Liandra was inside Darken, inside his spirit, and already, she was lost. Her fairies hadn’t come through the spirit veil with her its seemed, and she wasn't used to being this blind.

Damn it, she thought, I don’t have time for this. It's like feeling my way around a dark room, even opening my . . .

. . .eyes. . .

Liandra blinked. Suddenly, she knew the way. She started running towards where she knew she had to go. She had to find Darken, pull him back from the edge of death, find a way to stop Garuda before he and Phoenix destroyed the Angel Sphere with the force of their battle.

Wait for me, Darken, she thought. I'm coming.

The air outside the Angel Sphere scorched with the ignition of Phoenix's firebird aura. Flames burned in her eyes as she summoned her full power. The firebird materialized around her and she flew at Garuda. Garuda met her power with his own. Green and orange fire burned the skies, and any being left alive who were watching were struck blind by the sight of gods fighting in the skies above.

"Darken failed to see his own importance," Garuda said, grinning. "It's not my fault his short-sightedness cost him his life!"

"The hell it isn’t!' Phoenix said. "You’re a liar! All this talk about re-making the world is a lie, because all you know how to do is destroy! Not this time Garuda . . .you have shattered my dreams, the dreams of a god, and I'm going to kill you for it!"

The firebird seized Garuda in its claws. It leaned in close to Garuda, eyes blazing like the heart of the sun itself. Twin beams of fire blasted from its eyes and punched Garuda into the ground, and through it. Garuda found himself driven into the ground of the floating city and back out again.

It wasn't enough. Garuda took wing again and flew to the other side of the city.

"Impressive," he said. "But not enough."

He raised his hands. Twin towers groaned and pulled free from their foundations. They turned toward Phoenix, rocketing towards her like twin missiles.

Phoenix screamed and charged forth, sword drawn, blood in her eyes, rage in her heart. She raised her sword as the two towers streaked closer to her. The firebird spread its wings and in a burst of flame annihilated the two towers. The city below exploded in a burst of flame.

"You are powerful!" Garuda said. "You've been holding back, I see. How foolish . . .you attempted to walk with these mortals, when if they saw what you could do they would fear you as much as they would me."

Phoenix looked down.

"It doesn't matter anymore," Phoenix said. "Nothing matters, Garuda, except that you have to die."

The skies above darkened, and a beam of white-hot flame surged into Phoenix's sword. She swung the blade, sending the energy at Garuda, who was knocked backward, his lungs scorched by the sheer raw power before him.

Garuda retaliated by reaching out and pulling another floating city above Phoenix. He smiled cruelly as he brought his hands together.

Phoenix looked up in time to see the city above her fall upon her and smash her between them. Garuda smiled even wider.

She certainly had potential, he thought. What a pity she decided to oppose me, she would have made a decent consort, I suppose.

Before he could finish the thought, there was a corona of fire. The remains of the cities blasted away, and Phoenix's firebird spread it wings. Phoenix flew at Garuda, ready to kill him.

"Darken," a familiar voice called to him.

"Who . . .?"

"Over here," the voice called. Darken turned and looked to see the very last person he even expected to see.

"Kirone . . ."

"That's right . . .I'd say "in the flesh," but that would be incorrect, wouldn't it?" Kirone asked. She was sitting on her own in the blank of whiteness of wherever he was. Darken looked at himself. He was the same as he always had been . . .only . . .hadn't he died?

And wasn't Kirone dead? Darken thought. Is this the end of my life?

"To answer your question Darken, no you aren’t dead," Kirone said sarcastically. "Not just yet anyway."

"How did you know what I was thinking?" Darken asked?

"Because," Kirone began. "We're all linked here. Inside your head, that is. Inside your soul. Your Soul Power is holding you here . . .between life and death."

"That's impossible," Darken said. "The Soul Power can't do that . . .it's just life energy."

"And where do you think that life energy comes from, Darken?" Kirone asked. "The souls of the living . . .and the dead. You hold the kind of power I could only dream of in life. Darken, you’re a God."

"A . . .god?" Darken asked.

Liandra felt a sick kind of guilt at the memories she was experiencing. What horrible intimacy this is, she thought. She was wandering through his memory--his first kiss, his early life, and the death of his mother, all of it.

And more than that she could see . . . but why? Why am I able to see when I am in someone's soul?

She grit her teeth, being careful not to puncture her lips with her fangs. Nervously, she reached out and touched them. They were still there. Nice to know some things are constant, she thought.

She wondered how the battle with Garuda was going. She prayed Phoenix would win, would prevail, given time. But Garuda was so dangerous, so powerful, and if Liandra failed, Phoenix would lose the one thing she was fighting for.

