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Chapter XXIV: Phoenix Rising

"You know what's funny? There are so many stories about how gods teach mortals lessons. This god turns this arrogant prick into a toad to teach them humility. This goddess steals this princess' beauty to force her to live amongst the commoners.

"But it's seldom that mortals are the one that teaches the gods lessons. In that... Chronos was right. The gods gave us a world and the capacity to sin. So it's nice every once in a while to do something outside of their expectations to the point where they learn something from it."

Tynvandar stood before his people, his massive artificial sun shining above him. It was smaller than it had been a couple of hours ago since the _Iceheart_fell. Eton gazed at the enormous icy wall and felt his heart break. Over and over again, he promised that he would wake Hunter from his frozen sleep. Already, the Shadows were starting to bash at the wall and starting to make an impact. Their ships had been devastated so their only option was to try and drill their way through.

"People of Incendius," Tynvandar began, his voice carried by the speakers and holographic projectors on the many ships that remained. "No... That is not right." He shook his head. "Tower Thirteen. We come to a pivotal point in our world's future. The gods gave us the world once and we destroyed it. Still, they had faith in us and gave us a second chance. Yet again, we have used that chance to lay devastation to the world that we inherited. We have plunged Incendius into darkness and the monsters that we face are a reflection of our own sins.

"I do not know what you have heard, what rumours may have met your ears or you have read but let me tell you this: the Shadows that threaten to consume all of Incendius and perhaps even Tower Thirteen is not the making of some demonic force, some evil god or some malicious madman. It was _our_creation. It is built from our guilt, from the sins we have committed and the atrocities that have ravaged our war torn land."

He paused, collecting his thoughts. His eyes were firm, unwavering. "Too long have we blamed the Darkened for being the nightmares that haunt the periphery of our sun-blessed land. In reality, they were victims to this Shadow just as we are now. Had we listened to their cries or at the very least reached out with a helping hand as our Mother Goddess teaches us, we could have avoided this pain and agony.

"But it was blame that led to our ignorance. It was fear that made us turn a blind eye. It was guilt that threw us into darkness. We may have wallowed in the light of the Sun Spire but in truth, we were casting a long and vast shadow that only grew and has consumed so many innocent lives."

Tynvandar stepped forward, striding across the bridge. No doubt the holographic recorders were following him as he strode towards the edge of the makeshift stage that he had erected. He spread his arms wide despite the weakness that overcame him from maintaining the Nova Supremis for so long. His strength in that respect was inhuman.

"The gods gave us light and fire and we hoarded it to ourselves, greedily holding onto it and never shining it upon the rest of the world. We cannot blame ourselves for we could not have known. We cannot blame the Inquisition for they were only acting as per ancient edicts and for our safety. We cannot blame the Darkened nor can we even blame the Shadows. We simply cannot blame for it is blame that will just continue to perpetuate this cycle of guilt and turn our world into a blackened shell.

"I know it is hard," Tynvandar continued, turning around and facing the glistening icy wall. "I know that as mortals, it is our instinct to blame someone else for faults regardless of whether or not it is our fault or another's. However, there is another path we can take, hard as it is. We can simply let it go and forgive. Let us ease our hearts and with that darkness gone from our souls, there can only be light and with light we can beat back this darkness."

Tynvandar paused again. For a moment, he looked off into the distance. Then he nodded. "A wise man once said 'there are no gods. Just mortals'. Well..." He lifted his gaze. "I think that's bullshit." The profanity shocked everyone, making Eton physically stumble a little. "Inside each and every one of you is the potential to be a god. Not to be blasphemous but personally, my definition of 'god' is the ability to rule and create out of your own will.

"We may not all be able to weave magical words and create entire worlds at will, gather followers and rule them with miracles or threats but in reality, there is only one thing you need to rule. Yourselves." Tynvandar smiled warmly. "Everyone these days are so worried about what other people are going to think of them, what their actions will do to others and who they might hurt but that's forging your identity and your future based on others.

"I'm not saying don't give a damn. You should be considerate of others. You'll live longer." He spread his arms wide. "We all have the capability to rule_our lives and we have the capacity to _create_our own futures. All if we are given the chance. If you are to grow old alone, that is your choice. If you want to marry, have kids and watch them grow up to be successful people, again, that is your decision. Hell, if all you want to do is fuck, go ahead! Kill, murder, rape, donate everything to charity, start a band, make your own videogame or be the first person in the world to fuck himself in the literal sense! Go for it! It's _your life!"

Eton's chest was puffed out. All around him, he could see the smiles of people. They were amused but at the same time, they were taking in every word coming out of Tynvandar's mouth.

"But when others impede you from that," continued the Apex Clericus Solis,"then that's when you have to fight for your right to rule and create. Whether your decision is right or wrong will be determined by others but if you believe it is right, then no one can question your devotion." He sighed heavily and lowered his voice slightly. "History is rewritten by the winners and success or what is 'good' is determined by he who stands firm with his beliefs. Let none doubt that what we do here today, despite standing in open defiance with the rest of the Church or the Generals' edicts, that we stand for our home!"

Tynvandar lifted his voice, booming all across the encampment. "Let us be free of our guilt, learn to forgive one another as a single people and then fight for our right to rule our lives and create our own future! As one, let us cast aside our differences, our sins and embrace a new world where we create our light! This is our world! We shall not be told what to feel guilty about or be dragged down by the guilt of others!

"Today, we fight for Incendius! We fight for ourselves! And -!" Tynvandar raised his right arm high. "... we fight for all of Tower Thirteen!"

The entire encampment lifted their voices in a triumphant cheer. On cue, the hundreds of sky lanterns Andy had distributed were released into the air. The skies became a fire with the glistening devices.

Eton clung onto his for a moment longer. "This is for you, Hunter..."

Then he let it go... and watched it join the light of the entire Station.

******

Estimates stated that the Shadows would break through the barrier within the hour. Aria was hastily making preparations, casting spells of protection for the frontline troops and conjuring machines and weapons for others. She was pushing herself to her limits and almost collapsed when Tanar caught her and advised her to rest. When she refused, he outright bit her ankle, forcing her to sit down and heal herself.

A bitter taste was left in her mouth as it took longer than expected to close the shallow wound.

She sat at the edge of the camp, watching the sky lanterns fill the skies and hang there, orbiting Tynvandar's Nova Supremis. It was truly a beautiful sight and one that comforted her. Somehow, despite the overwhelming odds, she knew their side would win the day.

If not for Incendius... then at least for Hunter.

"You're thinking about him."

She jerked and froze when a white, furry paw gripped her ankle. Golden light danced from Harm Chronos' fingertips and closed the wound instantly. Aria felt her strength return to her but despite feeling at full strength, she could not lift her weapon and fight Chronos.

The white Wulfun sat beside her, staring absently at the wall with that annoying smile of his.

"He was truly brave to stick with it to the end. Pity he wasted so much Time."

"It must have been so annoying to have him foil your plans yet again," she said, biting back the sick pleasure she took from his annoyance.

Yet... he only continued to smile.

"Aria, you should know by now that if things do now go my way initially, the end result is only so much worse particularly because so many people have to die and I still get my way."

She shook her in disgust at him. "Are you so devoid humanity that you would see thousands die for a selfish reason?"

He laughed, throwing his head back. "Was I not the stalwart, eternal guardian of Tower Thirteen sacrificing my entire existence just for the people of this world? Did I not spend centuries training the next generation of Paladins? Did I not fight constantly to preserve the world? Did I not suffer agonising pain over and over again the likes of which would have killed someone else just for this Station alone?"

"Are you claiming that you deserve to be cruel and sadistic because you have earned the right!?" she shouted.

Chronos waved a paw absently at her. "Of course not. That would just be narcissistic. I'm saying, historically speaking, do you think I am capable of being entirely selfish?"

Aria gripped Gungnir and still sitting, she levelled it at him. "Then how could you lead the world to such a state and not shed a tear, hesitate or even question your own sanity!? You love Tower Thirteen and yet here you are bringing one of its Stations to the brink of destruction!"

Harm gazed towards the icy wall and smiled warmly. "This isn't destruction, Aria. This is rebirth."

He gestured at the vast number of people who were preparing for war. More weapons were being conjured and manufactured, prayers were said and hopes lifted with the rising sky lanterns. The intensity of the light was so great that it almost seemed like the sky was completely afire.

"You can't just tell the world that what it believes in is a lie. You need to get the people to fight for it." He flicked an ear at her, listening for her response. "Politicians are constantly frozen by the fear that they will lose their position should they be the one to reveal to the world that everything that they believe in and the foundation on which they were elected was false. But I have no such ties. I don't care if I lose my standing. That way, the people can blame me for the 'monster' that I am while they take the time to forge their own way through the darkness instead of relying on the 'gods' that have lied to them."

"But you are lying as well."

"Am I truly?" he countered, staring at her with his smile slightly faded. "Didn't I lead this world to war? Did I not take advantage of the discord to further my own goals? Did I not manipulate people to my own ends? Was I not ultimately responsible for the firing of the Sun Spire? Didn't I dance with you while I orchestrated the destruction of Mirecragg? What have I really hidden? I told you all what I wanted. Never the whole truth at the start but then again, you never really asked."

When she made no response, he turned back towards the icy walls. "Now all that really remains is for someone to put the blame on me. Already there are whispers but it rests upon you and the leaders of the Church to point the finger. I suppose the true question is whether or not the Church is prepared to turn the blame from themselves or admit their faults."

