The Warlock warped into the space over Achromurcra, followed by the other ships in its fleet. Without warning they began opening fire on the machine sphere below--shells, bolts of green energy, anything they could throw at the ship was unleashed.

At the same time, cargo holds in the rear of the ships opened. Racks of what looked like massive armored figures were deployed. Through clear panels on their bodies, one could see emerald energy crackling through them. The racks let them loose, and as they feel to the Sphere, each deployed brilliant, blue-green wings. They unleashed a hum, much like a scream in the skies.

These were the Metalhawks; these were Sandalphon's true spearhead to the attack on the Sphere.

To the ships' salvo, they added one of their own. Too slowly, the Machine Sphere deployed its defenses, but the ships and the Metalhawks were already pounding them.

"30% of the Sphere's outer shell is damaged," Ciriel said. "15 Metalhawks are destroyed."

"Time until we find the control center?" Sandalphon said. He was perched on the edge of his seat, watching the battle from the bridge window and monitoring the positions of the ships under his command.

"The Metalhawks have covered only 20% of the Sphere's surface," Ciriel replied. "It may be another hour."

"Continue our barrage as long as possible," Sandalphon said. "Hold the ships at a safe distance, take the Metalhawks in closer. We must find that entrance. Failing that, we have to buy enough time to allow Alecto to succeed in her task."

"This is a strange city," Phoenix said, wrapping her arm around Darken's waist as they walked through the streets. "In the clouds, a city with humans, Dragons, even a few Angels all living together."

The city was choked with people. Some cried out for people to buy their wares, spread so resplendently out on the streets. Some were merely walking back and forth, looking for something.

"This is the only free city in the Spheres," Darken said. "Skycity is open to all, and it's actually run by the pirates."

"You're serious?" Phoenix asked, seeing a woman in a hooded cloak walk by them. "Why would they do that?"

"It's a long and complicated story, shiroibara-chan, and even I'm not sure I understand it," Darken said, maneuvering them to a small, shabby building. They ducked under the small doorway and descended into a tavern.

Phoenix looked around, perplexed. She has seen taverns before, but none like this. Machines in the shape of men drank with people of all sorts. She was amazed. She hadn't even known machines could drink.

Darken led her to a table in the far corner of the tavern, close to the back door. At the table, lit dimly by the candle on the table was another-man machine, this one dressed as a pirate, or rather as Phoenix had always imagined pirates looking. The incongruity was curious, but she tried not to stare all the same.

"Cannon," Darken said, sitting down. He beckoned for Phoenix to do the same.

Cannon looked up. His glowing green eyes narrowed on Darken. "Darken?" he asked. The voice was modulated, designed to be generic and emotionless, but there was some humanity there, Phoenix thought.

"Darken," he said. "What brings you here? You look a bit too old to be stealing fruits from street vendors."

"That was a long time ago, Cannon," Darken said, smiling at the memory. "This is my fiancée, Phoenix Romanova."

Cannon looked at her. If he approved or disapproved, he didn't show it.

"If it's not that," Cannon began. "And it’s not supplies for the temple, then what?"

Darken looked Cannon point blank in the eyes. "I want to know if it's true."

"What?"

"I want to know if you killed Sachiel," Darken said.

"We didn't," Cannon replied. "It was an accident."

"The hell it was," Darken said. "You don't make mistakes. Not you, not Lion, not the humans you command. I want the truth."

"I can't tell you."

"Then tell me where Lion is," Darken said. "He'll tell me."

"Lion saved you when Sachiel tried to kill you," Cannon said. "Why do you side with him now?"

"Because," Darken said. "He became my friend. I've been told he's dead, and that you killed him."

"Who told you?"

"The Angels. I had a Royal Emissary visit the temple yesterday and tell me."

Cannon appeared thoughtful for a second.

"How much did he tell you?"

"Just what I told you," Darken said. He cocked an eyebrow. "You know something."

"Perhaps," Cannon said. "But I can't tell you. Lion, he can tell you."

"When can I speak to him?"

"Later tonight, my friend," Cannon said. "Take a room here. Here is the payment you'll need." He opened a pouch on his belt and pushed some shining gold metal along the table towards him. When the time is right, we will see each other again."

Darken held a hand over the money. "Later tonight," he repeated. "Your word, Cannon?"

