant to be short. Feedback is lovely, though. ^_^

Disclaimer: I own nothing related to Underworld. Lyrics from Clay Aiken's "I Survived You." Someone should make me stop listening to that CD. It keeps giving me Underworld plot bunnies.

***********************************************************************

I SURVIVED

I survived the crash

Survived the burn

Survived the worst

But I learned

Survived the lies

Survived the blues

It almost killed me

But I survived the truth

And when you wrote me off like I was doomed

I survived you

Sonja was gone. She was gone forever, immortal life stolen, never to be returned. And there was nothing anybody could do to change that. He let a tear slip down his cheek. It didn't matter. He was alone. He always would be alone. No one in all his immortal years would bring that light to his life that Sonja had. That light that always seemed to radiate from her. That light that could cheer you, no matter what tragedy you had befallen. That light that she alone carried. And he wasn't sure he wanted them to try. No one would take her place. Never.

Why did it have to be like that? It wasn't fair. No one ever said life would be fair. If they had, he would have laughed at them, even before this happened. Before Sonja was taken from him. But now he was more likely to rip their still beating heart from their very chest if they dared to make such a comment. A low growl sounded in the back of his throat just thinking about it. He slammed a fist down and clenched his eyes in an attempt to keep tears from spilling over. A choked sob managed to escape his throat in spite of everything. It was a pitiful sound soon followed by a small whimper.

Years had passed. Should it still hurt this much? Years... Years spent barely sleeping. And when sleep did come, he dreamed of her. He could see her face, smiling at him, bright eyes sparkling. Then he heard her screams. Screams that came from the depths of her soul. Screams that one would never think could exist. The screams of ultimate suffering. He wanted to cover his ears. He wanted to rip them from his very head. But he couldn't. He couldn't move. And that sound would stick with him for his eternity.

He had seen her ashes scatter from the inhuman form they once took. They blew around the room with the wind, which seemed to whisper her last goodbye. He heard the gold pendant hit the floor. Growls and howls of mourning from the lycans in the surrounding cages still sounded in his ears. He could still see the silver moonlight pouring from the ceiling.

Things could have been different. Could have. But they weren't. Sonja was gone. His princess was gone. He could still feel the texture of her golden locks, still feel her gentle kiss on his cheek. Without thinking, he reached his fingers up to his face to trace his cheek, now damp from streaming tears. He would have given anything at that moment to hold her in his arms one last time. To tell her he was sorry. To tell her he loved her. He would have given anything to have taken her place that day. He clenched his eyes shut and let the memories flood over him.

Sonja was gone. Burned alive. And it was all his fault. He had sentenced her. He had ordered it. He had damned his own daughter.

And he alone survived.