She realised where he was hinting. He was attacking the pride of the Church in many ways and at the same time, forcing their hand. It would be clear to the Generals and he had even told it to Tynvandar that he intended the blame to fall entirely on him. That would be his 'grand return to the stage'. What its effects would be were questionable. On the other hand the only other option was for the Church to admit their faults. Tynvandar's speech spoke of peace and forgiveness instead of blame and self-loathing and the people of Incendius may turn that way but the rest of Tower Thirteen...?

It was devious...

Give in to his plans or admit they were wrong.

Either way... it was some form of defeat.

"Just what are you after?" she demanded, eager to change the subject. She did not want the threat of another Fall of Haven looming over her head during the battle. "Unification of Incendius? Threatening the Church with your power? Turning the world against the government? What?"

He laughed yet it was tainted with bitterness. It had been a long time since she had seen hesitation in his eyes but there it was. He opened his muzzle to say something then shut it abruptly. "This has always been about more than just Incendius, Aria. Perhaps it about more than even Tower Thirteen."

"Tower Thirteen is our world."

Chronos rolled his eyes. "Aaaaand with that, I'm done."

"What?" she cried incredulously.

The Chronomancer stood and shook his head at her, a bemused smirk on his face. "It always strikes me as utterly amusing that in this theocratic government, no one ever asks why something is. Why is Tower Thirteen the way it is? Why is the Void the way it is? Why is Tower Thirteen the only visible planet or slab of land? How was the world illuminated before the Sundering if there was no sun?"

He turned his back towards her, facing the icy wall that barred them from the Shadows. "You should really be more like Hunter. He's learning to question and to find the answers. Instead of being so accepting of what is force fed to you, try asking a few questions for once. Okay, perhaps to some degree he is more of a 'shoot first ask questions later' sort of fellow but he asks the right questions in retrospect."

"I just asked you what you were after," Aria retorted.

Harm laughed. "True, true. But you're not asking the right questions." He turned back towards her, the smiled on his face filled with endless amusement. "What am I after? Why, I want to end the world! I want to shatter Chrysalis, rip the Church apart, expose its flaws, uproot all the secrets and expose the truth! But as to how I'm going to do it..."

Chronos' smirk grew broader. "You remember at Ironfrost I repeated my philosophy on war?"

"War is a juggling act," she repeated. "In one hand a sword, in another a shield..."

"In a third, your people's hearts and in a fourth, your enemy's balls."

Chronos lifted his paws, facing up. Twin tongues of flame appeared over the leathery pads and he slowly joined them together. The flames grew, lengthening and solidifying into the curved shape of the weapon he held back at Ironfrost_but it was... different. The curved edge was supplemented by a straightened, classical double-edged blade. The weapon shared the one hilt but two blades jutted out of it. One the straight edge and the other was a curved, fiery weapon reminiscent of _Firefeather.

"The Creeds are my sword," Chronos said. "The Seraphs, my shield. My agents hold the people's hearts and as for the fourth..." His smirk grew broader as he lowered the weapon and reached into the pocket of his vest. From there, he pulled out two, small discs glistening with arcane runes. They were no larger than his palms but Aria instantly recognised them.

"The Infinos Arcanum..."she whispered, eyes widened. "But... you had me destroy it... why would you...?"

Chronos, grinning completely now, tucked the two shards back into his pocket. "Maybe I adapted. Maybe the Arcanum was missing the piece that could have been used to destroy Tower Thirteen instead of change it. Maybe I don't want the Church pulling another Redaction Spell. Or maybe..." His grin grew much, much broader.

"Maybe you should start asking the right questions."

BOOM!

Far behind them, the icy wall began to shatter.

"You better hurry, Aria... The battle for the sun is about to begin."

*****

The soft ticking of enormous gears and cogs throbbed softly in his ears. The jet-black sand of the bizarre world with red clouds and distant mountains unfurled before Hunter. He stood mostly alone. For a brief second, he tried to recall the last moments before he blacked out...

His flesh was on fire and every breath he took was like inhaling thousands of tiny daggers. He had to shut his eyes as his paws gripped the lever that dropped the Iceheart into Chillfarn. Despite being alone and every joint being frozen in agony, his heart beat had and strong in the knowledge that he would take away the element of surprise from the Shadows, give the people of Incendius a fighting chance and foil Chronos' plans once more.

Until...

"Need an out?"

When he opened his eyes, even in the blurred world of the freezing field, he saw Harm Chronos standing in front of him, paw extended through a tear in space. Hunter shook his head, shouting something in defiance. Then Chronos said something that made him change his mind.

"Did you really just want to sit this whole thing out?"

When he asked about the Iceheart, Chronos said he would take care of it.

Hunter took the Chronomancer's paw... and left the Iceheart. Before the portal behind them shut, he saw Chronos take the body of the Warden and plant it firmly in the throne, ensuring the _Iceheart's_activation.

Now... he stood in the bizarre world with gears ticking away above him. The machine world made even less sense as thousands upon thousands of swords lay embedded in the sand around him. Some were small, no bigger than Ashwing. But other were enormous; the size of buildings. Standing amongst the forest of blades was Harm Chronos but he was not turned towards Hunter.

He was facing what appeared to be a hunched man... a man in a grey robe and using a gnarled, wooden staff to hold himself up.

" __Incassum labori vestera," the man said in a deep, rumbling voice that shook Hunter to the core. It was not loud but every syllable just seemed to tug as his very existence like someone was trying to carve the very words into his very flesh with a feather; it tingled and was disturbing but not painful."_ Quodcumque_ facitisio _,_ et liberavia."

Chronos laughed tauntingly. "Yeah. I figured as much. When you set your mind on something, nothing would ever convince you otherwise." The Wulfun pressed a paw against his hip. "Hard to think the dreamer who was obsessed with the supernatural could be such a pain in my ass." He sighed softly and gave a helpless shrug. "Then again, you were popular. I bet it's even more of a shock to you that the antisocial, meek, crazy runt of the litter could be your greatest nemesis."

A sudden onset of pain hit Hunter's head and he staggered. It felt like someone had stabbed a needle through his eye for a brief moment. He blinked away tears and when his vision cleared, the hunched man was gone.

In the man's place was...

"Holy shit!"

It was a giant! A massive, muscular creature if blood red flesh. The beast was embedded from the waist down in the sand and Chronos stood in front of it. Beside the Wulfun were Leandros and Phalgymr. The giant's feature's looked strangely familiar.

" __Quid laetaria quor_ d_ occisum est puer?" rumbled the giant in the same voice as the hunched man." __Nescisi_ ,_ quantum sit ameter animo comprehendere me? Nunquami potuit aliquid tentare?

"He made his choice," Chronos responded. "I made mine. There is regret. There is a wondering about what could have been and what I could have done but I am not going to let what could have been, what should have been interfere with what is." The Wulfun lifted a strange blade. It looked like Ashfire and Firefeather fused together. "Try as I might, I cannot control everyone nor do I want to!"

Chronos grinned and flipped the blade, holding it in a reverse grip. "That's your shtick. And we all know how that's going to end for you."

The giant roared and again, Hunter was hit by a sudden blast of pain that sent him staggering. Before he could recover, a hard, cold, metal hand fell on his shoulder. When he opened his eyes, he found himself standing beside a heroic knight dressed from head to toe in red armour. The man's eyes were hidden beneath a visor. Across from him stood Chronos, Leandros and Phalgymr.

" __Virtus enimia_ lexa_ aequior ulla est, mundum. Similitera se tebah cum hocus quod nobiscum."

Chronos snorted. "I could go on about the 'power of the heart' or some other sentimental nonsense but there's no point teaching that to a hard headed fool like you. Suffice to say that you know nothing about what makes the world turn."

Suddenly, Chronos was beside him and the red knight was leaping away.

The Wulfun glanced at him. "Don't worry. I've got you."

Another blast of pain.

Again, the creature Chronos was fighting changed. This time, there was an enormous, slitted eye staring down at the Chronomancer.

" __Omniar voluit erat potestas. Potestas facere vos sibia."

Leandros and Phalgymr lay beside Chronos, unconscious.

"I told him that could never happen." The Wulfun lifted his paw. "And he made the wrong decision if he thought he could force people to love him."

The eye seemed to laugh.

" __Ita sentit egissia quam innocentia maximer odisti_ , in manus inimici tui? Quam sentit esse non posse, quia ut trucident praemium satis obsequi?"_

The pain hit Hunter again.

When he recovered, Chronos was standing over a body... Alaric's. The blade in his paws was levelled directly over the Blood Mage's heart. Alaric was strangely smiling.

"We all have our burdens to bear," Chronos answered. "But I cannot be held responsible for the choices others have made. I cannot blame others for the actions that I have been forced to take. However, I willingly take the blame for actions they take. I'll become the demon that parents threaten their children with. I'll become the most hated being in the world and I'll become the king of all sin if that will save the world. Let them blame me."

Alaric just laughed.

" __Vere tu es crudelis,erumalis_ , frigus et ratiocinantium apparatus. Si fatum est ultimum tua flenda mihi."_

"Weep for yourself because all you're doing is following the path I set for you."

Chronos plunged the sword into Alaric's chest. The Blood Mage's eyes widened and he gasped... but that gasp quickly turned into another sinister smirk.

" __Sed_ libere valet placet_."

Chronos leaned down, almost coming nose to nose with the Blood Mage.

"I'm counting on it."