"You have my word," Cannon said. "But I hope this settles the debt?"

"Of course," Darken said, smiling. He closed his hand over the money and slid it towards him.

The Skyship Enchantress hovered over the clouds above the temple. Alecto watched the temple for activity through the telescopes in the belly of the ship. She was looking for something, anything, any sign of activity.

She didn't see any, but that didn't necessarily follow that it would be that easy. And she had so little time.

For the thirteenth time since she had embarked, she pondered everything she had at her command. The firepower to level the temple, a legion of Seraphim, and her own powers.

It didn't seem right to try to destroy the temple with the ship's guns; they would probably destroy the very item they sought. A legion of Seraphim was out, because there was no guarantee there wasn't a legion of soldiers waiting for them, and one dead Seraphim would tie them back to her father.

She couldn't have that, she reasoned. That left only her.

She opened the hatch at the side of the ship and took off, her wings catching the wind. She decided to glide in, not wanting to betray even the sound of the flapping of her wings. Turning and turning in a downward spiral, she landed, gently at the entrance to the temple.

Carefully, quietly, she made her way up the steps, making as little noise as possible. Soon she was inside the massive expanse of the temple. It was dark. All the torches had been put out. Alecto summoned a blue-white glow around her. It illuminated, very gently, the space around her. It wouldn't do to trip.

"I thought you were dead," The gold-masked figure chained to the machine said.

"Yes," Kirone said. She couldn't help but smile. It was harder than it seemed, as the heat in this chamber below the castle was oppressive. The Maryna guise was so perfect even the older members of the court were fooled. "Well, they said the same of you, didn't they? If they only knew . . .Lady Israfel, wife of Regent Sandalphon, chained here, to this siphon machine for all eternity. I wonder how the city would feel, knowing that up until recently, you had been keeping most the lights going."

Israfel's red eyes glowed with fiery rage. "He . . .put me here," she said.

"So he did," Kirone said. "But I'm here to let you loose, if that's what you want."

"Why?"

"Because," Kirone said. "Sandalphon is planning to betray all of your people. Much in the same way he betrayed you, as it happens. My . . .allies and I have a vested interest in that not happening."

"And when Sandalphon is gone?"

Kirone smiled. This would be the make-or-break point, here. "Then we'll give you a new body, Israfel. There has been a way, found in the ancient knowledge, to restore you to your true form, instead of a collection of celestial fire in a mechanical suit."

Israfel looked at her. If she had a heart, it would have cracked with the exhilaration of hope.

"Do we have a deal?" Kirone asked gently.

"For a chance to live as I was," Israfel said. "I would dance with the devil."

"Israfel," Kirone began, smiling. "I can't tell you how pleased I am to hear you say that. But first, we have to make some adjustments to you. There may be some discomfort."

She waved a hand and suddenly, five Seketha surrounded Israfel. Kirone turned away from her screams and their work and looked at the sixth, which had been hiding deferentially behind her.

"There is a problem," the Seketha whispered. "We have a visitor. In the Dark Tower."

"Darken?" Kirone asked.

"No," it replied. "We do not know what he is. He has killed two of ours, merely by waving his wand."

"Hmm," Kirone said. "Take me there. Perhaps we'll have two recruits?"

"This whole city was built on plunder," Darken said, sitting with Phoenix on the bed. "The techno-pirates--the first of them--were granted their free intelligence by the Mother Machine. But since they had been guardians, shepherds to the races of the other Spheres, they decided to continue to protect us."

"So why are they pirates, then?" Phoenix asked.

"That's more everyone else's laws," Darken said, a little ruefully. "The pirates never steal more than what is needed, and never leave anyone with nothing. Because most of it feeds the people here."

"I thought they sold most of it," Phoenix said.

"Well, some do," Darken said. "But there's another part of the city--it's like a big orphanage. The pirates attend to the children there--feeding them, educating them."

"So they can become pirates themselves?" Phoenix asked.

"Some do," Darken said. "Some go onto other things. My mother would be proud. Untiy in action."

"You mention that a lot," Phoenix said. Darken lay his head in her lap. She ran her fingers through his jet-black hair. "Do you believe?"

Darken looked up at her. "I don't know," he said. "I honestly don't. How do I reconcile what she believed with you? You're a goddess, from outside our realm of existence. Romanova, most of the time, there's not much I'm sure I believe in."

