One moment she was on the rooftop with black arrows streaking toward her, one by one getting through the barrier she'd tried to raise ... she felt the first ones hit, and there was pain. She'd been hurt before, scarred, burned - but these were different. So cold and yet burning hot at the same time as they ripped into her flesh. She cried out, a noise filled with agony, falling back onto the room with warmth pooling beneath her ......

... ... ...

And then, abruptly, she was elsewhere. Or rather, elsewhen. She remembered this. The first day she had met Isaac. They'd both still been trainees then, though she was more advanced, if not in years. No, he was the older of the two of them. He'd been assigned to her team as protection, a tall dark-haired Sun trainee. Back then, Melly hadn't been trying to pretend everything would turn out for the best. She had believed it.

"Hi!" she stuck a hand out toward him. "I'm Melynda, or Melly! We're supposed to be studying someplace that the higher-ups think might eventually turn into a crossing point." She rocked back and forth on her heels a little. "Not too dangerous they said, since it's small. But still, there might be monsters! Are you ready?"

He had blinked a few times, as if overwhelmed by the torrent of words coming at him. Then he simply grunted quietly and muttered, "Ready as I'll ever be. Isaac. Isaac Galloway."

His typical silence only made her want to talk to him more, to learn his story and how he'd come to be here. Everyone knew hers. Even he did after no more than a day - not like it was a secret or something. But it had taken a while for him to share his, nearly two weeks of working together. In those two weeks, however, they became something more than partners. She'd liked him from the first moment, and he wasn't really far behind, though it took him longer to admit it.

After that, they started seeing one another more often, making plans to meet up between missions. They spend holidays together when they could, bought one another presents ... exclaimed over wounds and watched over each other while they recovered. Their love only seemed to grow stronger over the months, even in the face of all they were up against.

... ... ...

Time skipped again, closer to the present now. Two weeks before Christmas, this year. "Hi," he said, with that faint smile of his, obviously happy to see her even though his eyes were sunken, tired.

"Hi!" she replied, jumping up to throw arms about his neck and give him a sound kiss. "Did you bring me anything?" she asked then, childlike. It had become something of a ritual between them, and he didn't disappoint her this time.

"Of course ... though it's not like the usual stuff. It was ... more expensive." Isaac stuck a hand into his pocket, searching for something.

Melly gazed up at him, waiting, wondering what it could be. Then before she had time to guess, he was down on a knee, holding a small box with an even smaller ring in it. Hands flew to her mouth for a moment and then she was practically squealing, saying "yes" over and over, nevermind that he hadn't actually asked the question yet.

There wasn't really time to have a wedding just then, since he had to leave on a mission soon. But, "I'll be back by Christmas," he promised, holding her and kissing the top of her head. "We can get married then ... just something small." She nodded, tears of happiness filling her eyes. Then he was gone.

He never came back. That last mission claimed his life.

And Melly went on ... trying not to think of him, trying not to remember. Trying ... so very hard to believe. That somehow, it could all be okay.

... ... ...

As the arrows kept raining down, more and more piercing her already mangled body, a faint smile spread over Melly's lips and one hand, trembling, reached into a pocket - fingers wrapping about a small gold band with an even smaller diamond that was hidden there. Maybe .... she'd see Isaac again, like this. It wasn't so bad ... even the pain was fading now.

Hold on to the dream,
tomorrow knows where and when.
It's true, what you believe
Don't let go, the road will never end ...
Keep trying to believe, the biggest part of you
And now you're ready to go