Hunter blinked and suddenly the world of black sand and turning cogs vanished. Warmth radiated at him from his left and when he turned, he winced. The Scorium Axis was so close that it bathed the entire south in white, pulsating light. As he turned away, he saw where the light began to fade and darkness took over. It was almost like he was lying directly where the two met.

As he turned more towards the north, he spied Chronos.

The Wulfun leaned against what looked like a ruined wall. Not too far away from him was that strange fusion of_Firefeather and Ashwing_ and like in the machine world, it was embedded into Alaric's chest.

Hunter grunted as he began to rise and Chronos took notice.

"You're up."

"Yeah..." Hunter managed to sit up. He caught sight of both Leandros and Phalgymr. As he had seen before, they too were unconscious and looked cirtically injured. Nothing fatal, though. "What... What happened?"

Chronos nodded to the north. "About five days away, the Shadows have shattered the wall the Iceheart have made. The defenders, inspired by the brave sacrifice of the Warden of Chillfarn to initiate the fortress' failsafe and Tynvandar's riling speech, have gathered themselves and are now fighting back." The Wulfun closed his eyes and smiled. "And winning."

"Not what you expected?"

The Chronomancer leapt off the low, shattered wall. Hunter realised that he was standing amongst other such ruined structures. It looked like he was standing amongst the ruins of a vast city.

"I'll admit, it was... unprecedented," Chronos responded, gripping his sword. "But not unwelcome." He yanked the strange fusion blade from Alaric's chest, the sickening noise of metal cutting through flesh and bone. "Still, the Shadows will just keep creating more of themselves the more people die and ultimately, the defenders will lose. Bloodfyre needs to be destroyed." He nodded towards the south, at the Scorium Axis. "Worse, Shiollia won't be able to hold the light for very much longer. Her light can't reach Chillfarn anymore."

Hunter angled his head to the side. "Who?"

"Shiollia." Chronos smiled softly. "You know, a fusion of 'Shinniah' and 'Apollia'. I suggested 'Aponniah' but apparently, that reminded Adra about a _very_old videogame horse and he was against it. So, Shiollia."

"Okay..." His eyes fell on the Leandros and Phalgymr. "What about them...?"

"I'll take care of them. Right now, I'll take you to Bloodfyre. You know what you have to do."

Chronos began to stride through the ruins but Hunter did not move.

"I want some answers first." He wasn't entirely sure where the wisdom was in demanding answers from an insane Chronomancer who effectively sacrificed two of the great leaders of Incendius to one of his followers and then proceeded to kill that follower.

Alaric had been with Chronos since the beginning and yet there he lay on the ground in a pool of his own blood!

"You are entitled to them. Why don't we walk while we chat?"

Hunter conceded to that and followed Chronos towards the Scorium Axis. They purposefully hugged the walls of the various ruined structures in an attempt to block out the searing light. As he brushed against one brick building, he noticed that the structure wasn't really black. It was red. Like normal bricks. It just so happens that in the intensity of the Scorium Axis and the consuming darkness of the rest of the world, it looked almost monochrome.

"What do you want to know?" Chronos asked, peering around a corner.

Hunter ran through the questions in his mind. He wanted to ask about Alaric more than anything but he didn't think that was truly important. Chronos was a psychopath. There was no doubt about that. Killing his greatest followers was probably something he did for some bizarre reason that made some semblance of sense.

"Who is 'Azzy'?"

That made Chronos straighten and frown. Then he broke into a smile. "Okay, who blabbed? Shiollia or Adra?"

"Adra - I mean, Adramalech."

The Chronomancer nodded as they made their way into the depths of a mostly intact structure. Hunter winced when he passed over a crack in the wall where the Scorium Axis' light sprayed through. The heat was intense, almost laser-like. He glanced at his flesh and watched it slowly heal. On that thought, he checked Zero Hour and froze. He had only about a hundred years of Time left.

Yikes...

Chronos stopped ahead of him, right in front of a door. "I think I recall reading about this in a movie once." He smiled and tapped his chin thoughtfully. "I offer you a choice. On one hand, I tell you everything but it will shatter your entire perception of the world, obliterate your beliefs and basically open your eyes to a vast reality that defies everything you have ever known. I believe the term used in the movie was 'go further down the rabbit hole'."

"Huh?"

Chronos waved a paw absently. "It's a reference to a book I can't quite remember." He held out his paw to Hunter. "On the other paw, you wake up and everything goes back to exactly what it was before. This will all be like a dream to you. You can go back to your life however you decide to live it. I can go back to being your hated enemy. The Church will be your foundation and you can be the starship engineer with so much potential but waste it all by waiting for the opportunities to come to you.

"What is your decision?"

Hunter looked at the outstretched paw. There was some symbolism in the fact that Chronos only extended one paw while the other still held that fused blade. Hunter shook his head and slapped the paw away.

"I choose neither," he grunted. "I'll find the truth myself, form my own opinions because whatever 'truth' you spout out will still be coming from your muzzle and will be filled with whatever bullshit you've convinced yourself with to justify the slaughter of thousands and the death of dear friends."

Chronos lifted his eyebrows and let out a soft 'ah'. "You're talking about Alaric."

"You bet I am."

"Most people would've just taken the pill." The Chronomancer pushed open the door. Scalding light sprayed through and Hunter had to leap to the right to avoid being scorched. Chronos held up a paw. Transparent, golden cogs appeared in front of him, forming a shield of sorts that blocked the light from passing through. Hunter realised it was similar to the technique he used to catch the beam cannons from the starships at Ironfrost.

Hunter immediately moved behind the Chronomancer.

"Alaric was... obsessed with me. He wanted me to be his."

"Wait... You... Him?"

"No. Never. He was just deluded."

"And you killed him because he grew infatuated with you!?"

"I killed him because his infatuation led him to seek power; the power to take my heart. That very same power took over him and consumed him. I was forced to put him down." Chronos smiled at him. "Let that be a lesson, Hunter. Too much of anything can and will lead to being consumed by that something. Be it guilt, love, hatred, lies or vengeance it will consume you and rule your very existence."

"So says the guy that absolutely loves toying with people's minds."

Chronos snorted. "Yeah... you're right." The Chronomancer suddenly paused. "Huh."

"What?" Hunter demanded.

"We've got time for one more question."

"What? The Scorium Axis is weakening?"

"That..." Chronos bobbed his head to the side. "And Titus is coming."

Hunter spun, looking back at the house they had just left. "What? Why? Where?"

Chronos snickered. "Is that your final question?"

He turned back to the Chronomancer, snarling. "No. My final question is..." He stopped himself. What did he want to know? Was there anything he wanted to know? "You know what? Forget it. I don't need our answers. Just tell me how the hell I get to Bloodfyre."

Smiling, the Chronomancer handed Hunter the glistening, golden shield of cogs. "This thing should hold you until you get to Bloodfyre. Just keep going straight ahead. Watch out for the drop, though. The Concave is a crater."

"Fine," Hunter grunted, taking the shield. It was a simple orb in his paws but it created the shimmering cogs in front of him. "Just so you know, I'm not doing this because you want me to."

"Then why are you doing it?"

He snarled and pointed back towards the north. "Because my boyfriend and my friends are fighting for their life back there! You may care about some philosophical virtue or fucked up lesson but I'm doing this for the people I care about and all the people you've dragged into this war! So suck on that."

Hunter turned and stormed away from Chronos.

As he left, he heard the Chronomancer say, "Titus... This has been a long time coming, hasn't it?"

*****

Eton let out a thunderous cry, bringing down his enormous mace crashing on the head of a Shadow soldier. The world was a film of red and he could barely tell friend from foe. Every muscle in his body ached and his Drive Form armour was starting to weigh heavily on his shoulders. It felt like he had been fighting for hours.

Another roar ripped through his lungs as he swung Comet upwards. Enormous, icy spikes erupted from the ground and raced forward, tearing through the Shadow ranks and spearing those unfortunate enough to be caught in their grip. Beside him, soldiers from all parts of Incendius fought bravely for their lives.

Pyromancers threw blistering flames forward, cleaving through Shadow ranks. Custodia Solis used their fire-imbued weapons and armour to push back the dark creatures. _Custodia Lumbra_and the Darkened used the darkness against their foes. Above them, the remaining starships pummelled the Shadow ranks with rockets and beams of light. Behind him, Tynvandar kept his _Nova Supremis_afire, slowly advancing and pushing the Shadows further and further back.

A Shadow screeched and latched onto his shoulder. Its dark claws dug into his armour, cutting through the enchanted metal and piercing the flesh. More than that, he could feel the evil from the contact seeping into his very soul. Guilt over leaving Hunter to sacrifice himself like that burned deep in his soul and spread through his chest like acid being pumped through his veins.

"No!" he growled. He seized the creature by its skeletal head and send it crashing into the ground. He crushed its head beneath his metal boot and spun around, sweeping his mace wide. An icy wave erupted from the path of his weapon, surging forward and freezing all the Shadows caught within its blast.

He threw his head back and let out a rallying howl. Lupus replied with their own howls. Inspired, he charged forward, smashing through the frozen ranks until Shadows collided with him, hissing and snapping as they desperately tried to push him back.

Whoosh!

All the Shadows around him were immediately blown back by a tremendous gale. Serena, also in her Drive Form, landed beside him, sweeping her bladed fans around her in a dizzying display. Where the blades jutting from her fan's ribs cut, blades of focused wind lanced out, slicing through the Shadows. Despite her vast powers, Eton could see the exhaustion in her stance.

