There was a celebration, in its time. The people of the Seven Spheres celebrated their close call with total annihilation from the hate plague. In Nycheladra, Darken was pacing the outer garden. He could hear the songs from the palace chambers, could hear the people talking.

They were happy, all right. Happy to be alive, happy that Kirone and Monstructor and the rest of the Army of Darkness had been pushed back, and the Mother Machine cleansed of evil. They were unanimous in their praise of Darken and his friends. Even King Matariel was praising him. There were talks afoot, tensions were being reduced. Unity, it seemed, was almost possible.

Darken sighed. He sat by the babbling fountain in the garden, his wings folded, his shoulders hunched as though the weight of the world rested on them. He sighed again, and gently put his hands in the water, disturbing his reflection. He watched the ripples distort it as he mulled on what this great victory had cost him.

It had cost him his parents and the woman he loved. His hand went to his Eagle Clasp, now empty. The jewel it had once held in it was gone, having been used to purge the Mother Machine of the hate plague. It had cost him the essence of his mother. Now she was lost to him forever, as was the woman he had loved more than life itself.

Maryna, he thought. All I worked for seems so empty without you. He reflected further, on the goddess he had met when he tried to kill himself. She was a lot like Maryna, but in many ways, very different.

"Darken?" A young voice asked. He turned quickly, looking at the black-robed angel standing beside him. Darken noted the beautiful female angel beside him.

"Hello Sachiel, Leiliel," he said. "Lovely night, isn't it?"

"Well, kind of," Sachiel said. "You see, there's just one problem. The guest of honor is moping in the garden, and everyone's asking about him."

Darken smirked a small smile. "I'm nobody's hero, Sachiel," he said bitterly. "What I did, I did with your help, and a lot of sacrifice."

"Sacrifice or not," Leiliel said, her voice tinged with steel that betrayed her warrior's skill. "You can't let what you lost obscure what you've gained. You made a lot of people believe in your cause. You saved seven worlds. I don't think even mighty Phoenix would object to your taking the role you were born for."

Darken smiled a bit. He hadn't told anyone about his brief time with Phoenix Romanova, mostly because he feared for the repercussions. To the angels, Phoenix was the Light-bringer, the goddess of light and wisdom. To the dragons, she was Romanova, the mighty warrior goddess. Besides, he had enough people trying to groom him for the role of messiah without having any more divine connections.

"But it's not over, Leiliel," Darken said sternly. "We destroyed the Skyshadow, but Kirone and Monstructor are still alive, and we don't know where. They could attack again anytime. And now, with half of our forces lost in the battle and another lost to the plague, it seems a bit early to celebrate."

"Darken," Sachiel said, the night winds catching his blue hair. "Tell me the truth. This isn't about the war, is it?"

Darken looked at him.

"This is about Maryna," Sachiel said. "You miss her."

Darken shut his eyes, a tear escaping from them. "Yes," he said. "It is."

Sachiel put his hand on Darken's shoulder. "We all do, Darken. I loved her as well. But she wouldn't want you to hang on this tightly to a memory."

"Memories are all I have."

"That's a cheap excuse," Leiliel said, breaking her silence. "She was my sister long before either of you loved her. She and I were closer than you can imagine. But I will let her go, so her spirit can sleep in the light of Phoenix's realm. That is the best way to love her."

She sighed as she looked at Darken. "Sachiel," she said, kissing him gently on the cheek. "I'm going back to the party."

"I'll be there in a second, my love," he replied, kissing her lips.

As Leiliel walked back, she turned back to Darken.

"She loved you very much Darken," she said, brushing her short blonde hair away from her eyes. "But she would want you to move on. For the future, for your friends, and for yourself."

With that, she walked back into the main hall. Darken looked at Sachiel.

"You know," Sachiel said, "when you first started courting Maryna, I wanted to kill you. But I guess I knew even then, that Maryna and you were meant to be together, and my heart's destiny was on another path."

"Yes," Darken said, smiling. "But did you ever imagine it would be with Leiliel, the Mater of Assassins?"

Sachiel chuckled. "No. . .I guess I didn't. But then my imagination also never told me that I'd defy my father, help you fight the Army of Darkness, and return a hero. Destiny is strange that way, I suppose."

"It is at that," Darken said. "I never thought I'd ever be welcomed here. All those nights at Maryna's window, all those nights of running from the Seraphim. . .I'm surprised I'm allowed anywhere but the dungeon."

They both laughed, and suddenly, Darken was aware that, despite himself, the mood had lightened. He smiled at Sachiel again.

"Now, go on to the party. I'll be there soon my friend," he said, touching Sachiel's shoulder. "Leiliel is a little more important than me."

Sachiel nodded to him, an unspoken understanding between them. Darken watched him go, then stood up. For a little while, he looked at the stars in the sky. He wondered about Romanova, and where she was, if she was still looking at him.

He found her so intriguing, and, when he wasn't trapped his grief, he found himself thinking of her. She was very beautiful, and she had. . .a certain something in her eyes, a silent plea. And he found himself wanting more and more to be there with her.