She stopped as a memory swirled around her. Darken and Darknova.

No, she thought. No, no NO!

Darknova was fighting Darken, while Liandra was curled up in the corner, sobbing and bleeding. He'd just tried to rape her, and had drunk her blood as well. Liandra felt the wounds under her collar itch. She felt her throat tighten.

Darknova bit into Darken's arm, so wild with his blood frenzy that he forgot a simple rule . . . dragon's blood was dangerous to vampires. She watched Darknova burst into flame and burn to ashes.

NO! Liandra cried in her mind, pulling herself back from the memory. Darken, she said, reminding herself. You have to find him. Come on. You have to find him.

"You are persistent," Garuda said, hurling a wheel of fire at Phoenix. She rolled in the air to avoid it, the Firebird hurling arcs of flame at Garuda, ripping the landscape apart.

"I have to be," Phoenix said. She ignited the ground Garuda stood on. "If I'm not, then what? You take over my universe, corrupt everything? Break people's hearts like you've done with mine? Darken is gone . . .and I won’t show you any mercy now!"

"Darken was just a mortal!" Garuda said, pushing the flames away. "Why do you attach so much importance to him! He could have been one of us, but he refused to see it! He ran from it!'

Phoenix gathered her fires in her hands and punched Garuda with all her might. Garuda went sprawling.

"He only ran because no one should have that kind of power," Phoenix said. "He didn't need it, and he didn't want it."

They grappled together, neither one giving an inch. Garuda tried to use his power, but couldn't aim it properly.

"If we keep fighting," he warned. "These people will die. This whole world may die."

"Garuda," Phoenix began. "Do you think I honestly care right now? I know that you’re worth the sacrifice of this world. One million lives to save the lives the untold billion you’d kill? That's not even a decision I have to make!'

Phoenix pulled them high in the air. Garuda felt every atom in his body ignite as Phoenix released the energy of a supernova. The cities beneath them were destroyed in a flash.

Phoenix floated there held aloft by her firebird aura, almost shivering in the silence that seemed to hold the place.

Then she saw it . . .tendrils of darkness forming into the shape of Garuda. He shifted back into his normal self.

Phoenix summoned her power again. It's not over yet, she thought.

"She's right. Darken," a familiar voice said. Darken turned around and anything he could have said was taken from him.

"Maryna . . ." Darken said, rushing to embrace her. She did the same, but it was almost reluctantly so.

"What's wrong?" Darken asked.

"Darken, we don’t have time for this," Maryna said.

"But if I'm a God, I can fix everything!" Darken said. "I can bring everyone back who should never have--"

Maryna shook her head.

"Maryna can't tell you what you must do," another, older voice called. "But I will." A taller angel, this one much older walked from the white nothingness towards Darken. Darken recognized her in a minute, it was Tabris, his. . .

"Mother," Darken said. "Is everyone here?"

"Yes," she said. "Darken, at the moment, you have control of the life energy of all the Seven Spheres. Kirone's right--you are a god--but not for very long."

"I don’t understand."

"Darken, so you remember what Kael and I taught you? About Unity?"

"Yes," Darken said. "One shall come and bring all the Spheres together as one again."

"And it was supposed to be me," Kirone said.

"Shut up, Kirone," Maryna said.

"Or what?" Kirone said. "You'll kill me?"

"Be quiet, both of you," Tabris said.

Darken closed his eyes. Too much was happening. Seeing Maryna, after everything, after avenging her was breaking his heart, and now his own mother.

Why is this Unity so important now? Darken wondered. How can I possibly help my world now. I'm dead, aren't I?

"You're not quite dead, Darken," Maryna said. "You still have a chance. You're outside of your mortal body, and now you have command of your full power."

"It's really scary when you read my mind," Darken said quietly.

"But what do I do with it?"

"Fulfil your destiny," Tabris said.

"And what's that?"

"I can’t tell you that," Tabris said.

"With this power, I could bring back everyone who's dies," Darken said. "I could cleanse the Spheres of evil, maybe even destroy Garuda . . .is that what I'm supposed to do?"

"We can't tell you any more, Darken," Tabris said, walking back into the white nothingness. "We've awakened you to where you are, how much power you have, and the decision you must make. This is all we can do. Make the right decision, my son . . .and remember . . .no matter what . . .I love you."

"Mother . . ." Darken said, tears filling his eyes. He blinked a few times, and the three of them were gone. Had they ever really been there at all? He wondered.

"DARKEN!"

"Liandra?"

They looked at each other. Darken didn’t say anything for a few minutes.