Suddenly, a tear through space appeared several feet in front of them. It was enormous, spanning the entire length of Chillfarn. From the tear, the face of a mountain appeared and came crashing down upon the Shadows. The huge chunk of rock crushed the darkness beneath it. While nowhere near as tall as Chillfarn, it was still monumental.

"What...?" Eton began.

The ragged, red tear faded and Andy staggered up to them, gasping for breath. "Tanar... You're up," panted in Initiate.

The Dire Wolf strode forward, the blades springing from his back suddenly slicing through the air. Eton immediately turned back towards the chunk of mountain Andy had deposited. Tanar let out a thunderous roar that formed visible soundwaves. The block of rock shattered, its form breaking where Tanar had sliced through it cleanly from hundreds of feet away! The slabs of rock rained down on the Shadows, crushing more and more of them.

"Forward!" Tanar roared. "Push them back!"

Troops from all of Incendius raced forward, using the enormous gap to close the distance between them and the Shadows. They clashed once more past the southern gates of Chillfarn. Black snow crunched beneath Eton's boots as he swung Comet and kept beating back the seemingly endless Shadows.

The last swing exhausted him more than he thought and he staggered onto his knees, gasping for breath. Sweat rolled off his brow and soaked into his fur. It made the inside of his helmet stink. He tore it off, growling.

A strong paw rested on his shoulder. Moonclaw came charging past, howling in fury with a whole legion of loyal Lupus. They collided with the Shadows, pushing them back by sheer ferocity alone. Even one of the enormous, four-armed Bovios-like Shadows were quickly overwhelmed. Beside Eton, Smallfang helped him to his feet while Elena offered him water from a canteen. He eagerly took it gasping for breath once he finished.

"We... We can't keep this up..." he panted.

"We can't give up hope either," Elena assured him. "For Hunter."

Eton nodded. "For Hunter..."

Great spears of glistening, white crystal came shooting down from the skies, slamming into the ground and radiating brilliant light. It was only a momentary flash but the Shadows in the immediate vicinity were thrown back or completely obliterated. Aria rushed forward, sweeping her hands to her side. Gentle, white light danced across Eton's body, easing the agony in his muscles.

Even she was showing signs of exhaustion.

"We cannot lose hope!" she shouted, lifting her winged spear into the air. "For Tower Thirteen!"

The cry of an Angel sent ripples of excitement through Eton's weary muscles, jolting them back into action. Energy he thought he had long exhausted came rushing back into his limbs. He brought up Comet and with a gargantuan cry, sent it crashing back to the ground.

"For Tower Thirteen!"

As he gave this cry and as another burst of ice erupted in front of him there was a thunderous boom.

At first, he glanced upwards, fearful that one of the ships had been hit and they would have to deal with another corrupted Shadow ship. The ships were fine. But the only light that around him seemed to come from their search lights and Tynvandar's Nova Supremis.

He glanced to the south.

... and watched as the distant light of the Scorium Axis faded.

*****

CLANG!

Titus disengaged, dancing back nimbly and ducking behind one of the many structures that blocked sizzling glow of the Scorium Axis. Lightning danced between the teeth of his enlarged wrench. Just around the corner, Chronos stood in the full glow of the Scorium Axis, a glistening shield of transparent golden cogs protecting him from the light.

It was... strange.

Titus came to this battle expecting to be filled with hate, rage and the desire for revenge. However, as he stood here, though his muscles ached and his heart pumped harder than it had ever in his life, he was surprisingly clear-headed and calm. For two and a half thousand years, he had desired nothing but revenge, thinking of the numerous ways he would destroy Harm Chronos and secretly refining his techniques. Though he could never put them into practice, two and a half thousand years was... well...

He closed his eyes for a moment.

In one year, there was five thousand twenty five thousand nine hundred and forty-nine minutes. Two and a half thousands years meant that was about... well, it was a lot.

"Don't get distracted, Titus."

He opened his eyes and immediately used one of Chronomancy's most rudimentary techniques: the Fast Forward. He pulled himself forward in a point of time and just himself. It allowed him to move through space instantly. He was lucky too. A second later and he would have been obliterated by the tremendous blast of searing light that Chronos fired.

It cleaved through a large section of the city.

Titus pressed his back against another wall, sighing softly.

That was close.

"This used to be the house of a nice couple who would serve Solfruit pies to the neighbourhood."

Titus jerked to his right. Chronos was leaning against the wall beside him, arms crossed but his blade still in his paws. The Wulfun was looking down pensively at the ground.

"In this frigid place, the pies were a welcome embrace to the lonely kids in the orphanage across the street."

Titus Fast Forwarded to the orphanage mentioned mostly because it was intact. He burst inside and vaulted up the brick floors to the second level. He ground to a halt. Chronos was standing there, holding a book in one paw.

"The children would love being told stories of the lands to the north and the ocean that never ends. They loved hearing tales of Chrysalis and the owner of the orphanage used to fill their hearts with hope that if they ever travelled to the middle of the ocean and touched the crystal tower, the Mother Goddess would bless them with a Valour."

Done with running, Titus swept his arms forward and conjured a venerable storm of golden lightning. Chronos moved but Titus anticipated where he was going. He intercepted the Wulfun, catching his left paw in the grip of his wrench, the same paw that held his sword. Chronos smiled sadly at him. The Wulfun gripped the hilt of his sword and detached it!

Titus realised the odd sword Chronos held was actually the fusion of two different blades! Chronos pulled away the straight sword and swung it at him, fiery flames lancing out and searing the Goatex's flanks. Titus retreated, Fast Forwarding to another location.

Panting, he knelt in the snow, gripping his side and panting.

"This was Mrs. Haversham's garden."

He froze.

Chronos stood a few feet from him. Beyond him, Titus could make out the low brick wall of what must have been a fence. Now that he looked, he noticed that the wall formed a rough square around him.

"She grew Solherbs," the Wulfun said. "They're plants that collect moisture and add a special touch of magic to the liquid that makes it glow in the dark. They're extinct now." He brushed his foot against the snow on the ground. Titus saw what looked like a withered, frozen sapling in the ground. "Gone since the Sunshadow War."

"How do you know all this?" Titus grunted, rising to his feet. There was no anger in his voice. Just... real curiosity. "The Sunshadow War was millennia ago. Long before the Purge of Time."

Chronos smiled at him sadly. "I was someone before I became Harm Chronos, you know."

That puzzled him. How was that possible? Chronos said he was Time Locked when he was nineteen years of age. How could he have known so much about the Darkened culture let alone who each lived in each house and what they did day to day?

"I really am proud of you, you know, Titus," Chronos said, smiling genuinely at him. "Statistically and historically speaking, it was highly imporbable. But Chronomancers were always about playing the odds, weren't they? You actually let go of your need for vengeance. You still came here to face me and your story will end here but..." He tilted his muzzle to the side. "I'm not sure. Would you call this a happy ending?"

Titus smirked with a confidence he did not feel. Strangely he felt... at peace? He knew he would die here. Against a force like Chronos with the Brave Farmer behind him and whatever else? One man could not stand against him, even a Chronomancer.

"I could still beat you."

Chronos smiled back and reached into his pocket where he pulled out a shiny, red apple. "Tell you what? If you can stay standing before I finish this apple, you win. I'll still kill you but you win."

Bizarre as it sounded, Titus felt that no matter what the outcome - whether or not he won Chronos' challenge - he knew he could go on to the next life in peace. At least whatever awaited him after death.

"I don't need your charity," he growled only half-seriously. "I can defeat you well before you finish that apple!"

Chronos took a bite out of the apple, the loud crunch filling the air. "I dunno," he said, muzzle full, "I take pretty big bites."

Titus leapt forward in Time, landing him directly behind Chronos and swinging his wrench at the Wulfun. Chronos tossed the apple into the air. He then spun and clashed his fused weapon with Titus' weapon. The moment they collided, he immediately pulled out the second blade and spun back towards Titus, swords swinging through the air.

Titus pooled his Time into a physical shield, forming a golden barrier in front of him. Chronos' blades bounced harmlessly against the field. Titus pressed his advantage, transforming the barrier into a dozen spears and throwing them straight at Chronos. He wasn't expecting the Wulfun to get hit. True to his supsicions, Chronos jumped away, travelling through Time a few feet away. The Wulfun held out his straight blade and caught the falling apple on the flat of the blade.

He rolled the apple back towards him.

Titus saw an opening. He threw bolts of golden lightning forward before immediately leaping through Time to Chronos' right. The Wulfun tossed the apple back into the air and predictably went towards his right. Chronos _was_right handed after all. Titus gripped Chronos left paw in his hand while seized the other paw in his wrench's teeth. Golden lightning exploded from the contact. Chronos cried out in both shock and pain as his arms were torn clear off.

The advantage was still his.

Titus swung his wrench -

Thud!

Only to have it caught by another version of Chronos. Titus immediately retreated when he saw a third version catch the apple not too far away and toss it towards the second. The first and the third disappeared and a golden flurry of lights, being absorbed into the Wulfun gripping the apple.

Chronos took another bite.

Using some strange force Titus had never seen before, the two swords on the ground floated into the air and fused together once more without him every touching them. He gripped the weapon tightly.

"Is that all you've got?" Chronos taunted.

"Not even starting, Chronos!" Titus shouted, strangely finding himself exhilarated. He swung his wrench, summoning his Time to manifest itself into an enormous, ethereal extension of the weapon. Chronos leapt to the side as the huge, hundred-metre long wrench crashed to the ground. Titus released the weapon as Chronos closed in and leapt away.

