Disclaimer: Highlander: The Series belongs to Davis/Panzer Productions, Rysher Entertainment, and Gaumont Télèvision. Buffy the Vampire Slayer belongs to Joss Whedon, Marti Noxon, Mutant Enemy, Twentieth Century Fox Productions, UPN, Sandollar Television, and Kuzui Enterprises. Angel belongs to most of those, David Greenwalt, the WB, and Greenwolf Corp. Any copyright infringements were not intended. This story was written for entertainment and not for profit.

Spoilers and Timing: Takes place before "Wild at Heart" on Buffy, a year after the Highlander: The Series ends, and a few weeks after the Angel ep. "Sense and Sensitivity" with spoilers for that. Other spoilers are for the Highlander episodes "Comes a Horsemen" and "Revelation 6:8". There are also spoilers for The Gatekeeper Trilogy by Christopher Golden and Nancy Holder and for the other stories in my "An Immortal Life" series.

Author's Note: This is the seventh story in my "An Immortal Life" series, a crossover fan fiction series between Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Highlander: The Series, with guest appearances of Angel and Highlander: The Raven. The other six go in this order: Too Late, Need, An Alternative, Mes Amis, Merging, and Sidelines.

Summary: Prophecies, demons, disputes among friends?sounds like business as usual. Marc and Marie have disappeared, Xander's at odds with Methos, Amanda's after Marc's head, Peter's suddenly decided to show up with no clue that his 18-year-old student is now 1700 years older than him, Porat's planning to manifest on the Hellmouth as something that makes the Napalm-grown alien in Evolution look like a Smurf, and Willow's just been captured. But where are the commandos?

This story is dedicated to hatten_jc, Koos van Winden, and Canadian Satan.

In the light of shadow, in the dark of day,
The demon brings to light what was hidden away
And the Merged One and his companions of old
Will face evils and perils never before told

In the blackness of sunlight, in the shining eclipse,
The demon's master will come to exist
The Merged One and his friendless crew
Will face troubles in lies and perilous truth

In the dimness of dawn, in the blinding dusk,
The Earth will crumble with the Merged One dust;
What has always been, will disappear forever more
And the Earth will become what is at its core
Unless the Merged One and his friends of new and old
Can band together and face the heat and cold

In the light of shadow, in the dark of day,
The demon brings to light what was hidden away
And the Merged One and his friends of time
Shall either Triumph or Forfeit at the End of the Endless Rhyme

*****

Doyle

Los Angeles: the city of angels, demons, and the occasional leprechaun. Think I'm jokin' about that? I swear I once saw one of the little fellas with my own two eyes. 'Course, it could have been the tequila.

Anyway, to get back on track a little, let me tell you about what's been happenin' around here in our little corner of the world. First of all, Detective Kate Lockley and all the other cops at 'er precinct fell under the influence of a sensitivity-enhancin' stick. Problem was, they got a little too sensitive, and before Cordy and I knew it, Angel had become just as bad off as they were. It was a scary sight, believe me. It was not my favorite night, let me tell you. Cordy and I both are glad it's all over.

After that whole mess, we had ta deal with the carnage caused by a demon I saw in my latest head-splittin' Vision. Now she was a mother load. Thing was, during the battle I changed to ma demon form - right in front of Cordelia. I don't know who was more surprised, her or me. She was certainly pretty shocked for a while there. Afterwards, after she'd started to breathe a little more and I was so nervous that I was on the verge of begging her to say somethin', she slapped me. Then she told me she was very mad at me fer keepin' it a secret, but the whole half-demon thing didn't really matter anyway. Then she told me ta ask her out.

I did, of course. I couldn't believe it at first. The great Cordelia Chase had actually agreed to go on a date with little ol' me, and from the looks of things, she's been enjoyin' it as much as I have. We went on our first date the followin' evenin'. Now, two weeks later, I'm still havin' trouble believin' it.

Before I went ta the office that mornin', I stopped at the florist's and bought a bouquet of roses in Cordy's favorite color. I wasn't sure what kind of flower she liked the most and hoped she wasn't goin' ta hit me for gettin' roses. I stopped and bought some chocolates to sweeten the deal.