"Are you all right?"

"I just realized," Darken said. "You can see here."

"Yes," Liandra said. "But that's not really important. You have to come back with me. Garuda and Phoenix are tearing apart the Angel Sphere. If we don't do something to stop him, he may kill her."

"No," Darken said.

"I won’t let you die here, Darken."

"Liandra," Darken said. "This is the end of my destiny. I have to make a decision here."

"What are you talking about?"

"Unity," Darken said. "I understand what it means now."

"You . . .do?"

"I know how to fix the world, Liandra."

Phoenix saw Garuda draw the Godslayer again and felt a chill of fear. He had so far taken everything she had thrown at him.

What else did do I have? Phoenix wondered. There isn't anything I can use . . .is there?

She looked down and smiled. She closed her eyes and raised her arms.

At the center of the Angel Sphere the glowing sun began to move, towards her. She closed her eyes tighter, knitting her brow with the effort. The sun began to move closer to her, and the sky grew even darker.

Garuda rocketed towards her, his wings of shadows outstretched. What is she planning, he wondered? Is he she going to throw the sun at me? As if such a thing was possible!

She closed her eyes, pulling the sun closer with her mind. She ignored how close Garuda was to her, willing herself to move the sun from it's place in the center of the Sphere so that she could use it to stop him. After all, he couldn't he strong enough, even as a god, to keep from being hurt by the sun itself, could he?

The sun was moving faster now, over her. She screamed as loud as she could and propelled it at Garuda. It struck him with the force of a firestorm. He screamed, his body being burned down to the very molecule.

I hope that did it, Phoenix thought wearily. I'm almost out of energy, and now that I've darkened this world, I won't have much more to throw at him. Please let this be the end.

Garuda continued to scream and thrash in the heart of the burning sun. Phoenix's mind drifted back to darken, and all the plans they had had for one another. Darken was building a house for them, somewhere quiet, somewhere the two of them could be alone.

I've only seen it half-finished, she thought. I want a chance to see the house itself, to be with Darken, to live that quiet life he dreams about so much. I hope Liandra can bring him back. If not, I've been fighting for nothing more than empty hope.

Garuda thrashed his way out of the sun, rocketing toward her, his hair and skin burning. "Kill you!" Garuda thundered.

"Garuda," Phoenix began. "Since I met you you've tried to talk me into an alliance, tried to put the make on me, and threatened me more times than I care to count, and you know what . . . .I HAVE HAD ENOUGH!"

Phoenix sized him by the throat, and threw him back into the cauldron of the sun.

"I have to bring it all together," Darken said. "That's why I'm here. That's what the whole Unity prophecy was all about. Not bringing the Spheres together plotically, but physically bringing them together."

"Bring the Sphere's together?" Liandra asked. "That's impossible."

"Not if you have the power of a God, apparently," Darken said. "It may save us all. Or it may kill us, I'm not sure which. But I know I have to try. I can't run . . .not this time."

"Then . . .why must you do it?"

Darken looked at her and smiled. "Weren't you the one who said we had to stop following our proscribed destiny? That we had to make a new future? We're outside destiny now, Liandra . . .everything from here on in is our decision."

Liandra thought for a moment. Everything that we've done has led us here, she thought. And old destinies and old prejudices and old ways of thinking guided us. Now we have a chance to erase all that and start again.

"I'm almost scared to lose what we had," Liandra said.

"I know," Darken said. "But I'll make everything right. I can even make it to where you can see again."

Liandra turned away. "No," she said.

"Why not?"

"Darken," she said. "Change the world. That much you can do, that much you need to do. Take our destiny out of the hands of gods and prophecy. You can't change the people in it. Much like you've come here to entitle us to your own destiny, you have to give other people the same freedom."

Darken sighed. "I . . .think I understand."

Liandra looked away. "Did I ever thank you . . .for saving me from Darknova?"

"You never had to, Liandra."

"I want you to know," Liandra said. "Just in case . . .something happens. Thank you."

She took his hand.

"You’re my sister, Liandra," Darken said.

"I love you," Liandra said.

"I love you too," Darken said.

He closed his eyes and decided the world.

Garuda ripped the sun apart, and the world went dark. It was still barely lit by the light of Phoenix's flames. He looked different to Phoenix--less like what he had been, and more like the nightmare he really was.

"OLYMPUS CANNON!" Garuda said, blasting her with a green beam of energy. Phoenix fell from the sky, landing hard in the rubble of the city, right next to Darken and Liandra's body. She looked over to them, wiping the hair away from her face.