He sent a mental command to the enormous wrench and -

BOOOOM!

It exploded in a burst of brilliant, golden energies. Raw time eager to drag whatever was caught inside back into the time stream as raw Time. It wasn't exactly on the level of Chronos' Anti-Time techniques but it was as close as he could get. He wasn't sure if he should've been surprised or not that Chronos stepped out of it unscathed. Even the apple was unaffected.

"I am not done yet!"

Titus shouted.

Golden clamps lashed out and seized Chronos' ankles and wrists. The Wulfun looked surprised as a golden platform rose from the ground. Titus pooled all his strength to manifesting his machine, a tremendous device of pure Time and designed for only one reason - to destroy Harm Chronos. Enormous cannons the size of entire houses rose from the ground, disturbing the black sand and looming over the trapped Chronomancer. The enormous, main cannon was over fifty metres wide and three times that in length. Gears rotated softly across the enormous device, shifting it into position.

Titus stood on a small platform atop the largest cannon directly above Chronos, directly in front of a console. The Time needed to forge the weapon was too much for him. He had so little left and already, his body was starting to dissipate into Time. His burned side was no longer healing and the extremities of his body were crumbling into black dust. The longer he kept the device active, the closer he would come to death. It sapped too much strength for his regeneration to fix.

Still, with all his strength he shouted, "Die, Chronos!"

He smashed the button in front of him, nearly collapsing as a result.

BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!

The smaller cannons came to life, firing the same pure Time shells that he had detonated earlier. Swirling, golden light lashed out on the platform, shaking the every ground and filling the area in its shining embrace. Wisps of ethereal bands escaped from the blasts, like filaments of gold caught in the wind.

BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!

The secondary cannons came to life, joining the tertiary in a dizzying array of explosions and cannon fire.

BOOM! BOOM!

The all suddenly fell silent. A high pitched keening filled the air as the very cannon beneath Titus began to charge. He felt the structure quake and shake as it gathered all his strength to it. The smaller cannons were immediately absorbed into the cannon, their solid, golden forms breaking apart and joining the wisps of golden wind that seeped into the main cannon.

Titus closed his eyes...

And poured the last ounces of his strength into this one, final move.

BOOM!

The cannon burst forth, unleashing an unyielding blast of searing golden light. It spilled out to the sides, blasting the nearby house of Mrs. Haversham and consuming it greedily. The blistering light blew away the low wall, wiped away the black snow around them and spilled over the various ruins, wiping away this history of whatever this place held.

Titus collapsed, falling to his knees. His heart felt like it had slowed down to a beat per minute and every limb in his body was frozen, unable to move. He wasn't sure how long he just sat there, kneeling atop his massive monument of vengeance. Now that it had fired its payload, it took less Time to maintain. He was able to keep it standing as he did not have the strength to jump off yet.

As Time returned to him and strength flooded his veins, he rose...

Did he do it?

Did he really kill Chronos?

Crunch!

The soft splatter of apple juice dashed across his cheeks and he spun to his right, eyes wide in horror and shock as Chronos stood there, completely unharmed with most of the apple consumed.

"My turn."

Titus didn't have the strength to fight back.

Chronos leapt into the air, splitting his blade and leaping into the air bringing them both crashing down onto Titus shoulders. The blades bit into the Goatex's flesh, bringing fresh waves of pain. Titus' back slammed against the hard, metal floor of his cannon. The metal snapped and he was sent barrelling through the cannon itself. Chronos showed no mercy, chasing right after him.

Titus barely felt the slashes that Chronos inflicted upon him, each cut just adding to the pain already permeating his body. He slammed against the very platform he had trapped the Wulfun upon, bouncing an entire three feet into the air to the sound of his cracking bones.

WHAM!

Chronos slashed at him from his side.

Strangely, the black skies of the Darkened Lands vanished. He passed through what appeared to be a tear in space tinged with blue edges. He struck something and for a moment, it just felt like a chair. Then, flames from the seat wreathed him, bringing a whole new experience. As he threw his head back in a scream, he saw the world around him.

A desolate, charred land with blackened, dead soil and distant mountains. Strangely, the skies were clear save for an enormous, dead planet with its surface broken and cracked by the lava from its core eager to escape.

Chronos suddenly leapt out from the side, bringing with him ragged, rusty, flaming chains littered with spikes. He danced across the burning throne, pinning Titus to the fiery seat as the spikes dug deep into Titus' burning flesh. The Wulfun disappeared out of view for one moment before springing back up with another chain, placing it painfully against Titus' chest. Another chain was wrapped around his skull, the spikes digging into his temples and a fourth punctured his legs.

The Wulfun then leapt back, standing several feet away from Titus with a smirk on his features.

All the while, Titus screamed.

Chronos lifted his paws to the air, closing his eyes. The world shook then -

BOOM!

Geysers of lava exploded from behind him, forming a wall of fire. The molten rock wreathed Chronos completely.

VROOOM!

An enormous gout of lava surged upwards, shooting straight for the dead planet. Titus could only watch as the lance of fire broke through the planet's surface and exploded out of the other end but not as a simple beam of molten rock. No, what burst from the back, with an enormous, triumphant cry, was a _massive_Avios made completely of fire. It spread its wings, stretched its arms in victory.

Then it smashed it clawed hands against the planet.

Titus took a moment from screaming to let total fear take him.

The dead planet drew closer and closer. The Avios roared, punched the planet and flapped its wings. The very earth shook at the proximity of the two worlds began to disrupt the very nature of the dead lands. Large slabs of the oncoming planet peeled away from its surface and came crashing to the ground, sending dust and fire in all directions. The surface Titus' prison burst open, gouts of lava surging up like eager fingers welcoming the destruction of the oncoming planet.

Titus let out one last cry...

... before feeling a sense of peace and befall him.

He tried his best... and it was still not enough.

Did he have to fight Chronos? Yes, yes he did.

Did he have to die for trying...?

Probably not. Perhaps in some alternate reality, he and Chronos could have been friends if their ideals and goals did not clash.

He closed his eyes.

The flames no longer burned.

The chains no longer stung.

He was at peace.

Titus never opened his eyes for the moment when the dead planet crashed into Adramalech's isolated world built entire out of guilt and sorrow. The spectacular explosion shook the entire planet and utterly destroyed it.

Harm did not stay for the finale.

He shut the rip in space and turned back towards the south.

The Scorium Axis had died down at last, plunging the world into absolute darkness. The fused blade in his paw, Phoenix Breaker, began to fade in a shimmering display of red flames and feathers. The end was coming... and he smiled.

He felt the cloying breath of a Shadow on his shoulder and he rolled his eyes.

"You're going down swinging, aren't you Azzy? Fine." He flicked his paws. Twin, blades of pure Anti-Time energy erupted from his paws looking like solid, light-blue crystal blades with dancing cogs and gears surrounding it. "You still lose."

He glanced over his shoulder at where the rip had been.

"And for the record Titus... You won."

Harm turned, shouting and swinging his swords at the Shadows.

*****

Hunter was in a world of utter white. The shield Harm had given him had long since outlived its usefulness. The light no longer burned. He wasn't sure where he was anymore but he could see his destination: a little black smudge in the distance.

In one paw, he held Zero Hour and in the other, Firefeather.

With even steps, he approached the object.

"It has all come down to this, hasn't it?" Adramalech whispered softly. "I have been waiting for this moment for so long..."

Hunter paused in his step... but then kept pressing forward.

"We'll be together at last, father," Apollia whispered. "Do you think she will be waiting for us on the other side?"

Adramalech chuckled softly. "Frankly, my dear, I do not know what waits for us there. It is nice to hope, though... and to believe."

"Wait up," Hunter said without stopping. "I destroy Bloodfyre and I kill you two?"

"No," answered Apollia. "But so much of our power, our existence was spent consumed by guilt and blame that when you destroy the sword, we will have very little left in us."

"Can't you just recover your power?"

"We have done so much to harm Incendius. I don't think you or anyone wants us to continue existing."

The black smudge became clearer. It was a jet-black sword embedded into the ground. It cast a shadow in the light. It looked quite stunning. Five differently coloured gems were embedded into the hilt which was shaped like a 'V'. Hunter could appreciate the meticulous craftsman ship of the weapon.

"So that's it?" he asked, drawing closer to the blade. "I destroy this thing and you two just give up your lives?"

"It is the best thing we can do for Incendius. It is the best thing you can do for Incendius."

Hunter lifted Zero Hour and glared at the black sword.

It would be so easy.

Just a little tap.

Destroy the sword, wipe away the guilt and end the war.

Save Eton.

Save Incendius.

But something... something was just wrong about that. Wiping away the guilt... it just... didn't feel right.

He lowered his sword.

"What are you doing?" Adramalech demanded. "End this war, Hunter! Eton and the others are fighting for their lives! Every second you waste is a second they come closer to dying!"

Hunter was about to lift the sword again when he stopped.

"No."

"What!?"

"Father," Apollia said softly. He could sense her smile. "Listen to him."

Hunter turned his gaze to the sky, not that there was one. It was all just endless white. "You just want me to destroy your guilt, wipe the slate clean. But... that won't achieve anything. You can't just have someone wave a magic wand or a sword and make your forget everything that's happened. If you do that, the guilt will just come back."

"Not if we fade from this world!"