Phoenix looked down at him. Her violet eyes seemed somewhat darker. "And what do you believe in above all else?"

"You," he said, smiling up at her.

"Sir," Ciriel said, almost knocked to the deck by the force of the shot the Warlock had just taken. "The fight does not go well. The Aeromancer and Shaman are destroyed, and the Grimoire is reporting heavy damage."

Sandalphon stood up. "How much area have we covered?"

"50%," Ciriel said, rocked along with the rest of the ship.

"Damn," Sandalphon said. "Deploy the second wave of Metalhawks, and pull our ships around. I want the least damaged ships to protect the others. And find the me that damned control center!"

Sandalphon watched the flaming hulks of the two ships plummet to the Sphere below, rending great huge parts of the Sphere open in gigantic columns of fire.

"Sir," Ciriel said. "We have a signal on the control room. The wreck of the Shaman has opened up an access tunnel."

"Take us in closer, Ciriel," Sandalphon said, slow and steady. "When we're in range, prepare our lander. I will lead our team to the center."

"But Lord Sandalphon--"

"Don't question me," Sandalphon said, waving a hand. "If I can stop this conflict before too many lives are lost, we may have no need for a delaying tactic."

Liandra stood bolt upright, waking one of her fairies that had been sleeping on her shoulder.

"Someone's here," she said to no one in particular.

Gailion and Tralesta continued to pore over the technology in Kael's staff and the machinery in the room. Tigerhawk walked over to her.

"How do you know?" he said.

"I left one of my fairies in the upper chambers, in case Darken came back sooner than we thought. They have better hearing and eyesight than any of us, so they'd be perfect."

"I take it this isn't Darken?" Tigerhawk said, drawing his sword.

"No," Liandra said, starting up the stairs. "I'll take care of it. You stay here and help them."

Tigerhawk watched her dart up the stairs, her white and black boots clacking on the ancient stones. He looked back at Tralesta and Gailion, who had probably not even noted what was going on.

Help them? Tigerhawk thought, reluctantly sheathing his sword. I can't even understand them.

Liandra's fairies saw the blue glow from her perch in the stone supports of the temple. It was a girl, about her age. She could feel the power in her body, but she pushed the apprehension aside and focused, as Darken had taught her to. Her black wings were folded tight against her body. She took several deep breaths.

Alecto had been walking for what seemed like hours, bored, but alert, when the two white-hot bolts of light struck in front of her. She did a back roll, landing ready to fight.

Liandra came down from the ceiling, her foot striking the stone floor with a great noise emphasizing the force of her kick. Her fairies took up offensive positions on her sides, watching Alecto and charging their light energy for another attack.

"Who are you and what do you want?" Liandra demanded. She bared her fangs at Alecto.

"A vampire angel," Alecto said. "This place has quite extraordinary vermin."

With that Alecto reared back and hurled a blue bolt of lightning at Liandra. Liandra rolled aside as the bolt struck a nearby pillar. It froze, then shattered.

Liandra swept at Alecto's feet with her wings, trying to knock her off her feet, but Alecto effortlessly cartwheeled out of the way, dodging the Fairies covering fire as she did. Alecto did not, however, see the roundhouse kick from Liandra that sent her spinning to the floor.

"Strength," Alecto said. "And skill. For a Vampire, you're quite good."

"You talk too much," Liandra said.

Alecto held her hands out against the floor. Before Liandra knew what was happening, she was sent slipping. Alecto had frozen the whole floor.

"You may be stronger, Vampire, but I am more skilled," Alecto said. "You can't stop me."

Liandra got to her feet, unsteady on the ice. "Are you sure about that? AURORA STRIKE!"

Her fairies clapped their hands together, and a brilliant flash of light reflected off of the ice on the ground, blinding Alecto temporarily.

"Dishonorable night-creature," she cursed, thrashing about. "I'll make you suffer."

"How?" Liandra said. Her voice seemed to be coming from all around her. "You can't see. It's dark all around you. I could be anywhere."

"Stop playing games!"

"Who's playing?" Liandra asked. Now it seemed to be behind her. "This is what I see all the time. I'm blind. The dark is where I live. And in the darkness . . . you're mine."

Alecto whirled around and fired. She didn't hear anything like grunt of pain, but that could mean anything. She blinked rapidly, trying to get some kind of sight back.