When I walked in the office, I found Cordy sittin' behind her desk. I could hear Angel in the next room, doin' whatever it is he does when he actually wakes up in the mornin'.

"Mornin', princess," I said, smiling wildly at the sight of her. She gets more and more lovely every time I see her. This mornin', she looked marvelous.

She looked up and smiled back, although not as wildly. "Morning, although whether it's a good one remains to be seen. Angel's in one of his 'don't bother me' brooding modes. I swear the guy needs to get out more."

"I've got somethin' that'll make it better," I told her. "Maybe not for Angel, but hopefully for you."

I pulled the flowers and the chocolate out from behind my back. Her smile widened immediately as she stood up and accepted the gifts. "Red roses, chocolate, my favorite."

She set the gifts on her desk, wrapped her arms around me, and gave me a long kiss that I heartily returned. I knew then that I was still safe, and knew that when we finally pulled apart that I must've been grinning like an idiot without a care in the world.

"Hi, Doyle." Angel had appeared at the door. "Cordelia, do you know where that file for the Hendersons is?"

Cordelia let go of me and glared at Angel. She pointed a finger at him. "You, mister, need to work on timing. And get a life. Or a girlfriend. You are just too depressing in the mornings."

Angel gave her a look. "Cordelia-"

But she would not be stopped. I was a little annoyed with the man, too. Sure, we were supposed to be workin' and not cuddlin', but it was still goin' great for a moment there.

Cordelia continued, "You really need to work on your attitude, mister. What if a promising, financially sound customer decided to walk right through that door-" she pointed behind her, "-only to get turned around after taking one look at you?"

"Cordelia! The Henderson file?" Angel finally managed to get in.

Cordelia threw her hands up in the air. She turned to me. "There's no dealing with him." She turned back to Angel. "The Henderson file is on your desk, under the file on the Vercah demons you and Doyle took out on Monday."

"Thanks," Angel said, already turning to re-enter his office.

That was, of course, when the Vision hit.

The pain came first and made me double over. I must've cried out, because both of 'em were already runnin' towards me when the images came.

I saw blades flashin', meetin', drawin' apart. The combatants' faces froze for a moment. One of 'em was a demon, dark purple skin, white eyes, antlers. The other one was human, brown hair, eyes, six feet at least. Harris.

Flash.

The antler demon stood behind an altar in the middle of a complex pattern. He cut his wrist. Other demons stood chantin' around him at specific points. More demons stood around them, facing inward and outward. They were bodyguards.

Flash. Four different locations, smaller groups of demons, same race. All chanting.

Flash. Demonic clouds gatherin' over a town. Sunnydale. Porat was manifestin' on the Hellmouth.

Flash. A young red-haired woman, scared. Willow Rosenberg. Standin' amid a demon guard, surrounded by one of the groups of worshippers.

Flash.

Blackness.

Everything was black, all around me. I could think clearly again, like I was back in the office and the Vision was over. But it wasn't, or I'd be able ta see Angel and Cordy right then.

"Uh, hello?" My voice echoed within that darkness. It sounded unreal, like I hadn't really said it but had thought it instead.

A long moment passed. I was getting impatient, and although I'd never admit it ta anyone else, a little freaked, too. I mean, how often does a half-demon like me wind up in some colorless plane of existence after a Vision?

"Good morning, Allan Francis Doyle," answered a voice, echoing from somewhere unknown.

Oh, shit. I recognized that voice. I'd heard it just now, in my Vision, but I hadn't been able to put a name to it until now.

"Porat," I said, or thought, or whatever. I gulped. This was not good. This wasn't part of my Vision. He wasn't supposed ta be here. I wasn't supposed ta be here.

"I see you know me. I sensed that the Powers were sending you a Vision about me, and I'm pleased to see I was right. The Powers must want you to warn the Merged One of my plans. I cannot allow this, and I must use up precious energies to ensure you are not able to tell anyone what you have seen."

I felt pain then, more pain that I've ever felt in a Vision before. It felt like my skull, brain, and nerves were all bein' ripped apart. I'm pretty sure I screamed in the wakin' world.

Then everythin' truly turned ta black, and I fell to the office floor, unconscious. Cordy callin' my name was the last thing I heard.