"You're not going to fade from this world," Hunter growled, staring at Firefeather_harshly. "What you're going to do is accept your crimes. Own them. Then _you are going to let them go! I'm not going to be the one to clean the slate! You are! And then, when all is said and done, you're going to learn from it and make amends! Both of you!"

He could sense Apollia was more than willing but Adramalech was fuming in rage.

"Boy, do not presume to lecture me on -"

"You sound like you need it!" Hunter snapped back. "Is this how you did things back in your time? When someone committed a crime, you could just wipe it away? Sure people might forget but the person who committed the crime won't. They will still be guilty and no matter how badly you want it, the only way you're ever going to let go to all of this is to own it, let it go and then learn!"

Adramalech raged. "Apollia -"

"He is right father. We have made so many mistakes in the past. We had hurt so many people. We cannot just let someone take it all away. We cannot do that to Chronos."

"But he wants this! It is part of his plan!"

"So sacrificing your happiness is part of his plan?" snapped Hunter. "For fuck's sake, he's condemning you to an endless cycle of guilt! Sure, maybe your consciousness will fade but in this fucked up world of ours, your guilt became sentient and is ripping a hole in my boyfriend! Who's the say that because you never truly let it go, it won't just come back!

"Like it or not, this world is part of you and you are part of it! You have a responsibility to it to own your mistakes!"

A tremendous roar exploded from Firefeather. Black tendrils raced out of_Bloodfyre_ and immediately seized the sword. They burned Hunter's flesh on touch, forcing him to let go of the sword.

"Father!" Apollia cried.

Hunter backed away as the darkness consumed the sword. The presence of evil grew, blossoming out in a dark, gaseous mist. A form slowly solidified... a massive, muscular creature clearly twelve feet in height with four, feathery wings emitting black fire. Four, muscular arms rose out of an intimidating torso and the creature's avian beak was topped by three eyes, two horizontal and the third vertical but all glowing a sinister red.

"Shit!" Hunter cried, leaping back just as the creature lunged at him.

BOOM!

He was thrown clear back as a wave of shadows exploded from where the beast landed. The blast burned Hunter like fire.

"You are all guilty!" screamed the shadowy Adramalech. He thrust his hands forwards. Globules of black sludge shot from his palms. Hunter raced away, dodging left and right. Where the blobs landed, large tentacles rose from the puddles and tried to swipe at him.

"What the fuck is that thing!?" Hunter screamed.

"The Shadow of Guilt! It has taken my father!"

"What!? Why!?"

"I think he was trying to accept his mistakes... but it was... it was too much for him! Let me try..."

A blast of searing red-tinged light shot down from the somewhere above. It sliced right through the puddles of black sludge, erasing them completely. The light slammed right into the Shadow of Guilt, causing it pain. It threw its hands forward, pushing the light away from its chest. With a tremendous roar, black chains erupted from its back and pierced through the light.

"No!"

"Apollia!" Hunter cried.

The chains grabbed something and suddenly, the all-white field faded into absolute darkness. Hunter watched as the angelic Apollia was wrapped in chains and held above the Shadow of Guilt. Her brilliant, white wings turned black and her flesh became a sickly grey. Her eyes were cast down and she hovered there, motionless behind the Shadow like some imprisoned guardian angel.

A ferocious roar exploded out of the Shadow and two weapons appeared in its upper arms in gouts of flame. The first was a jet-black Firefeather and the second was a pure-white Scorium Axis.

Then... Then the whole world turned dark.

Hunter swung Zero Hour through the air -

WHAM!

Only for a tremendous force to strike his arm, breaking it immediately in two and sending the sword flying from his grip. He didn't have time to scream as he knew the Shadow had a blade. He ducked, just feeling the brush of the weapon over his head.

Desperate, he scrambled through the darkness, cursing as he toppled over. He had no idea where he was going or where the Shadow was!

BOOM!

Something slick and slimy gripped his leg and pulled him back. He was lifted into the air before he was sent crashing back to the ground. Something broke but he wasn't sure what.

"This world is guilt!" cried the Shadow, its voice consisting of Adramalech's rumble and Apollia's gentle tones. "Return it to its natural state!"

Desperate, Hunter did the only thing he could think of.

He pulled his headphones over his ears.

Music was still blaring somehow.

And the world... the world became a mess of gears and he saw the Shadow, saw the tendril that had gripped him by the ankle.

What...? But -

He dismissed the thought and instantly pulled upon Zero Hour's chain. He slammed the sword down on the tentacle and rolled to his right, barely dodging the blow of the Shadow. Hunter rolled to a kneeling position, Zero Hour in paw.

The Shadow... it was a mess. The gears were everywhere and he could barely read it. Apollia and Adramalech... they were both in there, fighting for their lives, trying to wrestle with not only their guilt but the guilt of others who had been consumed by the Shadow. But... there was something else... Not the Shadow. No... There was something... behind the Shadow...

Hunter pushed the thought aside and gripped Zero Hour.

Wait...

If he slashed at the Shadow with his Valour, it would completely destroy everything in the Shadow... Adramalech and Apollia included.

But... what choice did he have?

He growled at himself.

"There's always a choice."

"You are guilt!" screamed the Shadow. It leapt into the air on its mighty wings. It gripped one of its lower wings by the edge with its free arms and tore it clean from its socket. The wings themselves became a flurry of feathers. The feathers dissipated revealing the dark, wing-shaped cleavers the size of a man.

The Shadow lunged at him.

Hunter saw what would happen next.

He leapt upwards straight at the Shadow. He landed on the left hand cleaver before it hit the ground and used it to vault up onto the Shadow's shoulder. There, he scrambled past the creature and past the chained Apollia.

BOOM!

There was another burst of dark energies but Hunter was just far enough to be unaffected. In that moment, the scabbard across Hunter's back jostled slightly from the impact. He cast a glance over his shoulder.

Ashwing.

A blade made by mortal hands... mortal hands...

Mortal hands...

Our hands...

He dismissed Zero Hour, letting it slip back into its watch form. Then, he reached over his shoulder and pulled _Ashwing_from its scabbard. Slowly, he ran his paw across the blade. Hidden cogs and gears twisted under his influence.

"Ignis!" he cried.

The blade sprang to life, exploding in brilliant golden fire. The Shadow hissed loudly and staggered back, shielding its eyes from the flames.

Hunter pounced on the opportunity, charging straight at the creature. The Shadow swiped blindly at him with its cleavers. He dove feet first right between the Shadow's legs. The moment he stopped, he leapt to his feet and spun around. His burning blade sliced cleanly through the nearest two chains binding down Apollia.

The gears across the Shadow's back began twisting and he quickly lifted his legs, twisting his body to the right. The Shadow turned, swinging its arm back. Hunter planted his feet against the massive muscular forearm and kicked off. He tucked his body into a roll until he came to a halt. Even without looking, he just knew what was going to happen. It was in the cogs and gears of the dark floor. He rolled to the right, sweeping Ashwing to his right and biting right through the Shadow's calf.

The Shadow roared, falling on his knees. Hunter leapt upon the creature's back, swinging his fiery sword. A second and a third chain was severed and Apollia gasped. He immediately leapt off before the Shadow could lunge at him. It spun towards him, swinging his cleavers. Hunter ducked the blow, waiting until the blades swept over his head. He stabbed the sword straight up, jamming it into the beast's armpit.

He mercilessly dragged the sword upwards, tearing through delicate tendons and precious veins. Black sludge poured out of the wound, coating his arms and burning his flesh. He yanked the sword away. The flames continued to burn brightly despite the corrosive blood. His regeneration took care of the burns but he became worried when they did not heal completely.

He stole a glance at Zero Hour.

No Time left.

Crap.

His instincts screamed at him and he quickly rolled to the right. The Shadow's second cleaver sliced across the back of his left arm. The pain was only mild but combined with the stinging across his arms, he felt like he was swinging around heavy, lead weights.

Keeping his eyes focused on the beast, he watched as it advanced upon him. Apollia was waking and the weakened form of the Shadow empowered Adramalech. They were both fighting hard and it was starting to show. Flickers of flame were dancing between the black cogs of the Shadow.

Just... a little more!

He noticed that the lower arm was completely limp and he formulated a plan. Slowly, he shuffled to the left. The Shadow's muscles tensed. Hunter crouched and then vaulted into the air. The creature swiped at him with the remaining cleaver. The blade passed harmlessly beneath him but the creature brought down the Scorium Axis.

He had been anticipating it.

Hunter immediately threw Ashwing. It embedded itself into the Shadow's unguarded neck. The force of the blow made it reel back, pulling the Scorium Axis away from Hunter and missing him entirely. The moment he landed, Hunter scrambled to Shadow's right arm and yanked the cleaver right out of the weakened hand. It was heavy but fuelled by adrenaline and a desire to see Eton again, he hefted it over his head and brought it crashing down.

The Shadow screamed, throwing its head back as two of its arms dropped helplessly on the ground. It dropped its other cleaver and the _Scorium Axis_leaving it with only a single arm.

Suddenly, Apollia's form twisted and she straightened. Tremendous energy exploded out of her body, knocking Hunter fifty feet away.

Wham!

Pain rocketed up his back. The world was plunged back into near darkness save for the Shadow. It stood fifty feet away from him, emitting a brilliant, white glow marred by shadowy tendrils. It screamed again, sending a wave of darkness back at him and throwing him a further ten feet back. Hunter realised his headphones had dropped off. They were lost in the darkness.

Growling, he slammed a fist into the ground and jumped to his feet.