"Don't tell me you're afraid of the dark," Liandra said. Alecto felt something brush her cheek, a gloved hand. She turned and fired. Nothing.

"You're only making it worse on yourself!" Alecto cried. Slowly her vision was coming back, but all she could see were vague shapes in the darkness. She tried to summon her aura, but it didn't seem to be working.

"How?" Liandra said. For Phoenix's sake, is she over my head now, Alecto thought fearfully? "You're in my world. And you're at my mercy."

Alecto suddenly felt hands, arms, entwine around her neck. She gasped for air, and struggled to be free. She could feel the floor disappearing underneath them--they were flying.

She grit her teeth, fighting the slow strangulation. Whoever this vampire was, she was strong, and skilled, and Alecto was a fool for underestimating her. If her father could see her now . . .

She summoned her power into the palm of her hand, and seized hold of Liandra's arm. Incredibly powerful lightning surged into Liandra's body, short-circuiting her link to the fairies and causing them both to plummet to earth.

She fell on Liandra--hard. She dragged herself up. Somehow, Liandra had drained the light from the room, but with her unconscious, it was re-appearing. Her eyes swept the room, her adrenaline rushing through her.

She saw three more opponents at the doorway. One was a Jakyra, a winged one, too. The other a race she was unfamiliar with--a Fallen? The Angel in the middle, however, caught her eye the closest.

Not only did he seem to be familiar, but also he was holding the very object she was seeking!

"Blizzard Sword!' Alecto cried. An ice dagger formed in her hands, crackling with electricity and she hurled it at them.

"BLIZZARD SWORD!" Gailion said, summoning his own, larger blade, it knocked her aside, shattering itself as it did so. He grimaced. Had it not been enough to have her gone, she had to use his same techniques too?

Tigerhawk and Tralesta struck their ready stances, but Gailion waved them away. "No," he said. "Stop right there."

"Are you surrendering to me?" Alecto said, charging another lightning bolt.

"No," Gailion said. "But I will not fight you."

"And why is that?"

"Would you really raise a hand to your father, my daughter--Alecto Lightningfrost?"

Kirone was herself again, flanked by Seketha, watching the strange man with a combination of awe and curiosity.

"Now," she said. "You can tell us who you are, and that would be perfect, if a little predictable, or we can fight you, overwhelm you, and find out ourselves."

"You do not recognize me?" The crystal winged, white skinned man asked, his voice betraying a bit of an accent. His face was a mask of pain, bone-white skin pulled taut by wires. His black eyes deep darkness but for two red stars radiated a lamentable agony.

Kirone could tell he had been beautiful once, but something had happened. Something horrible. He reminded her so much of her long-lost machine Lanicrus, for some reason she wasn't sure of.

"No," she said, dissipating her spell. "I'm afraid I don't."

"I am Prince Adamov of Russalka," he said. Despite his looking the picture of a corpse, there was something in his spirit that still exemplified his royal bearing, even as his body mocked it.

"I've never heard of that kingdom," Kirone said, motioning for the Seketha to stand at ease. "Why are you here?"

"I'm looking for someone."

"Anyone in particular?" Kirone asked. This Adamov, she thought. He has power. Perhaps I can persuade him to use it for us.

"Her name is Vertigo," Adamov begin. His voice, gruff and clipped, as though each word was an effort took on a softness Kirone had not expected to hear.

"Vertigo?" Kirone said. She almost fell backwards, but maintained herself? "She's still alive?"

"She is here," Adamov replied, the coldness returning to his voice. "I can feel her. It is all I can feel. I must find her"

Kirone felt the pieces of a plan locking together in her head. "Well," she said, bringing a little ingratiating compassion into her voice. "We do know her--quite well, in fact."

Adamov's red eyes narrowed on her. "You do?"

"Oh yes," Kirone said, smiling. "We're very old friends."

"Will you take me to her?"

"Of course," Kirone said. "Prince . . .Adamov, wasn't it?"

"Yes," he said. "And you are?"

"You may call me Lady Kirone Witchfire," she said, smiling. "And I have a feeling that we can help each other in more than just this."

"What are you talking about?" Alecto said, both hands now surging with lighting. "My father is Lord Sandalphon."

"He is your adopted father," Gailion said. "I asked him to look after you many years ago."

"LIES!" Alecto said.