We walked to a rosebush in the garden, his fingers gently encircling a white rose, open an elegant, seeming to glow in the gentle night sky. His fingers felt its silky petals, like the caress of a lover long gone.

He gently plucked it from the bush and held it close. He thought of Maryna, and then Romanova. More and more, his thought turned to Romanova, and he wondered if one could love a goddess.

"Oh good," a familiar voice said. Darken, not expecting to hear it, almost dropped the rose. He whirled around and, despite himself, began to smile.

It wasn't the elegant red and black dress she was wearing, nor the jeweled tiara that donned her head. He recognized her in an instant by her gentle violet eyes.

"Romanova!" he said, his voice reflecting his heart, which was, at this moment, borne on butterfly wings.

"Hello Darken," she said. He moved to embrace her and he held her tight.

"I've missed you," he whispered in her ear.

"I've missed you too," she said, holding him close. "But it looks like you've done all right."

"Have I? It all seems so empty. Or at least it did."

"What changed it?"

Darken smiled. "You,"

Romanova smiled. She looked deep into his eyes.

"I'm surprised you got this far," Darken said. "After all, you are the goddess of the angels and the dragons."

"How many goddesses do you know who dress this well?" she said, pirouetting to show off her gown.

Darken smiled. "None that come to mind."

Romanova blinked at the gown. "It's not much really, but I'm not used to wearing something this elegant." She then grabbed his hand. "C'mon," she said, giggling a bit. "I came to dance with the loveliest man at the party."

Darken blushed, but let himself be pulled along into the main hall. The dancers parted to let them pass, and Darken could have sworn he caught a glimpse of Sachiel and Leiliel together. Someone must have signaled the orchestra, because before he knew it, he was dancing with her.

He held her close, cursing his mentor for not teaching him more about dancing. If he had spent half as much time on a simple waltz as air combat, he thought. But he seemed to be doing well enough. Her arms were tight around him, and he could feel her warmth and the soft scent of her. The world about them dropped away, it seemed, and there were just the two of them.

Wonderful, Darken thought. This is so wonderful.

The music finished, and he looked deep into her eyes.

"I've never danced before now," he said to her.

"You did OK," she said, smiling.

The music swelled again, more passionate than the last song. Darken smiled. "Care to try again?"

She nodded. They danced more passionately as the music played. Darken held her close, never taking his eyes off of her. His hands caressed her as they danced, and hers, his. The dance was swift and insistent, like the act of love it seemed to score. Before Darken knew it, it was over, and he was holding her close.

Darken was so close to Romanova now. . .face to face, eye to eye. She filled his senses in a way no other woman ever had. After all, in her realm, she had touched his very soul. And now, it seemed to him, she was close to his heart as well.

He must have stared too long, because she reached out and pressed a finger against his nose. "OH!" he said, startled. "I'm sorry."

"Don't be," Romanova said with a wink. "See anything you like?"

"Quite a bit," he said, smiling.

He took her arm and led her out of the main hall. He wanted to dance with her, but more than that, he wanted to be with her, just to feel as happy as he was now. They walked back through the garden, and to the outer reaches of the palace. Above and below them were a million stars, very bright in the skies above and below them.

"Did you know they built this for you?" Darken said, gesturing. "This is Phoenix's Bridge, they built it to honor you and the skies they say you created."

She smiled. "It's lovely," she said.

Darken drew her into his arms. "But I think you are even more lovely," he said. His hands gently caressed her face. He felt fear rise in his chest, doubts about how she felt.

"Romanova. . ." he said, slowly drawing her face up to his. Without a second thought, he kissed her. He opened her lips like a flower in sunlight. Romanova didn't know how to react at first because she had never been kissed before. Nonetheless, she drew him closer and returned the kiss, and Darken felt his soul catch fire. A tear fell from his eyes, as he held her close, throwing all the love and desire into the kiss.

She pulled away and looked into his eyes. They were shining brightly, the sky full of stars reflected in them. Blinking, she said, "What was that for?"

"Romanova, I'm in love with you." Darken said. "I don't know how it happened exactly, but ever since you touched my soul, you've taken a part of me with you. . .and left a bit of you inside me."

She put a finger over his lips, as if to silence him. "I must admit, I never had anyone felt that way about me before. I. . ." Romanova felt her voice stutter.". . .never truly understood the concept of love."

Darken felt a bit of fear tremble inside him as Romanova explained. "The only reason why I helped you was because I knew that you had a destiny and that I felt that you were capable of forfilling it. You were in pain and unfocused. That's why I stayed with you. But I didn't know that you'd feel this way afterwards."

Darken held her close, comforting her. "It's all right, Romanova. I, at first, denied my feelings for you. I didn't even know if those feelings were actually real. . ."

Romanova thought for a minute, then said, "But if I do fall in love with you, it was because I cared about you." She kisses him briefly on the lips, making him feel as if his heart became a supernova. "I'll have to learn in time to accept these new feelings I have for you and act upon them."

They kissed again, their lips speaking for them, because there were not words for the depth of the love between them. And as they kissed, the stars became a sparking blanket around them, and a great load of pain was thrown off of Darken's soul.

And Darken let himself love her with all his heart.