The Shadow let out another roar. Dark tendrils lanced out from its wounded limbs, desperately trying to pull its severed arms back to its body. Apollia let out another scream and another wave of darkness. Hunter crossed his arms in front of his face, grunted as the blast hit him, knocking the wind from his lungs.

The moment the wave passed, he raced forward.

"Guilt!"

Another blast. He skidded across the ground, unwilling to yield.

"Blame!"

The blast slammed hard into his chest. Something cracked and he spewed blood, marring the white on his muzzle.

"Hatred!"

This blast knocked him off his feet, sending him crashing to the ground. His chin slammed against the ground and he bit his tongue.

"Lies! All Lies!"

Boom!

Hunter was thrown back. The moment he landed, pain exploded from his left arm and his gut. With the glow coming from Apollia, Hunter could see one of the dark cleavers had dug halfway through his left shoulder. _Firefeather_lay embedded into his stomach. Strangely, the pain faded quickly as dark tendrils began seeping from the wounds and crawling up his body. The Shadow had its arms back.

"Feel our guilt! Embrace the true face of Incendius!"

The Shadow leaned down towards him, coming almost nose to nose with the Avios face.

"Die and awaken in the shadow!"

Hunter snarled and lashed out with his remaining arm, seizing the hilt of _Ashwing_which still remained embedded in the beast's neck.

"Fuck you."

With all his strength, Hunter dragged the blade all the way across the Avios' neck. The Shadow's three eyes widened in terror as black, corrosive sludge began pouring out of the gaping wound. Hunter roared, not caring when some of the acid poured down his throat and began to burn on its way down. The moment he freed Ashwing from the creature's neck, he plunged it straight back in, driving it straight into the Shadow's third eye.

The golden flame wreathing Ashwing suddenly burst into a brilliant flare, blinding Hunter completely. He didn't have the strength to fight it and he collapsed against the ground. Everything hurt but it was all fading... everything was seeping away... All he could see what the same, endless white.

... and he felt warm...

Nice... warm...

He thought he smiled...

Eton...

*****

Eton collapsed on one knee. Two Shadows were clinging onto him, digging their poisonous claws into his flesh. He was too weak... too weary... The Scorium Axis had gone out and with it, the advantage. Tynvandar's Nova Supremis was not enough... He let out a mightry roar and swung _Comet_around. His Valour thudded against something. He could only open one eye now, the other felt like something was burning it to ashes. The dark, grinning features of the Shadow clutched _Comet_as if welcoming him to the embrace of evil.

He shut his eyes, a tear running down his cheek.

Then... an enormous gust of wind blast past him.

The Shadows hissed, making him open his eyes again. A little fleck of light danced in front of him. A Shadow that held a dark sword in front of him hissed at the speck and tried to swat at it. The fleck danced tauntingly away before it was joined by another. The duo swirled in the air in front of him, two sparks of life that could not be extinguished and continued to live even in the darkness.

"Hunter..." he murmured.

Another gale blew past him. Its touch warmed his freezing muscles and its force actually knocked the Shadows to the ground. Those two specks of light were blasted past his vision, joined suddenly by a whole swarm of the little flickers. His jaw hung open a little in shock as the sky was suddenly afire with the specks.

The screams and screeches of the Shadows stopped and the assault came to a grinding halt. Somehow he managed to look up. It hurt but the Shadows around him had extracted their claws from his chest and arms, taking with them the bitter corruption that threatened to overwhelm him.

Above them, the thousands upon thousands of sky lanterns they had released earlier began migrating through the dark skies. The little specks were embers flittering down from their frames as their fires burned brighter than was possible and burned slowly through their cloth bodies. Multiple winged Shadows tried assaulting them but the moment they got close, another burst of wing pushed them back and pushed the lanterns further and further to the south.

A deep rumbling began to rise all around him, shaking Eton to the core. The Shadows could not find purchase in the shaky, snowy ground. The light of the lanterns weakened them further, causing them to hiss and sneer. The light of the lanterns formed a fiery stream through the sky. To the east, another exodus of lanterns came floating in, carried by some mystical wind. The west brought two more and Eton could not help but wonder where they came from.

A gentle hand rested on his shoulder and he turned to find Aria, bleeding profusely and her armour marred by the dark corruption.

"They're the ones we released long ago..." she whispered. "And more... More from those we left behind... By the Mother Goddess... how...?"

The rumbling grew and grew. The winds carrying the lanterns became a howling gale that carried the embers themselves. Every strand of wind became a visible stream of fire as the embers seemingly fused with them and lit the entire battlefield on fire with their gentle touch. Shadows all around them screamed and pulled away.

Eton could only watch in awe as the streams all raced to a single point; to the south, to the Concave of Shadows.

He didn't know what would happen but the moment those streams met in the horizon, he held his breath. The lanterns just kept moving, flooding across the sky until the last of them and the last few embers disappeared into the horizon, leaving them in darkness once more. The rumbling stopped and the air became unnaturally still.

The Shadows sneered and seemed to cough at the momentary distraction. Eton didn't feel any stronger but he was feeling empowered.

They could do this.

They could fight!

They could win!

They could -

BOOOM!

Far, far, far to the south an enormous burst of light and fire sprang up. It was so bright, Eton had to look away. It reached all the way to Chillfarn. Its brilliant, white rays warmed his flesh. The Shadows screamed but it was not their usual cries of ferocity and animalistic glee. It was out of fear. They tried to turn and escape but their movements were jerky like they could not control their bodies.

Another cry filled the air.

It sounded... like a bird... a bird's triumphant, trumpeting shout.

BOOOOOM!

A brilliant, fiery bird spread its wings from the distance. The light that sprayed from it washed over all of the Darkened Lands. The Shadows screamed, throwing their arms up in self-defence. It was futile. The dazzling, warm light washed over them, piercing their inky black bodies. Cracks appeared across their flesh, light spilling from deep inside. They screamed and exploded into flakes coated in pure-white fire.

A Shadow nearby screamed and tried to leap behind Eton to hide from the burning light but it was too slow. Its claws cracked and shattered, white flames consuming its entire body in midair. It scream was cut short as it exploded in a fiery burst, leaving nothing but a trail of ash and dwindling embers.

Eton hissed loudly as the light burned away the shadowy corruption that had clung onto his skin. It was only a momentary burning sensation but then it was filled with warmth, warmth like that warm bath he had spent with Hunter back at Mirecragg...

The fiery bird gave one mighty flap of its wings... and leapt into the air. The black sky peeled away, revealing the brilliant, beautiful blue that it should have been. . Eton turned his head and his eyes widened.

Beyond Chillfarn, he could see the light reaching the north... it was illuminating all of Incendius! He could see big, fluffy white clouds in the distance, the starships in all their glory - not just the blinking lights that dotted their hulls and even the icy crags of the mountains!

Suddenly, he was filled with renewed hope and he found the strength to rise to his feet.

The fiery bird, the phoenix of pure white fire soared through the air, flying higher and higher until it reached some point above them, some place in the Void. Its wings spread and another cry erupted from it, a rallying cry that lifted all the spirits of those around them. Gentle warmth cascaded down all upon them. Every little ember that was a Shadow was blown upwards, drawn by some unknown wind to join the phoenix. Like thousands of tiny specks of white gold being sucked up by an all-powerful vortex, the embers illuminated the skies. In exchange, the fiery bird above them began dropping something... something soft, white... and it glowed.

Eton held out a paw, his jaw wide open as a glistening, white feather landed on his palm. It rested there, shining softly before disappearing with a flood of warmth seeping through him.

"He did it..." Eton whispered. "He did!" He shouted and pumped a fist through the air. "Whatever Chronos did, he stopped the Shadows! Son-of-a-bitch!"

His cry was echoed. The thousands of men and women who had fought so bravely beside him all threw their arms up and cheered. An entire Station, celebrating the bright of a new sun.

"No... I do not think it was him." Aria murmured. "It's a miracle... Harm does not have the power to do this. Apollia and Adramalech? Or perhaps... Perhaps it was the Mother Goddess... Nevertheless, it cannot truly just be an act of the Gods." She closed her eyes, a tear rolling down her porcelain cheeks and a smile touching her rosy lips. "Mortal hands moved the world. We made our own light. Some power used that to give it to the rest of the world but it is _our_light." She turned her smile to Eton. "Should you not be waking Hunter?"

Eton beamed and was about to turn...

... and froze.

Past the cheering crowds, back to the abandoned walls of Chillfarn... there stood a single figure.

"Can you conjure some binoculars for me?" he asked.

Aria gave him a puzzled look and followed his gaze. She waved her hands and a pair of crystal binoculars appeared in her grip. She pressed them to her eyes... and then a smile crossed her features.

"Here," she said, handing them to him.

Eton peered through them.

And grinned.

He tossed them aside and began running.

"HUNTER!"

*****

Hunter groaned in discomfort. It felt like someone was trying holding him up on one side. Everything still hurt and he didn't want to open his eyes. However, when they hit a little bump and his ribs began to sting, he was forced to groan and see who was being so careless with his fragile body.

To his surprise, he found himself being dragged along by a significantly smaller Wulfun.

"Rise and shine, Hunter," Harm said, smiling at him.

For a second, Hunter wasn't sure what was wrong with the scene. Was it the fact that Chronos was actually helping him across... or was it because of what the Wulfun said? Actually... it was something else. It was the fact that he could see Chronos clearly.

There was light.

"What...?"

"Look up."