"She's not listening, Gailion," Tralesta said. "I think I can take her though. Keep her talking."

"No," Gailion whispered. "I won't see her hurt."

"She seems to have no compunctions about hurting us," Tigerhawk said. His hand on his sword.

Gailion ignored them and walked toward Alecto. He could feel the heat, smell the ozone from the lightning surging around her.

"Give me that item, and I'll leave," Alecto said.

Gailion acted as if he hadn't heard. "Your mother's name was Celestra. I named you myself. I raised you until your second year, helped you control your mastery of the lightning."

Alecto stopped. The lighting seemed to dissipate, surging into the walls of the temple. "You knew my mother?"

"Yes," Gailion said. "And I was a fool for not seeing this happen. Sandalphon has raised you as his own, and where was I? Not where I should have been."

Gailion tucked Kael's staff in his waistband and embraced her. Alecto threw her arms around him. "Father," she said. "You're right."

"It's all right," Gailion said, holding her close.

Alecto whispered in his ear: "You're right about you being a fool."

Lightning surged through Gailion, Tigerhawk, Tralesta, and the already fallen Liandra. They lay there, the lighting burning their clothes as it dissipated. Alecto touched her Eagle Clasp.

"Alecto to Enchantress," she said. "Mission accomplished. Send the lander, we're taking prisoners."

Sandalphon felt a peculiar surge of adrenaline. The day had been exhausting, but they were close. He could feel it. He was riding a rail car to the center of the Machine Sphere, flanked by Ciriel and his best men. They hurtled through the tubes that crossed the interior of the Sphere like a network of veins.

They stopped and disembarked from the car. They were in a trapezoidal chamber. Before them stood a simple control panel, with a space for they key Alecto would hopefully be bringing.

Before them was a statue of a woman, or a machine in the shape of a woman. This was the Mother Machine; the face put to the Machine Sphere.

At last, he thought. The plan begins.

Darken couldn't sleep. He had been having trouble recently. Phoenix was taking a nap on the small yet comfortable bed, but Darken couldn't sleep. Partly because there was too much on his mind. Partly because the bed was too small for him, Phoenix and his wings.

He walked out on the balcony. The streets were relatively quiet. My god, he thought, how long had it been since he had been here? As a child it had seemed like the universe itself, wild with diverse sights and sounds, secrets and temptations.

The gentle warm breeze caught his hair. It was almost a comfort to him. He let himself relax and ponder what had brought him here. Why had Cannon seemed so evasive about Sachiel at first? Why was he so insistent that they hadn't killed him?

A shadow passed overhead. Darken looked up. It was the Ghost Lion. No wonder Lion had to keep him waiting; they had been making raids. As the roar of the Ghost Lion's engines subsided, he heard another noise.

The door back to his room was quietly sliding closed. Out of the corner of his eyes he could see a robed figure approach him. He backed up, assumed a fighting stance.

"No don't--" a voice called. Female, Darken thought. Familiar. It took him a few seconds.

"Vertigo," he said flatly, not coming out of his ready stance.

She took the cloak off of her, flicking her head so that her silver hair was freed. She let the cloak drop to her feet, making a pool on the dirty balcony.

"I thought you were dead," Darken said.

"So did I, Darken," she said. Darken relaxed a bit. There was something different about her. She unbuckled her sword and leaned it against the balcony wall. She walked towards him.

"Then how?" Darken asked. Vertigo put her hands over his. She moved in between them. To the untrained eye, they almost looked like they were embracing.

"I'm not sure," she said. Her voice seemed so soft. There was none of the edge that he had noted so plaintively in their previous encounters. "It's not important, really. I came back to see you."

"M-me?" Darken said. If he could have back up, he would have. He felt very scared and very nervous. "Why?"

"For this." she breathed. She pulled him close to her, pressing her painted-violet lips to his own and kissing him with abandon. She pressed her body against him, and Darken found himself involuntarily holding her close.

Her kiss was wild, her eyes tensed in such a way as to say she was giving her very soul to him. She strokes her hair, and he found himself touching hers.

It maybe have been minutes, it may have been hours, Darken wasn't sure, but he finally broke the kiss, forcing his mind to remember who this was in his arms.

"Vertigo," he said.

"Shhhh," she said, putting a finger over his lips. "Let me say this. I'm in love with you, Darken Blackangel."