They weren't there, she thought. Had they been buried under more rubble when Garuda tried to crush me? Darken, please be alive!

Garuda landed before her, Godslayer drawn. Never in the untold millennia had be been challenged by one so fierce and so unwilling to surrender to his power. It almost impressed him. After all, the force that had had imprisoned them had to subdue them before chaining them.

Would it have made a difference had a I lost to that force in mortal combat? Garuda wondered. I suppose not.

"This is the end for you, young goddess," he said, pointing the Godslayer at her. "With your power, I will blaze a new path for the universe."

He stood over her, raising the Godslayer, high above his head. He brought it down swiftly. Phoenix closed her eyes and prayed she would be with Darken soon, somewhere quiet and peaceful.

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAARGH!"

Garuda was holding his right arm, where the Godslayer had been. What was there now was a stump, a very bloody stump. Between her and Garuda stood Liandra, Soulsword drawn, her body crackling with Soul Energy.

Somehow, they were alive, Phoenix thought. She couldn’t help but cry.

"How . . .?"

Liandra turned to Phoenix. "Go," she said. "As fast as you can. This world is about to end."

"But Darken--"

"GO!"

Garuda sank to his knees. Liandra walked over to his severed hand and pried the Godslayer out of his fingers.

"This is for Sarene, Garuda," she whispered, driving it into Garuda's heart.

He locked eyes with her, the look on his face one of shock and disbelief. His last thoughts were of fear and loneliness as his soul was added to those he had stolen, his power taken from him as his life was stolen away.

Liandra threw the Godslayer to the ground and shattered it with a blow from her Soulsword. Untold power--ancient power was released from it. She looked up at the sky, the darkness giving way to a soft blue glow.

Now the new future begins, she thought.

Darken felt the souls of a hundred billion beings in his hands. Slowly, he began to draw the very essence of the worlds together. It felt so easy, so much like the hedge-magic, Kael had taught him as a child. He wondered idly of this is what Phoenix felt every time she used her power.

It scared him, profoundly. He had never wanted any of this--not the touch of destiny, not the godhood, any of it. All he had ever wanted was a quiet life, one where destiny was in the hands of everyone, not just him.

As the Spheres began to coalesce into one, he thought of those he had lost, of Tabris, the woman who had set him on the path of Unity. He felt almost a little guilty for not believing in it for so long, but he hoped she would understand.

He thought of Maryna, who could rest now, and whose memory could rest as well. She had finally been avenged, a chapter of Darken's life had closed. And she could rest, and he could let her rest at last.

He thought of Kael, who had taught him the responsibility of power, and of the need to protect the weak because you were strong. To show people the way, because you could see it clearly when they couldn’t.

He thought of Vertigo, who had taught him the danger of unbridled power and emotion. He had so wanted to see her get a second chance at life, but wasn't sure that was really his decision to make. Bringing someone back would be living in the past, he realized. And this is about the future, a new future, with no more ties to the past, except the lessons of those before and the memory people like me have to never let these mistakes be repeated.

Finally, he thought of Phoenix, of his dear Romanova, of the one who had taught him to love again, and love the world, and love life itself. He secretly vowed that this would be it for him, and that they would be together, alone in his house. He felt like he understood her better now . . .godhood was a challenge he was barely winning . . .he felt as though he would become lost any second.

But his will, his love for her, and the memories in his mind, held him fast to this place and time.

He wondered if they would understand the choice he had made. He hoped they would.

Where there were nine, then seven, then five, there was now one. It was a new world, the sum of all of its parts, its destiny now in the hands of men, not gods. They would make mistakes, some of them very grievous, no doubt. But they would be their own mistakes. There was no book, no destiny that told where things would go from here on in. The future would be written by men as they went.

It re-ignited in a flash of blue fire. The world was remade. It felt to Darken like it had taken years of effort, but in truth it had only been minutes.

That still leaves me, Darken thought. What do I do? I don’t want to be a god . . .no one deserves this kind of power. I don’t want it, don’t need it anymore.

With that, he used his remaining Soul Power to infuse the world, burning away the last traces of Garuda's evil. The new world was pushed into life, the pieces that had been carefully assembled now welded together.

It was strong, Darken thought. I think it'll hold. What we do with it now will probably test that strength.

In the center of this new world, there was a meadow. A gentle breeze blew through the grasses as the sun shone down on it with all the favor of a mother on a young child. Above the meadow, cities suspended by massive machines floated like clouds above the landscape.

In the center of this world, in the center of the meadow, a young man was sleeping. Unknown to any of them, he was the savior of this world, the progenitor of the new world that had been created.

His name was Darken Blackangel.