Hunter did and winced. "Fuck!"

"Heh, sorry. I guess you shouldn't look directly at the sun. Then again, no one has ever learned that lesson on Tower Thirteen. Also, that's not exactly a sun, is it?"

Wincing, Hunter rubbed his eyes with his free paw. It took him a moment to realise his left arm was in a sling and there were bandages all over his body. One in particular was around his stomach. "What is it?"

Chronos let out a soft humming. "I guess it's what you could call Apollia and Adramalech's redemption." He smiled at Hunter. "You really got to them, you know. You taught them to accept their mistakes, let go of them and then learn from them. Instead of forming the light and darkness of the world out of pure guilt, they shine hope upon the world as they were always meant to be; as father and daughter."

"How...? I thought they had poured everything they had into Bloodfyre...?"

The Chronomancer smirked. "Well, there are other sources of light than those two, isn't there? Adramalech has always represented fire and his daughter, Apollia, the light and warmth it gives. When their flames were nearly extinguished, the people of Incendius lit their own light. After they learned to look beyond their own suffering, they saw the light the rest of the world had made and they took that, used it."

Harm Chronos chuckled and a truly genuine smile crossed his features. It wasn't just a smirk or a slight twist of his lips either. He was grinning brightly. "It gave them the strength and the courage to do something they thought they would never be able to do: forgive one another. You see, the light Incendians came with forgiveness too. The people were united as one, forgiving mast misgivings and coming together to illuminate the world.

"When those two learned this final lesson and they drew upon the true strength of Incendius and made a light that would never go out."

"Are they...?"

There, Chronos' smile wavered. "I'm sorry. It was their last act. But I'm sure you agree it was one hell of an act."

The cogs in Hunter's head began ticking away. He remembered that it was Chronos who had first attempted to unite the people of Incendius against the Shadows and it was Chronos - even with Andy's blackmailing - who had given the world the idea of making their own light. He claimed to be trying to unite the people in hatred but in reality, he never intended that. He just pushed them to the point where they were forced to forgive one another and become one people to bring that same lesson to Apollia and Adramalech!

Hunter shook his head. "That was your plan all along, wasn't it? You never wanted me to destroy Bloodfyre with Zero Hour, did you? The reason you chose me to do it is because you wanted me to tell Apollia and Adramalech to stop being such fucking pussies and own up to their mistakes."

The other Wulfun chuckled softly as Hunter began shuffling along beside him. "Telling someone to do something when expecting them to exactly to the opposite is one of my favourite ways of controlling people."

"You son of a bitch!"

Chronos threw his head back and laughed heartily. "For the record, whether you chose to do so or not wouldn't really have mattered. All I wanted was to give those two peace and unite Incendius. If you had destroyed _Bloodfyre,_Incendius would be returned to its natural state of pure darkness and people would have lived as they should have, coming together as one in the darkness and making their own light. But seeing as you didn't, well... I like to think this is the better of the two endings, don't you?"

He growled angrily. "Why didn't you just tell me to do that?"

"You mean tell you to go preaching to two omnipresent deities who are so caught up in their guilt that they are paralysed by it and can't even begin to fathom redemption let alone forgiveness?" Chronos replied. He tilted his head to the side, a sly smile on his muzzle. "Hunter, I've taught Paladins from centuries and one of the first lessons I learned is that people learn the best when they figure out the lessons for themselves. You can't just shove the lesson down their throats. It makes for really bad indigestion."

Hunter frowned. "So... That's what you did here? You had us all suffer, make sacrifices and bring the whole world to war just so that we'd suffer together and learn together? You knew Apollia would ally with me on the Sun Spire! You gave me Firefeather so that Adramalech would fight beside me and learn from me!"

"Am I good or am I good?"

He shook his head in disbelief. "Unbelievable! All this for a fucking lesson!?"

"Well..." Chronos gestured towards the sky. "Incendius is in a better state. The cultural barriers between the factions are broken down. The world is left in a state of equality and..." He reached into his pocket and fished out a small, red disc. "... and I got this little bauble."

"Huh...? The hell is that?"

The Wulfun smirked and tucked it back into his pocket. "Ask Aria. She'll know."

Hunter shook his head, taking a step back away from Chronos. "I don't know what to say... but... I've got to ask."

Chronos gave him an amused look. "Why I did it all? Do I have any regrets? What will happen now? Just remember, you only get one question."

Hunter shook his head. "None of those. Just... was it worth it?"

That caused Chronos' smile to fade and the Chronomancer stared at him, looking utterly lost. Then, the smaller Wulfun laughed, slapping his forehead lightly. "You're truly an amazing man, Hunter Hart. Not too long ago, I told Aria she should be more like you."

"Impulsive? Reckless? Prone to stupid decisions?"

"No." Chronos gave him a proud smile. "You ask the right questions." The Chronomancer lowered his gaze before nodding and lifting it again, gazing off into the distance. "No. It wasn't worth it. I wish it could've been easier, simpler. I wish I could've just gone to the end of the world and dealt with Adra and Apollia. I wish I could have told them the lesson you have carried so well and they would've listened. I wish so many people didn't have to die and frankly, I wish I could've acted sooner."

Chronos shrugged and turned the south, up the stairs of the black walls of Chillfarn. In the distance, he could hear the cheering of a large number of people. He began walking again and Hunter followed him. To the latter's surprise, there was now snow beneath his boots. There was just the soft cold, metal ground of the walls.

"But we can't let ourselves be consumed by what could have been or what should have been," Chronos continued. "People made their choices, I made mine. We can blame whomever we want but ultimately, the world will keep turning whether or not we follow it. Time waits for no man especially not those who sulk and worry about the crimes they've committed."

Hunter wasn't sure... but for some reason, Chronos didn't seem so... evil anymore.

"You know with what has happened, people will hardly believe you were behind all this. They won't think you're this 'evil mastermind' that sought to bring the world to an end."

"Oh? And what is it that you think of me?"

"I honestly don't know what to think of you."

The Chronomancer shrugged. "I can't tell you what to think. No matter how I may try, you've proven time and again that you are your own man. Sure I can pull your strings now and then but you still manage to break free. That's what I like about you." He gave Hunter a light punch. "You defy destiny. You forge your own path. Were that we were all so lucky."

"So who's pulling your strings then?" Hunter asked.

Chronos lifted a finger and wagged it at him. "Ah-ah! Only one question, remember."

"Come on! I nearly got fucking killed for your stupid plans! You owe me!" Hunter was fighting a smile.

"Yes but I saved you from being frozen in a block of ice. So we're even." Chronos nodded towards the north. The abandoned encampment of the defenders stretched before them and beyond that, the grassy, verdant lands of the north. "But I'll tell you this, Hunter, this is only the beginning. My grand return to the stage will have to wait some other time. Tower Thirteen will never be the same after this. I will make sure of that." He then turned towards the south at the barren lands of the Darkened Lands littered with thousands upon thousands of people, throwing up their arms in victory and the starships above them shooting dummy rockets as fireworks.

"It will take time for Incendius to come back to full strength but unlike before, they now have the capacity to grow. I don't know how the government will be or what will become of the Church's presence but we can only hope that with this change in the world, people will have a serious think about where they are and what they believe in."

Chronos clapped his paws together. "Well, the future awaits, Hunter. Enjoy it."

Hunter groaned. "You mean enjoy my celebrity status of being the guy that somehow convinced the gods to create a new fucking light in the sky? Great..."

"Or," countered Chronos, wagging a finger, "this light could've been created by the bravery and courage of all the people who fought so bravely at Chillfarn. Like the guilt of the world created the Shadows, people's courage, devotion to one another and desire to live free of fear created a light to banish the darkness. Miracles _do_happen, after all."

He rolled his eyes. "Yeah but who would believe that when I'm walking out of the Concave of Shadows?"

"Concave?" Harm grinned and hiked a thumb to the south. "That's five days that way. How could you possibly have been over there to create this light and then suddenly appear here where you gave up your live courageously to buy the defenders time to regroup? Unless..." Chronos made an exaggerated gasp, placing his paws on his lips. "Chronomancy."

"HUNTER!"

He jerked towards the south. At the base of the wall, Eton stood, beaming and with arms waving. Beside him were Aria and the others. All of their faces were bright and beaming, looking even happier in the new sun.

"What...?"

He turned back to Chronos...

... but found him gone.

Of course.

Wham!

Strong, furry arms seized him and spun him around wildly. Pain exploded from his ribs and arms and he had to cry out before Eton set him down and planted their lips together. Hunter forgot all the pain and melted. He felt a warmth run through him that even the new 'sun' could not give. Around him, white, glowing feathers dropped from the sky as the giant phoenix passed over them.

Eton pulled his lips away, shaking his head in absolute joy. "I wasn't there to wake you up but... Well... At least I was the first one to kiss you."

Hunter grinned. "I like this scenario better."

Questions flew all around him asking about the bandages and how he thawed out but he just shook his head and gaze out towards the south.

The people of Incendius stood before him... all of them praising a sun they had forged. It wasn't really a sun made by the gods. It was one fuelled by them, yes, but mortal hands made it. A mortal blade carved through the darkness and it was the mortal hearts that swayed the mournful gods. It was mortal courage, their might and their united hearts that taught the gods the lesson they needed to forgive one another.

Hunter gripped Eton's paw, the two of them standing side by side with their friends, watching a new dawn come to a troubled Station.

For the first time... Incendius truly had a sun.

And it was their light forged by their hands.